Thunderpole T-X CE MultiNorm UK FM/EU AM-FM CB radio hand-portable - Overview & service
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- Normally I launch the technical video first, but decided to do the Field test first, the 'On the Air' test second & this technical video last.
The radio has no internal adjustments whatsoever, so I open it up in this video to show the innards; I had fun putting it back together & getting the contact sprints to mate up with the loudspeaker!
The battery is 7.4V & I did most of the bench tests using the 12V car kit. Power output at 12V & 13.8V were identical. Powering it at 9V just to see if it would work, the radio developed 1.5W. RF power output was identical both on a fully charged internal battery & the 12V car adaptor Kit.
We connected the radio to the computer as some transmit parameters are adjustable via software. We only adjusted the transmit power output slightly by 0.25W bringing it to 3.2W on our Marconi test set....and 4.1W on the Zetagi power meter, both into a dummy load of course. We saw no power output difference between the aerial socket on the radio (BNC) or using the 12V car kit & it's flying SO239 connector. This is a first....all others we have tested have been lossy on the car kit!
On the air, this is the best test result of any modern hand-portable that uses a helical aerial....as against a 1980's model with a huge 1.5M telescopic, some of which work better than this but are not really practical.
In the summer we're going to do a hand portable supertest with this, the President Randy III, the TTI H100, The Midland 42 Multi & Midland 42 DS, the K-PO panther & others....along with a 1981 Realistic TRC1001 as reference. These will all be side by side for immediate & direct comparison.
Until this test with the Thunderpole T-X, the only modern hand-portable to reach our 4 mile point was the expensive Randy III. This Thunderpole set has surpassed that radio.
Thunderpole know that I am ruthless even when sent demonstration radios but had faith in their product to send this to me for evaluation & test. There are others that use the same chassis as this set, just as there are that look like the Thunderpole T3000. However, the firmware in T3000 'look-a-likes' is different; we've covered those sets & anyone can see from our videos that the firmware is different & inferior to the T3000. Though I've not personally seen any of the other handhelds using this chassis, chances are that factory setup & firmware don't match this Thunderpole version of the set. I am very impressed & enthusiastic about this radio.
Our thanks to Thunderpole for kindly supplying the T-X for review at no cost to us. This is the sole reason for the paid promotion flag on this video.
Richard G0OJF
Richard 2E0FKC
Lincolnshire, UK
(C) Tango Systems Group 2023
Thank you for sharing this extremely interesting and educational video with us. Of all the reviews of the T-X on UA-cam yours was by far the best, the most thorough and the most useful. The T-X is an extremely good radio, I always carry mine with me whenever I go out - it sits so easily in my pocket too. Thunderpole really made a good product with the T-X with lots of thought put into the design. If only all products were designed and built to Thunderpole T-X standard the world would be a better place! Well done Thunderpole!
❤
It's a throw away world ,
Electronics are getting better but unrepairable ,
That’s the manufacturers and consumers because a lot of the time consumers want a cheap product which means manufacturers spare all expense
Definitely up there with the Randy 3
Interesting to see inside one of these now more like mobile phone technology.
Thanks for posting, I enjoyed watching this feature on the Thunderpole TX. 📻 🎙 😊
Great radio great price to 👌🏼
❤
hi 👋 richard good luck servicing the thunder pole t-x ce multinorm uk fm/eu am-fm cb radio from paul chapman at east sheen 73's
Thank you Paul,
Richard
@@ukfmcbradioservicingTango21 to richard you are most welcome 🙏 please please keep up with the videos on radios they are very very interesting From paul chapman at east sheen 73's
Hi Richard, great video and a great radio ( I have one and I love it)! The 1-9 caller toward the end of the video was from Heckington Radio Group. We’re often on 19 and our group channel which is 23 (group net, Monday nights at 7pm). He wasn’t running a burner and I’m strictly 4w on UKFM, running only 80s 27/81 rigs (I think I'm up to 26 now!). Hope to catch you and/or Mr Chippie on 19/31 soon and I promise I won't be running a burner! 😂 👍🏽
Nice to hear it. Once we get December out of the way (and the 27 church services), we'll be testing most days a 7:30PM on ch 31.
Richard, G0OJF, UK
Was an interesting review and set of tests. Gives me a fair idea of what it's about. Many thanks. 🙂👍
I wish President & Thunder T-X would supply a screw on or clipin bottom dust cover for these sets,i dont like contacts exposed to moisture.
You can now get a TNC or BNC Mil type tape antenna,those do work even better than the "duck"types,well worth a look at.
I just wish the cb mfrs would bring back the longer centre\top loaded designed helical ducks ,like Dirland France did in 90s,they works really well with the Midland Alan 80A CEPT hand held,about just under 100cm long and very very effective.
Most newer 2024 cb will be pc software or front panel engineer mode,going down the same route as business band radios.
Great vid Richard.
Nanefone is original manufacteure custom made to thunderpole uk specs.
73's Rob.P
Your reviews and mods are helpful.
Good luck finding one to buy
Hi great video very informative and interesting on this radio I have just bought this radio I just need to field test it
Glad it was helpful!
Richard
Thanks!
Thank you very much indeed. Greatly appreciated.
Richard
What about getting a Cigarette Lighter Socket might make it easier to fix those portable units.
Why would u take it apart 😢
To show what's inside & put it back together. I spent years beta testing business 2-way radios, so it's what I do.
Richard, G0OF, UK
Hello Richard, I really need some help concerning the T-X that was recently purchased for me. It has been sitting idle at my home for nearly 2 months. Unfortunately I was unable to test it as I was injured in a fire and am currently in the burns unit at Morriston hospital (Swansea) undergoing treatment. My daughter just brought it up to me along with her laptop, but it doesn't work as it should as there is no audio when I transmit on FM but there is when I use AM. Also, my daughter's laptop has no sound, it is broken, so I cannot hear anything you say in your video. I can't email you as I can't sign into my Gmail account. I do have my phone but I only have the use 3 fingers on my left hand. Do you have a phone number that I could call you on to get some much needed advice from you? I tried calling Thunderpole but they have blocked all calls.
As the radio is under warrenty, you need to get someone to write to Thunderpole on your behalf & ask what the returns for repair procedure is.
If you send it to me for repair, your warrenty will be invalidated...so why pay for service when you don;t have to.
Now the snag is that there is no phone number. I have phone line for the organ business, but no phone is plugged into the line...just the internet. It's been like this for years. I started the business in 1994 & have never had any work come via the phone...just people from India trying to scam me.....or people trying to flog a late relatives' electronic organ when we're only involved in pipe organs.
I don't have a mobile phone as they don't work here. Contact is Email only. rshireby@yahoo.co.uk I'm not stopping you sending the radio here for service, but why pay if you dom't have to?
All the best on your recovery,
Richard
@@ukfmcbradioservicingTango21 Ok, thanks for the advice. Sorry I'm slow to reply, I was in hospital for a while, I'm out now but had no notification of your reply. I came to watch the video again as I have sound now, and I noticed your reply when I'd finished watching. I'm not sure what to do right now about the radio, I tried ringing Thunderpole but they're blocking all calls. The radio just needs the FM deviation turned up, but my head is not really with it yet so I'll think about it at a later date. I'll email you if I need to ... Thanks again.
Sorry just asking ok