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Preface:
I already have 15+ inexpensive handheld radios, so I have a good basis of comparison. At the Prime Day price of $13 and the regular price $17, my expectations were set extremely low. I basically bought one out of curiosity. When the radio arrived, I used it to talk into my Allstar nodes and to a few local friends on DMR simplex. After a short time, the radio started to grow on me! Now I find myself using it every day. Contrary to the earlier reviews, the programming cable is available on Amazon (ASIN # B098NQWBMT) and the programming software is available on the COTRE website. The cable that I'm referring to is described as "CONNECOM USB Programming Cable for GOCOM GD700 and GD800", but works with the COTRE CO04D as well. Note that this radio is a clone of the GOCOM GD800.
Performance on DMR:
Amazingly, the receive audio and transmit audio sounds very good! It's comparable to my much more expensive radios. The radio is capable of programming only one zone of up to 32 channels. For my use, this is perfectly fine. Bear in mind that this is a sub $20 radio for use as a spare, or for talking into your local repeater, Allstar node or DMR hotspot. Of course, with the limited display, you won't see the other person's call sign or name.
Performance on analog:
Again, I'm impressed on the receive & transmit audio. I've used it to talk into local repeaters up to 10 miles away with great audio reports. The antenna is not removable, so you can't connect a high gain antenna to boost the performance. That being said, the stock antenna does well.
Impressions:
I like the large front PTT button. With the radio being so small, I think a side mounted PTT, wouldn't feel right in your hand. There are 2 round buttons underneath the larger up/down buttons. By default, the up/down buttons control the volume. To change channels, you press the top round button first, then use the up/down switches. The lower round button is programmable in the software to perform other functions. I also like the side mounted micro-USB charging port. The same port is used for programming. I have not tried to use the small speaker/mic jack yet. Battery life is good so far on DMR or analog. Scanning speed is good.
Minor Issue:
When transmitting on analog with a PL tone, you can sometimes hear a subtle "whirring" sound in the background. (It does not make this noise on DMR)
Clones:
At the time of this writing, the GOCOM GD800 is the only clone that I'm aware of. (Note that the programming cable for the COTRE CO04D can be found on Amazon and spare batteries can possibly be found by searching for GOCOM GD800 batteries)
Conclusion:
So far I am impressed with this radio. Of course it wouldn't be a good "main radio", but a radio to talk to your nodes, or even introduce someone to DMR. Another use would be to take camping & kayaking. If anything happens to it, you can say "who cares!
If any more info is available or any issues arise, I will be sure to update this review.
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