I own one and it's a piece of crap. The front end overloads with even moderately strong close by signals and there are self generated birdies all over the spectrum. It's a toy for kids, basically, but pretty much useless for any serious applications. Not to mention, it's not type approved for anything. You get what you pay for.
and yet thousand of people use them every day and are very happy with them.. PS: Normal people dont give a flying-crap about "self generated birdies all over the spectrum" or "front end overload".. Thanks for letting everyone know your opinion.. But, nobody cares.
I got mine as a gift and was told to watch you to learn to use it. Your shirts, your sarcasm, your "air quotes", keep my attention enough to actually learn how to use it. So thank you for your help
My UV-5R is programmed with all the FRS/GMRS and MURS frequencies, and as a teacher, I even have my school's business license frequencies programmed 😱! Sometimes I even press the transmit button! Come at me sad hams!🤣
Adding to that, you can add the air traffic frequencies as well. So far I have about 18 baofeng, including uv-5r, uv-82, gt-3, etc. New in GMRS, so I got my ht for it as well. Even though I started my radio experience as a ham in the 70s, yet so much to learn. Trying to keep myself humble. 😁
I just called 911 MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY. … - - - … finding out you transmitted on a FRS/GMRS on equipment that is not approved by FCC! !! The FBI is on their way.
I have the FRS stations programmed mainly for emergency. I haven’t used it for FRS but if I did ; I would not use channel 8 to 14. I have all my FRS set to low which is 1watt. In Canada this is breaking the Radio Communications act of transmitting on frequencies unapproved in Ham radios. This law basically mirrors the FCC law. Why not have a radio approved by FCC that can do both. If you are smart enough to pass the HAM exam then you should be able to operate an FRS with a removable antenna. These laws were probably enacted by Motorola lobbyists to protect their interests. I am sure many responsible HAMs are using FRS without any legal issues other than a bunch of mad hams. IMO I believe that transmitting low on FRS channels is equivalent to j walking.
I own five UV5's and all my friends have a gifted pair. They love them and use them regularly. One friend used his to get help for some injured dirt bikers in a remote area where they were off roading. Another friend uses his pair of UV5r's to stay in contact with his wife while she's on the job as a paramedic. They're great little radios!
These little BaoFengs were the first radios I bought, getting into the ham hobby, even before I got a license. Decent receivers and scanners for local traffic. I've programmed them with all the local ham repeaters, GMRS, FRS and MURS frequencies. I've gotten extra batteries and antennas for free at ham meetings give-a-way tables. I have both the UV-5R and the BF-F8HP, which actually outputs 7.4 watts! Can't let them go because they just work ... and they're cute little boxes.
I live in the flight path of an international airport. I use this radio every day. I have not crashed a plane. Nor have I sent first responders on radio-jammed wild goose chases. It is a reliably functional radio. I’m not a “some people” person, so I will not leave credentials or time served with said credentials.
The dirty little secret about "some people" is that virtually all of them have a UV-5R. Or two. They won't take them to club meetings of course...that's what the high dollar radios are for. But come an outdoor public service event where they might actually get exposed to the elements, and those naughty little Baofengs suddenly start popping up like dandelions. It's a sight to behold!
I was at an event to help a bike race, a lot of people were using theirs. I like my TYTs. HTs that aren't digital are like toothpicks, most are cheap and just work.
People should be aware of the dangers in using a UV5R. When I first got mine, I went outside.. turned it on and pressed the PTT button... and a bird pooped on my head. Coincidence? I think not. Needless to say, I won't be doing that again. :P
You were not kidding on the FCC licensing site being a "piece of genius". Could not believe the efforts and attempts it took. The designers are just way too smart for me. Can't believe someone actually got paid for putting that site together. Finally made it through. Thank you very much for your help in navigating the FCC's "user friendly" website. Love your channel.
In a Beofeng group I was in I would link your videos when people asked how to do something. EVERY SINGLE TIME “some people” would explode saying he’s not a ham, he teaches how to break the law. My reply is the same every time, he always states the REGULATION, and being an adult they can decide what to do. Love your stuff man, keep it coming!!
Yah.. Because if I didn't memorize a test, there is no way I can read the manual of the UV-5R and figure out how to change a setting.. God forbid I actually tell/teach anyone else how to... "Some people" ....
I own a significantly more expensive ham HT made by one of the "other" manufactures. Several weeks ago I bought a UV-5R. I tell myself it is just in case I want a radio with me someplace sketchy where I don't want to risk the more expensive radio. Think of the UV-5R as the stunt double. That's what I tell myself. If I'm being honest though, mostly I just wanted to see what all the fuss is about. After a couple of weeks with it, guess what? It just works. The received sound quality of the "good" HT, costing roughly 18x what the UV-5R goes for is maybe a little better. Ditto the microphone pick-up/gain. Though I don't think I'd make any significant bet on that in a blindfolded test. In actual use they both hit the same repeaters just fine, everyone can understand me just fine, I can understand them just fine. Battery life on the UV-5R is better, perhaps even 2x the standby/monitoring time of the "star" HT. Hmm... My only real issue with the UV-5R is that perfecting the Randy caress is far more difficult than he makes it appear. ;-)
Go with what suits you and your budget radio can be expensive I have a Tri-band Baofeng for 220 Mhz and that suits me for $35. I congratulate Baofeng for promoting the hobby in GMRS and Ham Radio for selling a very affordable radio..
I’ve had one since 2016. It has lived in a Jeep and 2 pickups. Now it lives in my SxS. People have given me a good signal report until they find out it’s a Baofeng. People are funny that way. I have another one. The older ones didn’t have as good of speakers as the newer ones. It’s a great buy at $24.50. I listen to all sorts of stuff. Lake patrols, police, emergency broadcasts, fire alerts, casinos, hotels, etc. I use it to talk on ham bands as I’m licensed. It got me into ham 6 years ago and it has gotten a few of my friends into ham. My Yaesu FT2DR gets left behind. Battery doesn’t last as long and it’s tool expensive to knock around in the woods and the SxS.
Just found your channel the other day and have been loving these Baofeng videos. I recently started looking into HAM radios as a hobby and something to listen to when out hiking/camping, and NOAA channels. Love your content! will be watching more, as I just ordered a UV-5R on amazon today :)
Thank you Randy for these amazing videos! I binged watch this past weekend and because of your great explanation of how these radios work, I bought 6 radios from Amazon and eBay! I purchased my FCC license and now I feel prepared to enter the GMRS world! Thank you
The nerve of " " now days.... sheesh. I don't know how they find the time to complain about the 5R. I always thought they where to busy measuring their neighbors lawn, blade by blade to make sure it wasn't to long???
I've had MY BWAFANG UV-5R since Jan. 2014, and I'm damn proud of it! Here's an attempt at a call sign for the Amateur Radio Karen = KD8KRN. I didn't bother to check it in QRZ or the FCC's website to see if it might be an actual call sign, I just made it up on the fly as I was typing this @ 8:25 pm EST, Akron, Ohio! The local OO used my BWAFANG on a local Skywarn repeater - so, THERE YA GO! That's how big a deal IT AIN'T to use a BWAFANG UV-5R on the Amateur Radio VHF/UHF bands. KD8EFQ/73. And, another great and entertaining video!
@@szaki I took my UV-5R to Ukraine. Carefully aiming my spurious emissions at the Russian army, I felled a number of unsuspecting aggressors and saved Kiev. 73 from The Other Randy
My buddy who introduced me to this channel and got me into this hobby let me borrow his uv5r. 2 days later I got my license and 4 days later my uv5r came in from Amazon lol he said and I quote "you could learn about radio from ALOT of TH-cam channels but I think this guy is your preferred style. He was not wrong lol" now we quote you at work as our in jokes. stay awesome my guy
Just got a gmrs license a few weeks ago. I have the uv5r 8watt extended battery which has a long charge. I also purchased and use the nogoya gmrs antenna, good signal. I Can reach any local gmrs/2meter repeater 15+miles out no problem. I highly recommend using chirp to program it to save time and its just easier. I just keep it on H (high power). Happy with the radio.
Have 3 UV-5R, all pre lockout, and 1 UV-9R. Few offroad buddies each have at least 2 each. All work great! I'm the only one HAM & GMRS licensed, both only gotten on a whim. Fully believe they are big sellers.
I've talked with people using a Motorola APX4000, an XTS5000 and a Baofeng UV-5R. The only person who could tell the difference between the three radios was me. So, there's that!
Always love your videos! I laughed out loud at a few times watching. Great points as always. I use a BF-F8HP, which is a fancy UV-5R. LoL. Love it, especially for offroad trips.
I just got my GMRS license, and this was one of the radios I had before I was “legally” able to use it, also I was fortunate enough to get the older version just before they changed. You kept saying $25… mine was $29 lol.
Tell that to the FCC vans that are, right at this moment, furtively circling Tracey's neighborhood with directional antennas. Tactical teams are in place and on high alert, secondary teams forming a perimeter....it won't be long now....
I just purchased two of these from Amazon. The model number is UV-5R8W which can transmit at (you guessed it) 8 watts. It's also unlocked for FRS, GMRS, and MURS. Pleasant surprise. Just an FYI in case you didn't know.
I was doing some support for a corrections operations the other day... They had UV-5R's as their radios. Seriously though, Interop in a radio I can give to me kids on a camping trip and not care if they break it? 100% win.
Just found you after purchasing some uv-5rs. Absolutely LOVE your channel lol we purchased the radios just to be able to communicate during the apocalypse. Could recommend a frequency with the most range, to use during said apocalypse? Thank you for your time and your outstanding videos!
I have 3 UV-5Rs. One is a base that monitors local emergency frequencies The two others are in Sir Burban with the Radioddity DB25-G covering camping convoy and camp ground duties. GMRS license covers entire party.
Once I got my ham license I was so excited to use my bowfung, I went outside to my sidewalk to reach my local repeater. When I pushed the PTT, my jeep broke down, a kid fell off his skateboard, and my appendix evaporated. Upon discussing this phenomenon with my doctor he said the only other documented case of this was due to spur ee us missions. Believe me or not, up to you. But I am on the internet so obviously there's no way I could be lying.
I have several of these radios and (spurious emissions aside) they make great scanners, most folks don't care about those emissions, and if it is lost, or damaged no big deal. I am bringing my grandchildren into radios using them with no fear of loss or damage.
I have a GMRS and ham license. I also have a wide variety of Baogeng and some of the other high end radios. I've have two UV5R’s for over 9 years. I like to cycle through different radios instead of just using mainly one. No one I talk to can tell if I'm using a baofeng or one of my high end radios. In addition, I have the stock antennas on one of my UV5Rs and often get unsolicited comments like “you’ve got a great signal” when checking into some of the local ham radio nets with that radio.
From:N4PAH: I inherited 2 UV-5r radios from a friend. There was no manual with them so I downloaded a manual for reference. In the meantime, I stumbled across your videos. I must tell you that I found them entertaining and informative. Good job! BTW: my wife thinks it a hoot when you caress the radio!
Can you please review the UV-S9?. I am definitely interested in them but would greatly appreciate your review of them? I also love your perspective and humor on all of your videos. I think have almost watched all of them. They're informative and entertaining, even when covering topics I already know about. Thanks for making my day that much better.
Just got my GMRS license today. My 8 yr old son and I are having fun geeking out. We just bought 2 Baofeng UV-9G radios. Some day aid like to get a more expensive radio like a Wouxun KG-935G for the extra capability. But hey. $45.00 for a 5 watt, water proof radio that can hit repeaters and can buy a 6 bank radio charger, replacement batteries for like $11.00, you can’t beat it. So I plan on ordering 4 more of these for a total of 6 for the family and then I’ll get me a super nice one. Also, this guy cracks me up. His sarcasm gets me rolling. 😂😂😂
Randy, I would like to thank you for your information on this radio. I have viewed several of your videos regarding the UV-5R. I have adopted this as my favorite radio as of late. With this cheap Chinese radio, I was able to reach a repeater about 30 miles away with not any real line of site. Shame on the Sad Hams and "Experts" that say that this radio is cheap Chinese junk! You have been a wealth of knowledge and an inspiration to this radio newb and look forward to your next video.
Have you heard about the new GMRS radio from BTECH? It’s the new V2 GMRS radio . Basically the V1 with a new chip set , 200 programmable channels, 5 watts power output. IP54 rating. Few other things I haven’t mentioned. Good video! UV5R does what I want it to do. Also as a prepper the UV5R is the most versatile
I have had a UV-5R for about 7 or so years…never ever had a license. Was stationed in San Diego. Always worked well and loved it. I mostly never had annny idea what I was doing. But me and some guys I flew H-60s with would often take groups hiking more inland and we would use the maritime frequency to do coms when needed. It never seemed to be an issue…
For anyone truly worried about spurious transmissions....the GT-5R is the same radio but cleaned up output. That costs about $2 extra. To avoid a few decades in a super max prison.....I chose that one. The reality is that the range is so limited, there is little point in caring. Mine works fine for what it is, and is quite durable. The squelch sucks, the receive sensitivity is marginal - but most of the time it doesn't matter.
Factory400 : You wouldn't be going to a "supermax" facility, in fact, I've never heard about anybody even going to a local jail for violating the FCC's RULES!
It's funny, I've only ever had one guy give me shit about a roger beep. Coincidentally the same guy told me my Wouxun was illegal to use as a transmitter because it was made in China. 😂 He is "SOME PEOPLE"
Used a uv5r when I was a travelling pharmacist to contact management. Had to return the key to the pharmacy before leaving. They usually use murs channel 1. Works fine!
$25 radio, $25 in program cables before you just buy the proper one. Upgrade the bad antenna $25 =$75 for a eh ok radio. Yaesu ft-4xr $85 for a great little radio! Comes with everything you need.
I am a Ham, but guess what? NOT sad, and I own this radio. Why? It's fun. It's a radio. THEY ARE ALL FUN. Why not own one, or three. The whole point of having fun with radio, is HAVING FUN with radios! Love your channel. Please keep it up, the sarcasm is much appreciated.
Just got back from Moab and I am happy to say my Baofeng BF-F8HP Worked very well. Only issue I had was that the squelch level max of 9 needs to be a bit higher. I think a roof top mounted antenna would have solved the issue.
I have two UV-5R Pros that work beautifully. ~$50 on Amazon for two, two TidRadio Antennas, two duck antennas, two chargers, two cables, two wrist straps, two docking bays, two extended batteries.
it's cheap, it's not technically good, but it works. you are spot on with the $600 thing, i wouldn't dare take one out of the house! my HT is a bit better, but cost only £70, not $600, if it gets knocked about i won't lose sleep over it.
I really wish I could still get a uv5r that can tx on gmrs. Having tx on ham/gmrs all in one cheap unit is the ideal shtf unit. Edit: just saw your other video, you know the one. Can't wait to try it!
LOL. Another Tooby award winner! Hey, I'm an expert Ham of over 50 years and I own 4 of these radios. They're great, and for all the reasons you mentioned. If you lose it, who cares? BTW, my station radio is in the basement, but not in a glass case. It's on a glass desk. With a family of four, these have paid for themselves many times. Top of the list was at the crowded Grand Canyon with crap cell service. Lastly, I nearly peed my pants when you did the threatened pinhead dude. 8^)
They're the most versatile HT in existence for an unbeatable price. Even my Yaesu FT3D cannot be programmed to listen to the local frequencies used by the local EMs. The Yaesu program just flat out kicks out those frequencies saying it doesn't support it (including GMRS and MURS, so I have to program them in CHIRP). To get GMRS and MURS on it I had to break off a resistor. The UV5R just allows me to program all that stuff in and easily unlock it, no questions or nagging from the Baofeng lady. Sure, the quality may not be the best, but it suits all the tasks with flying colors.
No. Not true. The FT3D is virtually all band receive. I have every GMRS/FRS and MURS channel stored - each in its own memory bank, and labeled as such. I listen to local municipal emergency channels not using P25 (not many of those left, Dallas PD and the various Six Flags Over Texas nets, about all worth hearing where I am). I believe you will get that error if you are trying to store them in one of the pre-defined bands- perhaps one dedicated to AM? As for programming from the face- I’ll race you. Freq., callsign, Tone. There is no way you can win that race. I have two UV5Rs but it cannot receive what the FT3D can, but the FT3D can hear, and program, much more. As you indicated, the receivers are not fairly compared, and given the price differential, that’s okay. The UV5R accomplishes its mission in most circumstances you expect of an HT. I consider my UV5Rs “deaf” no matter what antenna I provide it, but again, they *work.* Furthermore, in a survival situation, being able to transmit on the three non-ham FM bands might become useful- but I doubt it.
@@crewsgiles9499 I have not made any mistake at all. Go into VFO mode and put in 155.31750, 156.23250, and 159.21750. These are law enforcement frequencies in my area. My FT3D does not take it (it goes yo the next acceptable frequency) and Yaesu's software will not accept it. My UV5R will, and I hear everything. The other EMs, my FT3D will not accept it either, and since the rest are digital, the UV5R will not decode.
South African here. My UV-9R is what got me into ham radio. I'm reading ham radio for dummies. I'll take the test at some point this year. I do wish he wouldn't hold the antenna like that. It triggers my OCD.
Baofeng actually got tired of hearing from Sad Hams about the UV-5R's "spurious emissions" and "wideband capabilities" and "lack of FCC amateur radio certification" so they made a special radio just for Sad Hams. It's called the Baofeng GT-5R and it's locked down to transmitting on U.S. amateur radio frequencies only, no spurious emissions, and is FCC-certified for amateur use. That said, I have an original V1 UV-5R, a V2 UV-5R, and a GT-5R. All are decent radios and if one breaks I'm not crying about it. These are field-use radios.
My Yaesu FT3D has a beep option. Long-press DISP, select CONFIG, select 3 BEEP, rotate dial to select ON. I have no idea what that might do, but I think someone in Mission Control, Houston, is required to answer, “Roj, Tranquility,” after every transmission you make. I know I do.
LOL Good Job Thanks' for the info will order a couple , don't need for talking have a few base and mobile rig's tower ect but do believe when the uv-5 is paired with a dipole it may make a good listen without needing a lot of battery and make a good EDC bag radio
Amusing, and spot on. They are certainly popular here in the UK, and yeah, we get the haters too, and they often gear snobs. I have several, and can't fault them. Will be getting more.
After stumbling across your channel while bored and surfing TH-cam, I bought a UV-5R. You have created a money spending monster. First it was the radio. Then paid a certain Govt. Agency for a license. After that, the Nagoya 771G Antenna. Then the N9TAX ant. was delivered at the front door somehow 2 weeks later. Just yesterday a Baofeng UV-82HP arrived. The UV-5R started this addiction and as I type this, I've spent a whopping $145.00 so far. Many new things are coming in the next coming months since I did quit drinking and saving $300.00 a month. Am glad my wife and I have separate bank accounts. She doesn't understand the addiction. Hmmph.
LOL... So true... That's me. My Yaesu does not leaves the house. Stays on my desk at all times... But my UV5R I take them everywhere... WHY? because they are cheap!!! just like you said!!! Great video.
Ik denk dat spurious emissions could be a problem on a base radio you only use at home, but not in a walkie talkie. You move around with these radios so even if you happen to interfere with something, it will only be for a very short while. We also use the Baofeng UV5R for city trips and in the forest. I also bought a couple of QYT KT-8R's (Quad band) and they are nice radios also.
I have 4 of these radios and I love them. Get an extended battery and better antena and your all set. I have spoken on repeaters over 15 miles away with no issues.
Just to annoy my local "Sad Hams", I run the roger beep until someone complains. (Because I am a nice guy...) Then I shut it off, and end all my transmissions saying "Roger Beep"! That really drives them nut shit crazy! 😂
This is an actual question on the Technician test for an amateur radio license: TD706: How many Baofeng UV-5Rs can you purchase for $600? A: 1 B : 24 C: 2,013 D: 146.250
Taking my exam in one week, so thanks for the head's up... D is obviously incorrect, though, because one of them will obviously be a UV-1.25R ;) (edit, because it just dawned on me that 1.25 meters is an actual band, and it would not surprise me to learn that there is a legit radio out there with that model number. lol)
@NotaRubicon Productions Looking to pick one of theses up... but there are several variations, I understand most are cosmetic, but what about the UV5R III and so on.. 5w vs 8w models.. if you were to grab one today, which one would it be and why ? Thank you !
Almost every fire volunteer brigades and groups uses Baofeng UV-5R or any Baofeng radios in my country in Manila and it is very helpful particularly we had a lot of calamities
I got licensed in May 2020. Bought some of these radios prior to that. I bought three “good radios” in the Summer of Love known as 2020. They are great radios. But I but 3-4 more of the BF’s because they too are great radios. I haven’t gotten into GMRS yet, maybe I will look into that. I don’t do much talking on any of my radios and mainly work FT8. I lost interest in that for over a year as well and recently got back into it. So, having a license allows me to do brief FT8 communications with stations around the world. I use one radio for that. Was it all worth it? Probably not. Considering the $$ I spent on radios I’m not using. I love this channel and the guys humor and personality and share pretty much all of his opinions.
Can't beat them, for $25-30 you get a functional ham/gmrs transciever, a flashlight, and a really good fm radio receiver that you can hook up to external antenna and speaker.
Yeah the FM radio really is surprisingly good isn't it? I bought a radio designed just for FM + DAB, for more money and it was worse than my UV-5R for FM reception!
you forgot also comes with a scanner, weather alerts receiver, and sos alarm the alarm is kinda gimmicky but its there and you can't complain for 24bucks
@@TheSlinq I actually purchased a spare specifically for a bathroom fm radio, replacing one that ate 4 aaa batteries a month and had crap audio(way worse than the baofeng) and worse reception. Have 6 hts total, 3 are uv5r
I love this channel and I appreciate you for not wasting our precious lifetime with any "hit that button" crap. Either a viewer does it or not. I guess a wasted a good week of my life on "like", "subscribe" and "hit that bell" phrases... Back to topic. Got me a nice Baofeng UV S9Plus. I am preparing for HAM licence in the EU atm. Not mainly because of legality, but I guess I can learn a lot from the process. My main purpose is to check what is going on in my area, so I will use my HAM radio mainly as a scanner. What I miss are some videos that not only describe how to boost transmission but also how to improve the reception of radiowaves if you use HAMs mainly for scanning. Could you make a video on that? What are the main factors for a good reception? How can you "boost" it? (Special antenna etc.)
lol those thumbnails and appreciate the content. lots of gatekeeping going on these days and you sir have the key to the castle and everyone is welcome
I have two of the newer ones I would love to be able to unlock. In my opinion there great radios. Keep up the awesome videos always look forward to watching them.
Randy, how about doing a pro/con video on UHF/VHF. Which one is better for rural/urban/suburban areas and hiking in the woods, offroading, SHTF and other applications? You recently reviewed the Retevis 10W and HYS 25W HTs. If you'd had your choices in the various applications, which would you have chosen? I've been putzing around using my SWR meters, and I've found that all of my antennas work very well (most of them) on either UHF or VHF, but not both. So whichever I use, it's a tradeoff. So forget the FCC, forget SadHams, if you only wanted a radio for the above applications, or if you only wanted to talk to your friend Chris, which would you use?
I own two of these BF-F8+ and I absolutely love them. I acquired them for free, BTW. Price was right. I even upgraded to the Nagoya NA-701 antennas. My bubble pack Motorola's hardly see any use compared to the BF-F8+. Picked up a programming cable, downloaded CHIRP, Programmed the Local NOAA, All 22 FRS Channels, and even the 5 MURS channels. Hell, I even picked up some AA battery conversion packs for when Li-Ion battery packs aren't readily available. The fact that the BF-F8+ is compatible with all the UV-5R stuff, is down right awesome! I don't really give a damn what the elitists say. These are damn good radios for the price. ZERO competition.
yeah I got a gen1 UV5r and it wouldn't let me transmit on other frequencies without putting in a special button combo at boot. I never raise the power it above low power mode and I try to respect the laws as much as possible within reason. I think it's ridiculous that you need a license to transmit on FRS, that should be an open part of the band IMO.
RANDY! Love the videos... not sure why I'm just NOW subscribing. Any-hoo... I'm into Paramotors and need to listen into local air traffic when flying and talking to fellow pilots in the air Wockey-Tockey style. I will obviously NEVER dream about transmitting to a tower or to 747s, but still need hear who's in the area in order to avoid. Will the UV-5R fit the bill? Otherwise I was looking at the simple yet pricy Sportys PJ2. Whatcha think?
IF that air-traffic is in FM and is transmitted in a frequency/in the range that that UV-5R can transmit & receive then it would work.. Not sure I would trust MY life to a $25 radio, but, that part is on you.
Ham is not a total waste of time but also not better than GMRS, just different. In my view, the biggest problem with ham radio is that you are only allowed to talk to other hams. With GMRS you can hand your friend a $15 radio and he is on the air right now. Sad ham doesn't want to understand that there are millions of interesting people out there who have no desire to take a test just to talk on the radio.
I use my UV-5R every day on a licensed frequency where I work and so far I have yet to see any spurious emissions actually cause an issue. I can transmit with my UV-5R in the vehicle with the mobile radio going and nothing bad happens on other frequencies.
I own one and it's a piece of crap. The front end overloads with even moderately strong close by signals and there are self generated birdies all over the spectrum. It's a toy for kids, basically, but pretty much useless for any serious applications. Not to mention, it's not type approved for anything. You get what you pay for.
and yet thousand of people use them every day and are very happy with them..
PS: Normal people dont give a flying-crap about "self generated birdies all over the spectrum" or "front end overload"..
Thanks for letting everyone know your opinion.. But, nobody cares.
Walked right into that one. Would love to hear his opinion of CB radio.
mine works pretty great. you are one of the people that think laws actually work. welcome to the real world
But this man Randy says it's a great radio.
it is approved for listening, right? just from that stand point it seems to be a great tool. but i am new to radio
I got mine as a gift and was told to watch you to learn to use it. Your shirts, your sarcasm, your "air quotes", keep my attention enough to actually learn how to use it. So thank you for your help
Sweet comment, it is very true. This chap is a wonderful teacher. :)
I don't even own a radio but I love this guy's videos and humor. 😂
Me too. I'm getting all my licenses. But I've been watching Randy for months.
Dude same. But now im thinking about getting one.
My UV-5R is programmed with all the FRS/GMRS and MURS frequencies, and as a teacher, I even have my school's business license frequencies programmed 😱! Sometimes I even press the transmit button! Come at me sad hams!🤣
Off to prison you go, with all the mattress tag rippers and gutter flooders.
@@bendeleted9155 🤣
Adding to that, you can add the air traffic frequencies as well.
So far I have about 18 baofeng, including uv-5r, uv-82, gt-3, etc.
New in GMRS, so I got my ht for it as well.
Even though I started my radio experience as a ham in the 70s, yet so much to learn. Trying to keep myself humble. 😁
I just called 911 MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY. … - - - … finding out you transmitted on a FRS/GMRS on equipment that is not approved by FCC! !! The FBI is on their way.
I have the FRS stations programmed mainly for emergency. I haven’t used it for FRS but if I did ; I would not use channel 8 to 14. I have all my FRS set to low which is 1watt. In Canada this is breaking the Radio Communications act of transmitting on frequencies unapproved in Ham radios. This law basically mirrors the FCC law. Why not have a radio approved by FCC that can do both. If you are smart enough to pass the HAM exam then you should be able to operate an FRS with a removable antenna. These laws were probably enacted by Motorola lobbyists to protect their interests. I am sure many responsible HAMs are using FRS without any legal issues other than a bunch of mad hams. IMO I believe that transmitting low on FRS channels is equivalent to j walking.
I own five UV5's and all my friends have a gifted pair. They love them and use them regularly. One friend used his to get help for some injured dirt bikers in a remote area where they were off roading. Another friend uses his pair of UV5r's to stay in contact with his wife while she's on the job as a paramedic. They're great little radios!
These little BaoFengs were the first radios I bought, getting into the ham hobby, even before I got a license. Decent receivers and scanners for local traffic. I've programmed them with all the local ham repeaters, GMRS, FRS and MURS frequencies. I've gotten extra batteries and antennas for free at ham meetings give-a-way tables. I have both the UV-5R and the BF-F8HP, which actually outputs 7.4 watts! Can't let them go because they just work ... and they're cute little boxes.
I live in the flight path of an international airport. I use this radio every day. I have not crashed a plane. Nor have I sent first responders on radio-jammed wild goose chases. It is a reliably functional radio. I’m not a “some people” person, so I will not leave credentials or time served with said credentials.
The dirty little secret about "some people" is that virtually all of them have a UV-5R. Or two. They won't take them to club meetings of course...that's what the high dollar radios are for. But come an outdoor public service event where they might actually get exposed to the elements, and those naughty little Baofengs suddenly start popping up like dandelions. It's a sight to behold!
I guess when they’re working those events they are not so concerned about UV rays. Lol
Dude...and you're one of them no doubt. How else would you know this? hahaha
@@alpha6tango860 so I have to be gay to know if someone is gay?
I was at an event to help a bike race, a lot of people were using theirs. I like my TYTs. HTs that aren't digital are like toothpicks, most are cheap and just work.
@@beekeeper8474 it’s ok that you’re gay Bob. No judgment zone here
People should be aware of the dangers in using a UV5R. When I first got mine, I went outside.. turned it on and pressed the PTT button... and a bird pooped on my head. Coincidence? I think not. Needless to say, I won't be doing that again. :P
Come on bro, birds aren’t real.
You were not kidding on the FCC licensing site being a "piece of genius". Could not believe the efforts and attempts it took. The designers are just way too smart for me. Can't believe someone actually got paid for putting that site together. Finally made it through. Thank you very much for your help in navigating the FCC's "user friendly" website. Love your channel.
Thanks for the video. I am a ham operator 22 years. I’m a CBer. I have GMRS license. I use MURS.
My favorite radio is baofeng UV5R
In a Beofeng group I was in I would link your videos when people asked how to do something. EVERY SINGLE TIME “some people” would explode saying he’s not a ham, he teaches how to break the law. My reply is the same every time, he always states the REGULATION, and being an adult they can decide what to do. Love your stuff man, keep it coming!!
Yah.. Because if I didn't memorize a test, there is no way I can read the manual of the UV-5R and figure out how to change a setting.. God forbid I actually tell/teach anyone else how to...
"Some people" ....
I can’t name names but the club I’m a member of has fans of yours. We are not Sad Hams.
Your content is what brought me here
Your personality is what made me subscribe, you're always hilarious, and just awesome
Nice try, but I'm already his favorite viewer.
@@bendeleted9155 hahaha can't beat a guy with that name and icon
Same here
I own a significantly more expensive ham HT made by one of the "other" manufactures. Several weeks ago I bought a UV-5R. I tell myself it is just in case I want a radio with me someplace sketchy where I don't want to risk the more expensive radio. Think of the UV-5R as the stunt double.
That's what I tell myself. If I'm being honest though, mostly I just wanted to see what all the fuss is about. After a couple of weeks with it, guess what? It just works. The received sound quality of the "good" HT, costing roughly 18x what the UV-5R goes for is maybe a little better. Ditto the microphone pick-up/gain. Though I don't think I'd make any significant bet on that in a blindfolded test. In actual use they both hit the same repeaters just fine, everyone can understand me just fine, I can understand them just fine. Battery life on the UV-5R is better, perhaps even 2x the standby/monitoring time of the "star" HT. Hmm...
My only real issue with the UV-5R is that perfecting the Randy caress is far more difficult than he makes it appear. ;-)
Just spend a little more time with her, and make sure you have the voice-prompts enabled and you'll be fondling her like I do in no time.
I fondled mine once. Next thing I knew it was screaming me too and tried to have me canceled.
@@TheNotaRubicon also button beeps and Roger sound on transmitting. That makes the other people love your radio.
Just keep your expensive handheld hermetically sealed in a #2 mayonnaise jar on Funk and Wagnall's back porch.
@@TheNotaRubicon Too funny I here your voice in my head as I read this 🤣
Go with what suits you and your budget radio can be expensive I have a Tri-band Baofeng for 220 Mhz and that suits me for $35. I congratulate Baofeng for promoting the hobby in GMRS and Ham Radio for selling a very affordable radio..
Yeah, I often use the Tri-band one.
I’ve had one since 2016. It has lived in a Jeep and 2 pickups. Now it lives in my SxS. People have given me a good signal report until they find out it’s a Baofeng. People are funny that way. I have another one. The older ones didn’t have as good of speakers as the newer ones. It’s a great buy at $24.50. I listen to all sorts of stuff. Lake patrols, police, emergency broadcasts, fire alerts, casinos, hotels, etc. I use it to talk on ham bands as I’m licensed. It got me into ham 6 years ago and it has gotten a few of my friends into ham. My Yaesu FT2DR gets left behind. Battery doesn’t last as long and it’s tool expensive to knock around in the woods and the SxS.
I find the powerful "spurious emissions" keep my coffee warm in my mug on my desk when I transmit. Another great feature of the UV-5R
bwhahahahaha, absolute gold :)
Just found your channel the other day and have been loving these Baofeng videos. I recently started looking into HAM radios as a hobby and something to listen to when out hiking/camping, and NOAA channels. Love your content! will be watching more, as I just ordered a UV-5R on amazon today :)
Thank you Randy for these amazing videos! I binged watch this past weekend and because of your great explanation of how these radios work, I bought 6 radios from Amazon and eBay! I purchased my FCC license and now I feel prepared to enter the GMRS world! Thank you
The nerve of " " now days.... sheesh. I don't know how they find the time to complain about the 5R. I always thought they where to busy measuring their neighbors lawn, blade by blade to make sure it wasn't to long???
I've had MY BWAFANG UV-5R since Jan. 2014, and I'm damn proud of it!
Here's an attempt at a call sign for the Amateur Radio Karen = KD8KRN. I didn't bother to check it in QRZ or the FCC's website to see if it might be an actual call sign, I just made it up on the fly as I was typing this @ 8:25 pm EST, Akron, Ohio! The local OO used my BWAFANG on a local Skywarn repeater - so, THERE YA GO! That's how big a deal IT AIN'T to use a BWAFANG UV-5R on the Amateur Radio VHF/UHF bands.
KD8EFQ/73.
And, another great and entertaining video!
I've seen it on soldiers in Ukraine, both Russian, Ukrainiens.
@@szaki I took my UV-5R to Ukraine. Carefully aiming my spurious emissions at the Russian army, I felled a number of unsuspecting aggressors and saved Kiev. 73 from The Other Randy
My buddy who introduced me to this channel and got me into this hobby let me borrow his uv5r. 2 days later I got my license and 4 days later my uv5r came in from Amazon lol he said and I quote "you could learn about radio from ALOT of TH-cam channels but I think this guy is your preferred style. He was not wrong lol" now we quote you at work as our in jokes. stay awesome my guy
Just got a gmrs license a few weeks ago. I have the uv5r 8watt extended battery which has a long charge. I also purchased and use the nogoya gmrs antenna, good signal. I Can reach any local gmrs/2meter repeater 15+miles out no problem. I highly recommend using chirp to program it to save time and its just easier. I just keep it on H (high power). Happy with the radio.
Have 3 UV-5R, all pre lockout, and 1 UV-9R. Few offroad buddies each have at least 2 each. All work great! I'm the only one HAM & GMRS licensed, both only gotten on a whim. Fully believe they are big sellers.
I've talked with people using a Motorola APX4000, an XTS5000 and a Baofeng UV-5R. The only person who could tell the difference between the three radios was me. So, there's that!
Always love your videos! I laughed out loud at a few times watching. Great points as always. I use a BF-F8HP, which is a fancy UV-5R. LoL. Love it, especially for offroad trips.
BF-F8HP is a cleaner UV5R
I just got my GMRS license, and this was one of the radios I had before I was “legally” able to use it, also I was fortunate enough to get the older version just before they changed. You kept saying $25… mine was $29 lol.
"Bidenflation"
technically for GMRS you not "legally" able to operate it still ... but no one cares.
New ones are super easy to unlock.
Tell that to the FCC vans that are, right at this moment, furtively circling Tracey's neighborhood with directional antennas. Tactical teams are in place and on high alert, secondary teams forming a perimeter....it won't be long now....
"affiliate link below"
I just purchased two of these from Amazon. The model number is UV-5R8W which can transmit at (you guessed it) 8 watts. It's also unlocked for FRS, GMRS, and MURS. Pleasant surprise. Just an FYI in case you didn't know.
I'm feeling so threatened by some people, I'm buying more Boofwang UV-5R's.
I was doing some support for a corrections operations the other day... They had UV-5R's as their radios. Seriously though, Interop in a radio I can give to me kids on a camping trip and not care if they break it? 100% win.
Just found you after purchasing some uv-5rs. Absolutely LOVE your channel lol we purchased the radios just to be able to communicate during the apocalypse. Could recommend a frequency with the most range, to use during said apocalypse? Thank you for your time and your outstanding videos!
I have 3 UV-5Rs. One is a base that monitors local emergency frequencies The two others are in Sir Burban with the Radioddity DB25-G covering camping convoy and camp ground duties. GMRS license covers entire party.
Once I got my ham license I was so excited to use my bowfung, I went outside to my sidewalk to reach my local repeater. When I pushed the PTT, my jeep broke down, a kid fell off his skateboard, and my appendix evaporated. Upon discussing this phenomenon with my doctor he said the only other documented case of this was due to spur ee us missions. Believe me or not, up to you. But I am on the internet so obviously there's no way I could be lying.
I have several of these radios and (spurious emissions aside) they make great scanners, most folks don't care about those emissions, and if it is lost, or damaged no big deal. I am bringing my grandchildren into radios using them with no fear of loss or damage.
I have a GMRS and ham license. I also have a wide variety of Baogeng and some of the other high end radios. I've have two UV5R’s for over 9 years. I like to cycle through different radios instead of just using mainly one. No one I talk to can tell if I'm using a baofeng or one of my high end radios. In addition, I have the stock antennas on one of my UV5Rs and often get unsolicited comments like “you’ve got a great signal” when checking into some of the local ham radio nets with that radio.
From:N4PAH: I inherited 2 UV-5r radios from a friend. There was no manual with them so I downloaded a manual for reference. In the meantime, I stumbled across your videos. I must tell you that I found them entertaining and informative. Good job! BTW: my wife thinks it a hoot when you caress the radio!
Can you please review the UV-S9?. I am definitely interested in them but would greatly appreciate your review of them? I also love your perspective and humor on all of your videos. I think have almost watched all of them. They're informative and entertaining, even when covering topics I already know about. Thanks for making my day that much better.
Specifically the UV-9S Plus!
Another cracking review, greetings from England 🇬🇧
Yes, the 5R is a nice piece of kit. 👍
“I’ve been a Ham for 33 years”; and I have 3 UV-5R’s……..and I like them.
Just got my GMRS license today. My 8 yr old son and I are having fun geeking out. We just bought 2 Baofeng UV-9G radios. Some day aid like to get a more expensive radio like a Wouxun KG-935G for the extra capability. But hey. $45.00 for a 5 watt, water proof radio that can hit repeaters and can buy a 6 bank radio charger, replacement batteries for like $11.00, you can’t beat it. So I plan on ordering 4 more of these for a total of 6 for the family and then I’ll get me a super nice one. Also, this guy cracks me up. His sarcasm gets me rolling. 😂😂😂
Randy,
I would like to thank you for your information on this radio. I have viewed several of your videos regarding the UV-5R. I have adopted this as my favorite radio as of late. With this cheap Chinese radio, I was able to reach a repeater about 30 miles away with not any real line of site. Shame on the Sad Hams and "Experts" that say that this radio is cheap Chinese junk! You have been a wealth of knowledge and an inspiration to this radio newb and look forward to your next video.
Have you heard about the new GMRS radio from BTECH? It’s the new V2 GMRS radio .
Basically the V1 with a new chip set , 200 programmable channels, 5 watts power output. IP54 rating. Few other things I haven’t mentioned.
Good video! UV5R does what I want it to do. Also as a prepper the UV5R is the most versatile
Why would you need a separate GMRS radio if you have a UV5R?
I have had a UV-5R for about 7 or so years…never ever had a license. Was stationed in San Diego. Always worked well and loved it. I mostly never had annny idea what I was doing. But me and some guys I flew H-60s with would often take groups hiking more inland and we would use the maritime frequency to do coms when needed. It never seemed to be an issue…
For anyone truly worried about spurious transmissions....the GT-5R is the same radio but cleaned up output. That costs about $2 extra. To avoid a few decades in a super max prison.....I chose that one. The reality is that the range is so limited, there is little point in caring.
Mine works fine for what it is, and is quite durable. The squelch sucks, the receive sensitivity is marginal - but most of the time it doesn't matter.
Found the "some person"!
Factory400 :
You wouldn't be going to a "supermax" facility, in fact, I've never heard about anybody even going to a local jail for violating the FCC's RULES!
It's funny, I've only ever had one guy give me shit about a roger beep. Coincidentally the same guy told me my Wouxun was illegal to use as a transmitter because it was made in China. 😂 He is "SOME PEOPLE"
Used a uv5r when I was a travelling pharmacist to contact management. Had to return the key to the pharmacy before leaving. They usually use murs channel 1. Works fine!
$25 radio, $25 in program cables before you just buy the proper one. Upgrade the bad antenna $25 =$75 for a eh ok radio.
Yaesu ft-4xr $85 for a great little radio! Comes with everything you need.
I am a Ham, but guess what? NOT sad, and I own this radio. Why? It's fun. It's a radio. THEY ARE ALL FUN. Why not own one, or three. The whole point of having fun with radio, is HAVING FUN with radios! Love your channel. Please keep it up, the sarcasm is much appreciated.
Just got back from Moab and I am happy to say my Baofeng BF-F8HP Worked very well. Only issue I had was that the squelch level max of 9 needs to be a bit higher. I think a roof top mounted antenna would have solved the issue.
Awesome content with a funny delivery what more can one ask for.
1 cool feature with the baofeng is if you tap the orange call button you can access fm radio stations in your area. Pretty cool for emergency updates
I have two UV-5R Pros that work beautifully.
~$50 on Amazon for two, two TidRadio Antennas, two duck antennas, two chargers, two cables, two wrist straps, two docking bays, two extended batteries.
it's cheap, it's not technically good, but it works. you are spot on with the $600 thing, i wouldn't dare take one out of the house! my HT is a bit better, but cost only £70, not $600, if it gets knocked about i won't lose sleep over it.
I really wish I could still get a uv5r that can tx on gmrs. Having tx on ham/gmrs all in one cheap unit is the ideal shtf unit.
Edit: just saw your other video, you know the one. Can't wait to try it!
I think of the baofeng as the "chromebook" of the walkie talkie space. it costs nothing, does everything you need, and it's disposable.
LOL. Another Tooby award winner! Hey, I'm an expert Ham of over 50 years and I own 4 of these radios. They're great, and for all the reasons you mentioned. If you lose it, who cares? BTW, my station radio is in the basement, but not in a glass case. It's on a glass desk. With a family of four, these have paid for themselves many times. Top of the list was at the crowded Grand Canyon with crap cell service. Lastly, I nearly peed my pants when you did the threatened pinhead dude. 8^)
Who said learning can't be fun. Just received a new pair of UV-5Rs and looking forward to more great videos sir. Thanks!
I actually found a CASE of them this morning in my supply room! Box was under 5 other boxes of Stuff. Hell of a find, may give em to friends!
I'll be your friend!
They're the most versatile HT in existence for an unbeatable price. Even my Yaesu FT3D cannot be programmed to listen to the local frequencies used by the local EMs. The Yaesu program just flat out kicks out those frequencies saying it doesn't support it (including GMRS and MURS, so I have to program them in CHIRP). To get GMRS and MURS on it I had to break off a resistor. The UV5R just allows me to program all that stuff in and easily unlock it, no questions or nagging from the Baofeng lady. Sure, the quality may not be the best, but it suits all the tasks with flying colors.
No. Not true. The FT3D is virtually all band receive. I have every GMRS/FRS and MURS channel stored - each in its own memory bank, and labeled as such. I listen to local municipal emergency channels not using P25 (not many of those left, Dallas PD and the various Six Flags Over Texas nets, about all worth hearing where I am).
I believe you will get that error if you are trying to store them in one of the pre-defined bands- perhaps one dedicated to AM?
As for programming from the face- I’ll race you. Freq., callsign, Tone. There is no way you can win that race.
I have two UV5Rs but it cannot receive what the FT3D can, but the FT3D can hear, and program, much more.
As you indicated, the receivers are not fairly compared, and given the price differential, that’s okay. The UV5R accomplishes its mission in most circumstances you expect of an HT. I consider my UV5Rs “deaf” no matter what antenna I provide it, but again, they *work.*
Furthermore, in a survival situation, being able to transmit on the three non-ham FM bands might become useful- but I doubt it.
@@crewsgiles9499 I have not made any mistake at all. Go into VFO mode and put in 155.31750, 156.23250, and 159.21750. These are law enforcement frequencies in my area. My FT3D does not take it (it goes yo the next acceptable frequency) and Yaesu's software will not accept it. My UV5R will, and I hear everything. The other EMs, my FT3D will not accept it either, and since the rest are digital, the UV5R will not decode.
South African here. My UV-9R is what got me into ham radio. I'm reading ham radio for dummies. I'll take the test at some point this year. I do wish he wouldn't hold the antenna like that. It triggers my OCD.
Waiting on the review for the KG-UV9GX 😁
Baofeng actually got tired of hearing from Sad Hams about the UV-5R's "spurious emissions" and "wideband capabilities" and "lack of FCC amateur radio certification" so they made a special radio just for Sad Hams.
It's called the Baofeng GT-5R and it's locked down to transmitting on U.S. amateur radio frequencies only, no spurious emissions, and is FCC-certified for amateur use.
That said, I have an original V1 UV-5R, a V2 UV-5R, and a GT-5R. All are decent radios and if one breaks I'm not crying about it. These are field-use radios.
My Yaesu FT3D has a beep option. Long-press DISP, select CONFIG, select 3 BEEP, rotate dial to select ON.
I have no idea what that might do, but I think someone in Mission Control, Houston, is required to answer, “Roj, Tranquility,” after every transmission you make. I know I do.
I have two uv-9g radios, but I went ahead and bought the uv-5r right now. My wife will probably kill me.
LOL Good Job Thanks' for the info will order a couple , don't need for talking have a few base and mobile rig's tower ect but do believe when the uv-5 is paired with a dipole it may make a good listen without needing a lot of battery and make a good EDC bag radio
Amusing, and spot on. They are certainly popular here in the UK, and yeah, we get the haters too, and they often gear snobs. I have several, and can't fault them. Will be getting more.
After stumbling across your channel while bored and surfing TH-cam, I bought a UV-5R. You have created a money spending monster. First it was the radio. Then paid a certain Govt. Agency for a license. After that, the Nagoya 771G Antenna. Then the N9TAX ant. was delivered at the front door somehow 2 weeks later. Just yesterday a Baofeng UV-82HP arrived. The UV-5R started this addiction and as I type this, I've spent a whopping $145.00 so far. Many new things are coming in the next coming months since I did quit drinking and saving $300.00 a month. Am glad my wife and I have separate bank accounts. She doesn't understand the addiction. Hmmph.
LOL... So true... That's me. My Yaesu does not leaves the house. Stays on my desk at all times... But my UV5R I take them everywhere... WHY? because they are cheap!!! just like you said!!! Great video.
I love your content. I learn a lot and laugh a lot when I watch your vids. Thank you
Love your channel .. I need that shirt I think 😄
Ik denk dat spurious emissions could be a problem on a base radio you only use at home, but not in a walkie talkie. You move around with these radios so even if you happen to interfere with something, it will only be for a very short while. We also use the Baofeng UV5R for city trips and in the forest. I also bought a couple of QYT KT-8R's (Quad band) and they are nice radios also.
I have 4 of these radios and I love them. Get an extended battery and better antena and your all set. I have spoken on repeaters over 15 miles away with no issues.
Just to annoy my local "Sad Hams", I run the roger beep until someone complains. (Because I am a nice guy...) Then I shut it off, and end all my transmissions saying "Roger Beep"!
That really drives them nut shit crazy! 😂
This is an actual question on the Technician test for an amateur radio license:
TD706: How many Baofeng UV-5Rs can you purchase for $600?
A: 1
B : 24
C: 2,013
D: 146.250
Taking my exam in one week, so thanks for the head's up... D is obviously incorrect, though, because one of them will obviously be a UV-1.25R ;) (edit, because it just dawned on me that 1.25 meters is an actual band, and it would not surprise me to learn that there is a legit radio out there with that model number. lol)
I feel like I’m in a class with a entertaining teacher…thanks for all the info bro
@NotaRubicon Productions Looking to pick one of theses up... but there are several variations, I understand most are cosmetic, but what about the UV5R III and so on.. 5w vs 8w models.. if you were to grab one today, which one would it be and why ? Thank you !
Almost every fire volunteer brigades and groups uses Baofeng UV-5R or any Baofeng radios in my country in Manila and it is very helpful particularly we had a lot of calamities
I got licensed in May 2020. Bought some of these radios prior to that.
I bought three “good radios” in the Summer of Love known as 2020. They are great radios.
But I but 3-4 more of the BF’s because they too are great radios.
I haven’t gotten into GMRS yet, maybe I will look into that. I don’t do much talking on any of my radios and mainly work FT8. I lost interest in that for over a year as well and recently got back into it.
So, having a license allows me to do brief FT8 communications with stations around the world. I use one radio for that. Was it all worth it? Probably not. Considering the $$ I spent on radios I’m not using.
I love this channel and the guys humor and personality and share pretty much all of his opinions.
Can't beat them, for $25-30 you get a functional ham/gmrs transciever, a flashlight, and a really good fm radio receiver that you can hook up to external antenna and speaker.
Yeah the FM radio really is surprisingly good isn't it? I bought a radio designed just for FM + DAB, for more money and it was worse than my UV-5R for FM reception!
you forgot also comes with a scanner, weather alerts receiver, and sos alarm the alarm is kinda gimmicky but its there and you can't complain for 24bucks
@@TheSlinq I actually purchased a spare specifically for a bathroom fm radio, replacing one that ate 4 aaa batteries a month and had crap audio(way worse than the baofeng) and worse reception. Have 6 hts total, 3 are uv5r
I love this channel and I appreciate you for not wasting our precious lifetime with any "hit that button" crap. Either a viewer does it or not. I guess a wasted a good week of my life on "like", "subscribe" and "hit that bell" phrases... Back to topic. Got me a nice Baofeng UV S9Plus. I am preparing for HAM licence in the EU atm. Not mainly because of legality, but I guess I can learn a lot from the process. My main purpose is to check what is going on in my area, so I will use my HAM radio mainly as a scanner. What I miss are some videos that not only describe how to boost transmission but also how to improve the reception of radiowaves if you use HAMs mainly for scanning. Could you make a video on that? What are the main factors for a good reception? How can you "boost" it? (Special antenna etc.)
I love this guy! Big ten four from the UK! It was because of the UV5R that I now have my foundation ticket! love you, UV5R!
EVERY TIME I WATCH THESE UV-5R VIDEOS.... I LOVE MINE EVEN MORE. :)
I have watch a hand full of videos and at first I thought you were being a prude...now I get it...and I love it!!!!!!!!!!!
lol those thumbnails and appreciate the content. lots of gatekeeping going on these days and you sir have the key to the castle and everyone is welcome
I have two of the newer ones I would love to be able to unlock. In my opinion there great radios. Keep up the awesome videos always look forward to watching them.
You really should read the info section.
@@TheNotaRubicon nice. I like that you keep "spreading it around".
I'm here entirely for the baofeng elitism, as... It makes people angry, and that brings me great joy. Lol.
Hi I love your videos and your attitude is just like mine ! I love my Baofeng! Thanks I needed to hear this!
Randy, how about doing a pro/con video on UHF/VHF. Which one is better for rural/urban/suburban areas and hiking in the woods, offroading, SHTF and other applications? You recently reviewed the Retevis 10W and HYS 25W HTs. If you'd had your choices in the various applications, which would you have chosen? I've been putzing around using my SWR meters, and I've found that all of my antennas work very well (most of them) on either UHF or VHF, but not both. So whichever I use, it's a tradeoff. So forget the FCC, forget SadHams, if you only wanted a radio for the above applications, or if you only wanted to talk to your friend Chris, which would you use?
I don't even own a radio. I love this guy.
I'm not an expert but your making one Thanks! I have my original boofwang from 2013 still works like a spurious charm.
I own two of these BF-F8+ and I absolutely love them. I acquired them for free, BTW. Price was right. I even upgraded to the Nagoya NA-701 antennas. My bubble pack Motorola's hardly see any use compared to the BF-F8+. Picked up a programming cable, downloaded CHIRP, Programmed the Local NOAA, All 22 FRS Channels, and even the 5 MURS channels. Hell, I even picked up some AA battery conversion packs for when Li-Ion battery packs aren't readily available. The fact that the BF-F8+ is compatible with all the UV-5R stuff, is down right awesome! I don't really give a damn what the elitists say. These are damn good radios for the price. ZERO competition.
P.S. Very Good Job I have an Electronics certificate of over thirty years Your Great!!!
yeah I got a gen1 UV5r and it wouldn't let me transmit on other frequencies without putting in a special button combo at boot.
I never raise the power it above low power mode and I try to respect the laws as much as possible within reason.
I think it's ridiculous that you need a license to transmit on FRS, that should be an open part of the band IMO.
What’s the latest version of the uv5r I should look for? Do they have any new models in the same price category with improved features?
RANDY! Love the videos... not sure why I'm just NOW subscribing. Any-hoo... I'm into Paramotors and need to listen into local air traffic when flying and talking to fellow pilots in the air Wockey-Tockey style. I will obviously NEVER dream about transmitting to a tower or to 747s, but still need hear who's in the area in order to avoid. Will the UV-5R fit the bill? Otherwise I was looking at the simple yet pricy Sportys PJ2. Whatcha think?
IF that air-traffic is in FM and is transmitted in a frequency/in the range that that UV-5R can transmit & receive then it would work..
Not sure I would trust MY life to a $25 radio, but, that part is on you.
@@TheNotaRubicon Gotcha... and in the mean time found out that the 5R can't hear air traffic. AM vs FM and all that.
Thank you Sir.
Just got my ham licence 2 days ago. Total waste of time. Love what you do, keep up the good work!
Ham is not a total waste of time but also not better than GMRS, just different. In my view, the biggest problem with ham radio is that you are only allowed to talk to other hams. With GMRS you can hand your friend a $15 radio and he is on the air right now. Sad ham doesn't want to understand that there are millions of interesting people out there who have no desire to take a test just to talk on the radio.
@@craigdavidson5463 Ham since '79 and couldn't agree more. One is a tool the other is a hobby. Both have their place.
What no Chris? I came to hear Chris.
Yes! We want to see more Chris!
Hey, your little badgey thingy is orange and mine is green. Does that mean you are better than me? I'm afraid it does. I want to be the most best.
Well the expert got me! Lesson learned here. Earned a sub with this one.
There is one and only one reason I don't want a UV-5R. It's not IP67 waterproof. Thankfully Baofeng makes the UV-9 for only a little bit more that is!
I got the uv-9g first then 2 uv-5r’s. I still like the feeling of the uv-9g better though.
I use my UV-5R every day on a licensed frequency where I work and so far I have yet to see any spurious emissions actually cause an issue. I can transmit with my UV-5R in the vehicle with the mobile radio going and nothing bad happens on other frequencies.