First, to all of the buyers of the Baofeng radios that are also hams, none of the cheaper Chinese radios (including many that cost far more than the Baofeng UV-5R series of radios) program the same way (from the keypad or from the programming software) as their more expensive Japanese counterparts. Simply seeing the "+-" sign on the Baofeng radio, for example, DOES NOT mean that the radio has automatically programmed the correct offset for the band you are on. Baofeng radios have to be programmed with both the complete receive frequency AND the transmit frequency to correctly access any repeaters in Channel (memory) Mode. Since most hams pride themselves on not reading manuals, (if you are a ham) you may have to re-read this paragraph several times.
Second, for all of the buyers of the Baofeng radios that think FCC Part 90 acceptance also means that you can have two frequencies 12.5kHz apart (or less) on your two VFO's (and not hear any other noise or interference on the other frequency), you will need to purchase a different radio than the UV-5R. If you are looking at the UV-5R as a way to reduce expenses but still want a better receiver (and want to stay in the Baofeng radio line), I would suggest either of the Baofeng B5 or the B6 series, which don't cost much more and have a far better receiver. Some folks feel the UV-82 series has a slightly better receiver, but to me it's simply a repackaged UV-5R radio without many of the accessories available to the UV-5R family (like an extended battery, or a "AA" or "AAA" shell pack), so although it does fix a few of the UV-5R's shortcomings, it also adds some new ones (IMHO).
If you truly want "more" features (like more memories, a better receiver, 2 tone/5 tone support, audio scrambling, compandered audio, more power, MotoTrbo digital capability, etc.) take a look at various models within the TYT product family, but be prepared to pay more for those features.
Third, understand that the Twin Dual Receive (TDR) function on the UV-5R is NOT the same as having the ability to receive two conversations at the same time. The radio simply scans back and forth between the two VFO's (think about counting 1001 and 1002 and you get the idea of it's scanning speed), so you may very well miss a short conversation or comment on one VFO from time to time. If this is totally unacceptable to you, purchase a more expensive radio (or carry two UV-5R radios) as this feature is NOT available (nor can it be re-programmed or hacked into existence) on either the UV-5R or B5/B6 series of radios.
Forth, if you insist on buying the cheapest USB programming cable available, expect that you will have issues getting the programming software (either VIP or Chirp) to work properly, since the majority of folks simply either fail to read or follow the detailed instructions on the Yahoo UV-5R forum (on how to overcome the cheap cable issues and/or don't understand how to properly turn off the Windows 7/8 auto update feature on their program drivers for the cable).
To avoid this cable issue completely, either purchase the actual Prolific or FTDI Kenwood 2-prong style programming cables or go First Class and get the RT Systems cable/software kit (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QUOH6RK or search for B00QUOH6RK if Amazon removes that link). Since Amazon will not allow any outside links to be published, you'll have to search the internet for yourself (or call a local radio dealer). Buying a real (not cloned or fake) cable and following the instructions on the Yahoo forum will eliminate 99% of the programming issues you hear folks complain about, or upgrade to First Class and get an RT Systems cable and software kit (as they are now available on Amazon).
Fifth, the majority of issues you hear about from this brand of radios (and Chinese radios in general) will come from the older hams or engineers, as they will constantly insist that "they" should be able to do things with it (using some other method) and will drive themselves crazy trying to figure out why their $60 radio doesn't work like their $300 to $600 dollar Japanese radios from Alinco, Kenwood, Icom, or Yaesu. Those folks, in turn, bash the radios on various forums or e-commerce sites (primarily because they won't follow directions and/or the radio doesn't work the way they feel it "should").
Six, understand that if you really know very little about radios in general and you insist on ignoring instructions given to you on various Baofeng forums or user-groups, and you don't even try to read the manual, you will probably (at some point) have an issue with these radios. It normally won't be the radio's fault, of course, as you won't change the frequency step correctly or will program both the PL tone on encode and decode (thereby blocking the repeater audio from coming through to your receiver), but you'll blame the radio nonetheless.
My suggestion at that point is to purchase one that's pre-programmed for you (already setup with the frequencies in your area). I've sent several folks like that to RF Gear 2 Go in AZ (google them for the contact info) for just that purpose. They now offer their radio programming service through Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I95HXK8 or search B00I95HXK8).
Lastly, all of the UV-5R radio family will transmit and receive from 136-174 MHz on VHF, and from 400-520 MHz on UHF (even if the seller says otherwise), but they only work on analog, not digital. So if you're looking for a radio to work on frequencies above or below this limit, or use the radio within a digital trunking environment, you'll need to look for another radio, as this one won't work.
In addition, occasionally you'll see (or read) about someone that claims to have a mod to allow the radio even more extended frequency coverage - it doesn't work. The "mod" will allow you to enter just about any frequency on the display, but the radio doesn't actually go there. So you end up with a modified radio, for example, that will show 800 MHz on the display but the limit for transmit and receive is still 520 MHz (on the high end) and 136 MHz (on the low end) within the radio. The "mod" doesn't add AM capability either, so forget trying to listen to aircraft or working CB radio (both of which are also outside the frequency range of the radio as well).
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
There is a newer model of this item:
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card
Frequently bought together
$18.35
Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16
In Stock
+
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Top rated similar items
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the brand
-
-
-
HAM Relevant Chargers
-
Replacement Batteries
-
From the manufacturer
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV-82HP (7W), High-Power +(3rd Gen) | UV-82C, Commercial, Employer Model | UV-5X3, Tribander Model | BF-F8HP (8W), High Power + (3rd Gen) | BF-F8+ Variants, (2nd Gen) | UV-5R & Variants (2nd Gen) | |
|
|
|
|||||
| Customer Reviews |
4,617
|
552
|
2,123
|
14,588
|
— |
— |
| Price | $69.89 | $69.89 | $69.89 | $62.89 | — | — |
| Output | 7 Watt Max | 5 Watt Max | 5 Watt Max | 8 Watt Max | 4-5 Watt Max | 4-5 Watt Max |
| Speaker Output | 1 Watt | 1 Watt | 1 Watt | 700mw | 700mw | 700mw |
| Frequency Range (mhz) | VHF (136-174), UHF (400-520) | VHF (136-174), UHF (400-520) | VHF (130-179.99), 1.25M (222-225.99), UHF (400-520.99) | VHF (136-174), UHF (400-520) | VHF (136-174), UHF (400-520) | VHF (136-174), UHF (400-520) |
| Case Durability | Commercial | Commercial | Commercial | Commuter | Commuter | Commuter |
| Push-to-Talk: Single, Dual, or Both | Both | Both | Single | Single | Single | Single |
| Display | Tri-Color | Tri-Color | Tri-Color | Tri-Color | Inverted | Tri-Color |
| Disable VFO (Frequency) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FCC Part 90 Licensed and Compliant for Commercial Applications | ✓ | |||||
| High Gain 7" Antenna | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Updated In-Depth User's Guide | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Compare with similar items
This Item  BAOFENG UV-5R Dual Band Two Way Radio (Black), 144-148MHz & 420-450MHz |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $18.35 | $19.60 | $23.99 | $24.99 | -10% $62.99 Typical: $69.99 | -22% $20.99 List: $26.99 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Battery life | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| Easy to use | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Sold By | Sharkoo | 49 Store | Radioddity | Radioddity | TIDRADIO Mall | ABBREE |
| talk range maximum | 2 kilometer | 2 kilometer | 8 mile | 8 mile | — | — |
| number of channels | 128 | 128 | 128 | 128 | 128 | 128 |
| frequency range | 144-148MHz, 420-450MHz | 144 - 148 MHz | 144 - 148 MHz | 144-148 / 420-450 MHz | VHF/UHF | GMRS |
| power source | Corded Electric, Battery Powered | — | — | Corded Electric, Battery Powered | Battery Powered | — |
| battery quantity | 1 lithium polymer, 1 a, 1 lithium ion, 1 aaa, 1 product specific | 0 lithium ion | 1 lithium ion | 1 lithium ion | 2 lithium polymer | — |
| tuner technology | UHF, VHF | UHF | UHF/VHF | UHF, VHF | UHF/VHF | GMRS |
| water resistance | not water resistant | waterproof | not water resistant | not water resistant | water resistant | not water resistant |
Reviews with images
No Better Way To Spend Thirty Bucks!
No Better Deal Than This Radio!With all the features and accessories this comes with, I can't think of anything better to spend thirty bucks on and get so much for so little. Anybody would love this as a gift.Without going into the specifications and such that is repeated here, I will concentrate on the features:The battery lasted 18-19 hours when in scan mode.The receiver in this radio is excellent -better, stronger and clearer than my Realistic 200 Channel Scanner, the old Bearcat and the cheap Uniden 10 Channel.Get cool accessories for cheap. 4 dollar 14" antenna, 7 dollar AA battery adapter, 6 dollar USB cable, 9 dollar auto adapter pack, 7 dollar remote speaker/mic, & more. The cool little canvas case costs more than the must-have accessories at 10 bucks! -lol.I recommend buying the "SMA Female To BNC Female Convert Adaptor For Two Way Radio BaoFeng UV-5R FD-880" so you can easily & quickly disconnect your radio to & from BNC antenna connections.Wonderful support online. People have re-written the owner's manual and converted it from Ingrish to English. YouTube has tons of great video demos, instructional tutorials and reviews for this radio. Check it out!Free apps for programming and customizing the radio. (CHIRP is a good basic one.)With the software you can Upload & Download your settings, save settings, easily setup all 128 channels, offsets, Skip for scanning, customize welcome message, arrange & rearrange, create names for the frequencies/channels, etc.You don't need any software for this radio to be fully functional, but it does cost very little for the cable and helps immensely by allowing fast & easy changes instead of flipping through menus on a tiny screen over & over, while allowing you to have many different "setups & configurations" for different purposes. My "welcome message" is a description of the "setup". Saved and easily loaded and unloaded in seconds.I played the FM radio fairly loud with the LED light on for over 9 hours.The little LED light is a great feature and much brighter than I expected.I read in a review that if you get the AA battery adapter pack it will last 27 hours.I keyed the mic for '10 seconds on' and '10 seconds off' for over 30 minutes without stopping and the battery level indicator never dropped a bar. It did get a little hot on the rear-top of the radio from transmitting 5 watts almost non-stop and that is normal...just not normal use. There would be periods of silence when it would cool down more normally.Mine did not come with a European Wall Socket Adapter as shown, but it did come with the Earpiece accessory!Also, mine did not come with a software or driver disk. You can find that online for free if needed, or order the cheap USB cable and it comes with it.The PTT button (Push To Talk) is a "little weird to get used to" but once you get a feel for pressing it in the "right spot" it's fine, but I do wonder about the longevity and how it will hold up over time.The 'jeweled" design On/Off/Volume knob is strange, but I kinda like it.Unlike the newer design models, this one will stand up by itself on a desktop or fairly level surface. It will easily fit into a shirt pocket or use the included belt clip or hand strap.I love the small hand size. The buttons are not too small and allow for direct frequency entering or immediate channel selection, DTMF Telephone Tones, and once you start digging into the settings menu that has over 35 different settings and features, you start to see this is a serious little contender priced so low it's almost ridiculous. But alas, China is able to manipulate their currency and subsidize their corporations to undermine the US economy in order to bring you this little gem of a radio.The Scan Function is slow compared to "regular scanners" at around 3 channels per second.Shipping and sold through Amazon was fast & easy to return if anything is unacceptable.If you know someone who is even remotely interested in scanners, radios, camping, Ham radio, or End of the World Preppers, this is a perfect gift!Photos:RED TX Screenhttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51cP3X75PNL.jpgBLUE RCV SCREENhttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WIJm1HZDL.jpg-Hope this helps!
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Top reviews from other countries
Paulo
cumpre o que promete
Reviewed in Brazil on March 25, 2024Style: Two Way RadioVerified Purchase
R&T Industrial Design Associates
Excelente Producto
Reviewed in Mexico on May 11, 2018Style: Two Way RadioVerified Purchase
R&T Industrial Design Associates
Reviewed in Mexico on May 11, 2018
Le doy cinco estrellas por las siguientes razones
Diseño:
El radio es tan pequeño que cabe en la palma de tu mano y su peso es el equivalente a tres iPhone 5 +/- lo que lo hacen sumamente práctico incluso para traerlo en el bolsillo del pantalón, en el chaleco, en el cinturón o en la mochila.
Funcionalidad:
Excelente cobertura, le puedes sacar en ciudad fácilmente unos dos kilómetros en ciudad densamente poblada y con obstáculos.
Es extremadamente robusta su carcasa al igual que los botones están adecuadamente protegidos del agua.
El volumen es adecuado (desconozco el motivo por el cual algunos comentarios indican lo contrario).
La pantalla se encuentra iluminada y puedes controlar cual de los tres colores que tiene te agrada mas (mera estética)
Es programable mediante cable (compra adicional) y el software libre CHIRP que para programación básica es muy intuitivo.
Las bandas de uso libre de acuerdo a la legislación mexicana son:
A. Bandas de frecuencias en VHF:
I. De 153.0125 Megahertz (MHz) a 153.2375 MHz.
II. De 159.0125 MHz a 159.2000 MHz.
III. De 163.0125 MHz a 163.2375 MHz.
B. Bandas de frecuencias en UHF:
I. De 450.2625 MHz a 450.4875 MHz.
II. De 455.2625 MHz a 455.4875 MHz.
III. De 463.7625 MHz a 463.9875 MHz.
IV. De 468.7625 MHz a 468.9875 MHz.
Nota: Hubo cambios recientes en las especificaciones de la ley pero no hay mucha variación.
Y estos radios se mueven en dichas frecuencias sin problemas.
Precio:
Es un precio ridículamente bajo para las funciones y la robustez que ofrece (he visto Motorola talk about hasta en mas de $1,000 mxp y nada que ver con este), de ahí que no me impresiona saber que uno que otro puede llegar a tener algún defecto como el expuesto
Images in this review
Cristina Acero
A buen precio y con calidad buena.
Reviewed in Mexico on January 25, 2024Style: Two Way RadioVerified Purchase
Guilherme Augusto Deina
Perfeito!
Reviewed in Brazil on February 9, 2023Style: Two Way RadioVerified Purchase
Guilherme Augusto Deina
Reviewed in Brazil on February 9, 2023
Images in this review
Francisco V.
Exelente calidad
Reviewed in Mexico on February 27, 2024Style: Two Way RadioVerified Purchase
Francisco V.
Reviewed in Mexico on February 27, 2024
Images in this review
