If you're considering the Wouxun KG-S88G Plus #GMRS radio because it has bluetooth audio, understand that the bluetooth feature disables the radio's volume knob, so your earphones/buds will need their own physical volume control. In other words, it doesn't work well with modern earbuds because the audio plays at a non-adjustable 100%. If you thought roger beeps, morse code repeater IDs, etc were annoying before, welcome to instant tinnitus 😂
The radio has very limited receive capability (400-480 MHz), so you can't even use it to access NOAA weather frequencies.
It's not compatible with either Chirp or Tidradio's wireless programming tool. Programming is limited to manually through the keypad (which isn't awful despite its keypad being even smaller than the UV-5R's), or having admin privileges to a Windows machine. You'd think the programming software for a radio that costs the equivalent of a 6-pack of Baofengs would be compatible with more than just Windows. I guess the folks at Wouxun just assume that if you can afford a Mac, you probably use a Starlink mini for all off-grid comms.
Battery life is unimpressive. Pretty sure a tween with a 3D printer could make a better charging cradle. Accessing the radio's USB port requires either removing a screw every single time, or chucking the cover plate entirely, compromising water resistance.
There's no dual-channel monitoring but the ability to modify the channel scan list directly from the radio is a potential workaround. Very useful for those times when you need to temporarily block a high-traffic channel.
It has frequency and tone scanning capability, and the display is legible in daylight [stares resentfully at UV-5G Plus]. The manual is pretty good.
Apparently, the big contributor to the higher cost of this radio is that it allegedly transmits cleaner, and increased sensitivity due to being a 'superheterodyne' radio. Honestly, the difference seems negligible. It may be better at blocking out random RF noise and pulling in weak signals but definitely not 6X better.
If vox could be made to work through something like a bluetooth speaker, the bluetooth audio feature could prove useful. You could potentially locate the radio on say a roof or tree branch to increase its range while you remain on solid ground.
PaulAllen / Paul Allen
npub1m6…79dnn
2025-01-01 15:21:12
Author Public Key
npub1m6x20f4n7uc5ayvjr4xut6g4ldau90fjz202d9nrythl5jq9p3xq579dnnPublished at
2025-01-01 15:21:12Event JSON
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"content": "If you're considering the Wouxun KG-S88G Plus #GMRS radio because it has bluetooth audio, understand that the bluetooth feature disables the radio's volume knob, so your earphones/buds will need their own physical volume control. In other words, it doesn't work well with modern earbuds because the audio plays at a non-adjustable 100%. If you thought roger beeps, morse code repeater IDs, etc were annoying before, welcome to instant tinnitus 😂 \n\nThe radio has very limited receive capability (400-480 MHz), so you can't even use it to access NOAA weather frequencies.\n\nIt's not compatible with either Chirp or Tidradio's wireless programming tool. Programming is limited to manually through the keypad (which isn't awful despite its keypad being even smaller than the UV-5R's), or having admin privileges to a Windows machine. You'd think the programming software for a radio that costs the equivalent of a 6-pack of Baofengs would be compatible with more than just Windows. I guess the folks at Wouxun just assume that if you can afford a Mac, you probably use a Starlink mini for all off-grid comms.\n\nBattery life is unimpressive. Pretty sure a tween with a 3D printer could make a better charging cradle. Accessing the radio's USB port requires either removing a screw every single time, or chucking the cover plate entirely, compromising water resistance.\n\nThere's no dual-channel monitoring but the ability to modify the channel scan list directly from the radio is a potential workaround. Very useful for those times when you need to temporarily block a high-traffic channel.\n\nIt has frequency and tone scanning capability, and the display is legible in daylight [stares resentfully at UV-5G Plus]. The manual is pretty good.\n\nApparently, the big contributor to the higher cost of this radio is that it allegedly transmits cleaner, and increased sensitivity due to being a 'superheterodyne' radio. Honestly, the difference seems negligible. It may be better at blocking out random RF noise and pulling in weak signals but definitely not 6X better.\n\nIf vox could be made to work through something like a bluetooth speaker, the bluetooth audio feature could prove useful. You could potentially locate the radio on say a roof or tree branch to increase its range while you remain on solid ground.",
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}