Thinking of getting some radios. Anyone have any info or experience with Baofeng?
Looking at the UV5r model
Are they easy to charge when in the backcountry?
Is the range good?
Any help is appreciated
Thx
Thinking of getting some radios. Anyone have any info or experience with Baofeng?
Looking at the UV5r model
Are they easy to charge when in the backcountry?
Is the range good?
Any help is appreciated
Thx
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Baofeng radios are very hit and miss, they're cheap and junky.
A friend of mine sells radios and he quit dealing with Baofengs a while ago because he was tired of all the comebacks.
Wouxun makes a way better product in the same price range.
Yaesu 270. Japanese and you can 'mod' them at home in 30 seconds
stay away from the Chinese radios
Have had baofengs for 4 yrs now. Quite happy with them for the price I paid. In real life terms 1.5 k. range, Line of sight 10 k. Very useful on industrial rds. There are better radios available but you get a good bang for your buck with baofengs.
I've had mine 2 years. Happy with them for the price I paid. The range is not great without clear line of site although on logging roads you can hear the trucks from many kms away and last fall that was well worth it.
Handhelds VHFs output anywhere from 2 - 5.5 watts. Base radios (like in the logging trucks) are anywhere from 45 to 60 watt output, not to mention a handhelds little rubber duck antenna and a big whip on a semi. Also the ground plane on a semi.
Nothing is is going to transmit through heavy bush or through a mountain. The radio waves are sent out like 'dome' radiating away from the antenna (centre). Even weather effects range.
Get a couple spare battery packs, either rechargeable or ones you pop AAs in. And get a radio with low, mid, and high output. And transmit on the lowest possible wattage,when you can. Saves your battery no need to put out all 5 watts if you only need 2.
Have used them but find Puxing radios have longer battery life and 10+ times the distance.
YouTube is your frend when it comes to programing it. If you Chinese is as rusty as mine.
Last edited by MRP; 01-10-2018 at 05:44 PM.
No one on their death bed ever said; I should have spent more time at work.
X2 on the Puxing 777. Find them better than the Baofeng
Have had a couple of them for over 5 years now and beaten the heck out of them yet they continue to performed excellent. Larger battery packs are also available as well. . In my truck I Run a 65Watt Icom 2200H . Use the hand helds when out of the truck. Also carry a couple of small $20 magnetic roof antennas that screw onto the the handhelds. Extends the range of the handhelds immensely. Great for when travelling with someone who does not have a VHF. Just Slap the antenna on their roof and give them a handheld. Also when on radio assisted logging roads when running with a group of trucks, I will put a mag antenna on my roof and run a handheld on the RR freq. This way I can call milage or communicate with the logging traffic if necessary on the Puxing, while still being in contact,BS'ing with the other trucks on another freq that doesn't compromise the logging road Freq.
https://www.amazon.ca/Generic-Magnet...+antenna&psc=1
X2 on the icom 2200/2300s
My UV5rs worked very well for a couple of years. This last year they started to act up a bit. They still transmit and receive very well but the squelch breaks quite often now. If you have the volume set so you can hear it, it is impossible to remain silent unless you are wearing an earpiece. If you are wearing an earpiece you hear this annoying blast of squelch every couple minutes.
I don't believe the squelch is adjustable at all. If anyone knows how, I'm all ears.