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Price of New Wouxun Mobile Higher Than Anticipated
16 July 2012 | by Despite widespread speculation that Wouxun would release a low priced mobile rig, it appears that the rig will be priced significantly higher than anticipated.
According to Ed Griffin of Wouxun.us, Wouxun has set a price of between $320-$330. He indicated that at this price the radio won’t be competitive.
I agree with Ed. At this price point there are better choices out there (and he indicated that he may have some mobile radio alternatives coming from Anytone and others).
After the unprecedented success of Wouxun’s HTs, this is a disappointment for sure.
Here is an excerpt from the email:
On June 21 I was informed that Wouxun would supply a small number of these radios to selected dealers (max of 10). At that time they also quoted a dealer costs that I thought was outrageous. The dealer costs was almost what I have always considered the retail price would be. In an email I told them sternly that with any dealer markup at all, the radio would not sell in the US and I would decline to purchase samples.
Wouxun response was that when full production began, the dealer costs would be lower. Since I’ve invested hundreds of thousands of dollars building a market for this company over the past few years, I decided I would not let others bring this radio to market before I did. I reluctantly placed an order for 10 radios, figuring I would sell them at costs, to get them to market.
After my order was shipped, Wouxun informed me that these sample radios must NOT be sold for less than $320-$330. They went on to say “If we found you or your dealer’s end price was lower this range without our permission in advance, then we will stop supplying this model to you.”
For the past two years, I’ve repeatedly told Wouxun that this radio must sell for no more than $250-$275 for it to be competitive with the big three Japanese companies. It appears this advice has fallen on deaf ears.
These pre-production radios lack some of the features the full-production radios will have. These will not be FCC Certified for Part 90 use. They will have narrow band capability but will not have the 2.5 kHz tuning step required for Part 90 radios beginning in 2013. The frequency range will be RX:136-174 & 350-480 and TX: 136-174 & 400-480. They did not indicate if any wide-band receive, such as 118 MHz AM, would be available on these pre-production models.
Although these radios may lack some of the bells and whistles we’ve expected, I imagine they will still be good dual band radios for the ham market. BUT, I still don’t feel they are worth $325.
10 Responses to “Price of New Wouxun Mobile Higher Than Anticipated”
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Definitely a deal-breaker imho. I paid around $250 for my Icom 2200.
Let the markets work! We’ll see what happens.
That is disappointing. Oh well, I still might consider one.
http://technoweather.blogspot.com
Brick, I agree. I am always disappointed when manufacturers try to tell retailers how much they can charge for their products. You see examples of minimum advertised pricing all the time. Try finding an iPod or iPad in a store for anything less than retail price. 🙂
The complete deal breaker here for me is the lack of FCC type acceptance. That’s going to create a lot of problems.
I wish these guys would buy a Icom/Yaesu/Kenwood and learn about the radio’s user interface. Programming a repeater on a UV-5R is certainly not intuitive and not like any other radio that I have owned.
I have bought several of the UV-5R and for a resale price of 70-90 dollars they
are not a bad deal, problem for some to program others have no problems what so ever.
On the dual band Yes they are ripping off buyers. you can also get Icom , Kenwood
Yeasu knock offs out of China like anything.but again they are rip off prices. I deal
in the orient markest now and then.
I have seen this before, pretty much marketing. The manufacturer will state they will sell at one price but when put out on the market they are sig lower. At that price I will buy a more well known company.
Very disappointing after the long wait. I’ll be considering alternatives, especially the TC-UV55,
Selling on eBay around $280 after shipping.
I’d sooner gamble on a used IC-208H than one of those new. 🙂
Interesting how in 2012 the FCC still rubber stamps part 90 on these radios despite the fact that they are NOT compliant with part 90’s rules regarding the ability to work on NPSPAC interoperability channels. Another case of the OET asleep at the wheel, only interested in the remittance check enclosed:
FCC 90.203(j)(1):
(1) Applications for certification received on or after January 1,
2005, for mobile and portable transmitters designed to transmit voice
on public safety frequencies in the 150-174 MHz band will be granted
only if the mobile/portable equipment is capable of operating on the
nationwide public safety interoperability calling channel in the
150-174 MHz band. (See § 90.20(c), (d) of this part.)