My ham experience and funding is established to the point where I didn't really "need" another handheld. However, being a prepper means having extras of everything. The Baofeng UV-5R has been creeping down in price; when another SB member posted a tip that they dropped to $40 on Amazon, I jumped on the deal and bought two. This same radio was $60-$80 less than a year ago.
My initial, out of the box first impression was positive. The radio has a solid feel and is surprisingly well made for the price range. The fit and finish is as good as any of the big-buck rigs. Included accessories are a drop in tray charger, belt clip, antenna, and combo earphone/mic. So far, so good.
From there, things got difficult. Programming the radio via the keyboard is very cumbersome and takes a lot of patience. I very quickly became adept at resetting the rig to factory default (option 40 in the menu) and the language to English (option 14) so I could start all over. After two evenings of coming close to Baofeng-ing the rig into the next county, I gave up and ordered the programming cable and downloaded the open-source CHiRP software. By the way, I run a Mac.
The cable arrived but that did not solve my problem. The software barfed out an error message saying "The Radio Will Not Respond". After some hunting on the internet, I discovered that a lot of the generic cables simply do not work. I guess that's the difference between the $19.99 OEM cable and the $6.99 aftermarket knockoff I had. Lesson noted. At that point I wanted to send the Baofengs back and forget the whole deal but my 30 day return period had expired so I was stuck with them. I decided to give keypad programming another shot.
It took a few more factory default resets and lot of googling, but I did successfully program both units! Luckily, there are tons of on line user groups and blogs dedicated to this radio. I suggest that for prepping purposes users learn how to make changes via the keypad because computer access may not be possible in SHTF conditions. I also notice it is easy to mistakenly change settings and/or VFO's. Use of the keyboard lock is almost mandatory, especially if the radio will be used by inexperienced operators. Also, the radio automatically included a repeater offset when I tried to program a simplex frequency into memory channel 000 (zero). I could not figure out how to make it quit doing that, so I just wont use that slot. I had this problem only on channel 000.
The other big buzzkill on the UV-5R is the antenna. It has a male SMA when most other radios are female SMA, so none of the antennas I already use on my other radios will work on this one. Had I noticed this before the return period ended, it would have been a dealbreaker. Amazon and most of the websites sell SMA antennas they claim will work on this radio...buyer beware. Interchangeability is a big deal to me, but I'm stuck with what I've got.
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Above: Jacked up antenna jack. On the left is a female SMA; on the right the Baofeng with a male SMA connector.
Other, smaller disappointments include the confusing display (but hey, at least you can pick the backlight color!) and a very cheap plastic belt clip that is held on by two tiny screws and belies the otherwise solidly made handheld. I didn't even bother putting the clip on the radio. I'll just get some nylon radio holsters for $5 or so each and call it a day.
PROS:
CONS:
The bottom line: Although the UV-5R has many functional shortcomings, it's hard to hate a dual band radio that is well made, does what it's supposed to (eventually), and costs less than fifty dollars! Still, some of the decisions that went into the design of this radio are puzzling. A few small changes and this good radio would be great. The quirks are hair-pullingly annoying, but at this price point they are worth putting up with. That said, I would not want this as my only handheld and I would not be willing to go much higher in price. It's perfect for those who want an extra "no biggie if something happens to it" radio or are truly on a tight budget. It would also be a good pick to buy in quantity for an EMCOMM or survival group.
Tevin's score: 8/10.
My initial, out of the box first impression was positive. The radio has a solid feel and is surprisingly well made for the price range. The fit and finish is as good as any of the big-buck rigs. Included accessories are a drop in tray charger, belt clip, antenna, and combo earphone/mic. So far, so good.
From there, things got difficult. Programming the radio via the keyboard is very cumbersome and takes a lot of patience. I very quickly became adept at resetting the rig to factory default (option 40 in the menu) and the language to English (option 14) so I could start all over. After two evenings of coming close to Baofeng-ing the rig into the next county, I gave up and ordered the programming cable and downloaded the open-source CHiRP software. By the way, I run a Mac.
The cable arrived but that did not solve my problem. The software barfed out an error message saying "The Radio Will Not Respond". After some hunting on the internet, I discovered that a lot of the generic cables simply do not work. I guess that's the difference between the $19.99 OEM cable and the $6.99 aftermarket knockoff I had. Lesson noted. At that point I wanted to send the Baofengs back and forget the whole deal but my 30 day return period had expired so I was stuck with them. I decided to give keypad programming another shot.
It took a few more factory default resets and lot of googling, but I did successfully program both units! Luckily, there are tons of on line user groups and blogs dedicated to this radio. I suggest that for prepping purposes users learn how to make changes via the keypad because computer access may not be possible in SHTF conditions. I also notice it is easy to mistakenly change settings and/or VFO's. Use of the keyboard lock is almost mandatory, especially if the radio will be used by inexperienced operators. Also, the radio automatically included a repeater offset when I tried to program a simplex frequency into memory channel 000 (zero). I could not figure out how to make it quit doing that, so I just wont use that slot. I had this problem only on channel 000.
The other big buzzkill on the UV-5R is the antenna. It has a male SMA when most other radios are female SMA, so none of the antennas I already use on my other radios will work on this one. Had I noticed this before the return period ended, it would have been a dealbreaker. Amazon and most of the websites sell SMA antennas they claim will work on this radio...buyer beware. Interchangeability is a big deal to me, but I'm stuck with what I've got.
Above: Jacked up antenna jack. On the left is a female SMA; on the right the Baofeng with a male SMA connector.
Other, smaller disappointments include the confusing display (but hey, at least you can pick the backlight color!) and a very cheap plastic belt clip that is held on by two tiny screws and belies the otherwise solidly made handheld. I didn't even bother putting the clip on the radio. I'll just get some nylon radio holsters for $5 or so each and call it a day.
PROS:
- At this price, it could be considered a barter/throwaway item.
- Surprisingly well made; construction compares very favorably to much more expensive rigs.
- Extra batteries are reasonably priced and easy to find.
- As Baofeng goes more mainstream, a lot of the bugs will probably be worked out.
- Good battery life.
- Many internet groups and resources for this radio.
- Built in LED flashlight. Nice touch!
- It feels good to get a bargain!
CONS:
- Male SMA antenna connector is reversed from most other radios, so antennas are not interchangeable.
- Non user friendly interface; very tedious and confusing to program via the keypad. God Bless google, for no one would be able to set up this radio using only the supplied manual.
- Confusing display.
The bottom line: Although the UV-5R has many functional shortcomings, it's hard to hate a dual band radio that is well made, does what it's supposed to (eventually), and costs less than fifty dollars! Still, some of the decisions that went into the design of this radio are puzzling. A few small changes and this good radio would be great. The quirks are hair-pullingly annoying, but at this price point they are worth putting up with. That said, I would not want this as my only handheld and I would not be willing to go much higher in price. It's perfect for those who want an extra "no biggie if something happens to it" radio or are truly on a tight budget. It would also be a good pick to buy in quantity for an EMCOMM or survival group.
Tevin's score: 8/10.
