Watch This Before Buying A Baofeng Ham Radio... Or Another One

Have you ever sold a radio already programmed are programmed are would you consider doing that if someone asked

Take a shot every time he says Baofeng.

Not a rubicon sent me

Are chinese uv-5r shunned?

2024 and they still dont pruduce them with usb c loading port. 😢

Please HELP ME IM GOING NUTS 🥴 I CAN GET OR FIND A GREAT ANTENNA!! I've got like 7- 9 of them. Na771. Tid771. Abbree 18" 16.8 I'm tried of spending $ and just can't find one that gets out good in the timber here I'm Oregon.
Do you have any suggestions or highly recommended antennas that I can get into stick with I'm going crazy brother please help thanks for the great videos Man

I'm a newbie and I have no idea what I'm doing

What about tidraido TD-H8 ham? I was thinking of starting with that.. 10watt. Any good?

I took your word about programming cables and antenna's, I bought nagoya 771 and a top cable. Thank you for that advice. The Antenna really helped and the cable has been flawless.

I now use a $220 dollar radio from Wouxon and am going to donate my Baofeng's to new users.

Well I def didn’t watch this before impulse buying and ended up spending 120 on radio made easy website for a 20 dollar radio. Off to a great start!

As someone who just listens and isn't licensed, the ametuer radio community perplexes me. What's the alure of of radio as a hobby?

If anything, a Baofeng is a good beginner radio to get you going on the basics. Then you can work up. I don’t think I’ve met anyone who has complained about having a backup radio before.😂 It’s like gauze for a medic, nobody ever complained about having too much gauze in an emergency situation.

Don't buy Chinese

thanks for the video, do you have another video where you recommend a quality japanese brand and cover its features. say your go to handeld. I am wanting to buy a pair and have my wife carry with her daily she travels 60 miles from home to work. Looking for a shtf back up to cell phones.

At the risk of being accused of a tin foil fashionista, has it ever occurred to anyone that our country is being flooded with these cheap Chinese radios, while at the same time being invaded by illegal aliens - many of which are allegedly Chinese. Do we know for sure that these radios are not harboring clandestine functionality that could be activated remotely through a satellite signal or otherwise by foreign operatives once in an active theater here in the United States? Has anyone ever conducted a thorough examination of these devices at the chip, component, or circuit level? Do we know these devices are not capable of encrypted transmissions in an activated, tactical situation? Think about it. A foreign invading army supplied with low-cost tactical communications equipment that is easily acquired and distributed without interference by the customs, military, or police authorities of the target country. Doesn't it seem plausible that these devices are being sold at ridiculously low prices - probably at a loss - in order to provide for such tactical communications and intelligence gathering operations all with little, if any suspicion or investigation until far too late to effectively inhibit said operations?

I certainly hope someone in our government is investigating these devices. I, for one, do not believe these devices should be sold in the United States unless they are thoroughly examined, approved, and licensed by the FCC, and probably the DOD. Maybe you will call me crazy, and I sincerely hope I'm wrong, but I'm not getting the warm and fuzzy about this - and I certainly don't trust the Chinese!

Just got a Baofeng UV9R Pro. Gotta start somewhere !

Don't depend on chirp and computers to program your radios. What will you do when there is no power and you were working off a solar panel? But you don't know how to program frequencies because you've depended on the computer to program it for you. I program all of my radios by hand and will never use a computer.

Coming in a bit new to amateur radio with a Baofeng UV-5R8W, from what I understand its the same as the 5r, but just little more boosted to run 8watts. Does that sound about right, and would this improve the over output of the radio?

The Baofeng has been called the gateway radio and it was for me. They are fun too learn and explore and play with.

You get what you pay for. I would rather cry once and spend more on a Yaesu/ICOM HT. While parts for those radios are made in China as well. The build and performance is worth the price, and will provide a cleaner and more reliable RX/TX, drowning out the the cheaper knock offs. YMMV 73 😉

These ham Radios are now worth $ 65.00 for the pair . At Amazon in 2024

Much appreciated, have had mine for several years, wish I had watched your video before ordering a new bundle from Am.... just to get the programing cable lol. Keep up the great work and catch you on Discord.

Damn... just got my GT-5R... still have to learn what I can use it for And at the same time also a handheld 27 -CB one. Just did it but not sure why.
Got a whole vacation to see ...

You make videos of integrity, thanks.

The UV-5R Pro is a decent radio for its price, but I agree with Josh — if you’re looking to evolve, save up for a Wouxun, Icom, or Yaesu. Maybe even a Kenwood. This hobby is only going to grow as technology improves.

I truly love your reviews but more importantly your honesty. I am running a 15 year old ICOM IC-V8. It’s two meters but I still love it. But I want to try hitting some 440 repeaters so again I appreciate your comments. 73’s.

@Ham Radio Crash Course, for those without a PC to program, would you recommend the TIDATA BL-1 Bluetooth connector and a phone app?

I have a Yaesu 65R HT and about 8 Baofengs, with more on the way. Yes, the Yaesu has the better build quality, but I much prefer the Baofeng's features and of course, the price. My last UV-5R cost $17 and change with free shipping on Amazon. That's ridiculous.

Oh Hell! I just want to be the 1300th commenter on this video!

Baofeng F22. I connected a 2-pole wired microphone. The PTT button of the device was disabled, but the mini microphone does not work. Is there a menu setting?

I was looking at reviews for hours and hours and thank you for the no bullshit awnser

Cheap and cheerful what's the problem,if you want quality dig deeper in your pockets

I bought two baofangs about ten or so years ago, found that I can't speak on them, I go shy and don't want to break in on someone's conversation even listening felt wrong so they just went back boxes, well one did the other never came out of the box.

There is a lot more to ham radio than Baofeng . They like any FM only aka Frequently Mundane radios are limiting new hams . You cant do digital modes on FM only radios . I find talking through repeaters gets boring . I would have to say that the Best HT out there is the IC 705 (yes it is classified as a handheld ).

From what I understand the only thing wrong with it would be it goes across more than one channel sometimes interfering with emergency channels.
Other than that it's a pride thing trying to keep amateurs out.

Please keep putting out the well thought out videos to the ones of us that are looking to get in the ham radio field. You make it ease to understand how to help us build what we want . Thanks a lot😊

Really like what you do better than the other. Would like to join but I I'm an old man who don't trust online accessing my credit.

I bought a uv9r package on Amazon, came with a programming cable, worked first time, no problems, no cracked anything. Not sure why the negativity on the packaged cable

But it has higher pweor

I have the baofeng GM-5RH and it's hard to program and pick up scanner frequency that I want to listen to. I ordered the baofeng data cable to see if I can program it with Chirp..

Uv5r (kenwood connector) is great For your room/car and Works fine-until you bring it into the field.. Bottom of the useable scale is the Uv9r. The Connector/Waterproofing alone makes it Last 50x’s longer camping, hiking, in the field. Get an adapter..5r will 100% break in the field within a week..usually the first few hrs… Airsoft trash has SOO so many.

Are the U&V-17R Pro & UV 21RPro & M series any better then the UV-5R?

I just started the technician class and have a couple Baofengs to use for my entry into the hobby along with being financially constrained for the time being

New user here. Those radios have fallen even more in price as low as $14 now. Cheap way to get into ham.

I'm looking for one is a long range about 45 states away

I have too many radios! Is there help for radioholics?

Im new...but what is benefit to a radio that can only go e to 5 miles....who ya gonna talk to?

I don't care about "spectral purity" since I only use my UV5R as a VHF analog scanner. While I like my Uniden SDS100 scanner, a single replacement battery is $58.00 and the SDS100 sucks it dry fairly fast. The UV5R with the 3800mAH battery lasts all day. Since 90% of what I do locally is listening to Police, Sheriff and Fire from the repeater, the UV5R wins since I get EVERYTHING for less than the cost of one Uniden battery. It's also less bulky than my SDS100. Sure, if someday the local government goes to P25, NXDN or DMR, I'll not be out that much money either.

Can't go wrong with the uv5r.. I dropped mine off my wifes quad at 60mph, bounced off rocks for about 65 feet.. picked it up, called my wife 18 miles away.. got chewed out for going so fast on her quad.. moral of the story, never admit to hauling ass on the wife's quad because yours is awaiting parts.. great little radio.