Both of these knobs are easily accessed on the top of the radio and they both provide a slight “click” as positive indication that either the radio is turned on/of or that the channel is changed. There are two knobs on the MD-380 – one is the power switch/volume knob and the other is the channel selector knob. On the left is the Motorola MOTOTRBO XPR 7550 and on the right, the Tytera TYT MD-380. In addition to its design, the radio appears to be well built with a solid feel and the accessories fit well, including the battery, antenna and the accessory port dust protector. While the MD-380 does not claim to meet any specific environmental operating standards, its build quality should more than suffice for typical ham radio use. Being only about 13cm (5 1/4”) high and 258g (9.1oz), this radio fits nicely in the hand and can even be carried in a shirt pocket, making it a pleasure to use.
The MD-380 is a compact portable radio that is small, lightweight, has a great ergonomic design. MD-380 radio operating on either the 400 – 480 MHz (UHF) or 136 – 174 MHz (VHF) bands.The Tytera TYT MD-380 radio comes standard with the following items out of the box: Desktop Charger: The desktop charger takes hours to charge the radio, plus the green “finished” LED indicator does not turn off, even when the radio is removed from the charger.Bluetooth Capability: This radio is not Bluetooth capable, so the use of wireless audio accessories is not possible.Software Polish: There are a number of oddities within the firmware of the radio that impacts its overall user experience.Price: At $170 USD, this radio is a very attractive option for anyone looking to get started with DMR.Antenna Connector: The antenna connector for this radio uses a SMA connection, allowing it to easily be connected to an external antenna.