Is The TidRadio TD-H8 Gen 2 LEGAL?

How does it look now?
Purity, Power, Capacity - Let's check them while attempting to learn something.
If you're looking for this radio, this is the only link I could find of the Gen 2 in stock (At the time of making this video, it may change) - amzn.to/3pwyr7v
That is an affiliate link for amazon. I may make a commission on a sale.
Other videos I've made for the ‪@tidradio‬ TD-H8 include (these are Gen 1 videos)
• Tidradio H8 - TD-H8 - ... - Sales Halted
• Well, This Isn't Good ... Change Password Now
I also want to thank AD8G who's article led me to the QST article -ad8g.net/a-quick-and-unscient...
NEW Listing Information from Amazon:
💥[Self-Upgraded Radio] TD-H8 differs from other radios because it can upgrade itself just by TIDRADIO software, most importantly you get a new radio after every upgrade, no need to spend money on another new radio!
💥[10 Watt High Power] TIDRADIO TD-H8 is a 10 watt dual band ham radio with TWO POWER TUBES which allows it to transmit consistently at a relatively high output power as much as possible across the frequency range it covers.
💥[Program in One APP] Ditch the complex programming software and driver, forget about the different programming cables. The Functions of Odmaster like Frequency editing, Nearby repeater search&Import, Radio Configurations Save/Share, Social contact with other radio users.
💥[2X 2500mAh Battery] Two Rechargeable 2500 mAh Batteries, larger than mostly existing 1800 mAh Battery. Bigger battery supports 24 Hours continuous use, 120 Hours standby.
💥[Long antenna] TD-771 High Gain Long Antenna to help you increasing the talking range. This unbreakable soft flexible antenna is more 'roughness' than regular radio antenna.
💥[Multiple Radio Function] TD-H8 feature: Dual Band, Dual Watch, NOAA Weather Mode, Disply Sync, CTCSS/DCS, Scanning, VOX, Remote/Site Alarm and so on
💥[Why You Should Have It]TD-H8 is a dual band/dual display/dual watch radio. Combining the latest technology in radio communication along with a sturdy mechanical frame, This product is the ideal and effective solution for every radio user.

[@3henry214]

Great follow up!! I myself would credit your original review as the catalyst in making Tidradio "belly up to the bar". They got caught with their pants down, and you gave them (rightfully so) the spanking that they deserved. I have to tip my hat to Tidradio too, that they withdrew gen1 and came out with the fantastic radio that Gen2 is. You've done a great public service for Ham radio.

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

Thank you for the kind words

[@DonzLockz]

Good job Dude, you done the right thing and got them to fix the radio.💪🤠

[@Gta2O13]

Did he though 🙄

[@johnpeterson7264]

Wonderful work ! Thanks for doing this !

[@lyledal]

Very helpful. Thanks and 73!

[@simongordon8182]

Great to get an update from you on this radio

[@HamRadioCrusader]

Great Video! Thanks Man this is SUPER helpful

[@K5QBF]

Great video! Glad you were able to get all the correct data.

[@shanel8128]

Thanks for your accurate and honest testing of this radio Dude. I've been considering getting one but I wanted to watch several reviews and test videos first. I'm very happy to see that the company has taken steps with the Gen 2 version to fix the issues. I watched a video by TheSmokinApe where he did a spectral purity test on this radio (TD-H8 Gen 2) on a tiny SA with attenuation and according to him it completely failed across the board. He adamantly declared that this radio is not legal to use because it violates FCC rules in that regard. Now I don't know if his calculations were off or what, but he really panned this radio hard. Thanks again for your hard work and your influence with the company on this.

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

He deleted my very good explanation of what may be happening unfortunately. In short, I used a method from the November 2015 QST and contacted the ARRL for confirmation. Doesn't mean it's right, but I did my diligence to make sure I was doing the process correctly. 2. There are a lot of variables in effect from having faulty connectors and other equipment to just getting a bad unit. I guess my best recommendation is to watch kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3WkaHSjjZWZh8k and make an opinion of you want the radio. Spectrum aside, the password issue (addressed in one of my other videos) is concerning and had me lose faith in the company. Also why wouldn't they send me a radio to trust retest if they were so confident about it. Personally, I still will avoid the company. However, my guess is the radios are a crapshoot

[@billpowell5931]

Nice job for sure. Looks like Tidradio moved forward and corrected problems you brought out. Thank you for following through with the whole process.

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

Thanks! I just felt it was fair to give it a fair shot. I'm not sure of all the differences between the radios, but I do know that you had the first generation and I think you would agree that it needed a lot of work

[@WECB640]

BRAVO! You've come a long way Dude. 73.

[@stuartunderwood7432]

Awesome information, Dude!!! Thank you. 73, de W8STU

[@williammyers-ka8gim978]

Great follow up. I'm still looking at this radio for my first GMRS, so I appreciate the information. Thanks, Bill - KA8GIM

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

Thanks for your help with locating the article!

[@williammyers-ka8gim978]

@@HAMRADIODUDE glad that I was able to help!

[@jamesmoore6424]

Firstly I watch you because, firstly, you do honest reviews. There is no way I would even look at buying a radio you have reviewed without me watching forst. I have bought some rubbish over the years, but your videos certainly are of great value to many of us. And manufacturers that are getting upset tells you more about those companies than it does about their products... can we have an avoidance list? 😅

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Nice testing and Great Video @Ham Radio Dude

[@kchaney56]

I have the GEN2 and love it.

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Glad to see the Battery performs as labled good to hear 15:00 @Ham Radio Dude

[@HardcoreFourSix]

I have watched some recent videos that showed that the TX power claim was accurate, and that the signals are clean. I wonder about the receiver quality. I have not seen a test on the RX yet. It would be great to see someone do that test.

[@SLlandscape]

Im trying to program one of these for a friend. He thought it was narrow band compatible. I've realized quickly that its not, at least in the frequency range in the 150's that I tried. And looking up the fcc id, it still isn't listed. Not sure where he found this thing but glad i found your videos on it

[@LifeAtTerminalVelocity]

Excellent as ever Dude.

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

👊

[@ths3900]

Wow that radio had some power. I always wonder about that much power right close to your head on transmit.

[@facts1752]

Great video!, would a pair of these be good for camping?, specifically walkie to walkie, in mountains and rough terrain?

[@richardbooth3435]

Good job dude 😊

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

I never notice your Eyes are A Dark Green Bro Very cool And what a great video I got 2 of these gmrs Models in the green 4:24 @Ham Radio Dude

[@MyTube4Utoo]

I just received my Gen 2, literally maybe 1.5 hours ago, so I haven't been able to thoroughly evaluate it.....yet, but from what I've seen so far, I like it - a lot. Kudos to this guy for at least probably 'helping' TIDRADIO to make the Gen 2 radio what the Gen 1 should have been. Also, of course we/someone should be testing radios, and everything else that manufacturers put on the market - *THOROUGHLY.* I hear tell that not everyone is honest, especially when there's $$ involved. 😉 Does anyone actually believe that anyone anywhere has ever gotten the MPG auto. manufacturers slap on the windows of new cars? They evidently get those fictitious numbers when the vehicle is traveling downhill, with a strong tailwind. *LOL* Thanks for your effort @HAM RADIO DUDE, and for an excellent video. A new subscriber here.

[@rogerwallace1976]

I have the gen 1 version and I like it

[@ronkimball8489]

I recently got in a couple of the version 1 "improved" and they have that same new FCC ID - only difference I know of is that the batteries do not have the USB-C charging and the radios may not have the same IP rating?

[@timdietz350]

I hear a lot of people question battery capacity based on one battery being the same size as as one that claims to be rated higher, some reviews complaining that they weigh the same too. Adding bulk or cells to the battery isn't what they're doing to change the capacity, they're just using higher capacity of the same size cells. Just like rechargeable AA batteries may be rated something like 1800mAh or 2300mAh, slightly different composition, and usually more expensive.

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

Great point, thanks!

[@johnroberts6695]

I would love to see someone do a range test and once and for all settle the question of whether a 10 watt radio offers any tangible benefits over a 5 watt or 7 watt radio. I have a few real 10 watt radios (one a 13-14 watt, a Radtel 470). Reviewers say there's no real difference in the 5-10 watt range, but they don't really push the range to the limits. Frankly, though, they're probably right. But I'd like to see 4-5 watts v. 10 watts pushed to their limits.

[@kchaney56]

Thanks for holding Tidradio's feet to the fire.

[@jeffrogerson]

Superb. Thanks for your advocacy. Any way you could poke Tidradio to increase the scanning apples in memory and vfo mode? Pleassee!!

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

I don't have a relationship with them. Sorry I can't be a help. Thanks

[@johnwest7993]

Thank you. Part 97 Section 307 item C, the first line should be kept in mind by hams. The idea is to operate as cleanly as we can, not to see how much garbage we can radiate and get away with it. It's a shame a few hams out there haven't figured that out. I was ranting in the comments in KZbin reviews for the last few years about harmonic content failures in Chinese HT's, simply because there were far too many people claiming to be hams who thought that failed harmonic levels 'didn't matter', when they should have been an absolute deal breaker. They said that was the manufacturer's problem, not theirs. They seemed to figure that if they could 'get away with it' it didn't matter. They were, and still are absolutely wrong. They just didn't understand why the government allows us to even have ham bands, or the fact that we are an essentially self-policing hobby, and will remain one only so long as we ourselves do the job. l'd like to remind other hams that we are among that rare, small group of American citizens who the US government treats as adults. I'd prefer we prove our government's faith was well placed. And I'd like to remind hams that they were each licensed by the efforts of other hams, volunteer examiners who signed their own names on the line approving each license application. I think each new ham should understand the nature of that agreement, and respect the faith placed in them. This isn't the Citizens Band, nor is it FRS. It's not a consumer hobby. It's not a free-for-all. It's a commitment to abide by some reasonable rules in return for significant access to numerous valuable radio bands, significant RF power, and the authority to modify, design, build, tune, and operate our own transmitters based entirely on our own knowledge and good judgement. Again, the federal government seldom makes such offers to any Americans. Amteur radio is not an inalienable right. The entire hobby can be taken away if we start acting like CBers. I'm pleased to see a lot more KZbinrs making that very point in various ways, showing more responsibility than previously. Note that there is always pressure from corporate lobbyists to get our elected representatives to sell them our ham bands for a few billion dollars. Simply put, if we allow ourselves to slip down to the lowest common denominator there will be no more Amateur Radio. Ham radio is NOT a given. There are not enough hams out there for us to be a significant voting block. We have to always show the government that they have a reason to keep us. Talking on junky radios that are splattering our callsigns all of the frequencies of other radio services is not how to demonstrate to our elected representatives why they shouldn't sell off our bands and stick us all on channel 19. I'd like to remind everyone that having watched your video, all they have learned is that YOUR HT is clean and legal. Theirs may not be. They are cheap Chinese-made radios, often from no-name or relabeled manufacturers that I would make no bet have been tested for anything at all. It's each ham's responsibility to ensure that all of their own transmitters are clean and legal. If they lack the gear to conduct the test they should contact a local ham who has it, and verify that their own gear is clean. It's their responsibility.

[@Mit_Go_Fishing_NRW_am_Wasser]

Tx/Rx on 250-310 Mhz possible how power on 300 mhz ?

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Were you get the calculator For the spurious emissions 8:39 @Ham Radio Dude

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

Heh. I just made it with a couple lines in excel or google's version. I don't even think I saved my work. I have a post on my Community page with all the info how to calculate (Easy and difficult way)

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

​@@HAMRADIODUDEawww makes sense made it on the fly

[@straightpride451]

Lil Dude knocks it out of the park again. 😎

[@RebellionFreedom]

OD Master works fine with it. As does Chirp H3 and H8

[@rogerwallace1976]

This recall and reboot has been the best advertising for this radio. Also if you find the frequency closest to 1.1 RMS You mite there also find your 10 watts Powe output on the peak see. I could be wrong thanks Roger KK7KLD

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

That's a point I had not considered

[@user-eq7mg1oe8u]

Any other real 10w handhelds clones or alternatives?

[@wesleyblue7715]

So help a guy out; I need a good gmrs radio with power. Is the TD-H8 better than baofeng uv-17r? Both unlocked...

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

Unfortunately I haven't had a uv17r to say. Sorry

[@jerryKB2GCG]

Isn’t it a concern that it transmits at a higher power and then drops? almost like it senses something is wrong and reduces power ?

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

It could be. My guess is it has to go with the battery draining as it's outputting power. However, could there be weak cells internally or is this normal, I wouldn't be able to say. I'm sure someone will jump in and make mention. Thanks

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

I belive the Ham version and the Gmrs version are idetical i have tested watts on both my ham version and my gmrs versions i have 2 of each and have also tested both In completely Unlocked mode for both ham radio models a d gmrs radio models fully unlocked they and i have gotten 2 watts on low and 6 watts on medium and 11.4 watts on High for both gmrs models unlocked and ham models unlocked i also got all mine 2 days ago 5:10 @Ham Radio Dude

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

I'm pretty sure you're right! Thanks!

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

​@@HAMRADIODUDE I wonder if some show different wattage then others like there not all created equally 🤔

[@simongordon8182]

One thing I e noticed is that Amazon has two different v2 tdh8 one ham 10w one gprs 5w when I messaged them they said they are different radios

[@3henry214]

That is true, if you're talking about the 5W GMRS radio model TD-H5. The TD-H8 in GRMS mode has to throttle down the wattage to meet the 5W max for the shared FRS channels. K8MRD Radio Stuff, did a video that shows that the radio has 3 modes ( GMRS, HAM, and "all" (wide open), and how to switch between the modes with certain keys depressed when powering up the radio.

[@RKingis]

​@@3henry214Channels 1-7 on GMRS is maxed at 5watts, and up to 50watts on 15-22, including repeater inputs.

[@keathrhymer5449]

got mine ordered on prime day for 79 bucs for the package with 2 bats mic 2 ants delivery juluy 27

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

Enjoy!

[@majorkonfuzion1007]

Currently unavailable. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.

[@K5QBF]

You can get them direct from Tidradio as well.

[@thegreener196]

just got mine, took 22 days to get here.

[@pwesley5854]

Are these radios legal to use or not?

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

What do you want to use it for? What country are you in?

[@Mr4Brown]

Wanting to learn how you know the app was sending your password to their servers?

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

There's a video on the description that should give some detail

[@briansauk6837]

I appreciate all of your diligence, but it still actually fails on vhf by having the 2nd harmonic greater than 25uW. I think you were getting a little tangled in the math. To pass on high power (40.2 dbm), the spur has to be under -16 dbm. That is a delta of 56.2 db. You measured a delta of only 47.05 db. It also fails on uhf.

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

Anyway we can get in touch? Thanks

[@super66craig]

The standard is 150 milivolts radiated at 1 m 200 for UHF Vhf would be -62dbm? Field strength is whats the legal standard not what you input into a VNA. Anechoic chamber and Crisspr device measured.

[@moozoowizard]

25uw is pretty small. The tinySA puts out a lot more than that. Not sure about the nanovna.

[@briansauk6837]

@@moozoowizard 25 uW is very small, but that is the value set out by the FCC in part 95.

[@briansauk6837]

Correction - part 97, specifically 97.307(e)

[@Gta2O13]

Your welcome 🙄

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

You're welcome for my service

[@nr3rful]

Sorry but when a company like that tries to scam the people I don't give them a second chance. They will never see my money.

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

Me either. But I think it's also important that I follow up

[@cdaworldnav]

not for beginners....

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

The radio? Thanks for the information. I appreciated hearing why it isn't good for beginners.

[@frankENZC]

Good job! Keep up the good work. 73 de WA3RSL