VITAI VC-9900R HF VHF UHF Amateur Quad Band Base Transceiver 50 Watts

I have had this unit for four years now, it has been my main base station unit at home and has served me well. Manual programming was a bit of a hassle to learn, but for the price... well worth it. It also works great with the cross-band repeater function to utilize the higher power of this unit with low power handhelds close to home that dont have the range to connect to the local ham club/SKYWARN repeater. Such a shame the FCC is banning the sale of these in only a matter of days!

The unit arrived promptly thanks to Amazon prime 2 day shipping. I have only had the radio for a few days so will provide an updated review once in use for several weeks. Basically this is a copy of the Yaesu FT-8900R. I don't have the Yaesu verson but from other reviews and specs, it's about as close to being the Yaesu unit except the price, a lot cheaper. As for as a clone / knockoff / copy unit, one will find this exact same model listed under other brand names from China, all within the same price range. It appears all of these are the same unit except what name appears on the unit. At the time of my purchase this was the only one that was offered with Prime 2 day shipping and it also included a promo 20 dollar discount on the price listed. This was shown until at check out time, so beware of that. Not sure how long that promotion is lasting. I also had one issue after receiving the unit, in that the label etching around the knobs on both sides of the radio which would show volume/ squelch and etc were missing including the label which should be at the top of the remote head showing the brand name and etc Guess their QA missed these added on features. Everywhere else on the radio, the markings were there including all the buttons, display etching and brand name on front of the radio. I contacted Amazon about this issue and the issue was resolved quickly over the phone by providing an additional discount on what I had paid for the unit or could return the unit for a replacement. Since there didn't seem to be any other issues, I decided to take the additional discount and keep the radio. I had ordered the unit to take on a trip coming up and as most hams, didn't want to wait for the replacement unit, maybe only to find the same issue or issue even worst with the unit not working. I would still have the warranty and could still return the unit if any other issues were found. So far the only other issue I have found is there appears to be a very small clear circle shaped spot close to the middle of the screen as if when assembled a water spot or something didn't get cleaned off doing assembly. Will see if that goes away as it is only noticeable at certain angles and in bright light and not when the radio is on. It appears that all of the Chinese models come with the same features including the remote head feature which Yaesu charges extra for. Since I have not seen how the remote feature works on the Yaesu FT-8900R version, I can only compare it to how the remote head works on my Yaesu FT-100D works. On the Yaesu FT-100, the remote head is designed to quickly allow one to removed the front panel from the remote mounting to store or carry. The connections between the Yaesu remote panel and mounting is made as you slide the panel onto the mount with spring loaded contacts. Nothing to plug or unplug. The Vatai front panel still slides on and off the remote mounting, but is connected via of the remote cable RJ connector. This means you will have to unplug the cable from the remote head each time you wish to remove it from the car. Not as simple as what I have with my FT-100D. I have removed my Yaesu remote head many times from the car with no issues, I'm just not sure how well the RJ connector will hold up to being unplug and plug in. The connector is also inside a sunken area of the remote head making it a little difficult to remove. If you are only using it as a remote head without removing the head from the mounting too many times, then may not be an issue. As mention earlier, I only have the FT-100D to compare this too, so it could be that Yeasu has adapted the same method as the Vatai by using the cable connector instead of the method used years ago. Just be aware of this issue. A quick fix for this would be to use a female to female adapter with a short cable between the cable coming form the radio at the mounting location and what is connecting to the remote head. This would allow an easy replacement if the connector broke from daily usage. The unit itself is fairly small including the remote head. The mounting plate for the remote head is a little deep in size, but in most cases will be fine for all times of mounting. The mic plugs into the right side of the remote head using another RJ style connector. The unit feels very solid. The speaker is mounted on the top of the unit but does have a connector on back for an external speaker. On the back is also a USB connector to allow programming of the radio. From what I have read, this connector is only used for programming and not for any type of remote control. So far I have only used the connector for programming the radio, so not sure if that is the case or if someone may later on find a way to use the USB connector with a PC for remote control. Programming the radio of course can be done manually if one wants to spend the time. Go ahead and buy the TYT programming cable if you don't already have one as that will make it a whole lot easier. The Vatai website does have a free download for their programming software which is fairly nice to do the final touches on the radio, but i preferred using CHRIP to enter the information in manually or by using a CSV file with everything ready to upload to the radio. If you buy the cable, be sure to check which method you need to use as for as drivers to make the cable work with your computer and Operating System. Having 800 channels to enter frequencies into gives a lot of choices to laying out how you want to program the unit. Since it covers more frequencies that just the ham bands, many of the channels can be used for scanning other services including Aircraft since it also has AM mode of operation. I also understand that it is a hit or miss on the rig you get if it will also transmit AM or only receive AM. If you have a quad band antenna, then only one coax cable will be needed to connect to the only PL259 connector found on the back of the radio. If you wish to have different antenna for each band, then you will need to connect a duplexer or etc between the radio and antennas. There is a fan that extends out the back of the radio for cooling and doesn't make too much noise. The mic itself has some of the most used functions you will find on the front panel of the radio. The buttons are very well lit for night use and some can be reprogram for different functions. Since I have only had the radio a few days, I will not go into how well the unit receives or transmits until after being in use for a few weeks to see how it operates under normal conditions. It does have four different power settings from 5 watts to 50 watts for each band. One will also notice due to the design of the radio that only the left side of the radio will provide all four bands 6/10/144/440 of operation. The right side will only cover the VHF/UHF bands, which is not an issue as long as you know this ahead of time. Otherwise you may think there is something wrong with the radio. Operation wise the radio is very easy to use. The display will show only two bands at a time, one for the left side and one for the right side of the radio. Just think of the radio actually being two radios in one case using one display to show both sides. Left side can be 6/10/VHF/UHF and right side can be VHF/UHF. The controls for Volume, Squelch, changing frequencies, VFO/Memory, Home location and scanning are duplicated on each side of the radio. There is a button in the middle for special functions and features. The knobs on each side are dual functions as they not only move left/right but also are push buttons for other features of the radio. This makes it very easy to control the radio without having to go through menus to control each side of the radio. It will cross band between each side so just have to remember if you interested in going between 6 meter and 2 meter, you have to set the 6 meter band on the left side of the unit. From reviews, I have seen where many thought their radio was broke not realizing quad band features are only available on the left side. The display is bright, but the viewing angle is a little limited from top to bottom so be sure to check at time of mounting the unit or remote head. For the price when compared to the Yaesu, not a bad deal for having in the car where all the outside elements come into play including possible theft and not be out a lot of money. Time will tell on how well the Chinese copies will last when dealing with the elements of being in various conditions when placed in a car. For more advance review of the radio, please check all the youtube videos on the TYT-TH9800 which is an exact copy of the Vatai VC-9900R. The Wouxun KG-UV950P appears to be a different unit from this and the TYT series of Quad Band Radios so for that model please check other reviews as even though it is a quad band radio, it does have some features that are different from the TYT and Vatai. I will try to provide an updated review later this summer once I have put it through some use in the car.Update: I had the radio for about a month now and have not had any issues with the radio. I did mount the radio using the included separation kit and added an external speaker since the unit is mounted in the back of the car. Interesting note is of course with the radio mounted in a different location, there comes a time when you may want to reprogram the radio and at one location is the radio with the connections and at another location in the car is the remote head / display / controls. To make my life easier I purchased an extended USB cable and ran the cable along with my remote and external speaker cable. This way when ever I want to make changes. I don't have to dismount the rig and mount the head back on the radio to program the unit. Using the extended USB calbe, alll I have to do is just plug in the extended USB cable into my laptop at the drivers seat which is located at the dash of the car where the remote head is located. Make it quick and easy to make changes and never even touch the main radio. So just for a FYI, you can use an extended USB cable for the programming of the radio. Of course as mention earlier in the first review, the rig was missing some of the etching for the knob controls on the radio. The spot I found later on in the middle of the radio is not easy to see, so I not even notice it much when in use. The only complaint I have is to me the brightness / contrast for the radio is not the greatest. It can easy be seen at night and fairly easy doing the day. The problem seems to be the viewing angle is limited. Keep that in mind when mounting the radio or the remote head. If the display is mounted at much of an angle down or up you will have issues trying to see the display. Actually it has to be adjusted at a small angle and not straight on. Not sure if this is the same with the other brands that are also copies of the Yeasu radio or if this is only with the radio I received. Would have almost been nice to have swap out with another one to see if the issue was there but a little too late now as its been just over 30 days and the show the radio as no longer available. Not sure what this might mean unless this branded copy had issues or if the company selling this name brand is no longer in business with Amazon. All the functions work very well and the scan feature is fast and both left and right can be scanning at the same time. The A-F buttons for saving frequencies is very nice. Have been able to work repeaters on the VHF/UHF and 6 meters with no problems. Having not tried the unit on 10 meters as of yet. I do have the unit connected to a quad band antenna and at times have used only a dual band antenna with no problems. Overall for the price considering it was just under $200 for a quad band radio, even with the minor issues I have come across, it's really a fairly nice radio to have in the car and not worry about having a very expensive name brand rig that doesn't provides any additional features. Having 800 channels to setup frequencies is nice for traveling and having the radio already programmed for the areas one will visiting. All the controls and buttons work very well and the menu is easy to use when making changes manually. Comes with a decent manual that is also downloadable. The mic seems to work as can be expected from a lower price mic and not an issue for mobile use. It has several buttons that can be program as you like which I have found a nice feature. I haven't looked into doing any firmware updates or checks as it appears from reading many of the messages on the forums one doesn't want to attempt this with these quad band rigs. Appears many of the firmware updates are actually older versions and in most cases have brain dead the radios once done. Since this seems to be happening a lot I would expect it has to do with the firmware being release and being compatible with the model of the radio and not the ones making the changes to their radios. For me this will be a keeper for the car and when I really want to work the bands mobile, I will drive the Jeep Wrangler where I have my Yaesu FT-100d installed and can work HF along with VHF/UHF and 6 meters. It has been a real work horse and was purchased long before the clone / copy radios hit the market. I also use it with the remote feature which had to be purchased additionally for almost half of what my new quad band rig cost.

So Far Seems To Be A Good Radio.. Kinda Weak Audio.. When You Turn The Radio Off It Will Not Come Back On Until You Disconnect Power And Re Connect. I Also Paid For One Day Shipping. It Came A Day Late And Was Left At The Wrong house.

Please read the independent reviews found on line before purchasing as the Chinese manufacturer apparently is not able to or refuses to answer direct questions honestly.