Wouxun UV-8D acting crazy - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / rf-microwave

author: mojoe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 04:36:26 pm
content: I bought two of these several years ago. They both have always worked fine. They've been stored away for a while, but recently I pulled them out. Radio #2 is working correctly. Radio #1 isn't. Both are programmed the same.To be doubly sure, I just read radio #2, reset radio #1 and reprogrammed it with the programming from radio #2.With radio #1, when I transmit on 146.52, the TinySA reads 148.70. I don't know where the radio is receiving, but it's not on either frequency. When you press the VFO button, it shows that 146.52 is the frequency programmed.This radio was working just fine the last time I used it. I can't imagine what could have changed while it was sitting in a box, unused.Any ideas?

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 11:16:31 am
content: yes, reprogramming the radio as you did, probably screwed it badly (usual Cheap Chinese Junk)

author: Sorama
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 11:24:58 am
content: Quote from: A.Z. on October 06, 2025, 11:16:31 amThat is not what TS did nor wrote.

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 11:47:40 am
content: Quote from: mojoe on October 05, 2025, 04:36:26 pmjust in case

author: Sorama
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 12:11:07 pm
content: Quote from: A.Z. on October 06, 2025, 11:47:40 amRadio 1 didn’t work before resetting…Resetting is not the cause.

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 01:05:20 pm
content: Quote from: Sorama on October 06, 2025, 12:11:07 pmYOU say so.anyhow..it's interesting to notice the flock of nicknames bouncing back and forth

author: Sorama
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 01:30:24 pm
content: Quote from: A.Z. on October 06, 2025, 01:05:20 pmNo, I did not say so.TS said so!

author: ftg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 02:23:06 pm
content: Reading out the confing from both radios in CHIRP or the Wouxun CPS might also tell some things.Older Wouxuns like the KG-UVD1P had a known problem of wearing out the 24C64 settings and channels EEPROM in it and thus fogetting settings or having randomly corrupt settings.But this usually happened after years of use.So just reading out and then rewriting the settings might fix it.Assuming some factory calibration stuff is not corrupt.

author: mojoe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 08:56:32 pm
content: I appreciate the useful comment, unlike the others. I don't think it is the EEPROM, as the radio hasn't been programmed very often.As for the "junk" comment, although there are many Chinese radios that fit that description, Wouxun is not one of them. The blanket condemnation of all such equipment made in China shows a prejudice and a lack of technical understanding. For years, many name brands have had some of their equipment made in China, including Motorola, Tektronix, LeCroy, etc.Yes, the typical Baofeng type radios are junk, but I do get tired of the blanket "Chinese junk" statements from those who don't know what they are talking about. If that is all you have to contribute to this discussion, please don't. Your opinion is yours, but it does nothing to help, so keep it to yourself.

author: ftg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2025, 10:17:38 am
content: Quote from: mojoe on October 06, 2025, 08:56:32 pmThat's the thing, it's not about you, but the firmware writing to the EEPROM and wearing it out.I think it's over eager to save the current channel into it. So every channel and frequency change results in a write.This is what wears them out, at least in KG-UVD1P.But considering that even new radio still suffer from the battery drain issue, this might have also been inherited.

author: mojoe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2025, 02:52:42 pm
content: I didn't know that some of the radios wrote to the EEPROM so often. I'll see if I can find out if this model does so. Thanks, again.