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Your cart is empty.Graham
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2025
I got this radio because it can scan faster than any of my other Baofeng’s. Very nice buttons and display. This thing is BIG but it is a very neat radio
JamesWalkerMD
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2025
Chunky for what's basically a UV-5R, but it works fine. If you like UV-5Rs you'll like this one because it's a UV-5R that went to the gym.
soundsgood
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2024
Okay - for starters, It's a boof-wang. Don't compare this to a military radio or a high-end radio costing hundreds more. If you like the UV-5R or any of its knock-offs, then you'll like this. It's a robust, solid, easy-to-program (CHIRP) radio with the basic guts of a UV-5R. Bigger, brighter screen. Huge, solid buttons. MUCH faster scanning than the UV-5R. I mean this thing scans FAST. Battery is humongous and lasts for around a week of moderate use. Much longer if you're not xmitting much. 10 watts? Maybe. Guess it depends on where you are on the frequency scale. I have a couple and they both check out around 7 watts or so in the CH 15-16 (GMRS) area of the spectrum. That's respectable. Overall a very heavy, solid, well-designed inexpensive beast for throwing in the bugout bag or listening out on the back patio. Speaker quality / volume is beyond excellent. Buttons, knobs and feel (including the "fitment" of the battery) is very well executed. It'll probably survive some abuse. Wouldn't count on it being waterproof due to the 2.5cm battery charging jack, but a rubber plug or piece of duct tape might solve that issue. Accessories shipped: carrying pouch is actually pretty well-made if not exactly milspec, it'll work - and the programming cable provided with my combo works with CHIRP and a Mac. Performance: I'm hitting a repeater 70 or so miles away SOLIDLY with this thing and an ABBREE AR-771 GMRS antenna/rat tail combination. The foldup antenna is kinda dorky but it works. Overall, this radio delivers with a Nagoya or ABBREE GMRS antenna installed. Works as a great Amateur band scanner when paired with the proper atenna. If this radio gets lost, falls into a river or gets crushed, I'm only out $75 and I can clone it from my CHIRP setup. Comes in all the G.I. Joe colors. They did a good job on this one.
BrianH
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2024
Programmed easily. But I'm a Techie, so maybe a bit difficult for the newbie. Read the instructions. Pretty easy to understand. Tested them and the audio quality is very good. Very high capacity batteries...so I expect to get a full day of Intermittent use out of them. For a 7 hour drive caravan with Family. We will be beyond cell sites so this is the next best solution. Bought the appropriate Nagoya antennas for them too!
T. Houston
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2023
This is a really good radio for the price.I wanted something to take out in the field, for transmitting on the GMRS band - (yes I have a license) and also have the ability to monitor (RX only) some of the local public safety freqs.This is pretty much the perfect radio for my needs. It took me a few hours to program right around 100+ channels into it with Chirp. Did all the GMRS band, and several local repeaters.Battery life is excellent... it's a huge battery! Though I will get another one for a backup. Mine came with a MOLLE pouch in the kit, I don't really like it.... I have an old Tactical Tailor MBITR pouch that is a million times better for this (obviously.)Great radio that is affordable.Update: Jul 03 2023I did some quick SWR / Output tests on this radio - meter used was a Surecom SW102.(note - my cables between the radio-meter-antenna were not optimal, just a rudimentary test.)Here are the results: (SWR On GMRS FREQS)Stock antenna462.5625 = 2.66467.6375 = 4.44462.7250 = 3.21I also tested a Nagoya 771G (my preferred GMRS HT antenna) on this radio - pretty big difference.462.5625 = 1.45467.6375 = 1.02462.7250 = 1.21According to the meter, this HT is only putting out around 6 to 6.5 watts in average. I find that odd, but it is slightly more than most GMRS HT's. I also have a Wouxun 935G HT that I use every day, and it averages around 5.5 watts on TX, so it is comparable for a handheld, but in no way do I think that this radio delivers 10 watts on output for the GMRS bands, which is where I operate anyway.Still a good radio though!
Chief
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2023
No real world use yet and here is why. Programming cable does not work, extremely complicated. I'm having better luck without it but still very very difficult to program. Unless you were born with a smart phone in one hand and a laptop in the other and have obtained a masters degree in computer technology, this will be hard. The radio seems built well but without any water, dirt or dust deflection. You must take very good care of this radio. The screen is bigger than my other radios, the keys are as well, bigger. Battery life is awesome. Recharging is not an issue with the supplied charger. Mine came with the two antennas, range with the 18" version is quite good. But I've not transmitted yet, only listening in. I use GMRS exclusively for now. Sound quality is better than any of my other radios which is important. All in all I'd say it's a good purchase. I'll feel better after the programming nightmare is over with. And I have a second one of these in route.
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