The Quansheng UV-K1 (8) Mini Kong walkie talkie has been somewhat “released” and is now available to pre-order below. Update: it has just been fully released and is available to order today via AliExpress below. It is considered as a successor to the K5 range of Quansheng radios and looks like a little beauty. I’m a big fan of the Quansheng K5 8, K6 and UV 5R Plus transceivers, they are great radios for the price. And the K1 Mini Kong really does look like a worthy successor. It’s small, bulky and well built. There’s the option of a few different package types, and there are two radios to choose from. The K1 and the K1 (8). The only difference between the two appears to be the radio styling and design. Both are very nice, but I prefer the K1 (8) [pictured below].

In terms of choosing a radio package, the main difference is what capacity battery each package comes with. Two different battery types are available. The first one, called “short” is a 1400mAh battery. The second one is called “long” and it is 2500mAh. This also has a USB-C charging port on the battery itself. The K1 (8) also has a USB-C connection on the side of the radio. For the difference in price [literally a couple of quid / dollars], it makes sense to go with the extended battery package.

Out the box with stock firmware, the Quansheng UV-K1 (8) Mini Kong is similar to the older K5 Quansheng’s in many ways. 200 channels, Dual VFO, Dual watch receive, NOAA, FM radio, airband receive, torch light, and very similar receive and transmit ranges out the box: RX: 50Mhz – 600Mhz, TX: 136Mhz – 174Mhz – 350Mhz – 470Mhz. However, there is some conflicting reports on some listings when it comes to the transmitting frequency range. Some state its FCC Version: 144-148MHz / 420-450MHz and the CE Version: 144-146MHz / 430-440MHz, so do keep that in mind.

The biggest difference between the K1 and K5 range other than the appearance is the 2mb extended flash memory built into the UV-K1 (8) Mini Kong. This opens up many possibilities when it comes to firmware / after market upgrades. So it will be interesting to see what firmware and modifications become available for the Mini Kong. After all, that’s one of the reasons why Quansheng radios are so popular.

Are the K1 and K1 (8) already compatible with the usual, tried and tested firmware’s available for the K5 / K6 / 5R Plus, like Egzumer, IJV, F4HWN etc. At this point I don’t think they are. But I do know that the maker of the F4HWN firmware, Armel, is working on a “Fusion Edition” for the new K1. So we should soon be seeing some new firmware with many excellent features. And with 2mb of flash memory now available, there is a lot more room for added features and modifications, so stay tuned.

Quansheng UV-K1 (8) Accessories

Comes with standard accessories: a choice of either long or short battery, desktop charger, mini antenna, belt clip and hand strap. Optional accessories include USB charging cable, programming cable, external microphone and headset.

At this time both the K1 and K1 (8) can be pre-ordered from AliExpress [certified genuine] and Banggood. The certified genuine K1 8 from AliExpress also comes with a free gift. A really good quality programming cable.