Review TIDRADIO TD-H3

General Description

The TIDRADIO TD-H3 is a 199 channel handheld that comes in 2 formats, GMRS and Ham. It runs a solid 5W with several unique features including Air Band receive.

In the Box

The TD-H3 comes with the following:

- TIDRADIO TD-H3 Handheld
- Charger / AC Adapter
- 2500 mAh Li-Ion Battery
- 8" Antenna
- Belt Clip & Lanyard
- User Manual (58 page) (.pdf)
- USB-C Charge/Program Cable

US Certifications

FCC ID: 2A4FB TD831 Ham
FCC ID: 2A4FB TD831G GMRS

Enclosure

The TD-H3 weighs in at 7.7oz (.22 kg)
Case size is 4.4" (H) x 2.1" (W) x 1.25 (D)" (112 x 53 x 32 mm)
It's smaller in size than the UV5R series but has a higher capacity battery.
The keypad functions include MENU (blue), VFO/Channel select (orange), Key Lock and A/B select.

Click to enlarge

There are 3 buttons on the left side. Two are PTT buttons and the third is a programmable key. The large button selects upper display (A) while the lower (B). The PK1 third is a button on the top is used for sending an alarm signal.
The 2 buttons below the PTT are programmable keys for selecting:
- FM radio (music)
- Lamp
- Monitor (open squelch)
- Tone
- Alarm
- Weather
- Power Level

DTMF

If you are using Allstar or EchoLink you may need to use the DTMF function on the keypad.

The * triggers the DTMF mode. The following combination is used for generating the tones.
0 > 9 = 0 > 9
* = *
# = #
A = BT
B = Up key
C = Down key
D = V/M key

Transmitter

The audio quality is very good when speaking about 1" across the front of the radio. There is a 5 level microphone gain setting for those with softer voices. Power levels were fairly close to the advertised rating of 5W. The power levels below were taken a calibrated Bird Wattmeter.

TD-H3 Ham	High	Low
VHF	4.7	1.2
UHF	4.6	0.9

Receiver

Receiver sensitivity is very good with plenty of loud audio. If the side key button activates the FM broadcast radio, it will stay active until activity is detected on the main channel. When the received signal disappears, the FM broadcast station will return after 5 seconds.

Display

The 1.44" LCD has excellent resolution . The channel name supports up to 8 characters.
Here are display samples.

The TD-H3 has Display Sync. The dual PTT allows you to choose A or B by pressing either the upper or lower PTT side button.

Below are additional screen samples.

Programming

The TD-H3 can be programmed in a variety of ways. Of course there is always manual programming, but along with the Factory Software the radio can also be programmed using CHIRP.

If you do not have a computer handy, TIDRADIO has two additional programming methods available.
- BL-1 Bluetooth Programmer which has apps for both Android and iOS.
- Bluetooth Apps for both Google Play or iOS.
This can be activated by a long press of the blue Menu button.

Programming Cable

The required cable uses a UART chip in the USB connector. The proper drivers for this cable should load automatically. The connector is a standard K1 so standard accessories are compatible.

However, the H3 can also be programmed using a standard USB-C type connector as shown below.

Click to enlarge

Wireless Copy between two TD-H3 radios

A unique feature of the TD-H3 is duplication of radios wirelessly. The procedure is simple.

- Turn off both radios.
- Press and hold the lower side button, then PowerOn the radio.
- "Wireless Copy" will appear on the screen.
- Do this for both radios.
- Press the Lower side button on the Sending Radio.

All information from the Sending Radio will be copied to the other radio. This includes the settings as well as the channel and tone info.

This will Only work between two TD-H3 radios.

Programming (Fast Pair - Single Channel)

This feature allows you to read a signal from a nearby radio and save it and its CTCSS/DCS tone.
- Start by pressing and holding the "1" key.
- Select the desired channel position.
- Key the transmitter.
- Press Store

This will save the received frequency in the channel of your choice.
Note: If you are saving a Repeater channel, you will still need to add the offsets manually.

Batteries

The batteries are 2500mAh and include USB-C type charging capability as well as the traditional desk charger. This USB-C charging jack is located on the bottom of the battery. There is a light on the battery that shows Red when charging and Green when charged.

Charger

The Charger and AC adapter are included. The charge indicator also shows Red while charging and Green when charge is completed.

Frequency Ranges of the TD-H3

There are two distinct frequency ranges for the TD-H3 series. Each has 199 channels available. The software for these radios can be found at the TIDRADIO Support Site.

TD-H3 GMRS (US)

Channels
1-7 15-30	Wide / Narrow (Tx / Rx)
8-14	Narrowband (Tx / Rx)
31-188	GMRS Receive only
189-199	NOAA Receive

TH-H3 HAM (US)

1-188	Rx = 50 - 108 FM
	Rx = 108 - 135 AM Aircraft
	Tx / Rx = 144-148 420-450 MHz
189-199	NOAA Receive

     For Outside US Only

There is a third option available for stations operating outside the US.
The firmware and software can also be found on the TIDRADIO Support site which allows full operation in the frequency range of 136-174 and 400-520 MHz (and beyond).
This range is also accessible by pressing PTT and * at PowerOn.

In Summary

Both TD-H3 models (GMRS & Ham) are small but solidly built handhelds. The Ham version produces a solid 5W power output.

Both are supported by CHIRP and can be programmed using a standard Kenwood/Baofeng K1 style programming cable as well as a USB-C cable.

Availability

The TD-H3 series is available on Amazon

      TIDRADIO TD-H3 (HAM)     (HAM 2x)
      TIDRADIO TD-H3 (GMRS)  (GMRS 2x)

Note: There are several combo packages available which include extra accessories.
Such as 2 batteries, 2 antennas, Spkr/Micr