I received a comment on my previous post on The Android HT, pointing to this Android mobile phone plus UHF transceiver: Runbo X5. This is not quite what I described as the Android HT but this device is certainly interesting just the same.
Runbo X5 Android Phone with UHF Radio
Looking around on the web, I found this set of specifications. The frequency range for the “walkie-talky” function is listed as 400 to 470 MHz. The power output is not specified, but the UHF range is listed as 5 km. Some of the photos show a rubber duck antenna while others do not, so I suspect that the UHF antenna is removable.
Of course, the Android HT that I described was amateur radio only, no mobile phone capability included.
73, Bob K0NR
8 Dec 2012 Update: I just noticed that PD0AC highlighted a similar product on his blog, the OutFone BD-351-A83.
Received via email:
Hey Bob,
like you, I am really interested in a HT that can be programmed to run own applications. With my development of APRSdroid, I would be really glad to have a hardware device that runs it out of the box, RF included.
Unfortunately, from what I learned so far, the Runbo X5 is not such a device, because there is no programmatic access to the RX/TX audio and neither to the PTT function. The only thing you can change in software is the frequency and volume…
Feel free to add this email to your blog comments (it seems like new comments are forbidden?)
73 from Germany,
Georg DO1GL
— APRSdroid – Open Source APRS Client for Android ++ http://aprsdroid.org/m
++ https://market.android.com/details?id=org.aprsdroid.app ++