Hi Craig!

As N8HM mentioned, I have tried the KG-UV8D on SO-50. It will not work for cross-band, full-duplex operation on this satellite. Using a group of memory channels, its receiver is OK for hearing the downlink when working SO-50 half-duplex, or as a receiver when transmitting with a second HT (even one of the cheaper Baofeng HTs!). There has been a long discussion thread about this radio on QRZ.com's satellite forum at:

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?437813-Wouxun-KG-UV8D-for-SO-50-Sure-bu...

Like with many Kenwood and Yaesu HTs, you can program a group of memory channels to work SO-50 half-duplex. Make sure to set up the memories where the receive/output frequency steps down in 2.5 kHz steps. Otherwise, there are times, around the point you would change receive frequencies, where you won't be able to hear the satellite on either frequency when tuning in 5 kHz steps (i.e., from 436.800 to 436.795 MHz). All versions of this radio with firmware at V1.02 or greater tune in 2.5 kHz steps, so this means you'll end up with twice as many memories for working SO-50 than with other radios incapable of tuning in steps smaller than 5 kHz. (To view the firmware version in a KG-UV8D, press and hold the 3 key while turning on the radio)

Beyond SO-50, the KG-UV8D will work OK for V/U cross-band full-duplex operation, if the 70cm signal you're trying to hear is a lot stronger than the SO-50 downlink. The receiver is certainly better than the Alinco DJ-G7T 2m/70cm/23cm HT - another one that was promoted for cross-band, full-duplex operation a few years ago. I find myself grabbing the KG-UV8D more often when I want to have an HT with me, unless I'm looking to do APRS using a TH-D72A instead.

While at the ARRL Centennial Convention in Hartford a couple of weeks ago, I did a test with my KG-UV8D and the Fox-1 prototype on display at the AMSAT booth. The Fox-1 series of satellites (remember 3 have launches - go AMSAT!) are U/V satellites, the reverse of SO-50. You will transmit on 70cm, and receive on 2m. In this configuration, and making allowances in an attempt to better simulate working a Fox-1 satellite in orbit, I was able to work the Fox-1 protoype full-duplex walking around the main hall and just outside the hall. I varied my transmit power between high and low, and moved my antenna around, trying to change how the received signals sounded as I transmitted. The Fox-1 prototype used a dummy load as an antenna. I was able to hear myself without any noticeable desense at either transmit power level, even when the Fox-1 prototype's downlink started to sound as weak as SO-50 typically does. I received good signal reports from Burns W2BFJ, a member of the Fox software team at the AMSAT booth who listened to some of my tests. This gives me hope that the KG-UV8D - and other radios like the newer versions of the IC-W32A - might work for cross-band, full-duplex operation with U/V satellites like the upcoming Fox-1 series, when they don't do the same for V/U satellites like SO-50.

If you want to discuss this further, and the posts on that QRZ forum thread didn't answer any other questions you might have about the radio, please feel free to contact me directly.

Good luck, and 73!

Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

Has anyone tried one of these for portable use ? It has cross band repeater

and also functions in Full Duplex.