BAOFENG UV-5R 8W Ham Radio Long Range UV5R Walkie Talkies Dual Band 3800mAh High Power Rechargeable Handheld Two Way Radio with Earpiece Full Kit(Black-1Pack)

Its an all around built ham radio. Gmrs tool. Ive been working with it a day and its easy to program once you watch a few videos on programing and read some online articles.Just know the station is programed forst and all attributes to it like offset and tone etc. then set the channel. All atributes ate then saved to that channel.Next channel do the same. Or get a usb cable for it to program with chirp or the new bluetooth dongle and iphone software.Im ordering many more of these and keeping them on hand. Can setup as small repeaters.

I am still learning to use the features of this popular handheld "ham" radio, but already I am impressed. There are many nuances regarding FCC licensing requirements that are too convoluted and boring to describe here. I will just say that you will need a license to transmit on many of this radio's frequencies. Typically however, you can listen to anything. Visit the FCC website to discover the requirements.Obviously, if there is a SHTF situation happening, you are not going to care about licensing or any of that. With cell towers not functioning due to natural or manmade disasters, you'll want and need COMMUNICATION at all costs. For this reason, if you own a Bao Feng radio, you will want to know both how to listen and how to broadcast.Fortunately, there are a ton of videos (*download a few to watch and for reference in case your internet goes down) that will show you, step by step, how to use this affordable, well-made, and effective communication device.Although many ham snobs look down at Bao Feng and encourage newbies to spend big bucks on more professional base stations, ignore them. This works. Even if you intend to get your ham license some day, why spend tons of money until you are sure you like amateur radio? Getting your feet wet with Bao Feng that costs anywhere from $35-$100 is a cheap way to test the airwaves and get a feel for ham.This model is an 8 watt version in kit form. Came with the essentials and an upgraded 3800mAh Battery& USB Charger. The 3800mAh battery does seem to last longer on standby. Still, since I am into emergency preparedness, I later purchased two additional backup batteries. Charger isn't the best, but it works.Altogether, I think this is one of the best values in communications. Bao Feng makes the world's most popular radios for a reason- great value, low price. A must for any emergency kit.

If you are like me and are just starting out in experimenting with portable radios, the BAOFENG UV-5R is a great place to start if you have some patience and are willing to spend the time to learn how to use it. There's no coincidence it is likely the most popular radio on the market for general purpose use with MILLIONS of them sold. Now, if instead you just want a walkie-talkie experience right out of the box with no learning curve, there are other options in a "bubble-pak" pair of radios like the yellow Motorolas in my photo. But if you want to step up another level and want to listen to local emergency radio traffic. from police, fire, emergency responders, PG&E, and others, you can do that on the BAOFENG UV-5R.The biggest difference is that the BAOFENG UV-5R can communicate on multiple radio frequencies including HAM, GMRS and FRS. Be aware that broadcasting on EITHER HAM and GMRS does require a license. However, listening does not require a license. Anyone can get a GMRS license by simply paying $40 on the Federal website and you get the license for 10 years, no test. The HAM license process is more complicated and requires study and testing.I use the BAOFENG for GMRS and while it is not technically certified for use to broadcast on GMRS, I live in a rural area where there is almost no risk of interfering with other communication. But be aware of the rules in your area as there are laws against interfering with communications and unlicensed use.Now, for the fun part. The BAOFENG UV-5R has a terrible menu interface and even worse manual. But the good news is there are TONS of videos you can find online by searching for BAOFENG UV-5R that will walk you through EVERY step. This kit comes with a programming cable. The PC software known as CHIRP is free to download. It allows you to program "Channels" on you radio instead of searching through frequencies. I was able to very quickly and easily program my BAOFENG UV-5R to communicate with my Motorola Talkabout MS350R radios, as well as a MIDLAND Homebase radio by matching up the channels/frequencies and saving it to the BAOFENG. All of these devices now work together to talk/listen as a group. The BAOFENG can listen to two channels, so I can have two different conversations going on different channels if necessary, or listen to one conversation while relaying info on the second. I distribute these to my neighbors when we have any extended power outages when cell phone service is affected. I have had reception as far as 1 mile away in the mountains through trees covered in snow, which absorbs the radio waves. If you live in a flat, open area the range would be 10-30x further.The included extended battery lasts a long time. I have only tried using it for 6-8 hours a day for two days in a row before recharging it with 50% still remaining. Clearly they could last 2-3 days, running most of the day.All in all this is a fantastic addition to my amateur radio learning experience and addition to my capabilities to communicate when needed. Once programmed it is very easy to use. Without programming it can be complicated for the average newbie user like myself.