My Experience with the Explorer QRZ-1

While not usually the first radio I grab to use, often opting instead for my BTech UV-PRO (review here), but the more I’ve used it, the more I’ve grown to appreciate the tiny radio, especially having gotten in on deal as apart of GigaPart’s JumpStart Program, which gives a 70% discount on the radio, if you just got your license within the last six months, not including shipping, which comes to about $18+S&H for just the radio, but a programming cable is a important addition!

The radio and the manufacture does want you to use proprietary and non-free programming software, but so far, it’s been working perfectly fine with CHRIP on my Windows 11 system, including changing system settings, which was helpful as there isn’t an in-system menu for changing all of those settings, or I entirely missed it. The most annoying one, by default it only shows frequencies, even if you program in channel names, so I’d highly encourage changing that, if you don’t memorize what mhz everything is on.

The exact battery runtime seems to vary, but just monitoring most of the time, I’m getting somewhere between 1 and 2 days of charge. Only downside is you need to use a charging cradle, rather than a USB cable, which I mostly dislike due to having to re-buy specifically their cradle if mine fails, but that’s more a personal stance than anything else.

As far as radios go, this is a pretty basic little thing, but that’s honestly alright for basic VHF/UHF operations. It has dual-monitoring, a decent bit of programmable channel slots, a flashlight, VFO (frequency) mode, and a two-line monochrome LCD screen which is fairly readable in good sunlight, or in shade with the backlight turned on.

For the price I paid for this, I’m honestly happy with the product. I do tend to use it more as my backup radio, or to quad-monitor (usually the 2M and 70cm repeaters of the local club, and the 2M/70cm calling frequencies), but even when my primary is not charged and I swap this to primary, I haven’t had any serious gripes using it, with the expectations it’s only there for voice.

Updated Thoughts! I had been using the QRZ1 as my primary at some locations due to a noise problem with my normal primary, my BTech UV-PRO, and have grown to actually quite like the little radio. It’s nothing too impressive, but it’s programmable easily via CHIRP, and has a decent battery. The biggest downside, is the charging method. I have already lost the cradle at least a dozen odd times, and can’t currently find it. Unlike USB-C, I can’t easily just, use another cable, I need their specific cradle, which is an annoyance, but a self-caused issue. If that’s my only real gripe, then it was very much well worth the money I paid.