Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in Walkie Talkies, Two-Way Radios
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on Walkie Talkies, Two-Way Radios
This is a fantastic little radio, and I can strongly recommend it to the following: 1) New amateur radio operators (a great way to get started on local 2m and 70cm repeaters). 2) Volunteer first responders for fire, EMS, civil whose municipalities use VHF radio. 3) Facility maintenance (hospital, hotel, manuf, etc) where an FCC license is already established for that facility. *Make certain the FCC frequency of the system you want on is within the programming range of this radio!* It's lightweight, and all kinds of accessories such as extension antennas, vehicular antennas, spare and replacement batteries, headsets, handsets, throat mics, battery bypass for use in vehicles, replacement belt clips, adapters, etc ad nauseum. It's not expensive so if it's damaged, it's not like damaging a Motorola VHF or UHF handheld. There are enough programming features (repeater offsets and squelch-tail controls, VOX transmitting, separate RX and TX ctcss or DPL, audio tones, even an alert transmission, ANI transmission, preamble or postamble code transmission, DTMF, etc etc etc) to adapt to practically any system out there. The catch: Programming this by the front panel can be confusing and frustrating. It takes a little while to get the hang of it, and after several websites (some with errors), YouTube videos (some with errors), printing several guides and function descriptions -- I finally figured out how to program in repeaters with offsets and TX-only PL code. This is a must-do for Amateur Radio operators to use it. Simplex mode isn't so hard to program, but it is similar enough that you really need to take time to learn ALL the steps. A better solution is to buy a USB programming cable for it and download Chirp. And here's the next catch: The cheap eBay USB cables for it are often not compatible with the Windows or Mac OS operating systems, because they don't use FTDI chipsets for communicating from USB to the radio. There's websites all about this, just Google them. There's also some ways to get around this, but if you're programming a slew of these radios, go ahead and buy from eBay an FTDI Kenwood/Baofeng cable. They are about $20 as of this writing. There's a big scare about "fake" NA-771 Nagoya Reuex antennas out there. The one I bought fits every 'expert opinion' of being 'fake' but I'm hitting repeaters at a line-of-sight distance of 19 miles over flat terrain with it. YMMV. Buy one! Have fun!Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Mine lasted 10 hours and died for ever...it began to delay to start on turn on and one day it did not start at all. Battery is ok. Charger also ok. Just bad quality. Only desk use, no outdoors, no falls, just random quality in the finish. I read a lot of feedbacks before buying it, but I did not have the luck to enjoy it. Just a pitty.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
These are nice and cheap radios. I first got the demo of one by a VEC when I tested for my HAM license 2 yrs ago. He is also a volunteer at the local FIre Dept. It is fairly rugged and can stand a drop test and still function. Depending on the model will determine the specific bands that you can listen to and enjoy. It also comes with a easy to use manual for programming and maintenance. I would recommend this radio to anyone just wanting a cheap and rugged radio to monitor various ham bands or as a walkie talkie to take into the woods.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Beofeng makes a fine product, possible add ons are plentiful. If you search elsewhere you MAY hear that this radio is hard to program, not true. Whether you are manually programing or programing with the software offered in this kit, it is easy. Be sure that the program disc is appropriate for your computer OPERATING system. Just like me, others with negative statements are NEW ham operators too... This is my first radio and I was NOT spending BIG money, this kit from this vendor is fairly priced. What would we know, really. Non official Beofeng videos show you what steps are necessary to get the radio to operate. This is good training to review. 5 watts is the maximum output power and adequate for any populated area with local repeaters. There is a web site of repeater tower frequencies WHERE YOU LIVE that offers the information so you can decide if THIS unit has the appropriate wattage output for your usage. There are aslo local clubs to search for in your AREA to join to share your hobby with.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
This is the successor to the HTX-202. However the manual does not include instructions on how to set memory channels, and the headset is best not bothered with. Other than that, It is a great little radio. To program a channel manually, set the desired settings in frequency mode, and go to menu item 27 MEMCH. Press menu, use the up and down arrows to select the desired channel to store the station on, press menu again, the channel is now set. Repeat for each channel.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
It only works in a 1-1.2km range. Signal is very good while in close proximity. It is easy to use, providing that you get instructions from baofeng web page. The booklet that it comes with, has some specs but it is useless when it comes to programme it. Maximum band width is 480MHz, not 520Mhz as advertised. Has a lot of features that I don't use and can't review.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
This radio and others like it are great for someone who is trying to find out if they will enjoy amateur radio (like myself). The price is unbeatable for what you get on this dual band transceiver and the 2 meter band (which this radio is capable of tuning to) is popular amongst amateurs. Some of the features that I like are the dual band capability, automatic scanning for stations, the automatic noise suppression or "squelch" control, the ability to add a tone when transmitting which is used as a key to unlock repeaters, the ability to set a transmit frequency separate from the receive for duplex conversation and repeater use, CTCSS and DCS systems, and the ability to program up to 128 frequencies in memory and have them display the name of the station instead of the frequency number. After experimenting with it, I find that there are a lot of features (more than what is mentioned above). Sadly the manual is translated from Chinese and doesn't go into very much depth or clarity about how to setup most of the functions to really take advantage of the versatility of this radio. Your best bet would be to watch a YouTube "lesson 101" video for how to use it. Another problem is the antenna. The stock antenna will work for most people's needs but it could be replaced for a better one to get more range and reception. Also the SWR of the antenna increases with frequency up to a rating of 3.5 in some cases which will damage the final transistors with repeated use. I will say though, that I was listening to a conference one night and the signal was 4-7 from 50km away, so you be the judge. A downside however, is that this radio doesn't seem to be terribly immune to stray interference. Especially with the stock antenna it is quite sensitive to other electronic devices. When I'm driving in the car, the radio will pick up the electricity coming from the fans in the ventilation system so I have to drive with the fans off if I'm to hear anything clearly. Aside from the features and price, one last plus is that it's portable. Instead of spending a lot of money on a costly station setup at home, I don't mind spending a couple cents in gas to drive up to my club's repeater to get better reception. I also take it in the car while I'm travelling around and I pick up on some interesting stuff.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Excellent radio for communications; listening to radio; lightweight and attractive. Worked the day I received it right out of package. No charging needed. Once you learn the program procedure, you're ready to go. I absolutely love it...You will too!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
This is my 3rd ham radio, all the same, because I am very satisfied with the quality of this item. Powerful signal, I can use for 25-30 km distance with a telescopic antenna, as we are living on a flatland. It has briliant options like other, expensive desktop radios. Also recommend to use in a car with extern antenna. A great product in general!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
These Chinese HT's are made well and have clear sound, at an excellent price. The only downside is that they are extremely difficult to program. You may as well throw away the included instructions as soon as the radio arrives and go right to the Internet. This is my second BaoFeng and learned how to use CHIRP (free down load) to program. Only questioni had was there seems to be a discrepancy on the frequency range. Box says one thing and the radio says something different. Not that big of a depifference, just a curiosity. Good and fast way for new HAMs to get on the 2 meter and 440 cm bands.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New