This little radio is extremely powerful and has a great battery life (multiple days of standby power if you enable power saving mode and don't transmit) and it has a removable antenna so you can attach something like a Nagoya, Yagi, or custom coaxial antenna to it.If you buy the extended battery or even just another standard battery, you'll have more battery life than you know what to do with, unless you are constantly transmitting with VOX or you're constantly listening to FM radio with the volume turned up!The stock antenna is pretty good compared to the other more expensive Baofengs, but upgrading to a nagoya NA-771 removes a ton of the faint background hiss on both rx and tx, as well as increasing the tx range quite a bit. From my bench, I couldn't really pick up any additional FM radio stations when scanning through the entire FM range using the Nagoya vs the stock antenna, but what I did notice was that every single station came through crystal clear after swapping the antenna, whereas before it would pick them all up but some stations definitely had poor reception unless I would walk all around the garage looking for a good signal path.It has quite a few nice features but nothing digital, and doesn't have true dual watch monitoring, but with TDR turned on for me I'm able to monitor two frequencies and pick which one I care about more so if they're both active it will let me listen to the "preferred" frequency. It has dcs and ctcss codes for accessing those repeaters, and supports DTMF codes for dialing into Internet relay repeaters or echolink repeaters.As far as ease of use, you will need the manual to decipher the different options in the settings menu. There are some websites out there that give a more detailed breakdown of the menu options and their descriptions, as well as youtube videos to demonstrate more complicated things like programming or connecting two Baofengs to make a mobile repeater. Both of those capabilities require a different cable, not included.Finally, regarding programming, you DO NOT need to get the programming cable as you can do everything right from the radio. If you want to look up different frequencies of your local repeaters and store them in the memory channels, you can do that pretty quickly and easily right from the radio once you learn the flow. Where the programming cable comes in handy is when you want to add a hinge number of pre-programmed channels to the radio, but IMO there is no need for that. I tried it with all the virginia repeaters and found that only 1 or 2 ever had any traffic, even when I would go driving for hours and leave it on channel scan mode. Where I think the programming cable would come in handy is if you routinely traveled out of state (like from the east coast to the west coast) and you had a different set of frequencies and repeaters and settings for each location that you wanted to be able to swap between easily. When you go to the west coast you can just backup your east coast profile to save any changes you made or any new frequencies you saved, and then restore the west coast profile so you're able to make changes and save any new frequencies you find there. Then when you're ready to come back, just save the west coast profile to the computer and restore the east coast profile.

Hard to beat at the price. You'll almost certainly need programming software and a suitable cable. Programming the radio is tedious and prone to error. 'Chirp' (programming software) is free. RTSystems (paid-for software and cables) is very nice as well. Lots of information for this radio is online.

I recently purchased the Baofeng UV-5R, and I have to say, it's a fantastic radio for its price range. While it might not be the absolute best on the market, it serves as an excellent backup option that I can easily keep in my vehicle or shed. Despite being inexpensive, the build quality of these radios is impressive—much better than I expected!I'm also considering buying more units to set up a cost-effective and portable repeater system. Overall, the UV-5R offers great value and reliability, making it a solid choice for anyone in need of a versatile communication tool. Highly recommended!

It isn’t the top of the line, but it is a great radio for starting with amateur radio or stocking a bug out bag. Decent battery life with a wide range of transmission. I have a couple set up to use like FRS two-ways because they’re cheaper and more powerful. They are in fact very water resistant as well.

The Baofeng UV-5R Two Way Radio is a versatile and reliable communication device that is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts, emergency responders, and anyone else in need of a dependable means of communication. With its dual-band functionality, long-lasting battery, and durable construction, this walkie-talkie is an essential companion for any adventure.One of the standout features of the Baofeng UV-5R is its dual-band capability, allowing users to communicate on both the VHF (144-148MHz) and UHF (420-450MHz) bands. This versatility ensures that you can stay connected in a wide range of environments, whether you're hiking in the mountains, camping in the wilderness, or navigating through urban areas.The walkie-talkie comes equipped with a high-capacity 1800mAh Li-ion battery, providing hours of continuous use on a single charge. This long-lasting battery life ensures that you can rely on your radio to keep you connected when you need it most, without having to worry about running out of power.In addition to its impressive functionality, the Baofeng UV-5R is built to withstand the rigors of outdoor use. The rugged construction and durable materials ensure that the radio can withstand drops, bumps, and other impacts, while the black color adds a sleek and professional look to the device.The walkie-talkie features a range of useful functions and features, including a built-in flashlight, VOX (Voice Operated Transmit) function, dual standby mode, and more. These features make it easy to use the radio in a variety of situations, whether you're communicating with your group, monitoring emergency channels, or navigating through challenging terrain.Overall, the Baofeng UV-5R Two Way Radio is a reliable and versatile communication device that is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and professionals alike. Its dual-band functionality, long-lasting battery, and durable construction make it an essential companion for any adventure. Highly recommended for anyone in need of a dependable means of communication in the great outdoors.

Works great. I tested it in town and was able to talk to a friend with one about 3 miles away on mediam power.

Su uso necesita de configuración, no es ese tipo de articulo que desempaques y este listo para usar, sin embargo es fácil de configurar despues de ver un par de tutoriales para configurar la frecuencia que deseas usar.

El problema lo tuve con esta última radio que compré aquí por Amazon, se me descompuso a los 3 meses de uso el parlante por lo que no puedo escuchar cuando me hablan, y no sé como preguntar al vendedor donde puedo checar si tiene garantía con el fabricante, comenzó a sonar raro con el volúmen alto, y después de un rato simplemente dejó de emitir sonidosAl parecer solo tenía batería baja jeje ya se compuso pero aún así no hay respuesta de cómo solucionar en caso de falla

Es un excelente producto, relacion costo beneficio, compre 2 unidades , su programacion , se puede realizar de forma manual o por pc , hay muchos videos en youtube que explican las funciones del menu y programacion de canales, este equipo no es para escuchar bandas de bomberos policias etc , es recomendable agregar canales libres FMS Family Radio Service, permitidos en mexico usa etc, y las demas frecuencias para la escucha o recepcion , excelente equipo para iniciar en el mundo de la radiodifucion

el radio es un equipo muy economico con una excelente cobertura de frecuencias , de facil funcionamiento, en su empaque viene todo lo que debe de traer como : Bateria, clip, cintilla, antena, handsfree manual, garantia y el radio. de ahi en fuera el equipo es de un tipo de plastico que por el terminado se ve economico se ve brilloso es muy sensible a las transmisiones de otros equipos ya que si transmites con un equipo distinto y en distinta frecuencia el Baofeng lo detecta.no he probado la distancia de transmision pero al perecer es muy buena.

Buen producto