A good value for the money +. The output power was about 4.5 watts and the unit would break squelch at about -110 db. with a 1000 hz tone and 4.5khz frequency deviation when connected to a Motorola service monitor. The radio worked well on all frequencies and was easily programmable but time consuming since the manual was not clear. After spending several hours and finally getting the programming sequence clear in my head, I had only a few of the local repeaters and simplex frequencies in memory. On line is a program that makes it easy to quickly enter data in memory in minuets rather than hours. The radio is OK and is a SDR (software defined radio) with an RDA1846 transceiver, RDA5802 FM radio IC, plus support IC's , and preforms well when used as intended. The negatives I observed: 1. When the unit was held more than several inches away, I received reception reports of low audio but when held very close there was no problem with audio volume. 2. When connected to an external antenna, (Ringo Ranger at 50 ft.) and listing to a weaker simplex signal, a nearby out of band paging signal would obliterate the weak in band signal. With the supplied Baofeng antenna there was no interference but the simplex station, of course, was very weak. The front end has a very wide band receiver circuit and this performance was not a surprise. All in all, the Baofeng UV-5R+ Plus is a great buy for less than about 30 bucks..and a good p revue of an SDR Transceiver. Much information is available on the internet about this radio and the IC's which are the heart of this device. Dick G, AA0VA Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
UV-5R III, the one that covers the 220Mhz band + 2Meters & 440 Mhz. This radio has the worst receiver of any analog FM two way radio I have ever lab tested. Very poor selectivity, Very poor overload/desens immunity. Receiver has good sensitivity, but if you are anywhere near an FM Broadcast station or a VHF/UHF TV station transmitter, you can forget being able to hear anything. Transmitter tests OK for power, frequency, modulation, ect. TX spectral purity is not the best, but OK for a HT. The radio is physically built well and has lots of operational features. If the receiver just had a front end, it would be great. You know the old saying “you get what you pay for.” If you’re looking for an entry level HT and this is all you can afford, then go for it. However, unless you plan to use it in an area far from any strong transmitters, I don’t recommend this unit. DE WD8JKARead full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Neat little radio. Need to find an annotated English-language manual on-line to make any sort of use of it. Seller could differentiate themselves from others by providing an electronic copy of the manual or link to one. Appears to be very difficult to program "channels" without a serial connection to a PC and proper software, which I've ordered but not received yet. But the feature set is amazing, mechanical quality appears good (will see how LCD holds up in real world conditions as that's always a weakness with such devices), and price can't be beat. Scanning is a little weak, but it's not sold as a scanner. Main danger is that you could get yourself in a whole big heap of trouble very easily by transmitting on the wrong frequency and/or power level. This is not for the person who just wants to keep track of the kids at the amusement park.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
As all Baofeng radios, it is tricky but once learned, becomes doable by hand. The trick is that when you push "menu" you scroll through menu items, you must push menu again when the feature you want is displayed. It is sensitive, has great features, and the new battery has good life. For longer range, an aftermarket longer whip can be found online. Make sure it is female, as most Japan radios use a male antenna to match the female socket on the radio. Baofeng, pofang are tbe opposite sense. Programmong repeaters with non standard shifts is tricky too. The is an easy to use software and programming cable available to make it easy and to program multiple radios the same. As retired radio comm systems engr, i am amazed at the wuality for a good price. For ham use you need to buy a repeater guide from the ARRL to find local or other frequencies if you travel. Newbies should grt guidance from local hams as to local ckubd, repeaters, etc. I have several uv5 and 2 uv6. Only trouble wad with a bad bl5 battery which came with thr uv6r. Shorted on receipt. No one sells spare battrries. The first dealer that does will be able to sell a lot. Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
If someone asks me what radio they should get when they're just getting in to amateur radio, I will tell them this one. It's a low price point for newbies to get practise dialling in and talking to other HAM operators. With the correct configuration settings, these radios can also communicate with popular/cheap FRS walkie-talkies and marine band radio. I've verified their range - line-of-sight works over 10km, and we got 3.5km on opposite ends of a granite island covered in hills and trees. I ordered a second set for emergency use at the cabin. The only downside is they are tricky to set up and configure. Keep the manual handy, as well as a search engine to look up terms you aren't familiar with.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Not in the league of more pricey brand names,as it lacks several basic programming and operational features,such "Memory=VFO, "Scan Channel Lockout", just to name a couple. Programming is cumbersome as it requires many keystrokes to do anything. However, with some patience, you can get it to do most anything you would likely need. Receiver not particularly selective compared to higher cost units. That being said, seems to provide good basic reliable FM 2 way communications. Unit is well built and durable. A very good unit for the low cost.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
From a standpoint of value the Baofeng UV-5R is unbeatable. Basically the unit is just a microprocessor with dual VFOs. It's not the most user friendly radio. Manually programming the radio is a real exercise in frustration. I used the CHIRP software which is fair. CHIRP lets you customize the welcome message and other obscure radio functions. If you have more than one UV-5R, like me, you can program a separate welcome message for each radio. (e.g., name and call sign) This radio had a different firmware from my other radios so I could not directly upload the programming file used by the other radios. I had to import the frequencies and create a new programming file. Once you get the radio programmed it's relatively easy to switch from VFO to memory channels. Battery life is excellent. The display is good and easy enough to read. One comment about usage: Make sure you have a proper FCC license for transmitting on the frequencies you plan to use. You don't want the FCC to hit you with a BIG civil penalty for unlicensed transmission. They are listening. It's easy to spot unlicensed users.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
This radio has been around forever.. Does it have short falls.. Yes. Replace the rubber ducky! Is it difficult to save the frequencies.. Yes, but there are plenty of videos on youtude to explain the process.. Look, the truth is, it's a good hand held radio for the 25-30 bucks that you're paying. You can save your local emergency services such as 911 and Sheriff, Police.. and scan those saved channels. But, if these services are transmitting in encrypted digital signal.. this radio will not pick them up.. you need a trunked and digital scanner for that.. and now many are going to P25 or APCO-25, which will make digital scanners obsolete for scanning emergency services.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
First of all I first purchased two of these a couple years ago and liked them enough to buy another. Price has come down a lot since my first purchase, which is nice. Like that now they come in different colors now, although I wish the green camouflage was not so shiny since it sort of defeats the whole 'camouflage' thing. These radios are not the easiest to use, or to be more exact you really need to purchase the available programming cable and have access to a PC or laptop to fully use them and set up the channels as you want them. These are NOT simple walkie-talkies, but shortwave radios. Only other con I have seen is that with my first two of these radios I had one battery failure over two years, even though the radios were only taken out to be tested about once a year. Battery just up and refused to take a charge. Replacement batteries are cheap, but still... All-in-all I will probably purchase one or two more of these radios because I keep them for emergencies. Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Pros: - operates at wide ranges of frequencies - small and lightweight - good battery life - wide selection of accessories available (antennas, cases, batteries, cables...) - good support from open community (many how-to-use, tests, reviews, etc...) - easy programmable via USB (Windows app available for free) - very good price performance Cons: - average performance, but can be better with various 3rd party antennas - battery should be removed for charging (cannot be operated during charging) - text on buttons wear out. Bottom line: very good small amateur radio (good for pros as second/backup/emergency device), good value for money.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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