Don't buy Chinese .....

[KB3RPE]

Fellow Hams, it has come to my attention the Chinese are flooding the market with cheap, essentially throw away JUNK ham gear!! Which I'm sure you're all aware of, unless, like the Geico commercial, you've been living under a rock! Hi Hi

For all that's Holy don't fall for their ploy, after forcing everyone else out of the market with their cheap crap, the prices will go up substantially, BUT not the service or quality!!!

So why oh why are hams falling for it, because it costs less ....... initially...But AHA no service, no reasonable repairs & I've been told they're a pain to program & did I mention accessories are hard to come by & aren't cheap...

SOOO, this is my position, DON'T BUY CHINESE & as Donald Trump stated, "the Chinese are our enemy..."!!!!

If you're comfy doing business with our Mortal Economic Enemy then you'll get what you deserve... & unfortunately so will the rest of us in the bargain !!!!!!!!

So spend $100 +/- for an HT & when it breaks or gets funky ...throw it out...HUH?

Spend $175 for a quality HT & get service if needed & Oh yeah it might even work for a while!!!

In these tough economic times I truly understand the temptation....but unless it's life or death...save your pennys & buy a "good" rig....

Food for thought ....

My 2¢..

[W2SOC]

I used to be "Buy American" all the way, but anymore everything you buy has parts from China. Even the better Japanese radios have Chinese assemblies. It's not the fault of the Chinese, but rather our own government for lowering tariffs and import taxes. This practice cannot be sustained and some day soon things will change. Until then, my Wouxun has provided 2 years of reliable service and I'd probably buy another if I brick this one somehow.
If there were only one radio manufacturer, or there were no free market pricing, none of us would be able to afford any gear to play with.

[WB6VHK]

I agree and when it comes to ham gear I won't buy Chinese.

[KK2DOG]

Just wait until they start selling them at Super China-Mart.
They'll sell millions, and folks could care less about needing
a license. Kinda' like what happened with the GMRS rigs.


Mike KK2DOG
www;hamwave.com

[aj4hk]

I love my Wouxun's (3)

[n2gbt]

I love my Wouxun's (3)

I was involved with this company and helped design a few of the features now found in this radio- at the time we were going to be the US distributor BUT- they didnt have fcc approval- so I passed-now they do.
These radios are the best bang for the buck bar none- my cost for a hi cap battery back when was 7.90. Amazing
I still have the earlier prototypes- the dual bander and 2m- they still work perfeclty- batteries are in perfect condition

if we dont buy chinese we buy japanese which subs alot to china- so there arent many choices-- except some HF eq built stateside- but with china and japanese components

were doomed

[ke5oah]

I bought a chinese ht,and it isn't no kenwood!! But i can't complain for 65.00shipped. Its a radio that if you loose it or smash it,ure not out of much. It is a "MTC" uv-4x dualband 2watt ht. Scanning sux!,dualband receive"doesn't exist" programming"not hard",tx quality "ok",rx quality"ok" but the overall "cheap little piece of junk".

[aj4hk]

Just bought my number 4 chinese radio.
gosh i Love them.
aj4hk

[ke5oah]

Just bought my number 4 chinese radio.
gosh i Love them.
aj4hk

They work! I just ordered a baofeng uv-5r. The way i see it,why pay 3times as much for a kenwood,yaesu or icom when they all are made in china now. No matter which brand you buy its not creating american jobs to build them. So a person might as well save money and go with the chinese brand.

[aj4hk]

just picked up another Chinese radio.
That makes 3= wouxuns, and 2= Baofengs.
I love my Chinese radios.
73

[ke5oah]

just picked up another Chinese radio.
That makes 3= wouxuns, and 2= Baofengs.
I love my Chinese radios.
73

I just got my baofeng uv-5r in today. it was a pain to program memories. But youtube had a guy that showed how to do it,and i picked up on it and got mine programmed. I just traded for another uv-5r a few min ago. I like them for the price.

[lhk0pd]

The point is not all of us are interested in D star or paying a high price for a radio that has GPS. I believe most of us just want a radio that full fills the basic needs and the Chinese are doing that. Yes there mass produced but what isn't anymore.Yes some are junk but there cheap enough you can afford to exchange or replace them for one that works properly. I have a Icom T7H with accessories that i'm trying to sell for the simple reason that VHF/UHF is all but dead in my area so the cheap little Chinese Baofeng's i have the 3+ and the new UV5R and for the amount of use they get the cost is not prohibitive. By the way there is a very helpful Yahoo Baofeng group for those who need help or ideas...

[ke5oah]

The point is not all of us are interested in D star or paying a high price for a radio that has GPS. I believe most of us just want a radio that full fills the basic needs and the Chinese are doing that. Yes there mass produced but what isn't anymore.Yes some are junk but there cheap enough you can afford to exchange or replace them for one that works properly. I have a Icom T7H with accessories that i'm trying to sell for the simple reason that VHF/UHF is all but dead in my area so the cheap little Chinese Baofeng's i have the 3+ and the new UV5R and for the amount of use they get the cost is not prohibitive. By the way there is a very helpful Yahoo Baofeng group for those who need help or ideas...

Thats the way it is here also. Theres not much activity on vhf/uhf and the baofengs are good for what i need. I got rid of my kwd f6a triband ht for the same reason. Mostly all i do with a ht is monitor game&fish,police,fire. I don't transmit much&i carry them for my job. I like the baofengs because they are commercial radios and no need for band mods.

[ke5oah]

Fellow Hams, it has come to my attention the Chinese are flooding the market with cheap, essentially throw away JUNK ham gear!! Which I'm sure you're all aware of, unless, like the Geico commercial, you've been living under a rock! Hi Hi

For all that's Holy don't fall for their ploy, after forcing everyone else out of the market with their cheap crap, the prices will go up substantially, BUT not the service or quality!!!

So why oh why are hams falling for it, because it costs less ....... initially...But AHA no service, no reasonable repairs & I've been told they're a pain to program & did I mention accessories are hard to come by & aren't cheap...

SOOO, this is my position, DON'T BUY CHINESE & as Donald Trump stated, "the Chinese are our enemy..."!!!!

If you're comfy doing business with our Mortal Economic Enemy then you'll get what you deserve... & unfortunately so will the rest of us in the bargain !!!!!!!!

So spend $100 +/- for an HT & when it breaks or gets funky ...throw it out...HUH?

Spend $175 for a quality HT & get service if needed & Oh yeah it might even work for a while!!!

In these tough economic times I truly understand the temptation....but unless it's life or death...save your pennys & buy a "good" rig....

Food for thought ....

My 2¢..

Yes i would normally agree with you. But it don't matter what you buy the chinese are profiting in electroics componits or manufactoring. So with that i will save my over inflated fiat currency to spread farther and go rice brand radio instead of paying 4times the price and the chinese still getting my money,by buying yaesu,icom,kenwood,alinco.

[w3qe]

Donald Trump stated, "the Chinese are our enemy..."!!!!

And everyone else on the planet just loves us---lol

If you're comfy doing business with our Mortal Economic Enemy then you'll get what you deserve... & unfortunately so will the rest of us in the bargain !!!!!!!!

Read FLYBOYS and see if you can say that again with a straight face---The Japs butchered the Chinese and ate them, whose the enemy now---hmm

So spend $100 +/- for an HT & when it breaks or gets funky ...throw it out...HUH?

Absolutely same as just about anything electronic in today's world---where you been??

Spend $175 for a quality HT & get service if needed & Oh yeah it might even work for a while!!!

Yea the Japs are perfect---read history pal READ

In these tough economic times I truly understand the temptation....but unless it's life or death...save your pennys & buy a "good" rig....

It IS life or death and USA is already dead, we rolled over, or are you deaf dumb and blind?

Food for thought ....

My 2¢..[/b] [/color][/quote] Yes i would normally agree with you. But it don't matter what you buy the chinese are profiting in electroics componits or manufactoring. So with that i will save my over inflated fiat currency to spread farther and go rice brand radio instead of paying 4times the price and the chinese still getting my money,by buying yaesu,icom,kenwood,alinco.[/quote]

TRUE VERY TRUE

[ke5oah]

My 281h kenwood says on the back MADE IN CHINA! I got a yaesu 2600 on the back MADE IN R.O.C stands for republic of china. Yaesu ft 60ht MADE IN MALAYSA means CHINA. My little crappy cheap BAOFENG UV-5R say CHINA at 1/3 of the price of the ft-60. Yes this country has sold it sole to the chinese with NAFTA. We as the people let our leaders sell us out where Corp America could get rich off of cheap labor to the chinese and all of us could buy their junk with our UNEMPLOYMENT checks and Social Security checks and maybe if we have any 401k left. Even the JAPS are getting sold out by their own country to cheap chinese labor. If you want to preach patriotism then buy Ten-Tec or make your own gear. If anyone hasn't noticed Ten-Tec doesn't offer dualband hts or mobiles in vhf/uhf. So i guess you need to start building your own.

[WD8AQS]

I've been watching the progression of China made radios for years now and must admit that there are some pretty ingenious designs coming from there. The little 2 and 4 band HF rigs that Ten Tec is selling plus the many Japan look a like radios springing up all over.
Can't wait till they start flooding the market with cheap auto look a likes. Just think, buying a "Veep Wanger" for a few thousand bucks!

[K4ICL]

Don't like having cheap junk ham gear?

Then, don't buy cheap junk ham gear...

Doesn't matter where or who makes it; cheap junk ham gear IS cheap junk ham gear.

Simple... Isn't it?

AL
K4ICL

[NY7Q]

It's difficult to read the posts....Most Americans are not concerned that the Chinese are taking our country away from us....Head in the sand, no education, don't give a damn about our country as a whole...Only concerned about your little world, your little area, or space....No respect for the flag, no respect for the constitution, and worse, no respect for one another on each local level.....You'll regret it one day....Not too far off.

[OK1RP]

I am pround owner of just US gears (TenTec, AEA, etc.) as I don't want to help to Chinesse hackers with sharing their junk and cheap almost PIRATED designs/hardware. Although it is more and more hard to find Made in USA or other countries outside PRC products I don't want to participate on the illegal copying of other developers from the world and help to Chinesse by purchasing of these products to grow their economy and industry...

I know that lot of people will kill me for that opinion but I have it like that...and I can not change my mind. BTW lot of people over here who purchased some junk gears from China finally awakened and regreted it later.


73 - Petr, OK1RP

[N9LCD]

Hmm!

If Chinese hams started "DON'T BUY AMERICAN", how would:

The aerospace workers unions at Boeing react?

Or, for that matter, the U.A.W. at Caterpillar?

N9LCD

[W3RXO]

I TRY, as much as possible, to buy goods made in America, by Americans. But, I regretfully accept that our manufacturing base, is not what it once was. There are many (may I be so bold as to say MOST), things, which we need to buy, and simply are no longer produced stateside. I don't like it, but I accept it, as reality.
So, I believe in what I refer to as the good neighbor/good friend, policy. If I need something, I first look for one produced in the good old USA. Barring that, I begin to look for one made in Canada, or Mexico. Barring that, I look for one made in an ALLIED nation, like Great Britain, Israel, Germany, Japan, or other nations that are not only not, ENEMIES of the U.S., but are actually friendly nations. If I can't find my item made by them, then, and only then, will I resort to buying Chinese, Pakistani, Vietnamese, Singapore, and items from similar countries.
I also avoid stores like Walmart and Target, who sell the same Chinese crud, just packaged differently, but I know I can't avoid them entirely.
As far as my radio gear, I use almost all Motorola gear for VHF and UHF radios, with the exceptions of older Japanese made, 220 rigs, and older Japanese made Kenwood 2M all mode. My HF gear is all Collins, Drake, Hammarlund and Johnson, and my antennas are typically M2, Cubex, GAP, and Hustler, or wires, made in the USA.
We need to be realistic folks. Our government, as well as the Japanese manufacturers, have, at the demand of the consumer, turned over manufacturing of most everything, to Communist nations, with CHEAP labor, and we'll likely never see much of it come back to North America. But that doesn't mean, that we can't demand as much American made stuff as possible. I salute those who try to buy American products, as much as possible.

[W3RXO]

I got a yaesu 2600 on the back MADE IN R.O.C stands for republic of china.

FYI only.

Which, is NOT The People's Republic of China. R.O.C. is Taiwan. At least they're supposedly NOT an enemy, of the U.S. I don't believe they are our best buddies. but, they ain't Commies, either.

[GALAXY67]

Neither are our freinds,but nobody seems to care ,China is buying us lock stock and barrell ,and I guess everybody has forgot what Japan did to us via World War II , I won't buy any of that China junk,at leasr not directly,if I buy a HF rig and some parts get here indirectly,guess can't get around that,those new Cheap HTs are just that,designed to flood the market,they won't cause Icom or Kenwood to lower prices though,they know that...WN8BOB

[W4KVW]

Everything I own as far as transceivers go are all ICOM(JAPAN)with the exception of (1) BAOFENG UV-5R which I like VERY much.It was FREE so I did NOT purchase it but I did sell my ICOM T8A after I received the BAOFENG because I no longer used or needed it.Only so much CASH in my Ham Radio budget so I buy whatever I can afford at the time & I USUALLY prefer all ICOM gear.

Clayton
W4KVW