Review Author: Bill Smith KI5VGT
March 1, 2023

Looking for a reliable and powerful dual band handheld radio? You might want to check out the TYT TH-UV8000E. This is a 10 watt cross band repeater radio that offers many features and functions that will enhance your communication experience. The design of this radio ensures that every detail is well-built and will be long lasting with proper care.

Best Features:

• Full Featured Ham Dual Band repeater radio for a very aggressive low price
• Sturdy and well made
• Powerful speakers for clear and stable sound
• 10 Watt VHF / 8 Watt UHF
• Dual Band 2m and 70cm, Dual Watch display
• Cross Band Repeater Function
• Long life 3600 mAh battery
• Display Background Color Selectable
• Free Car Charger
• Free Programming Cable
• Free PC programming software is powerful and complete
　

One of the main advantages of this radio is its ultra-high output power of 10W, which allows you to transmit signals up to eight miles away. This is ideal for emergency situations, outdoor activities, or long-distance contacts. You can also adjust the power level between high (10W VHF, 8.5W UHF) and low (5W VHF/UHF) according to your needs. Another benefit of this radio is its large capacity advanced 3600mAh Li-ion battery that provides long-lasting performance and durability. Lasting up to 12 hours on a single charge, the UV8000E comes with a car charger and a desktop charger for your convenience. You don’t have to worry about running out of power when you need it most.
　

POWER TESTS – MARCH 2023
Meter: Surecom /SW-33 using 50amp dummy load

BAND     FREQ          LOW    HIGH

  UHF    462.5500        5.0         8.4
  UHF    467.6500        5.0         8.4
  VHF    145.3500        5.3         10.0
  VHF    147.1800        5.5         10.3
　

Furthermore, this radio comes with two antennas that you can switch between depending on your need: one for UHF bands and one for VHF bands. Besides the two antennas, there are also other included items that many HT radios do not include. You’ll want to take advantage of TYT’s downloadable and free PC programming software and to make sure you have everything you need, TYT includes the UV8000E USB 2-prong K-style ‘Prolific’ programming cable for free, in the box!
　

ANTENNA SWR MEASURES – MARCH 2023
Meter: Surecom /SW-33

FREQ. @ Test     8kE Long    8kE Short    Nagoya 771G        RT470 Stock

  UHF    Simplex       3.4               3.7                   1.01                     2.6
  UHF    Repeater      2.7               3.2                   4.6                       4.8
  VHF    Repeater      7.9               4.8                   6.5                       1.97
　

In addition to these features, this radio has many other functions that make it user-friendly and versatile. For example, the backlit keyboard is great for easier identification. The dual display is also designed to work well even in the dark, with the LCD screen providing 3 selectable background screen colors (yellow, blue and white) for illuminating in different environments. The display also has dual standby modes that let you monitor two frequencies at once. It supports CTCSS/DCS codes, VOX function, SOS alarm function, TOT function, keypad lock function, etc.

Unique to this radio you will enjoy the Broadcast FM radio function that lets you pre-program up to 25 of your local FM radio stations so that when you select FM Radio mode you can simply turn the selector knob to scroll thru the stations. The quality of the internal speaker is nice enough to be on the same par with a standalone speaker. For instance, on FM 92.6 in my locale I found the sound delivered to be clear and stable, especially when listening to sports talk radio.

The UV8000E’s large channel memory capacity provides the capability to create up to 128 frequency channels that you can program with your favorite frequencies or scan through them easily using the radio’s Scan function that has a user adjustable scan speed option. You will want to use the free TYT UV8000E User Program Software designed to help make and manage channels convenient. But wait…there’s more.

The UV8000E is FCC Part 15 and arrives configured for both Ham radio 2m (VHF 144-148) and 70cm (420-450MHz). If you need to adjust those frequencies, with the UV8000E you won’t need to stumble around the dark web looking for ‘Unlock’ codes and/or secret software to adjust those limits because the UV8000E PC software includes a simple tab where you can adjust the frequencies to your needs (within hardware limits VHF 136-174 and UHF 400-520).
　

As an example for why you might adjust the frequencies, you can adjust the upper VHF limit from 148MHz to 174 MHz and thus be able to create a channel to listen to the US Weather frequency like Wx-02 at VHF freq. 162.400. A friendly word of caution, in the U.S. listening is free but the FCC has rules regarding transmitting and some require an amateur license, some require a test, some require neither. If you are not familiar with the rules there are many resources that can help you such as a local Ham Radio Club or just check out ‘Youtube’.
　

One of the most impressive functions of this radio is its Cross Band Repeater function, which allows you to extend the range of your handheld radio by using a dual band mobile or base radio as a relay station. This means that you can communicate with other radios on different frequency bands using this radio as a bridge. For example, if you have a UHF handheld radio and want to talk to someone on a VHF repeater or simplex frequency, you can use this Cross Band Repeater radio to retransmit your signal from UHF to VHF and vice versa. This is very useful for field operations or remote locations where there are no high-level repeater systems available.

You need the PC programming software the first time you setup to use Cross Band. After that, turning it off or on can be done from the radio keyboard menu option #11.
Within the PC software select Edit Optional Function. I put a red-dot box around the fields to pay attention too. The box for “Cross Band Function” has a drop down for either ‘Off’ or “On”. Don’t get confused, this should be set to ‘Off’. If you choose ‘On’ your radio will power on with Cross Band enabled whether you want or not, so leave this ‘Off’. Below that is a check box for “Cross Band setting”. By default it is unchecked. This is the magic key part 1 of 2! Check it to enable Cross Band.

Next, with your radio powered on, press the ‘F’ key plus keys for 11 (eleven) to take you to menu option #11 named ‘Turn’ (this is magic key part 2 of 2). ‘Turn’ is what TYT named the menu option to turn Cross Band off or on. Press the ‘F’ key again and turn the selector know to change ‘Off’ to ‘On’, lastly press ‘F’ one more time to have menu accept your choice. At this point, I usually then just turn the radio off/on again and when it powers up, we are in Cross Band mode.

The TYT TH-UV8000E is a great choice for anyone who wants a high-quality Hand Talkie (HT) dual band ham radio that has cross band repeater function with an affordable price tag. It has excellent performance, durability, functionality, and a design that will satisfy. I highly recommend this product to anyone who needs a reliable dual band handheld radio.

The TYT-UV8000E and the supporting software “UV8000E PC Programming Software”, Microsoft Windows USB Driver for the TYT K-style cable and a downloadable PDF “TYT UV8000E User Manual” can be found at TYT’s USA distributor where the files have been carefully proofed to make sure they are virus free and safe for download. Check out Radioddity.com or use the links below to take you directly to download.

Radioddity TYT Download Page