PD0ZRY

My adventures in the HAM world

SL4000 review

The SL4000 is a nice little radio in the same line as the Hytera PD365

Main display

This is quite a ideal radio for local and hotspot use. I hope i can get started on testing with IP over DMR soon (one of the main reasons for me to get this radio) This experiment with data could also be usefull for clubs like Dares. At the moment data support is only working correctly on most the Motorola DMR radios but in time i expect it will also come to the TYT MD380 and variants.

In a later post i will go a bit deeper in the IP over DMR

For more picture see the Gallery

Radio

Pros

  • Great reception and sensitivity
  • (micro) USB programming and charging
  • Bluetooth programming
  • IP / Data capable via both USB and Bluetooth
  • Good high resolution color display
  • SMS with xT9 (normal T9)
  • Search in the address book and zone/channel lists

Cons

  • If you replace the battery with a different size (mAh) you also need to change the battery cover
  • No support for external antenna
  • Roaming list are a bit on the short side (15 channels)
  • No front panel programming (change channel settings on the radio)
  • Custom jack for external speaker/mic
  • PTT button needs a bit to much force to press
  • High priced
Hardware specs
Frequency band UHF-1  
Frequency range 403-470 MHz  
Power output 2W  
Battery life 11.5 hours 05/05/90 duty cycle
Standard battery Lithium Ion 1370 mAh
Weight 165g (5.82 oz)" with the standard battery
Dimensions 121 x 55 x 19.8 mm (4.76 x 2.17 x .78 inches) with the standard battery
IP Standards IP54  

CPS

Tested version 11.5 (build 621) on Windows 8.1 (32bit) running in KVM on Debian 8.1

Pros

  • User friendly
  • Easy to add remove and change a larger number of channels at the same time

Cons

  • No support for any other OS then windows