Baofeng UV-5R+

[gil]

Well, I can't recommend the UV-5R+ anymore.. My second radio developed the same problem as the first one: Busted mic jack. Now I have two radios that can transmit audio only using an external microphone! The first one came already broken and the second one broke after little use. Too bad because other than that, they work great. I do have an external microphone, but still, what a bummer. The user "nicheone" on Ebay has not sent me a replacement as promised. I need to contact them again.. I have a spare set of jacks to be installed, but what a PITA.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Gil.

[KK0G]

Well, I can't recommend the UV-5R+ anymore.. My second radio developed the same problem as the first one: Busted mic jack. Now I have two radios that can transmit audio only using an external microphone! The first one came already broken and the second one broke after little use. Too bad because other than that, they work great. I do have an external microphone, but still, what a bummer. The user "nicheone" on Ebay has not sent me a replacement as promised. I need to contact them again.. I have a spare set of jacks to be installed, but what a PITA.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Gil.

Hopefully the key jack still works.

[Joe]

Hello All

I took the red pill and picked up a UV-5S. I got a good deal on it, it came with a extra battery and speaker mic. I programmed it using CHIRP. Thanks for the recommendation. It came with the cable, but I already had one from my Wouxun.

Programming with chirp was easy. Turned on radio and  was able to pick up the local repeater traffic. I have not transmitted at any distance. I am to far from the repeater to hit with a HT.

Based on Ray's recommendation I will be ordering the Nagoya antenna.

[cockpitbob]

Don't foget to put a rat tail on it.  That made more difference than the antenna for me.  I attach the tail to a belt clip screw.  Enjoy it.

[Joe]

These little things are addictive !!! Ordered 3 more to help round out my HT coms.

Thanks Bob for reminding me about the rat tails, I will install them after I get the other 3. I will post a pick of 5R family when I get them.

[NWARadio]

If the pc wont see the radio try pressing the radio end of the cable in a little harder. Some of them have trouble with that connection. I have seriously considered selling my Kenwood TMV71A and only using the Baofeng. Im rarely on repeaters and that Kenwood doesnt work any better than the Baofeng.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk

[gil]

I sure would like a VX-7R.. Too bad they no longer make them. Maybe I could find one on Ebay...

Gil.

[KK0G]

This thread has convinced me to stay well away from these Chinese radios and buy only brand-name ones.

Despite them being so cheap I feel kind of dirty giving money to a country which is probably going to side with Russia in World War III. And I don't like the idea of stockpiling bricks.

Like the UNIDEN UH507SX-2NB with VOX headsets and base charger.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/UNIDEN-UH507SX-2NB-HANDHELD-80-CHANNEL-0-7W-UHF-CB-TWO-WAY-RADIOS-TWIN-PACK-/160989441713?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item257bb7eeb1

Twin pack for only $117 delivered! and the 0.7 watt power output keeps eavesdropping in reasonable check.


Thank you.

I hate to break it to you, but guess what country those radios were made in?

[gil]

Hello,

My third Baofeng works... But I'm not using the microphone plug, no way!
Other than that defect, it is a great radio. I could have bought a Yaesu for the price of those three though... Luck of the draw...

Gil.

[Rob_ma]

Many of the Chinese radios are based off of low-end Kenwood designs. Even Motorola manufactures their radios in China now. The cost to assemble them there is much less than anywhere else and a good majority of the components are also made there as well.

All of the Chinese portables (Baofeng, Puxing, Wouxun, etc.)  I have owned have been fine with no issues. The mobile radios in the beginning had some minor issues but they seem to be improving now.  They all have odd programming idiosyncrasies that you need to work through but they are a good value for the money.  If they are lost, stolen, or damaged you aren't out much money. If you're life depends upon radio communication then an investment in a higher quality radio would be advised.

Even if you could get a radio manufactured/assembled in the US (or any other country) it would likely have a majority of Chinese components in it since not much is made here any longer.

- Rob

[raybiker73]

I have two Baofeng radios, and they work pretty well for what they are - the ham radio equivalent of a throwaway cell phone. I may pick up another someday and try to build an Echolink node with it. It's nice to have a functional radio that, if it gets lost or crushed or dropped in the lake, you don't have to care. As far as buying Chinese stuff, I don't worry too much about it. We're already past the tipping point, and both we and the Chinese let it get away from us. We've allowed our economy to be dominated by China to the point that they make everything we use. China has allowed their economy to become so entwined with our purchasing power that, if our economy fails, they'll be bankrupted as well.

If you ever get a chance to read the original translation of Chairman Mao's "Little Red Book," read it. It's an eye opener. The thing you'll notice is that Mao wasn't much of a communist, but he was a first-rate, top-shelf fascist. Oh, he gave the standard "Marxist-Leninist worker's paradise to defeat the running dog capitalists" line here and there just to keep the Soviets off his back, but for the most part it's a primer about building a fascist economic powerhouse. It worked WAY better than he planned, and now the U.S. and China are joined at the hip whether any of us like it or not. Such is life. 

[gil]

Hello,

I am pretty interested in the Wouxun KG-UV8D, which is a cross-band repeater. For $120! You could attach it to a quad copter or a balloon and send it up a few hundred feet and cover a very large area. Even up a tree would work wonders. If you have a main location and a group of people patroling the area, one of these up a mast would make a fine low-cost repeater.

Gil.

[KK0G]

As far as buying Chinese stuff, I don't worry too much about it. We're already past the tipping point, and both we and the Chinese let it get away from us. We've allowed our economy to be dominated by China to the point that they make everything we use. China has allowed their economy to become so entwined with our purchasing power that, if our economy fails, they'll be bankrupted as well.

Oh yeah, we are WAY past the tipping point. I admitted to myself a long time ago that like it or not, we live in a global economy and if you want to live a "normal" consumers life you're gonna buy stuff from China. I have many principles that I will not budge on and this isn't one of them, choose your battles wisely as Sun Tzu said. Sure, for balls to the wall, ultra reliable, always gonna work stuff, I buy high quality (translation: expensive) made in the USA merchandise, especially stuff that my life may depend on - gun parts, optics, knives, etc. For most other items Chinese will usually do and for considerably less money. For many things I buy that will see limited use or it's failure is inconsequential, I actively seek out Chinese versions.

[NCGunDude]

I've been using a Baofeng UV-B5 daily for over a year with a mag mount and external speaker mic with no issues and have 2 of them programmed identically.

Deal Extreme sells a Kenwood brand mic for less then $10 which ships directly from China, http://www.dx.com/p/kenwood-kmc-17-heavy-duty-speaker-micphone-w-earphone-jack-106859. The baofeng external speaker mics sound like crap, and you can instantly pick out someone using one. Not that it's a drawback, it's still intelligible, I just prefer the cleaner modulation.

As far as buying Chinese, they're using the equivalent of slave labor, but that's a moral argument that goes beyond the scope of this discussion. Who is John Galt?

Regarding cross band repeat and a quad copter, that might be a little noisy. Why not a lighter than air balloon tethered to the ground? A light blue or grey color would be hard to spot. On a low duty cycle, it would last as long as the batteries. In fact, it's not a bad way to run an antenna. Cool idea, Gill. I was thinking through how to keep a balloon aloft, and how much temperature differential and volume would be required to use air only, or how to seal Helium semi permanently. I don't know if anyone's seen the balloons the feds use around FL. I'm pretty sure they're helium. Anyway... thanks for the discussion, as always. 73's. 

[John Galt]

Who is John Galt?

You called?