TYT MD-380/390

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Ado99
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TYT MD-380/390

Post by Ado99 »

Hi I am looking at getting a TYT MD-380 or 390 and was wondering what peoples views are on them, I know the are Motrbro and HYT compliant, as well as being analouge and digi, but wanting to know from users what they think are they any good, are they easy to use and set up, and can the channels be set as banks plus any other helpful information.

73 de Adi M6BYS
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Admiral
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Re: TYT MD-380/390

Post by Admiral »

For the money, they are excellent.

I can hit my local DMR repeater which is 9 miles away from my sofa which is ground level in the city centre using the standard rubber duck that came with the set.

Yes, very easy to program, a numpty like me can do it.

Yes, the channel banks are called zones.

The cheapo mic/speaker that got bundled with some sets is generally crap, it makes you sound like you have no furniture or carpets, some people mess around with them and stick cotton wool in and put resistors in, they still sound rough, I threw mine in the bin and bought a decent one and it sounds great.

I believe they can be had for £80 now which is a bargain, just be careful to select VHF or UHF as they are identical and have the same model number.
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Ado99
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Re: TYT MD-380/390

Post by Ado99 »

Ok many thanks
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Re: TYT MD-380/390

Post by DX-Digger »

Have to agree with Admiral,
I have had mine for a couple of weeks and for a little radio it works quite well.
The scan function only covers 30 channels maximum but it does seem fast.

The comment about the speaker mic is also bang on, you may end up trying a couple or indeed trying to modify the one you have.
My local DMR repeater is not internet linked (yet?) So I am planning to purchase a DV4mini to make a local Hotspot.
At the moment its all a big learning curve about the different Groups etc.
Not sure if the privacy option is legal on ham licence maybe others could let us know.
Oh and I dont think you can program the eight 446MHz frequencies as the step rate will not go to 6.125 so the frequencies get rounded up or down.

Overall Im pleased with mine, however if you plan to go mobile opt for a radio with more Output power.
You can pick those up for about £250 ish
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Re: TYT MD-380/390

Post by Admiral »

DX-Digger wrote: Not sure if the privacy option is legal on ham licence maybe others could let us know.
As per the rules, no it's not permitted on ham bands under a ham licence, but it goes on.
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Re: TYT MD-380/390

Post by phillmobile »

Hi i bought one of these on impulse at the Newark not so mega fest.

In a nut shell this DMR business is a load of nonsense i am lost on all the hype, the audio quality is nothing short of appalling, people sound drunk and words like hand and sand or jack and back all sound the same, what i find is that you have to stop what you are doing and really listen and concentrate on what the person is saying.

Maybe my radio is faulty, i have tried different aerials too.

I have programmed in local cctv system and the people on there are constantly saying to each other that the can not hear or understand what each other are saying, i think from what i have seen in town they use hytera radios.

Stick with analogue mate or try kenwood Nexedge i have some uhf ones and they sound miles better than DMR.

phill.
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Re: TYT MD-380/390

Post by LeakyFeeder »

Avoid the 390... They have a diff type of chip in em and quite a few lock up without warning.

Yes DMR can be a bit of a challenge to start off with and it does take a bit of getting used to if u have spent a lifetime on analogue (like me)...

I used to run two DP2400 for talking to my kids wen offroading...privacy was on...but sold them n bought 2 uhf 380's again with privacy enabled so i can talk to the youngest two... Pair of 380 uhf for £150!? Bargain
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Cracking bit of kit n once u have enabled FPP u can add freqs on the go...
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Re: TYT MD-380/390

Post by paulears »

I wonder if we just got used to crisp clear audio on cheap radios? After all, aircraft band radios have pretty awful audio too - I have some Icoms and they're really not great at audio quality - that's just AM I guess, and digital audio of all kinds constantly gets slagged off for having poor quality - and I'm talking about things like mp3, ATRAC and other digital audio where most people are happy, but those who know 'good' audio have a real downer. Digital radio quality in terms of audio performance is pretty poor, and this seems common across all the brands. Kenwood, Motorola, TYT (and the other Chinese ones) - all vary a bit but are all worse than analogue.
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Re: TYT MD-380/390

Post by Ado99 »

I bought a Retevis RT8 VHF version, looks good from the word go, I just need to get my head round programming it lol.
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Re: TYT MD-380/390

Post by Auldgeek »

Recently purchased a Retevis RT3 which I believe is identical to the TYT MD-380 and for the money, I'm pleased with how it works. Well built and easy to setup.
I have 3 zones programmed, Analogue Amateur, PMR-446 & DMR Amateur.
I'm just out of range of my "local" DMR repeater so have a DV4 mini setup as a hotspot. Works very well.

I do however have to really concentrate when listening, partly because I'm hard of hearing (almost deaf in one ear & loss of high frequencies in other) and the robotic sound of digital audio & it's not just DMR. Fusion & D-Star are just as bad.

Anyway, I digress. It's a good radio so recommended as great value for your money.
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Re: TYT MD-380/390

Post by Admiral »

You're correct about the audio kilimax, but it's no worse than using SSB when you've been used to FM. But it's not a Revitis/TYT thing being cheap, the top end Motorolas sound exactly the same. It's a shame you can't get into your local repeater, there will be some mobile style sets getting cheap soon that knock out 25w, with an antenna sticking out of the window that might just get you in.
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Re: TYT MD-380/390

Post by FakeJake »

Just purchased an MD-380 from a UK seller on eBay. Looking forward to using the local repeater GB7HM. also taking it to my SOTA activations and using it simplex which will be something different :mrgreen:
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Re: TYT MD-380/390

Post by Auldgeek »

Admiral wrote:You're correct about the audio kilimax, but it's no worse than using SSB when you've been used to FM. But it's not a Revitis/TYT thing being cheap, the top end Motorolas sound exactly the same. It's a shame you can't get into your local repeater, there will be some mobile style sets getting cheap soon that knock out 25w, with an antenna sticking out of the window that might just get you in.
Thanks Admiral. I can hear the UHF DMR repeater using my colinear but it's not a great signal and the RT3 struggles at times. I have an 8 element yagi I'm hoping to put up that should provide enough directional gain to bring the signal up enough. I would prefer to use a mobile rather than a handheld when in the shack.

I already have a C4FM capable transceiver that works well. There's more fusion repeaters here than any other type so it would be great to use what is for now, the only DMR repeater in the area.
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