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Product Review
 
COTRE
CO01D
 
UHF  16 Channel
DMR Handheld
Tier II

 
 
John 'Miklor' K3NXU





 
FCC Part 90 - 2AXBB-CO01D
 
 
 
COTRE  CO01D -  Basics 

The CO01D is about as basic a DMR handheld as you will find anywhere.
- Single Band, UHF only
- Single zone
- 16 channels
- Tier 2
- No display
 
 
In the Box
 
Included with the radio are the:
-  3.7V  1500mAh Battery
-  Belt clip with screws
-  Charger base & AC adapter
-  Antenna – 2.8" (7.1 cm)
-  Quick start User Guide sheet – English
 
 
General Description
 
-   DMR / FM 
-   UHF Band only
-   Size:  4.0 x 1.0 x 2.0"   (100 x 25 x 50mm)
-   Weight:    4.8 oz   (136g)  w/ant & battery
-   430-470 MHz 
-   CTCSS / DCS
 
-   2.0 / 0.5W transmit 
-   16 channel
-   1 Zone
 
 
 
Transmitter
 
The CO01D is US Part 90 certified with a UHF frequency range of 430-470 MHz. Along with DMR, the radio also supports analog FM (Wide and Narrowband).
 
My audio reports over the air and using DMR Parrots have been excellent both through a DMR hotspot and the local repeaters.
   
The power is rated at 0.5 and 2.0W. Due to the antenna base, I was unable to do an actual power level test. Below are the power levels used by the FCC for certification.
 

click to enlarge

 

Receiver and Audio 

 
The receiver sensitivity is very good on both digital and analog. I found the receive audio lacking some low frequency response but not that objectionable and perfectly readable.
 
The volume is controlled by the  +/-  side buttons, with position 0 being off and 8 being loud. Personally I would like level 1 to be a little bit lower, but it's not objectionable.
0 = off     1 = med     8 = loud  (there is no low)

 
 

Enclosure 
 
The CO01D is one of the smallest and lightest weight radios I own.

The small case weighs in at  4.8oz with the antenna and 3.7V 1500mAh battery installed. Battery removal is a simple press and slide down.
 
Directly under the PTT button is a programmable switch designated by a small circle. There aren't too many options other than a few basics shown HERE. The Menu button switches between Channel, Scan and Power.
 
On the Right side of the case are the K1 style programming jack and the power on/off button. Again, very basic.
 
Antenna 
 
The included antenna is 2.8" long. which is a fairly common size for a handheld.  The limitation here is the threaded antenna base. It is not the standard SMA configuration, but rather a thin threaded screw in connection.
 
Software 
 
As you would expect, it's a very basic software. For DMR, load the contacts, create a channel and that's it. There's only one 16 channel zone, but it does give you the option to select the order of the channels.
 
The software as well as the user guide can be found on the Cotre Website.  (Under FAQ).
 
 
Programming Cable 
 
The basic programming cable is a K1 style cable with the UART chip in the USB connector. This is commonly referred to as a traditional two pin Baofeng / Kenwood K1 style. There are several compatible cables available, some requiring special drivers while others are Plug'n'Play. These programming cables are available from Amazon.
 
  
 
Battery and Charger 
 
The included battery is a 3.7V 1500mAh reminiscent of the old cell phone batteries (see below) and the charger comes with an AC power module.

The charger is a bit unique as it can hold the handheld vertically or just the battery across the top due to the small size of the battery.
 
The LED on the front of the charger base is Red when charging, and Green when fully charged or no radio in the cradle. The battery easily charges to full capacity with an overnight charge.
 


click to enlarge
Operation
 
I found the operation a bit cumbersome. Not having a display requires you to have a good memory or carry a cheat sheet. As described above, The volume levels aren't bad if you are outside or mobile, but there is no low volume setting.
 
 
 
Conclusion
 
Where I see myself using this handheld is mostly mobile for short trips around town and hamfests. I just toss it my cup holder and listen to the local repeater and statewide groups.

Let's face it. If you've never tried DMR because it cost way too much, this is a great way to get started. You can get one with multicolor displays, databases, and mega features later. This will get you into you're local repeater.
 
Sometimes, less is more.
 
 
 
Amazon    Cotre CO01D DMR     Progr Cables
 
Note: There are 2 identical looking radios by Cotre.
     
One is Analog only, the other is DMR.
 
 
Cotre  CO01D

 
16 Channel  UHF
DMR Handheld
 
 

Note: This equipment was purchased by me for the purpose of a fair and unbiased review. All findings are factual based on the equipment I received.
 
 

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