Best Mid-Priced Ham Radio Handheld? VGC VR-N76 (APRS & SSTV!)

Lets test the VGC VN-N76. Once I put it through its paces, I'll give you my thoughts.
You can get $10 off the VGC VN-N76 using the code "josh" here: www.verotelecom.com/VR-N76-Du...
This is an affiliate code and the radio was sent to me for free to review.
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[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

This radio looks identical to the RADIODDITY GA-5WB, even down to the phone app. The GA-5WB doesn't seem to have an accessory speaker Mic. I cannot comment on "which radio came first", as I don't have a GA-5WB. I cannot comment further other than what I have seen of the GA-5WB videos here on KZbin.

[@LeeMcc_KI5YPR]

Came here to leave the same comment. The VGC app may do more than Radioddity, but hard to tell.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Vero makes the radio for Radioddity - they are the same, all the way down to the app. Both are good, RO is a tad cheaper while supplies last. The RO antenna was ever so slightly longer if that's something you need bragging rights on though.

[@xSikks]

The body and battery have the shape of the Btech GMRS PRO too. Same with the Bluetooth mic.

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@xSikks (Vero makes that radio for BTech also). Vero is pretty TopNotch so far.

[@milliardo279]

@@temporarilyofflineright now Radioddity is offer a 15% discount right now. Summer24 is the code and it brings it down to in the $150 range

[@HOAHamRadio]

You had me at Dessert Tan. I like quirky radios so this caught my attention; thanks for sharing.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

It do be quirky! Thanks for watching. Keep up the good vids!

[@genejoner7183]

Thanks Josh for taking the time to walk us thru this handheld!

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Thanks for watching!

[@Siskiyous6]

Thanks for this review Josh, this is my favorite part of VHF/UHF/GMRS, the packet radio scene. I used your order code.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@haxwithaxe]

I can see using sstv for doing damage assessment after a hurricane or something wide spread where you might not want to require assessment teams to sneakernet photos.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Great idea.

[@philmarek3272]

First thing I thought of was CERT response in grid-down, sending UAS damage assessment images to my EOC.

[@Jody_VE5SAR]

SSTV gets the Nerd ⭐ of Approval

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

✨📻✨

[@johnclark2149]

It only took this handheld to pick up the mobile radio, and the handheld. Love the opportunities it will create.

[@levisorenson7873]

Just picked one up with your code. An extra thing that sold me on it: they enabled using the iphone/ipad app on Apple Silicon Macbooks(Some companies disable this on the app store). So, if you've got a M-series Macbook/Macbook Pro you can use the app on there too. Pretty impressive and versatile for the price point, even if it is a bit quirky.

[@blackhawk65589]

I was excited to see you review this after last video. I'm ordering mine later this week. I'm excited because there is hardly any integrated APRS support in radios, unless you drop a lot of money. With your code it almost evens it out to the same as the GA-5WB. There is a breakdown video of the GA-5WB on their website (it does look like it has a speaker mic, but not sure if it's a kenwood plug). I'm going to give Radioddity a go since VGC shipping options kinda sketch me out a bit.

[@stevethe1voipguy]

I have been playing with the standalone HT App fir this radio and it is extraordinary. The next thing I would love to see is if someone will make a LoRa integrated solution so that a user could program the radio over the air.

[@jexarbor9344]

For me it checks all my boxes. color screen, wireless programming, uhf, vhf, none spurious, comes in many bright colors, under $200, and it has aprs which I've been curious about.

[@scottka7fvv]

Dang it Josh!!! You did such a good review I had to buy one. Lol. Impressed with the mobile as well but don't need it. Really don't need the HT but with the APRS and SSTV definatly nice additions.

[@Eric10179]

Digital over Bluetooth is an awesome concept. Let the Bluetooth connect device handle all the hard work. Can you imagine if portable Hf rigs did this? 818/891 like rigs with Bluetooth enabled digital would be killer!!

[@danielayers]

You mean like the IC-705? Supports bluetooth, and you can connect to internal sound card and CI-V serial port via WiFi/IP. In the field I run digital modes such as FT8 completely wirelessly.

[@Eric10179]

@@danielayers I like the ruggedness and more professional feel to the Yaesu man pack style radios personally

[@Craigeek]

IMHO Anytone really needs to wake up and realize how the game is changing in their own country produced radios. I really hope the next Anytone has app support in the next version. This is a really neat radio. Thanks Josh.

[@user-jt5vm3mi1w]

What

[@NVRMTmotion]

daaang, they want my money. Like, really want it. Nice! Especially the SSTV feature

[@kchaney56]

Keep up the great work Josh.

[@texasfirefighting]

Josh, I see your a KNAFS fan as well! Love that brand!

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I just bought the Lander 3 stepping from the 1. I really like the G10 better and blade material.

[@Ammed_KN6STX]

Another nicely done video Josh!!! I’ll stick with my D75 or FT5dr!!!😁

[@Craigeek]

Also at Defcon conference in Las Vegas we play with SSTV pretty heavily. It's just something that is super fun and not the internet.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

This would be killer for that on the go!

[@levisorenson7873]

That's what first got me interested in all this amateur radio stuff. It's cool to see some of these little HTs start to provide some of the fun stuff OTB.

[@AD6DMDennis]

Thanks for the thorough review of this new HT. That Bluetooth functionality tho!

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Thanks!

[@tgrossner]

So does it decode/display inbound APRS messages directly on the built-in screen?

[@temporarilyoffline]

I totally agree on the "full battery power" for power testing a radio - how often do you run around with your radio freshly charged? If I weren't so lazy I'd test them all at 50% power.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Thanks! I’m curious to do a wider 50% test on my hts now!

[@nrthpole5106]

Btech sells a K1 adapter that would probably fit in the mic port so you can use any Kenwood/Baofeng style mic.

[@503Nick]

Wish they’d open up the TNC for use with RadioMail and WoAD

[@user-jt5vm3mi1w]

Or even have it in the app

[@LinkEighty8]

Thanks josh for spending my money.

[@JungleBredCornFed]

Timing of this couldn’t be any better. Got a few buddies in Texas interested after the hurricane hit.

[@lattugatartaruga]

UHF 400-470MHz &136-174MHz (Rx & Tx) - website specs show uhf tx caps out at 470, have you tried gmrs tx ? tia 🙏

[@webanon]

I don't know. This looks pretty cool. I might consider trading out my FT5. I can Google around, but does this have dual receive?

[@didotb01]

To my knowledge BSS is the data transmission mode that handles the gsm traffic from and towards phones directly

[@numbersix7193]

Would like to see if a cw decoder would work. Key board to key board cw would get me to buy.

[@ibabnormally4752]

The blue tooth speaker mic looks dentical to the BTech BS-22 for their GMRS Pro. I thought it looked familiar. It's a good mic.

[@KS0JD]

You should have gotten the yellow one to color coordinate with the banana phone! On my short list of HT's to think about buying. 73

[@Siskiyous6]

I just ordered the Yellow to match my GArmin Rinos

[@darinhitchings7104]

Interesting video. Thanks for it. Would like to hear about how fast it can scan channels, how sensitive the receiver is. How long the battery lasts. And if it can be used while the battery is charging. Also how long does the mic/speaker go before the battery is dead? And can the batteries be replaced or are they hard-wired in?

[@darinhitchings7104]

Also want to know the range of the SSTV transmissions... that'd be interesting to know

[@timbookedtwo2375]

How readable is the color display in normal daylight conditions? I bought a Wouxun HT for 180€, full duplex, crossband, airband the whole nine yards, for doing satellite work (outdoors). The color display on this HT is completely unreadable under normal daylight conditions. I then bought a 61€ TYT TH UV8000D with most of the same features but with a monochrome display. Fully readable outdoors. I am very wary of colo displays now.

[@intothemistymist]

Great video! Does this radio work with the APRSdroid application?

[@genemcphee8053]

Great review. I look into it more. 73, N3XUS, Gene

[@MrKholcombe]

Does the n-7500 have an updated igate capability from when it first released??? Sorry, I know it’s slightly off topic but I’m preparing to purchase both

[@jjjh20man]

The MDC on the HT app will decode MDC squawks. And since you have the HT app you can create a network channel and bind it to the radio.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Indeed! I asked Shane and it’s not used out here, so no demo this time.

[@jarredjones8476]

also on the bluetooth mic it says you can pair your phone and the radio to the speaker mic but in chengrish it reads "for best communicating use phone microphone"

[@MrCofresipirate]

Excellent review with excellent info thanks!!!! Subscribed😊 73s de WP4OOI 👻🏴‍☠️

[@503Nick]

I like my vrn7500 which appears virtually identical except the number of frequencies/banks. The SSTV and cw is cool. Will the HT iGate through the app the way the mobile does?

[@GratKeydet]

I have been searching for a radio that has GPS, will TX & RX APRS, has duel band analog and bonus if it has digital mode.... Bluetooth and app look cool but big question for me is does it have the ability to transmit text messages to cellphones using the new SMS? Right now only radios i know have all this are the FT-3/5DRs... could this be a competitor for that??? Cheers!

[@myballwilson]

You are such a nerd and I love it!

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Hah! Thanks!

[@lyfandeth]

How readable is that screen in bright noon daylight? No VOX mode so you can't use a standard bt headset with it?

[@Emcipio]

I have the VR-N7500, will the bluetooth mic I already have (the simpler one, I don't have the one with extra buttons) work with this alongside the mobile? Is there any easy way to use it with both without completely unpairing?

[@currentfaves65]

Wish I would have bought this VGC with an app for HAM and a Beaufang scanner for trains and aviation. Studying for my technical, not liking the Yaesu FT-70D interface.

[@carterstritch6639]

Can you please comment on the USB-C charging functionality and the ability for the radio and microphone to be charged with a modern USB-C wall plug. I am noticing that a lot of the Chinese radios that offer “USB-C” charging have a maximum input of 5w or 10w which is lower than a standard usb-c wall plug for a cell phone. Basically any Chinese item that ships with an obsolete USb-A to USB-C cable makes me wonder if it will charge with a modern ISB-C wall plug.

[@don_n5skt]

Picked one of these up. Looks fun. But you did not pick the orange one? 😉Well, I did

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

At the time I got one, they didn’t have orange.

[@Porty1119]

Huh. That's the first Chinese radio I've seen that actually interests me. The user interface looks to be a cut above most of them, too.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

It’s definitely surprising.

[@arthurbrown13]

I need another VHF/UHF radio like I need another hole on my head, but it does SSTV. Guess I'll have another hole in my head.

[@lavenderlilacproductions]

Your wife does that when new radios (guns/tools) show up at the house, too?

[@PreppedScots]

Hiya lad is this radio capable of keypad DTMF natively on the device? I’ve seen it’s possible via the app but it’s something I don’t want to rely on

[@lucase6407]

This firmware is on a few radios now. The issue is, without the app you cant send APRS messages to a new contact (you have to receive it first), and even when you do, they seem to be very oddly formatted. Direwolf only picks up some of them. Have you gotten full APRS working (sending and receiving messages)?

[@haydend380]

Anyone have any input on the shipping methods when ordering? I have no Idea what any of the options mean.

[@user-sq8yl3ml9l]

Can you Bluetooth connect this to an Android device to run AndFLmsg ?

[@maxwindle9970]

Reminds me of the Btech GMRS pro

[@kchaney56]

I look at this and compare it to my Wouxan KG-Q10H and wonder which is better?

[@royord]

So does it do APRS sending messages an receiving onboard without external application?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Yes.

[@tchambers807]

This is the BTech GMRS Pro app and the HT looks pretty much the same from summer '22. This looks much improved though

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Like all Chinese radios, I am unsure who made it first or for how long VGC has had it.

[@tchambers807]

@@HamRadioCrashCourse That Case Sod Buster on the other hand is timeless🤙🤙

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Turns out VGC is the manufacturer. All others are retail licensed.

[@tchambers807]

@@HamRadioCrashCourse That is very interesting. Thank you for the info

[@milliardo279]

Thanks for the review! Been wanting to upgrade my HT to something like this. Curious how much different is the IOS app from the Android? Are there features that the android app has that the IOS doesn’t?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

It is similar, but I didn’t make a list of differences. Let me look at it later and maybe post a short.

[@RKingis]

That's pretty cool!!!!!

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Thank you!

[@ToDoNoHarm]

I have never understood the fascination with APRS. Can someone clue me in?

[@kchaney56]

I am rather surprised that a lot more radios don't offer this type of Bluetooth. I have worked in the computer industry for 30 years and the cost for Bluetooth is very low, the new standards are faster, farther, and more reliable and it is fairly easy.

[@momosgarage]

Is there something else similar to this that will receive sideband, SW, MB and isn’t dependent on an app?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

ICOM 705

[@iconofsin1043]

But can it run doom?

[@MrFreddarama]

What digital modes does it all do? Frequency range? Does it have AES-256 ?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Packet it looks like.

[@ohgary1]

Any chance that app is carplay or Android auto friendly?

[@MarkDecamps]

Is it Part 90 certified?

[@riz94107]

What do you think "misnomer" means?

[@glendonwatts3211]

Has anyone else ordered this from the link in the video description? I am at the shipping screen and about to order the radio bit it is offering 17track shipping which is renowned for scamming which is making me question this brand

[@Brian-WR1W]

Why are they not making full duplex HTs anymore?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

My personal opinion is the brands don’t see that there is a large enough market for it.

[@royceweslowski3730]

Built in GPS?

[@ny4i]

YQ instead of CQ was curious. :)

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Yeah. That was a bit odd.

[@hparkersd]

The apps are not the same between Android and Apple. The Android app had more features at least for the mobile.

[@KD2GIY]

Does the wireless mic work with the ft5dr ?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Not sure yet. Will test!!

[@lezion]

Can you please check if this BT Speaker works with other radios?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I tried the ft5, the id-52 and the th d75. Didn’t work with any. 😤

[@W0CES]

if you havnt identified the headset plug. it looks like maybe a Motorola two pin plug maybe? they are closer together than Kenwood two pin

[@kb9liq]

Is that like the one on the Yaesu FT65? They are closer together

[@W0CES]

On the website it says M1 speaker mic port so I am almost positive that's a Motorola style plug.

[@matthewliebe5947]

that is what I was thinking Looks like the CP200, R2, BRP40 2 pin

[@gmeister03]

But I want to use Gmrs

[@extreme978]

Oh no! Not more HT's! There're everywhere! There're taking over! Oh no!!!!

[@IllIllIIIllIll]

Does this work with APRSDroid?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I didn’t try to sync my phone over Bluetooth outside of the Android app. I will try that tonight.

[@mikesmithg0rfd356]

try the mic on the icom 705

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Good idea!!!

[@user-jt5vm3mi1w]

Add DMR

[@nehanichikahuak]

Do you need a license to use the aprs on the applicatiin...?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Yes you do.

[@Threlly]

No rotary VFO control, no buy. My red line 😁

[@tonyandreola1]

Just curious... why the desire for aprs?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

It’s a great way to text message other hams. It also links to things like emails and text messaging. The location stuff is fun, but I tune it off often and just messaging.

[@slappomatthew]

Does it do digital modes? M17?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Nothing outside of packet.. Kinda.

[@Mrpistolero45]

What antenna are you running on that radio?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Just the stock one.

[@budprepper3811]

Mid-priced?? How much is it?

[@jeffnsav1]

I'm watching the video where its #$190 mobile version same link in description

[@DesertDweller48]

Great. More money to spend 😂

[@Pops_607]

And you D75 is not really water anything.... wish it was

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I want to try it…. But I’m a chicken

[@Pops_607]

Yeah that would be a ouchy lol ​@HamRadioCrashCourse

[@tgrossner]

Also, where is the "Bad Language" portion of this video? 🤣🤣🤣

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Wut?

[@tgrossner]

That part of that video kills me. 😆😂😆

[@danielayers]

Josh, these videos are really useful for giving hams an idea of the capabilities of a radio. However, if you are going to use a spectrum analyzer to determine whether a radio is "clean" or not can you please learn how to use and read a spectrum analyzer properly. In the 70cm test you don't know how to read the frequencies of the markers correctly. Marker 1 is the fundamental frequency (the frequency the radio is transmitting on). Markers 2 and 3 are the second and third harmonics respectively. The frequencies displayed next to markers 2 and 3 are *DELTA* frequencies (difference between that marker frequency and the fundamental) NOT the absolute frequencies of the markers. On the 2m test "the 1 and 2 spur you see there is the same fundamental frequency" - makes no sense, and is wrong. "1T" is the frequency of marker 1. "2delta1" is the difference between the frequency of marker 2 and marker 1. The delta value is similar to the fundamental frequency because the second harmonic is twice the frequency of the fundamental. Similarly on the 70cm test "Remember 2 is the same fundamental" is nonsensical. You say "3 is 806MHz harmonic" which is incorrect. Marker 3 is the third harmonic which is 860MHz (not 806MHz) higher than the fundamental - meaning it's about 1293MHz (as you already noted your TinySA is set to 0-1.3GHz so a signal right at the edge of the screen isn't going to be 800ish MHz). Further, the TinySA is not correctly calibrated for the attenuators inline. You measured the UHF output of the radio at 6w, but the TinySA says the 70cm carrier is 12.6dBm which is 329 times weaker than the 6w you measured. Also, since you want to apply to 70cm the same standard that applies below 225MHz (which is reasonable), the reading on your TinySA says the second harmonic is about 38db below the fundamental, which does not meet the -40dBc requirement for

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Thanks for explaining that. I have used the used the TinySA a number of times, and I didn’t remember it displaying the deltas instead of the actual frequencies. You’re right however, those are the harmonics. I’ll do better next time. 73.

[@kchaney56]

SSTV snake head pic. Hehehehe

[@randygc3704]

Good video Josh. Daughter has been looking to get an APRS HT but the prices have been an issue, and I won't part with my D74 or D72😁 I'm speculating, but I think the APRS Passcode is for the app, I assume it is accessing the APRS IS internet system? In which case it may also be operating as an IGATE. If you are using an APRS application with internet access such as APRSIS32CE or APRSDROID, then the same pass code should work. The passcode for a particular callsign is valid on any application that accesses the APRSIS. 73 Randy KAØAZS

[@RonHamilton]

Don't need it. Won't use it. Bought it anyway.

[@KB0OTY]

Is the app CCP spyware that requires an internet connection and user account?

[@503Nick]

Reply. It has option but it is not required