Review BTech F8HP-PRO

BTech F8HP PRO    Description

The F8HP PRO is the new BTech TriBand handheld with 1000 channels in 10 separate channel banks. It also includes:
- An AM Aircraft receiver
- One button NOAA channel access
- High resolution color LCD
- USB-C charging
- GPS

Note: There are a few handhelds that share the same case design. These models do not share the additional options of the F8HP PRO.

In the Box

- F8HP PRO Handheld
- 2500mAh Li-Ion battery w/USB-C charge port
- Charger Base with AC adapter
- Belt clip
- Wrist Strap
- Earpiece / Micr Kit
- V85 Antenna – 144/440MHz
- V21 Flex antenna - Wideband coverage
- User Guide – English 69 page

Operation / Users Guide can be found
     HERE (Under User Manual & CPS Software)

(US) FCC Certification - 2AJGM-BFF8HPPRO

Frequency Summary

     88 -108 (RX)
    108-136 (RX AM)
    136-174 (RX)
    220-260 (RX)
    350-390 (RX)
    400-520 (RX)

    144-148 (TX & RX)
    222-225 (TX & RX)
    420-450 (TX & RX)

Features

1.77” color Screen
1000 Memory Channels (10 Channel Banks) 10x100
8W Output Power
NOAA weather broadcast Channels
Broadcast FM
Stopwatch
GPS position and location Sharing
Frequency and tone scanning
Type C Battery Charging
Upgradable Firmware

Transmitter

The Transmit frequency range of the F8HP PRO is 144-148 / 222-225 / 420-450 MHz.
The high power levels hold pretty close to the 8W range, with 3 power levels.
My audio reports have been excellent on both local repeaters and simplex.
Power levels are listed below and were taken using a calibrated Bird Termaline wattmeter.

Receiver and Audio

The receiver sensitivity is excellent. I found the receive audio is very good with wide and smooth frequency response. This is due to the 0.75 watt audio.

Aircraft Receive

Aircraft band channel reception (108-136MHz) is very good and clear. I'm located between two major international airports plus several small local ones. With Ground to Air, Air to Air, UNICOM, Helicopter, etc. there's plenty to listen to when the local ham repeaters are not active.

Channel Banks / 10 Selectable Zones

The 1000 channels are separated into 10 Zones of 100 channels each. This allows the F8HP PRO to function as 10 separately programmed handhelds with 100 channels each.. The Zone Name is displayed on the LCD.

Each zone can have its own Channel Line up and Scan options. While one zone can contain Ham channels, another can have Aircraft, Travel, Special event channels, etc.
Much easier than having all channels lumped together in one large list.

Note: The first 6 characters of the Zone name are displayed on the LCD, not just the zone number. These zone names can be added, deleted and renamed directly from the keypad.

Enclosure

The case has a good solid feel and weight, much heavier and more solid than its predecessor, the F8HP. The dimensions are 5.3" x 2.4" x 1.5" (135 x 61 x 39mm) and weighs in 9.2oz (260g) with the battery attached. The display is a 1.77" color LCD.

click to enlarge

Keypad

The keypad buttons are pretty straight forward with the addition of Long Press keypad options. These functions are usually found as Programmable Key options.

Long Press options include:
- 0 for Preprogrammed NOAA Channels
- 1 displays Battery Voltage
- 2 changes between Name / Chan / Freq display
- 3 Changes the Power Level
- # starts & stops Scan
- V/M enters Freq/Tone Search Mode
- Arrow starts the Stop Watch

Short Press
- * = Freq Mode select
When operating on a split/repeater channel, this controls the mode setting.
T = Transmits and receives on the Transmit frequency
R = Transmits and receives on the Receive frequency
Off is normal repeater use

click to enlarge

Antenna

There are 2 antennas included with the F8HP PRO. One is the standard V85 Antenna (144/440MHz) found as the standard antenna on most handhelds. The performance is good on both VHF and UHF. The other is a V21 Flex antenna for wideband coverage.

Top

The top configuration has the SMA antenna connection, GPS antenna and volume control. The flashlight was eliminated to make way for the GPS antenna.

click to enlarge

Side Keys

On the right side of the radio is the K1 style programming port.
On the left is the PTT button and two (2) pre-programmed function keys.

- Long Press Top turns on the alarm.
- Short Press Top turns on the FM Broadcast radio.
Once the FM radio activated, a short press of the '#' key starts the frequency scan.

- Long Press Bottom opens the squelch.
- Short Press Bottom turns on the:
FM Radio, Scan, Search, VOX or TX Power

Start Up Display

The start up display image is customizable. The time duration of the image is also selectable for either 3, 5 or 10 seconds.

Display

There are 2 display options.
- Dual Display which displays both A and B, and Single Display which shows either A or B and which can also be switched by pressing the A/B bottom. The LCD can display up to 12 character channels names in both the upper and lower display.
Here are samples of the Channel and FM Radio displays.
Note: Display A and B can be different zones.

NOAA

A long press of the zero '0' key switches the receiver to the NOAA weather channels.
A long press of the "#" key starts the scan of the 10 NOAA channels.
A short press returns radio back to transceiver mode.

There's even a stop watch option.

Search Frequency / Tone

Along with Channel Scanning and Frequency Range scanning, the F8HP PRO also has Frequency and Tone Scanning capabilities. When this option is selected, a nearby transmitter's frequency and CTCSS/DCS access tone will be displayed.

GPS / Locator

The GPS function serves a dual purpose. By itself it displays Time, Speed, Elevation and Coordinates. When used as part of a team, your location can be shared with other F8HP PRO handhelds as shown below. A useful function when hiking and traveling. Sample images are shown below. Using this feature here at my location verified it's accuracy is right on the mark.

Software

There are currently two software options available for the F8HP PRO.
The stock software is a totally Custom design with features such as channel sorting within channel groups and Custom Voice Packs.

      F8HP PRO (Under User Manual & CPS Software)
      CHIRP

Upgradable Firmware

This allows New Features can be added to the radio after the purchase giving the ability to have the latest updated handheld.
Note: The main board design of the F8HP PRO is unique to this radio. Attempting to flash this firmware to a different model will brick the other radio.

Airband Frequency List

A good reference to Aircraft Frequencies can be found at Frequency Lists.
The F8HP PRO will scan aircraft channels at a rate of approximately 5 to 6 channels per second.

Programming Cable

The F8HP PRO uses a K1 style cable where the UART chip is part of the cable. The standard K1 style jack allows for all previous accessories such as the QHM22 Spkr/Micr.

The preferred cable is one with an FTDI chip. (see below)

Battery and Charger

Included with the radio is a hefty 2500mAh battery and charging base. A really nice addition is the USB-C charging port on the rear of the battery. A standard USB-C cable can be used to charge from any USB power source. There is a charging indicator on the battery which shows Red while charging and Green when fully charged.

Note: This is a charging port for charging the radio's battery only. The USB-C port cannot be used as a power bank for charging other equipment such as cell phones, etc.

Pros

- Upgradable Firmware
- Solid build w/GPS
- The 220MHz band is fully functional
- Includes Airband (AM) receive (108-136MHz)
- 1000 channels w/10 channel banks (Zones)
- USB-C battery charging
- Pre Programmed NOAA weather channels
- Two Software Options
      CHIRP and a Custom designed software
- High Power on all 3 bands including 220MHz
- Zone Names appear on the display (Not just the Number)
      The top and bottom display can be different zones
- Custom ID can be programmed at Power ON
- Start Up Display picture can be Customized
      The time duration for the startup display is selectable.
- Additional Long Press Options have been added