Wouxun KG-UV3D Review

Wouxun KG-UV3D in dual RX mode

I've owned three different handheld radios since becoming a Ham. The first was a Yaesu VX-1, which a very compact little radio, but being only 1w output is best suited for around town where repeaters aren't too far away.
The second radio was a Yaesu VX-7R. This is a great 5w tri-band handheld radio with a plethora of features, and I would recommend it to anybody. The VX-7R is built like a tank, and I wouldn't hesitate to use one in the wilderness or a combat zone, which says a lot about it's quality. The problem was I rarely used it and had a lot of money tied up in it. I still like to have a handheld 2m/70cm radio around the house so I can jump on repeaters or listen to the local public service frequencies, so I set out to find something that was easy on the pocket book but still met my needs. A couple friends, AB5ZR and K0BV had played around with the Wouxun radios and had good things to say about them, so that's where I started to look for a replacement for the VX-7R.
What I needed was: 2m & 70cm coverage, 5w output, waterproof, inexpensive.
The Wouxun KG-UV3D can be bought new for about $120, but used ones come up for sale now and again, so I watched the For Sale forums and was able to snag one. Someday when I'm rich I'd like to own a Yaesu VX-8 with APRS and all the bells and whistles, but the KG-UV3D fills the current need of a simple, inexpensive, and quality handheld radio.

Observations of the Wouxun KG-UV3D:

• For anyone who wants a full featured handheld (i.e. repeater offsets, DCS and CTSS, dual receive etc.) without any extras to clutter up the menu and front panel this radio is ideal. It's has the essential features and nothing more. I think it would be a great radio for new Hams just starting out who want repeater & satellite access, but don't want to break the bank.
• The speaker is of good quality and is very loud. It works well for listening to FM broadcast stations, or if you like to moniter the radio while you work around the house, the speaker is plenty loud to hear it throughout the house.
• The filtering is a little less than great, and it tends to pick up a lot of stray RF hash around the house and in the car. I rarely had that problem with the VX-7R. It really only poses a problem when scanning because it tends to stop on all the strong static, and is just plain annoying. You can fix this by turning the squelch up to a higher level, but I do wish it had a little better filtering.
•  When the radio receives a signal, a bright green LED illuminates near the top of the radio. This is just plain annoying, especially when it's just picking up static and is flashing on and off. It's especially annoying at night, because the green LED is very bright. The VX-7R had the option to turn off all periphery indicator lights, and the KG-UV3D does not. I think a small piece of black tape will fix the problem.
• I like the dual receive feature. You can easily monitor two different repeaters, or listen to FM broadcast stations while monitoring a repeater at the same time.
• There is a single LED flashlight built into the top of the case which I think is a clever feature. In a power outage you can use it to find your way around the house, etc.
• The radio carries an IP55 rating which translates into: Limited dust ingress protection & protected against low pressure water jets from any direction. I wouldn't use the radio while boating or where it might get a good dunking, but it should be fine if you work with it out in the rain and elements. The case seems pretty durable as well and looks like it could take a fall without any damage. The VX-7R feels like it could probably be driven over with a truck and still function, but I think the KG-UV3D wouldn't hold up quite as well under severe abuse.
• The programming software that was included with the radio is not worth your time. It is hard to use and everything has to be entered manually. I would highly recommend the KG-UV Commander Software provided by KC8UNJ. I encourage you to drop him a donation if his software has been a benefit to you. 
• Overall, for the cost of these radios, I think it's a good value. No, it's not as good of quality or has the same features as the VX-7R, but that's why the VX-7R is a good $200 more expensive. So if you need a light to medium duty handheld, or are a newbie looking for a good starter radio, I think the KG-UV3D is worth considering.

The annoying super-bright RX light

Relative size