$40 BaoFeng UV-5R Dual-Band Handhelds
- Thread starter mhiscox
- Start date
jCubed
Adventurer
For real??? That's shady. They just want to sell you a more expensive unit.
A lot of the guys in the SAR team I'm starting with have them. Even the HAM snobs have them as backups or loaners.
I just can't justify a $250-500 handheld unit. Not at least at this point.
fredgoodsell
Adventurer
I have a GT-3 and a UV-5r. GT-3 was advertised in several places as being water resistant/proof. After handling the radio, I don't think that this is true. The case isn't metal, just similar plastic with some rubberish orange around the edges. As far as I can tell, it's functionally exactly the same as a uv-5r. Not worth your extra money in my opinion. (and the gt-3 isn't compatible with a bunch of the uv-5r extended batteries and such.)
cactusjk
Explorer
Interesting. I am still torn between the 5R+ and GT-3. I really like the metal case on the 5R+.
RobRed
Explorer
Why debate these choices? These are so cheap and disposable it doesn't matter. I've had one fail and chucked it - bought another. Buy both 
In fairness all of my Yaesu HH units have been flawless (yadda yadda cost yeah yeah). There is a build quality difference as well as an ergonomic difference in these cheapies compared to an Icom, Kenwood or Yaesu. The name brands are just nicer.
How's that saying go? You can have it cheap and feature rich but low quality, You can have it...
In fairness all of my Yaesu HH units have been flawless (yadda yadda cost yeah yeah). There is a build quality difference as well as an ergonomic difference in these cheapies compared to an Icom, Kenwood or Yaesu. The name brands are just nicer.
How's that saying go? You can have it cheap and feature rich but low quality, You can have it...
cactusjk
Explorer
Exactly. The fact they are cheap allows you to try a bunch.
Why debate these choices? These are so cheap and disposable it doesn't matter. I've had one fail and chucked it - bought another. Buy both
In fairness all of my Yaesu HH units have been flawless (yadda yadda cost yeah yeah). There is a build quality difference as well as an ergonomic difference in these cheapies compared to an Icom, Kenwood or Yaesu. The name brands are just nicer.
How's that saying go? You can have it cheap and feature rich but low quality, You can have it...
Kiddmen57
Supporting Sponsor
Finally got around to mounting my UV5R using one of my brackets. I ended up buying a 1" split collar out of aluminum and modifying both it and the bracket to suit my home brew dash bar. Mounts very secure, I may need to look for a 90* antenna connector as the cable kind of annoys me. As is it is only for off highway use, and eventually I'll have a dedicated radio in the jeep.
All machined and ready for assembly
And mounted up (sorry for the crummy cell shots)
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
All machined and ready for assembly
And mounted up (sorry for the crummy cell shots)
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
cruiseroutfit
Well-known member
Has anybody run across a source of spare parts for these? I had the 'Band' button pop right off of one of mine this last week. I'm going to see if I have any recourse with the seller as this particular one just showed up last week but in the event they won't assist... I'd like to find the rubber button to click back in.
jCubed
Adventurer
I'd say buy another, then have a spare battery, antenna, charger. I was looking at a spare battery and charger to keep in my truck, literally dollars from the price of the unit.
cruiseroutfit
Well-known member
I've got a handful of them already. All my units came with base chargers and I swapped all the antennas for Nagoya's and picked up extended batteries initially. I literally have zero additional needs beyond the 5 cent button that popped right out.