Batboard

Got one of those $125 HongKong GP380 from EBay. Everything programed up fine except the TX power. I can not get the radio to go more than 1.5 watts on high. The low power is also set at 1.5 watts. I used the "tuner" trying to tweek the softpots but still unable to get the radio go above 1.5 watts on high. The setting will say "H" but will not do more than 1.5W. The radio respond to the "tuner" software by going lower when I pull the slider to a smaller value but will not go higher than 1.5 W when I move the slider to a higher value. Any idea?

Defective transmitter PA, more than likely. What is the transmit current draw?

Don't have a way to measure the current draw.

I agree. Also based off what was discussed on a local repeater about this radio, I think one of the hams nailed it on the head and it's re-inforced here. Bad PA. I got another radio (expensive too) like that but fixed the PA by swapping in a new one.

Regards,

-Frank C.

You have to wonder if these "Hong Kong" radios are factory rejects. Instead of being repaired or destroyed, they go out the "back door" to be sold on that favorite site. GARY N4KVE