FCC Approved? - TIDRADIO TD-H8 Gen2

In this video, we take a look at the FCC "certification" for the TIDRadio TD-H8 makes. This is the latest version, at the time of the video, TIDRadio TD-H8 HAM.
Note: This Radio was sent to me from TIDRadio free of charge in exchange for this video review.
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[@gmeister03]

Well, I like mine. And I like using it often.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Awesome.

[@WJ6FRadio]

Great video!! The fun just keeps happening with this radio!

[@TheSmokinApe]

It sure does...

[@SymoTube]

I just double checked the TD-H8 I have here, and it matches up almost exactly to your tests. Quick 2 meter results: The radio does surprisingly put out 10+ watts on high. Unfortunately, the second and third harmonics are above the 25uW limit (-16.02dbm) on low and mid power. When transmitting on HIGH (10.08W for my unit) the second harmonic is down -48.97dBc (PASS), but also is at a level of approx. -8 to -9 dBm. (FAIL!) On my unit, the 3rd harmonic actually passes on high power at -61.5 dBc from the fundamental at around -21 to -22 dBm. But it doesn't matter since the 2nd harmonic already failed! I didn't bother with the 70cm side, since this lined up with your results. Good video series on this radio! Thank you! I wish I could post a pretty picture of my Siglent Harmonic screen. :) These numbers are for reference only, as I also may not know what I'm doing. ;-)

[@TheSmokinApe]

Thanks for double checking the numbers 👍

[@rickfletcher4297]

Is your TD-H8 a "2nd Generation" version?

[@WaynePatrick]

It just gets worse the more you check. Thanks for all you do.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Thanks for watching Wayne 👍

[@Swamp-Fox]

Interesting. Thanks for the deep dive into the FCC Certification sticker & what it really means. Things are not always as they appear!

[@TheSmokinApe]

Thanks for checking it out SF 👍

[@thuff3207]

Thank you for sharing this information. It is helpful because I only use certified radios with spectral purity. Why I do not what to cause problems with other operators.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Glad you liked it Thuff!

[@AdamSWL]

I came here because I was triggered by a cat video! Nice change of subject and well researched Ape! There needs to be a list of these radios available online for prospective buyers suggesting which ones to avoid. It will probably be quite a long list.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Hey Adam, that list would be a good idea 👍

[@WECB640]

Ape, this is one of your top 5 BEST videos! One has to be a lawyer now apparently and do their own research of spectral purity AND FCC approval. This is a very slippery slope for the company to get this sticker from the FCC even though it means NOTHING to the radio amateur. Once again, it's all about the Benjamins! Buy a quality product from a KNOWN manufacturer.....Kenwood, Icom, Yaesu etc. You get what you pay for.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Thanks Hollywood. As long as people keep buying this type of junk, they will keep selling it...

[@germanjohn5626]

You would be well advised to actually test those also..many do not pass..

[@LeeMcc_KI5YPR]

Ape, great work. All computers have 15b certification. Pretty much anything with an oscillator needs 15b. So frig, washer, etc. A radio getting 15b is nice, but the intentional radiator part is more interesting. Hence your videos. 👍🏻

[@TheSmokinApe]

Right, thanks for the comment Lee

[@HOAHamRadio]

TheSmokinApe with the facts once again.

[@TheSmokinApe]

lol, thanks Bob 👍

[@germanjohn5626]

Most FCC ID's of Chinese radios are not legal and fake or they have a part 15 sticker that means the receiver is certified not the transmitter i.e. during receive there are no harmful spurious signals.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Right, thanks for the info GJ 👍

[@mikeramsey9747]

I've seen complaints about RF burns from touching the pins on the back of the radio (specifically the first pin). Have you tested for this?

[@TheSmokinApe]

I felt some heat coming off mine but not as bad as the others have reported.

[@TheSzalkowski]

If someone claims an RF Burn from a battery connector on a 10 watt radio, my first thought is that they are a clueless moron. Even if it got hot enough to burn for some magical reason, that would be a thermal burn not an RF Burn.

[@bulldogbrower6732]

You are correct, amateur radios are not subject to confirming to emissions regulations, except for part 15 which covers everything from vacuum cleaners to outdoor lighting. Spectral purity is specified in part 97 because the assigned frequencies in the GMRS specifications.

[@TheSmokinApe]

I get in these arguments: Them: How can it be dirty if it's FFC Certified? I don't care if it is dirty, it's certified. Me: Half the certs are fake and the ones that are legit don't cover it... They almost aways don't believe me.

[@vsc9835]

Reading through the FCC posting, I only found that the radio was tested as a transmitter in the GMRS band. In other words the radio was not tested for transmission in the 2m or 70cm ham bands. Which goes back to my assertion that the H8 was designed as a GMRS radio, where for some reason they decided to sell it for ham radio use with the fallout we observe. Spurs, audio EMI and so on.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Sounds about right to me, thanks for watching VSC 👍

[@bretaschleman8289]

I bought one recently. Hopefully they have fixed it. Ty

[@TheSmokinApe]

Good luck with it...

[@billryland6199]

It looked to me like the web site only showed what they had APPLIED for, not what certifications had been received.

[@TheSmokinApe]

It shows what had been granted, at least that's how it reads to me...

[@DirtyPlumbus]

I had been avoiding these radios because of potential internet security issues raised about a year ago, I think Ham Radio Dude did a video. The reasons to avoid them just keep piling up.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Yeah, that app is sketchy at best.

[@norrinradd8952]

This leads to me to another question that I would ask of the FCC: So what would you say you do, exactly?

[@TheSmokinApe]

lol

[@morthomer5804]

All alphabet agencies become (primarily) forensic in enforcement. In most cases, they defer their authority to company representatives to follow the CFR's.

[@TheSzalkowski]

My understanding of the approval process. The FCC does not test anything themselves. The company submitting the device for approval does the testing themselves or pays a third party to do the testing and submits the test parameters and results to the FCC. e.g. for a given single test, I would document the test, the test parameters and then a screenshot of the specan or whatever else would document the results.

[@TheSmokinApe]

You want ever see a radio with a certification for Part 97, which governs ham radio, because it doesn’t exist. If a China radio has any certification it will be a Part 15 which almost all types of electronic should have. It has nothing to do the part 97 or spurious emissions 👍

[@akeem11h]

I hope this clears things up for most. Based on FCC guidance, individual users and operators are responsible for ensuring that they operate their equipment within FCC guidelines. However, two-way radio manufacturers can make any claims about their radios, even if they have not tested for spurious emissions.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Agreed

[@akeem11h]

@@TheSmokinApe by the way what’s your budget recommendations for VHF UHF DMR capable radio HT and mobile/manpack. Retired from the military had interesting career with comms and just getting into the CIV side of things.

[@bretaschleman8289]

I'm wondering if the problems with this radio were fixed 9 months later?

[@TheSmokinApe]

Reports have been mixed

[@technishn]

I remember seeing a report on a RF Power Amplifier, and couldn't understand that it didn't measure harmonics, spurious.. What are the basic parameters that need to be checked.. Its pretty simple.. Isn't there a FCC doc that states that?

[@TheSmokinApe]

www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/47/97.315 www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/47/2.815 www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/47/part-2/subpart-J

[@technishn]

I think ETSI (European) doc is ETA 300 684.

[@TheSmokinApe]

@@technishn 👍

[@paymanalimi8201]

Good morning to you ThesmokinApe , Is there anyway you could help me to set up my TIDRadio TD_H8 GMRS . I bought two of them one for me and one for my wife.. I downloaded the app in my phone. Never used these radios before.. I like to program several different frequency. Also how we could add on repeaters that way we could reach longer distance and finally have emergency frequency saved . In case of emergency. thank you God bless you and America.

[@TheSmokinApe]

If you have the programming cable you are better off using Chirp

[@paymanalimi8201]

@@TheSmokinApe I do have the cable

[@TheSmokinApe]

Chirp is going to be the easy way

[@paymanalimi8201]

@@TheSmokinApe I try to put frequency 154.570 and after we enter the number and key the radio says canceled. please help me to program the radio thank you.

[@danielkingshott2659]

LTD = Limited Company, e.g LLC.

[@TheSmokinApe]

👍

[@fathernomad]

So, is the TD-H8 GRMS certified?

[@TheSmokinApe]

Sorry FN I’m not sure

[@Chris-hy6jy]

If it's illegal it makes you wonder how it can be sold and purchased so easily.

[@TheSmokinApe]

It does make you wonder...

[@ai5dd]

Radios like this are being sold from army surplus stores to non-ham preppers who program them and transmit on them on the GMRS, FRS and MURS etc frequencies, as well as harass local repeaters. This started exploding when a army surplus store outside of town here in Stillwater, OK started doing this. No one at the store as far as I know are licensed hams.

[@TheSmokinApe]

I can see that happening...

[@tonytyler6390]

So

[@RKingis]

They can do Ham, or GMRS. There is also a expand all.

[@JimmyShot]

@ai5dd Ugh I remember when the superlink had that jack ass popping on and cursing everyone out.

[@moozoowizard]

Amazon needs to be told about this scam so they can pull it from the store again.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Looks like TID will just keep calling them the "new version"

[@germanjohn5626]

Amazon doesn't care, just like they don't care about illegal high power CB radios and amplifiers.

[@TargetAcquisition]

I received one today, not happy. When transmitting and touching the battery, it has very bad feedback. When not touching the battery, there is no feedback. Waiting on the manufacturer to respond if there’s a fix. Seems some other people have this issue and some don’t. I hoped I would get lucky.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Sorry to hear you are having a hard time with it

[@jamescstanley5018]

Very interesting, thanks for letting us know that the sticker is, shall we say, suspect?While I am in the UK, and work to standards laid down by our regulatory bodies, your investigation serves as a warning to Hams world wide to be aware that some manufacturures use dubios tactics to imply meeting standards they patently do not! If they do this in the letigious atmosphere in the USA, they will do it anywhere in the world. Please continue with the educational, informative and essential work that you undertake on behalf of the Ham Radio communuty. Maybe we should return to the days when you could not even buy a TX without a licence. Back then we even had to have a ticket for an R/C set up, and had to produce paperwork to order kit!. It was illegal to own a TX without authorising paperwork, and if caught you lost the gear for good, were fined quite heavily and the gear destroyed! This was. I muist stress the situation in the UK prior to joining the Common Market, not sure what happened then as girls and motorbikes took my attention away from radio!!73 Jim M7BXT

[@TheSmokinApe]

Hey Jim, glad you liked the video. And yes, these manufacturers don't care what garbage they sell us...

[@super66craig]

Love your honesty and integrity. The day is coming soon when it will be very clear that buying from China supports a clear and present danger. Ironically its pronounced Gang-zoo 😂

[@Ressy66]

Sneaky, its also not just RF, (or just China), for instance Indian cable "Orbit", have plastered UL over industrial and power cables, that are not UL certified, not even tested, UL solutions advise ripping the junk out if you use it :)

[@TheSmokinApe]

It's a shame that the manufacturers do that.

[@Ressy66]

@@TheSmokinApe yep, and there should be severe consequences for it, oversight or not.

[@carlosroig5315]

If the radio can be programmed via the keypad out of the box outside the 144 - 148 Mhz and 420 - 450 Mhz range no matter if it has an FCC ID, the radio is illegal and can not be sold or imported in the U.S. Take a look at Enforcement Advisory DA 18-980 from the FCC.

[@TheSmokinApe]

I agree, thanks for the comment.

[@Thump2030]

Sounds like suspicious business practices to me.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Right

[@akhan3682]

Not really a review, more of a blurb on certification from FCC and compliance issues.

[@TheSmokinApe]

That’s why the title says “FCC Approved?”And not “Review”

[@windturbinerockstar]

🤷🏼

[@keathrhymer5449]

and obvious the FCC is not policing as there are many hams using the radio now and tons of gmrs people also

[@TheSmokinApe]

right

[@stevenmiscisin4892]

I could totally be wrong, but based off everything I’ve gathered, I’m pretty sure the GMRS variant is FCC certified and legal for that purpose. And also, the Ham variant is what I’ve seen complaints about regarding the Battery pins getting hot and the excessive dirty spurs pumping out.

[@keathrhymer5449]

mine tested within all fcc specs on harmonics. so fr have been abe to only find 3 reports of pins getting hot on the battery when using vhf. Mine does not have that issue it does gegt wam on the belt clip bracket but not hot when I use it heavy for race reporting at out marathons

[@KamauNwabudike]

Interesting...but won't do much good. It's cheap, so it'll sell and be used.

[@TheSmokinApe]

I think you're right 👍

[@behnam22]

It sounds like this is very personal for you! I bet you turned in your un-vax neighbors! lol

[@TheSmokinApe]

I just don’t like when companies market a substandard product to hams and they lie to consumers. Maybe you’re OK with that but it’s rather uncool…

[@nats50]

Sad ham?

[@TheSmokinApe]

Yes, I think you are….

[@nats50]

@@TheSmokinApe Hahaha, sorry, but I'm not even a ham. I just got the expression from Randy who is not a Rubicon? 😇

[@majorkonfuzion1007]

you killing me here, quit it !

[@TheSmokinApe]

Deep breaths...

[@majorkonfuzion1007]

@@TheSmokinApe you wanna know something ,some guy said ?.."if you touch the TD-H8 antenna ,the horrible noise goes away..I tried another antenna and the noise goes away"

[@TheSmokinApe]

Well... folks shouldn't be touching an antenna while transmitting, and I've tried a few antennas and still had the problem. I also had some folks who had problem test different antennas, and they had the same problem.

[@majorkonfuzion1007]

@@TheSmokinApe 😟

[@TheSmokinApe]

@@majorkonfuzion1007 right

[@mrradio2187]

Make the right 'political donation' and the gates of US import are open for you. (wink, wink)

[@TheSmokinApe]

I really don’t think these radios are high on anyone’s radar 👀