Looking for a set of Baofeng ham radios. I've done a ton of research via tutorials and reviews. Both online and Amazon. And I have a couple questions before I buy.
And yes, I will get my ham license prior to broadcasting on these.
1) What is the current firmware version for the Baofeng UV5R? From my reading it seems like firmware version is most important in the basic UV5R.
2) After reading many tutorials and reviews, online and on Amazon. Of all the different UV5Rs out there it does not seem necessary to buy anything besides a basic UV5R. 8 watt models do not appear to transmit at anything over 4 or 5 watts.
And the standard UV5R appears to have two tx modes 1 watt and 4 watt. So spending extra on a tri power version (to save battery life) does not seem to be an advantage either. And they don't transmit at 8 watts anyway.
The BF-FH8P does seem to have advantages. But I am just getting into this. And don't want to spend $70 on each radio. I need 3 or 4. So a $20 radio and a better antenna seems like the logical route to go. Plus I intend to unlock and program them myself with a better btech cable and CHIRP.
Does anyone disagree with this?
3) Are there better retailers on Amazon? Radioddity, ABBREE and Baofeng Tech seem to be reliable. The "Baofeng Store" appears to include many different suppliers. With various ratings and history.
I'm basically trying to weed out problems "before" I make a purchase. Rather than after.
Thank you for any help you may give. @pagrey would love your input.
And yes, I will get my ham license prior to broadcasting on these.
1) What is the current firmware version for the Baofeng UV5R? From my reading it seems like firmware version is most important in the basic UV5R.
2) After reading many tutorials and reviews, online and on Amazon. Of all the different UV5Rs out there it does not seem necessary to buy anything besides a basic UV5R. 8 watt models do not appear to transmit at anything over 4 or 5 watts.
And the standard UV5R appears to have two tx modes 1 watt and 4 watt. So spending extra on a tri power version (to save battery life) does not seem to be an advantage either. And they don't transmit at 8 watts anyway.
The BF-FH8P does seem to have advantages. But I am just getting into this. And don't want to spend $70 on each radio. I need 3 or 4. So a $20 radio and a better antenna seems like the logical route to go. Plus I intend to unlock and program them myself with a better btech cable and CHIRP.
Does anyone disagree with this?
3) Are there better retailers on Amazon? Radioddity, ABBREE and Baofeng Tech seem to be reliable. The "Baofeng Store" appears to include many different suppliers. With various ratings and history.
I'm basically trying to weed out problems "before" I make a purchase. Rather than after.
Thank you for any help you may give. @pagrey would love your input.
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