By Golly ....... it worked!

Thursday evening I finally bit the bullet and programmed the QYT K-8900D that I purchased from Amazon a couple of weeks ago.  I now work in the IT field, so you'd think that this would be like second nature to me, but no. To me computers are still part black magic. I was dreading the process.

I was expecting COM Port errors, communication errors between the radio and the laptop, all sorts of things that would make me go screaming into the night. I was pleasantly surprised when the whole process went like a hot knife through butter. 

I fired up CHIRP, connected the radio to the laptop using the provided cable and pressed the "Download radio profile" tab and half expected the computer and/or radio to laugh at me. To my amazement, the little progress bar quickly sped across the screen and what was factory programmed into the radio appeared on my laptop screen. No snickers, no guffaws, no knee slappers.

I then made what changes I wanted to, crossed my fingers and pressed the "Upload profile to radio" tab. Again, the little green progress bar whizzed across my laptop screen and I was finished. The entire deal took less than five minutes

No looking for drivers, no looking into COM Port settings, no muss, no fuss. I was relieved.

I put the unit into my Jeep Friday morning. The K-8900D that was in there has some wear and tear on it, so it will go down to the shack to be used to check into the various ARES/RACES nets that I participate in each month. This older unit is missing a knob, which seems endemic to these units. I have no idea where it went. I think it was sucked up into a black hole and ultimately arrived at the same location where missing socks from the clothes dryer go.

I saw replacement knobs being offered on eBay by some guy in Lithuania. I purchased a packet of two and they should be here later this month. I'm not used to things going like they're supposed to.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!