December 31, 2000
(Update 1/29/01)
GMRS Web Reviews the New
Kenwood UBZ-LH14
FRS Radio
|
"We expected
high quality from Kenwood, and that is exactly what the UBZ-LH14 lives up to.
"
by Paul Shinn
GMRS Web Magazine Technical Editor
What we really liked!
- Loud, clear speaker audio
- Foldaway antenna
- Uses AA batteries
- Transponder
|
What we didn't like.
- Some minor difficulty getting the scan
function set up.
|
UBZ-LH14
Review
Whenever we choose to purchase a
‘high-end’ item over other mid or low-end items, we automatically
expect something more for the money spent. (Ed note: You get what you pay
for and you pay for what you get.) It doesn't even have to be anything
super exciting, just something that allows your rational side to justify the
higher cost, right? Your emotional side told you that you just had to have it,
and that was good enough, so you bought it. Now, you should expect something
really sweet for the extra dollars you spent.
FRS radio manufacturers are spending
endless hours dreaming up as many bells and whistles as possible to make their
high-end radios more appealing to your rational side. It has been a while since
we have seen a high-end radio that really delivered things we can actually use.
That is exactly why I was happy to get my hands on the Kenwood UBZ-LH14.
Since the GMRS Web Magazine began
rating FRS radios over a year ago, our stand-out favorite has been the now
discontinued predecessor to the LH14, the Kenwood UBZ-LF14. The size, ease of
use, outstanding speaker volume, and fold-away antenna really stole our hearts.
I was shocked that Kenwood discontinued the LF14, although many units are still
currently available from the larger retailers as they deplete their
stock.
UBZ-LF14 First Impressions:
Some of the shortcomings of the
previous UBZ-LF14 have obviously been addressed in the new LH14. For instance,
the battery cover that could be easily lost. The new Kenwood UBZ-LF14 has a
nice battery pack cover that is hinged and not easily broken. The belt clip is
the same as the LH14, using one thumbscrew and a plastic recess to hold it in
place.
Even though the LH14 is the same size
as its predecessor, the visual illusion created by its new styling makes it
appear slightly larger. Some things that did not change was the nicely
positioned volume knob right on top of the radio, which makes volume
adjustments extremely easy and second nature to the non-radio savvy. Using
buttons to change volume is not something easily picked up by gramps or the
kids, the UBZ-LH14’s volume knob saves newer users a big chunk of the
learning curve.
Next to the volume knob is a rubber
cover hiding the jacks for adding an external speaker/microphone. The UBZ-LH14
retains the same fold-over antenna as its predecessor, which makes it very
convenient to carry in your pocket. Although the radio works best with the
antenna ‘UP’, it will work while folded over with a loss of range.
This arrangement keeps the antenna out of harm's way, but is still quite
strong.
On the front of the UBZ-LH14 is a
wonderfully large LCD display that clearly shows the channel number in very
large numerals, the CTCSS tone (when in use) in slightly smaller numerals,
transmit and receive status, scrambling selection, and other radio functions.
When transmitting, the display shows a little radio with signals coming off of
it. When receiving, the same radio has little lightning bolts going to it. The
backlight is very bright and makes the already easy to view display very easily
seen in darkness.
The Kenwood UBZ-LH14 has all 14 FRS
channels, all the usual CTCSS tones, squelch on/off (monitor mode), and adds
some not required, but nice to have features that make the LH14 stand out from
the lesser priced radios. For instance, the UBZ-LH14 has the ability to turn
the annoying ‘BEEP’ on or off. Yes, this has been a big deal to our
non-radio savvy bunch with other radios! When the beep mode is on, every time
you press a button on the LH14, it makes a certain ‘BEEP’ tone
corresponding to the key or function. For those who do not like beeping noises,
all beeps can be disabled easily.
The Push To Talk (PTT) button located
on the side of the UBZ-LH14 is very easy to actuate, and has a very good feel
to it. Turning the UBZ-LH14 on or off is accomplished with a power button on
the front of the radio. Just below the display are 3 large rubber buttons for
channel changing and mode switching. Funny side note: the LH14’s built in
microphone is not located near the speaker behind the grille as you would
expect, but seems to be located internally under the ‘>’ button.
This doesn't mean a heck of a lot, but if you want to be really loud on the
air, talk right into the ‘>’ button. I almost feel silly talking
to a button.
Features:
Along the lines of ho-hum, you can
select the option to leave the display backlight on all the time. Normally when
this mode is off, pressing a button will turn the light on for a few seconds,
then it will extinguish. Auto power off allows the LH14 to turn itself off if
left unattended for 2 hours or more. That saves your batteries if you forget
and leave the LH14 on in your glove box. Even while the UBZ-LH14 is on, if you
don't do anything for a few seconds, the receiver goes into a power save
standby mode which switches the receiver on and off quickly until a signal is
received. Once a signal comes in, the receiver stays on. This mode is not
selectable, but always on.
Like the LF14, the UBZ-LH14’s
buttons can be disabled by ‘locking them out’. This way, you don't
have to worry about Jr. changing the channel or turning the radio off
accidentally.
Some of the more peppy features include
a transmit limit timer. For people that are incurably long winded (or just
plain boring), you might want to enable this feature for them. If a long-winded
individual holds the Push To Talk button down for more than 3 or 10 minutes
(selectable), the UBZ-LH14 will stop transmitting over the air and emit a beep
tone from the speaker to let the rambling individual know they have been cut
off. I guess that could end up saving some batteries too.
Also on the peppy list is
Kenwood’s ‘security mode’. This is basically inversion voice
scrambling. When I first began using the original Kenwood LF14 radios, I never
thought I would want the scrambling. Now, I don't know what I would do without
it. It makes it nice being able to tell my wife to go to scramble mode while we
discuss things we do not want to share with the other people in our group who
do not have scrambling.
The sexiest feature of all included in
the new Kenwood UBZ-LH14 is called ‘Communication range in/out
detect’. That is the long way around calling it a transponder. The way
this works is while radios with this mode selected are on and within range of
one another, the radios periodically send a burst transmission to one another
very briefly to make sure they can still hear each other. If you are within
range, when queried, your radio sends back a quick response. If the radio you
are keeping track of goes out of range, your radio beeps and lets you know.
This feature is invaluable if you are trying to keep tabs on kids in a crowded
area (like a theme park). Of course, both radios must include this
feature.
On the bench:
The UBZ-LH14 transmitter has been
pumped up over the LF14, as the transmitter now tips the scales at nearly 420
milliwatts. Kenwood’s FRS radios have all been very stable, and the LH14
is right on frequency as well. Large fluctuations of temperature (heat gun to
cold spray) couldn’t get the transmitter frequency to drift more than a
few tens of hertz. The microphone sensitivity is slightly above average with
way above average audio clarity. This makes the LH14 sound every bit as good as
commercial radio gear on the air.
The Kenwood UBZ-LH14 receiver is very
sensitive, being slightly above average and about the same as the LF14. Another
receiver trait both radios share is a very selective receiver ‘front
end’. Nearby radio signals from paging transmitters, two way radios, etc.
will not easily disrupt your communications. This is something that many new
FRS radios are severely lacking, but fortunately, Kenwood has paid attention to
their receiver performance. The UBZ-LH14 receiver is also very GMRS radio
compatible, as signals with deviation up to 5 Khz do not get clipped.
The Kenwood UBZ-LH14 is capable of
producing unusually loud audio from its speaker. I have become almost used to
the FRS radios reviewed for the magazine normally not being very loud, or if
they are loud, very distorted. Kenwood’s clear, loud audio throws the
curve off again, as the LH14 speaker audio makes listening in loud environments
possible and easy.
The battery requirement of 3
‘AA’ alkaline or rechargeable cells means considerably longer battery
life than models using ‘AAA’ batteries. Nobody likes to carry spare
batteries, and with the LH14, you will not have to. Kenwood suggests a 40 hour
battery life from new alkaline cells. When the batteries near the end of their
life, the UBZ-LH14 beeps and displays a small battery symbol on the display. If
you opt for the rechargeable batteries, Kenwood has a drop-in charger that
allows you to charge the UBZ-LH14’s batteries without having to remove
them. The LH14 has battery contacts right on the back.
The new case design for the UBZ-LH14 is
not very water proof, but is very moisture resistant. It appears that the
weakest point is the battery pack. There is no tight seal around the battery
cover, so you should keep the LH14 away from direct water intrusion. Of course,
a zip-lock bag can make just about anything water-resistant.
Conclusion:
We expected a high quality radio from
Kenwood, and that is exactly what the UBZ-LH14 is. The LH14 cannot be
considered an ‘expendable’ radio. The LH14 will be the radio you will
want to keep for yourself. If the UBZ-LF14 was considered the
‘Porsche’ of all the FRS radios reviewed to date, this new UBZ-LH14
is certainly the Lamborghini. Yes, it's a keeper.
Footnotes 1/29/01: UBZ-LH14 Scan
Function
After publication of the review for the
Kenwood UBZ-LH14, we were informed by Kenwood that the new LH14 would, indeed,
scan without the need of the external microphone. All we had to do was follow
the few steps outlined in the owner's manual.
I did find the section of the manual
that mentioned changing the channel changing parameters in such a way to allow
scanning. At the time I was testing the LH14 for this review, I did try to
enable scanning, but could not. Nor could I enable this mode in subsequent
attempts. At the urging of Kenwood, I set out to enable the LH14's scan
function one more time, and was finally successful.
First, I had to remove power to the
radio completely (this is what finally did it). This was done by
removing one of the 'AA' batteries from the pack for several minutes. Next,
upon the first power-up, I held the '>' button
while I also pressed and held the power button. Next, I pressed the
'>' button until the display showed
'SC-rE-2'. Next, by pressing the 'mode' button, the display changed to 'AD'. Now, pressing the 'PTT' button, the deed was done
and I was in business.
Now, whenever the '>' or '<' button
is pressed and held for a second, the UBZ-LH14 begins to scan. In order to get
the LH14 to stop scanning, you must press the
'>' or '<' button again. After
enabling this function, you cannot change channels quickly by holding down a
button until the display shows the channel you want. You must now press
the '>' or '<'
buttons several times to scroll through the channels. If you hold
either button down for more than a second, the LH14 goes into scan mode and
won't stop until you press either button a second time.
A mixed blessing, but our UBZ-LH14 is
now capable of scanning without the external speaker/microphone.
GMRS Web Magazine would like to
extend our thanks to Kenwood for submitting this radio for review! We do
appreciate your interest in GMRS Web and our readers! Thank you Kenwood!
Doug Smith, Editor
