Alinco DR-135UK 10 Meter Radio Review

This is the M0OGY Radio and Antenna Review of the Alinco DR-135UK 10 meter Amateur Radio Transceiver.
In this first video of a two part review I look at this small DIN sized tranceiver and it's features.
In the next review I will carry out some "On Air Testing" on the popular 10 meter Amateur Band and show the unit RX only on 11 Meters.
DISCLAIMER......please note in the United Kingdom this unit is not type approved for the Citizens' Band and it is the operator's own responsibility to abide by any local laws.
I thank Nevada Radio for their kind help in supplying this Alinco for evaluation.
Please keep an eye open for my "On Air" testing video very soon!
Best 73,
Dave M0OGY,
North Lincolnshire,
United Kingdom.

[@markwilliams8702]

Great little radio. Compact but full of some excellent features. Use mine for dxing in the car and on hills. Lovely radio. Great video as always Mo0gy.

[@daviddawkins1]

Hi Dave. Really appreciate you taking the time to make this video. My DX 35 arrived today. As I live in Germany, The manual had been translated from Chinese, into English then into German. Well, you can imagine how useful the instructions were! And the first thing I needed to do, was to switch off that annoying bleep, which wasn’t even explained. Your video saved my life ( and maybe my marriage ) much appreciated. Kind regards, DO7DAD, David in Germany.

[@R2DMD]

Superb review. Thanks. I am going to buy it tomorrow. Here it is called "Alinco DR-135CBA" and "Alinco DR-135CBA New"

[@26OK039]

Another nice review very interesting Mr. M0ogy, looking forward to seeing it in action.

[@m0ogy]

Thank you Andrew, we'll have to meet for a beer one day, your not far from me at all.

[@26OK039]

m0ogy Name a time and place, I dont mind crosssing the river to your side.

[@chippydick111]

Look forward to the performance review its a nice looking radio.

[@ChrisTheHulk]

Nice looking set Dave. Might have to get one when I get my new car after the new year :)

[@maplewoodsp]

Thanks for this review! I am trying to determine if a similar unit is sold in the US. The last letters in the model seem indicate it is special for the UK. Looking forward to your part 2. 73

[@walty28msn]

great radio,,thanks for the video,73's

[@m0ogy]

Cheers Walter

[@CBRadiouk1]

Looks good Dave

[@pe7b]

Another interesting and informative video review Dave! I'm looking forward to seeing the "on air" test. I use a President HR2600 on 10m. I'll be interested to see how the DR-135 compares. The DR-135's mic looks familiar. It looks similar to that of the (AnyTone/Qixiang) Maas Colonia/K-PO K500.

[@roberleedodson]

great video ! thanks!

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Nice one Dave. A good looking radio, loads of features.

[@m0ogy]

It is and we'll see how it works later this week Mr Shed

[@mattcurtis3019]

Good effort 👍

[@CBRadiouk1]

Another good video Dave liked. Hope all is good, and Christmas preparations being sorted.

[@andymuza]

Great little over view Dave. Fantastic little set which many people will not take seriously because of a couple of CB gimmicks like an echo and a beep which I might add don't have to be used as you can turn them off. They also don't take it seriously because it can be opened to the 11mtr band but guess what, so can a HF set by Kenwood, Icom or Yaesu am I to take it that these same people don't take any of those seriously as well LOL.

[@m0ogy]

It does seem a cracking little set and for under £160 from Nevada has to be worth a Punt. I'm sure the majority end up on 11 meters, but i've had some of my best ever contacts on radios such as this on 10 meters Ham band, opposed to radios I own that cost 20 times the price when new. Sadly Amateur Radio tends to have more than it's fair share of Snobs who call equipment like this and who have never even tried one. Cheers Andy, speak soon Mate. Dave M0OGY

[@ianmclyde]

Great video.. is this basically the newer version of the anytone 5555? I had convinced myself to buy the anytime until I saw this video, it's looks to have all the same features but a lot smelter unit? Don't have my foundation yet but planning on it... thought this would replace the cb in the car when I get the cash :)

[@davescrivens8991]

i have one but the panel illumination is not working. Any suggestions.

[@g1fsh]

I hope its more stable than the earlier Anytone versions Dave they werent very good really. I'm guessing it is seeing as Alinco have put their name to it. The programming port on the back panel is much better than faffing around inside to connect the programming lead. Cant wait to see how it sounds on air Dave nice video mate.

[@m0ogy]

I think the Chinese factories have come a long way over the last four years Gary. I look forward to showing further results very soon.

[@zukispur5493]

Cracking radio.

[@jimthvac100]

I understand radios like the DX99V transmit a wide band signal witch causes it to bleed into other frequencies and even come over the neighbor's FM stereo system. I want to ask if this radio is a Narrow band transmitting radio like most true ham radios?

[@trohear4]

After looking at your video dave i have bought one from nevada hope i am not dissapointed.also does it cover all the 11m band.also has it got swr protection. thats the last of the 20? lol.regards alan M6RFO.73s

[@jellyheed]

What is the latest version number of this radio and how can you tell what version you have?

[@edd200sx]

So do you have to enable band2 after every power off??

[@simonh870]

I have had three of these, they work well when they are working but I had issues with all of mine. On the first one the illumination behind the writing on the front stopped working after 2 days from new, so it went back. A couple of years later I had the CRE-8900 version and I had trouble with the main display stopping working completely on that one. Recently I had another CRE and the blue colour on the display stopped working, so I could only get 3 out of the 7 available colours. All of these radios were on 3 different power supplies and setups. So in my opinion the quality of them isn't as good as it should be.

[@jasonbarlow7803]

sorry to trouble you and i know i will get shot down in flames but ime new to this comming back from 20 years break but wanted to ask is the software disc able to open the uk cb radio frequenecies

[@martincarden6704]

Dave whats the difference between the DX and the UK?

[@russtatt]

How does it compare with the Grant 2 Dave ?.

[@MrPionero16]

hi dave, this model alinco dr-135dx is the same model alinco dx-10 in united states friend ?, I like this radio!....best regards dave. Oscar xe2voo.

[@thetezz0001]

what would be the better one to get this or....CB RADIO COBRA 29-LX EU AM/FM ( MULTIBAND) ??

[@jake30966]

When i go to the side bands i'm getting talk back , it's like a pa system , how's that ?

[@daystatesniper01]

So can this rig cover all CB UK/EU channels as well as the "old" AM ,SSB as well as HAM bands ?

[@robertmortimore3024]

Hi Dave hope your well....Only just seen this video and is what you did to make the rig EXPORT MODE the same as what a company would charge you 20 quid for using a computer and lead please.....Stay Safe.........

[@bigradiofan7216]

No split freq and ctcss tones for 10m repeaters it seems?

[@corky1548]

, can you just use it and set up like a cb can you still do that.??? And do you need a computer to to set the rig up??? Because I of that disc thing can you tell if you can use the cb like any other cb with out that disc lead

[@jake30966]

how would i set this up for fm channels

[@manclubandorra]

Very good video, can you explain it to me what is this function that appears in the menu? .. I put the description of the manual (12) TON (Transmitting Single-Tone Frequency) This menu is to select Transmitting Single- Tone Frequency from 300Hz -3kHz. The shift step is 10Hz. Default: 1050Hz Greetings from Andorra.

[@stephenwalker8299]

Need to say dave if it's the mini or traditional rig just Ia thought has i had to send it back this week has it was the small one nice rig though

[@pauldavies3943]

Do u need ham licence for this cb radio

[@kevinmccool3719]

These come in numerous brands and numerous model numbers. They are all identical radios and are not made by Alinco. They are manufactured by a company in France called CRT. The CRE8900 is another version also.

[@m0ogy]

Hello Kevin, all the radios including the Alinco and the CRT models you mention are not made in France, they are all made in China and are badge engineered by the owner's of the Anytone brand, they are called Qixiang Electron Science Technology Co.，Ltd.I still think the Alinco is a decent radio seven years on from my product review.Other than this radio all the Alinco Amateur radios including HF radios are built in Japan, but I guess this was made by Qixiang for cost reasons.

[@paulhotson5820]

1:54 shows Japan on the box!

[@julianrobertson3303]

Thank you for sharing , I was just wondering if the Alinco has lasted for all these years ?.

[@m0ogy]

I can't help you, as this is one of only a number of review products I never kept, I PXed it with a chap for a very nice Yaesu FT840 HF radio around 8 years ago. He still owns it and I don't think he has had any issues with it.You won't go far wrong with an Alinco .

[@julianrobertson3303]

@@m0ogy Thank you for your reply , it's much appreciated . 73

[@WHNorthcote]

Can this radio be used as a WSPR beacon for 10M? If so, how?

[@1112223333111]

I just picked up the DX10 new in the box. It looks identical...

[@1112223333111]

yep band 1 and 2 the same on this, pretty much identical

[@macattach8510]

Can't understand why the FCC don't approve it.. :0( Not like I'm going to use the RB ,, unreal

[@BlackHorseMilitia]

Is this a ham radio or cb? It says amateur transceiver but I see cb features. I'll do more research.

[@anthonymclean9743]

@@petesworld1967 Yawn Zzzzzzz

[@414730]

This radio is aimed at the 11 meter chicken band, Hence the Rodger Beep/Echo

[@You22Tube]

+Dave D High power 11 meter radios are showing up everywhere, Amazon, and of course the full variety pack on eBay. China, apparently, is going crazy on this market, and no one in the US cares that they're illegal. I mean, just because Uncle Sam makes a mess of the other laws isn't a reason to let the upper HF frequencies turn into a sewer. Too late. I saw a 100 watt xcvr that's labeled -- "For 10 Meter Amateur radio usage -- will not work on CB out of the box." It has a beep /echo, and a 40 channel knob, but no frequency readout. Let's say you're a little slow but you have a Ham license, anyway, and decide to spend $350 to put one one of these on 10 Meters. Then I wonder, how would you navigate around the 10 Meter band with a 40 channel knob? Maybe it covers 40 "channels" on 10 meters, but that really would be useless for hams. I don't know. The new flood of these radios makes one lose hope that the upper HF frequencies might ever be brought under control. Instead, it will be an endless gutter of cursing, abuse, 10-over-9 noise, childrens band, hello skipland, I need a bigger alternator for my mobile KW but then I have to modify the hood of my car... One Englishman had it right. He said he bought one, and within a few months, he realized that his ability to roam the bands freely with his freeband radio still left him wanting, and that what he really wanted was a Ham radio license, which he then proceeded to get. But he regretted spending $300 on the freeband radio -- he would have rather saved it to put towards a real Ham radio. His advice was to avoid this pothole, and if you really get warm and fuzzy playing with radios, then just go straight for the Ham license. Of course, then you miss out on the Echo / Beep, because they're only in CBs.

[@roberleedodson]

nothing wrong with 11 meters, just the people that are on it!

[@borneofile260]

Alinco

[@1112223333111]

Hams love echo...lol hahahaaa

[@m0ogy]

I regularly use it on 160 meters myself......LOL

[@1112223333111]

m0ogy really helps with CW

[@johnryding1630]

We do?