Did a SOTA activation yesterday in CO. Had a guy 80 miles away on a UV5R with rubber duck... 57 received from him. I was blown away, he was definitely getting his $24 worth. Non-typical situation, but dang...
I once got into a uhf repeater 112 miles away, it was not on a mountain, antenna height was about 800ft, my handheld was on the second floor of a two story house. Absolutely crazy.
@@drewbrown9678 146.52 he was running 5w on the Feng and I had 8w on a Kenwood with an arrow yagi. The yagi was an advantage on my end, but still. A good Feng can get things done.
@@josephhacker6508 I enjoy radio for that very reason. Some days 100w won't get things done, but some days 5w will. So many variables, keeps it interesting. I was super happy for dude & his Feng.
I’ve been able to transmit 33.25 miles with my BF-F8HP and a NA771 antenna. From Castaic CA down to Pasadena, CA... and the people on the repeater said I was perfectly clear, rated me a 5 out of 5 for transmit clarity.
My 146.52MHz handheld to handheld record was about 60+ miles from Phoenix to the mountains to the north. I don’t know where he was exactly (other than the name of the peak) and there was a pileup after we finished. Imagine a pileup on .52 simplex.
@@yourface3154 you ask them what there location is then use a mapping service find your location then there location use a measuring tool draw a straight line from you to them then look at distance by which the crow flies meaning from air not on the ground like Google maps
i have my tech licence for several years now, but i still know nothing of armature radio and have never been on the air, so a lot of this goes over my head, but i like this channel because you make these things somewhat understandable for me, and youre not snobbish about equipment. keep up the great content.
@@lomgshorts3 it was no trouble at all. just took the test. its mostly basic safety and electronics that i already know. there are so few radio related questions you could get them all wrong and still pass. spending hundreds of dollars on equipment, otoh, is difficult.
@@502detha uv-5r is roughly $25 and you can grab a better antenna for $20 or so. Then find out if there's a local club and when they have their net. For example here the club has a repeater and has a net on Sunday nights. So I can tune in on Sunday nights and listen in and get the feel for the etiquette.
@@billtheunjust i live in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. i have a uv5r, there is NO traffic within receiving range. even tried to build a few antennas and hook them to it. the nearest "local" club is 45 min away. i feel if i want to do anything useful im going to need to buy a whole hf setup.
@@502deth well, I guess plan b would be to grab a mag mount and your uv-5r and drive into repeater range when they have their scheduled net. I know it's not something you'd want to do often, but it would at least let you get a feel for hew a net works.
I "recieved" my 3rd uv-5r while chasing a elk in mountains. I found it pressed into the mud I put it in my pocket, charged it later back in camp other than I still have not removed all the dirt it works great. For hunting nothing beats a uv-5r
Just upgraded to a uv5r triband after carrying my first uv5r for 4 years . It works like the day I got it and I used it like crazy. I just wanted a triband. I think I made I good choice after this . Go Fang ! Lol !
Request to bring along a UV-82HP next time. That's my preferred form factor of the Feng HTs. BTech also has GMRS and MURS versions in the same form factor so the spare batteries, etc., are all swappable. Dual watch and an option of either single PTT or dual A-B PTT.
@@HamRadioCrashCourse Yes, but if you want to be (Radio) Project Farm you have to test everything to destructions. Makes me cry when he does that to Snap-On’s and the like. 🤣🤣
Signal Sticks, and Abbree's, are my go to antenna's for my HT's. And yes the Baofeng BF-F8HP is a 8 watt radio, on one frequency. Remember the lower your SWR's are the more power you will transmit. Stay safe. 73's
I have an older uv5r that I Carry on the farm. I have a ham neighbor that has told me on a couple occasions that it sounds better than my yaesu. Thank you for the work you put into all your videos.
Uv5r, uv8hp and ft5r here. The Yaesu ft5r is so clear without the static of the baofengs that actual performance comes second to understanding what is coming over.
The Baofeng is THE radio that has brought SO MANY folks into HAM radio, it is the undisputed champ and best entry level radio. Stop your BS complaints of the UV-5r and give thanks for then number of folks that started here. HAM radio was dying until this radio came along. Yes there are better HT's and all of us who started with the UV-5FR and mostly moved one but we still have our UV-5R's and we love them.
I'm absolutely new at all of this man, but man does it bring joy and life to see this type of content. What drew me to this is that i'm looking to use a radio with ear pieces for coaching and i want the kids to have fun while i can communicate with them directly without screaming. Liked and subscribed, and hope to learn wayyyy more on radios not only by myself, but through you.
I'm looking to buy a baofeng so it brought me here. Also would love to know what to do to not interrupt anybody else's signal. Don't want to cause anybody an inconvenience.
I tested mine last night on an HP 8920A RF test set (using a Baofeng 3800 mAh extended battery fully charged) and found high power at 146.52 only produced 5.57 watts (with .12 uV sensitivity on receive), 446.00 produced 5.27 watts (also with .12 uV sensitivity on receive).
I wish you had a Baofeng AR-5RM when doing this comparison. I just ordered one as an upgrade from my BF-F8HP. It transmits at 10 watts and is unlocked on frequencies. I believe it is a pretty new model.
Even though my FT3DR is a better radio, I often take my GT5R when I'm traveling. It works well enough, and it's cheap enough that I won't be super upset if it gets damaged or lost.
I never even thought of that! I have been looking into a cheap radio to get to see how active things are in my area while studying for my tech, I knew the gt5r was cleaner but didn't think about that also improving power to the desired freq.
My primary radio is a Kenwood TH-F6A with a Diamond SRH320A antenna, my mobile is a Kenwood TM-D710GA with a Diamond CR320A. I've had the CR320A for 12 years.. and bought it because the Kenwood TH-F6A was my first radio (tri-band)... but it works wonderfully for the TM-D710 series radios. I've managed to comm with the ISS on several occasions using it as well as running APRS through the ISS. The older TM-D710A I have started having issues after a few jump starts, causing it to drain the battery due to high current draw when idle, so it has been blackholed as a spare. I bought a Baofeng GT-5R for SaG and threw a Nagoya NA-771 on it... I'm hitting repeaters here in NC clear as day with no problems. I'm about 15 miles from Raleigh and can hit almost every single repeater with no noise and zero complaints using the internal mic. Don't underestimate this little $25-$28 guy. I bought the GT-5R for my bug out bag... but with the 3800mah battery and lack of noise or issues, it''s becoming my go-to HT. -AB9XA
As someone that's studying for there tech license and looking to buy a radio, that was one of the better compressions I needed to see on baofeng. Thank you so much for sharing that and that helped me narrow down alot of options for me. But quick question, I'm doing alot of traveling around the US for work, what would be best for that? Not sure if that's even a worry for people in this great hobby haha. Thanks again and have a great day.
Hi Josh I received my Signal Stuff Signal Stick antenna yesterday. I picked orange and have it on my very old ICOM IC-V8. This is a quality antenna and I recommend getting one. Plus it supports ham training. Two thumbs up hi hi 73’s. KB9JXU
Great job again Josh. I have the Radioddity Baofeng UV-5RTP, UV-5X3 and GT3 and used Signal Sticks on all my HT. I only used all 3 Baofeng on AllStar. Since they have a great battery life. I monitor the East Coast Reflector, Henderson Repeater, Texas IRLP, MOHOY and the PAPA System. Only certain stations of the PAPA System have comments on the audio on the Baofeng otherwise the rest don't care at all. As long as you can transmit a readable signal. No issues at all. I rag chew for hours on other stations on these radios. Stay Safe Ruben KD6CWI
I live in northwest Ohio, toledo-ish ares, and the first night I bought the uv5r (forst ham radio) last month I picked up the east coast reflector, I had gotten so excited i heard something. But yeah with the rubber duck it sounds pretty good! Clear as day
Baofeng uv5r is a good radio why do people always putting this radio down because is made in China 🇨🇳 like everything is made in China .for 25 to 35 dollars I would buy 4 to 8 for my hunting buddies to keep in touch then spending over 100 to 200 dollars. Just saying
There seems to be a significant difference between my uv5r and ft-60r in Rx and TX. I have compared the 2 on the repeaters in my area and the uv5r can be almost useless on some of them that the ft60 can operate on no problem.
My $150 Wouxun HT's do not sound any better than my $30 TP 8 Plus (aka UV13 Pro) and $40 BFH7 Baofengs. I have to go to my $300 Anytone 878 UV II Plus before I notice a big difference, and that just in sound quality buyt no differnec in Tx range. I would rather buy cheap and throw away if it breaks unless there is a real reason to spend more.
Amazon left my new BAOFENG BF-F8HP on my doorstep at 6:00 am this morning. I’ve been using a Yaesu FT-50R for a quarter century. I’ll let you know how it stacks up. 73s KD5FPA
My first radio was a BF-F8HP that I had an extended bat and a telescopic 771 antenna on it. Forgot I put it on the roof of my car one day, realized what happened when I heard it fly off the car going 70mph on the interstate.
Thanks for the tests. The Gt-5R did better than I suspected it would. I own Yaesu FT-60, FT-70. The 70d is a disappointment with the parasitic drag on the battery. Love my 60 to the point of wearing the keys off of it. If the FT-60 came with Lithium batteries, I'd own 5 FT-60s. I own UV and GT-5Rs for my go bags and when riding my motorcycle. All of my radios have Signal Stick antennas.
Just bought myself a Uv-5r learning everything I can. love your videos great info always and love that park I always go walking there haha maybe one day I’ll see you around 👍🏽
That great. I feel better seeing real data from a real field test. I am in Boston NY and lot of hams put them down and a lot like them in my area. a mixed bag. I respect them all . I have the GT 1 GT 3 GT3TP GT5TP G11S UV5X that my collection to this date 4/12/2023. I feel better getting DMR one and tri band one. great video. 73's
My old UV5R TP (Tri Power) had reports of low TX audio. There's foreign instructions on how to add an SMD capacitor between the mic socket trace etc which boosted it. I also drilled the mic hole which helped a little. So compare your old and other Baofengs nearby your SDR and see if talking closer/louder to the mic helps that one. Is it really a TX power/distance issue or the mic? Or try an external mic. Also try swapping over the battery. I tried talking at various distances from the mic and I think 2.5 to 5cm was best on my SDR stick. Of course, counting the distance in cm on the radio affected things as 'five' is louder, so you'd need to say the same thing. Trying a power meter on them would be good for another video too. Maybe even hook up a bench power supply and decrease volts/current to show what happens when using an old battery. Also finding a tool to measure your old battery capacities in mah would be neat. Then make a PSA video on when to replace them.
What I’d love to see is the FT-5D and ID-52 up against the best of the cheapies. It would be interesting to see if there is any RF performance benefit for the much higher price, or just screen and features? You could even add in some strong local signals, and for RX, attenuate the sending radio at home, as I’d like to think selectivity as well as sensitivity and lack of front end overload is what your money gets you…..
I was shocked yesterday by my baofeng uv82 max power and I was able to recieve and transmit 31 miles (in the country side in WY not in a city). I don't have a stock antenna but still I was amazed
I have a GT-5R that I got for the soul purpose of listening to rocket launch repeaters. They Tx on 2-meter. The GT-5R is equipped with a Signal Stick. I've found that, in order to receive, I almost HAVE to have a ground plane. I have tried leaving the radio attached to my backpack as I am listening to the launch broadcast, but it is frustratingly bad. If I take the radio and set it on my aluminum tonneau cover on my truck, it receives like a champ. The bad thing is, I am not always next to my truck when I am trying to listen. Admittedly, I know nothing of HAM yet, just how to program frequencies on the GT-5R. I am wondering if there is anything I can do, to mimic a ground plane when the radio is in my hand, vs. sitting on my tonneau.
I know you compared the VX6 to the DJ-vx50t here, but I think it would be interesting to run this test with some other submersible radios as well. Perhaps Retevis would send you a RA89 for the test.
I tested both my TD-F9GP 8W versions with fresh battery's into dum dum load. Both 6.7W on same sweet spot freq. Not a powerhouse but better than my old 5W Baofeng that only saw 3.9W on high. That 3W difference means something on a fringe signal. The stock antenna's are junk and the built-in mic's are weak compared to a good hand mic but still hard to beat em for the price.
6dB is also 4x the power. However, on UHF and VHF handhelds, the radiation pattern varies widely based on your hand position, antenna orientation, exact position relative to metal objects, moisture content of the plants, etc. you could get a more objective measurement by using a fixed field strength meter while using a fixture to hold and position the radio so it’s consistent from test to test. You can hear the variation in the receive audio at your home station and also in your tone test. Having said that, your testing is somewhat more objective than man others on RU-vid. Thanks!
@HamRadioCrashCourse - Can we see a GT-5R / Yaesu FT-4X head-to-head send & receive, best-vhf/uhf antenna test on 2m/70cm next? I am curious how the Baofeng and Yaesu perform under different antennas in direct comparison. (Side note: I have a BF-F11 which claims to be 10w, and is a variant of the bf-a58s tri-band'er. The speaker on that is much clearer, then the UV5r, which i also have. - If you get a chance to test one, please share the results with the rest of us!)
Josh... Among these radios, the power choices were the UV-5R for 4W, or the BF-F8HP for up to 8W. But, I now see (on Amazon) that there is a new generation of the UV-5R... the BAOFENG UV-5R 8W that is also suppose to have an upgraded chipset as well, and 3 different output levels (1W/4W/8W). I don't see anyone talking about this new more powerful UV-5R. I'm wondering what you, or anyone, thinks about it. And given the new power for the UV-5R, is it worth the extra money for the 8W BF-F8HP? Thanks.
Many people talk about the great clean transmitter on the GT-5R but unfortunately it does not "receive" near as good as the UV-5R5 in the ham band. I own many different baofengs and the GT-5R has the worse receiver in them inside the ham band. I own 2 GT-5R's and I would not recommend buying that radio. I am not talking about out of band as the GT-5R won't do that anyway. I am talking about inside the ham bands.
The Baofeng's problem isn't the transmission (they have 5W or more), but they have a very bad reception (0.25uV at 12dB SINAD, a good radio can receive at 0.12uV). They suck to listen to far repeaters (or simplex) and they will be deaf in a place with busy VHF signals (like a city), and don't forget about the Baofeng's spurious, it's just a garbage radio.
Love the vx-6r. I lost my first one during a very boggy walk out from a SOTA activation... I since bought a second one as it's such a dependable and sturdy unit. As for the baofengs, most of them are fantastic value for money and reasonable performers. I guess the main difference will be consistency from one unit to the next. It would be great to see five of the same model baofeng from different sources being put through the same test.
I checked 3 BF-7H Baofengs I just bought on my Surecom 102 and they where all three basically the same. Within .25 watts of each other and with in .5 watts +/- of the advertised 10 watts.
Which is the best radio/antenna combo to get anywhere between 15 and 20 miles in range? I can’t seem to find any information to those specifications. Hope you can help.
I gotta say, the BendixKing Digital radio I used with Fire/EMS back in 2001/2008 didn't sound as good as this UV-5R. Honestly impressive how far weve come that a Sub $30 (Included Abbree ar-771 antenna) can sound and transmit this well.
Josh, I'd be interested to see the transmitting power consumption between them. maybe some kind of digital power supply with a readout, while transmitting or on a dummy load.
jumbo battery pack options for any radio will help, kinda like does mpg on a vehicle matter? yes but will pick a worse one with other features that are easier to use...
My f8hp, like others (most likely ALL F8 series) has off center accessories port holes. This makes getting the programming cable or shoulder mic's plugged in nearly impossible unless you cut off some of the connector rubber (see photo). The manufacturer clearly didn't test a prototype before going to full production, not surprisingly, you get what you pay for now days!
I like to see a test on the baofeng uv53.. using this radio people have said my audio is worse when i use the cig lighter compare to when run from the stock battery that came with it.
Lacking a test for rx desense, these results while informative and appreciated do not illustrate a susceptibility that's been frequently reported for CCRs and is very impactful to the user experience. I was surprised by the higher numbers from the non-Japanese radios.
I have a question. I have been a ham for almost 20 years. My HT is a Yaesu VX-150. My brother and niece have shown some interest lately. I would like to get him a GT-5R. Was that static I heard while transmitting or was it on the receiving side? Anyway, for the price, it seems great, but I want to make sure it would be good for him. Thanks!
Josh, is there an economical tool (meter) that effectively measures the SWR of HTs? The Surecom meters don't seem to work, even with a paw around the HT acting as a ground plane. One Surecom even came with a steel plate to act as a ground plane, but it 1) greatly added to the cost of production and 2) really didn't work. They're super for mobile or base station use, but not HT use, unfortunately. Thnx!
UV-5R vs BF-F8HP. Most of the review videos I watch comparing these two radios is over my head. I want to pick one for listening to VHF and UHF. Not planning to talk on one. The BAOFENG BF-F8HP appears to have wider frequency spectrum than the UV-5R. VHF: 136-174 MHz(Rx/Tx). UHF: 400-520 1000 channels vs VHF 144-148MHz, UHF 420-450MHz 128 channels. The videos I have watched don’t seem to speak about that. Can you help me understand if my reasoning is correct for my intended use.
Can't get over the chained bench. It would be an operation to steal that thing in the first place (2 two people + pickup truck). Not really a "keep honest people honest" thing. So if you are already going that far, whats to stop them from getting some bolt cutters? I never wanted to steal a picnic table but the chain makes me want to do it.
Got f8hp radio March 5th worked good for 6 weeks. Two weeks ago I turned it on it made a cracking sound lost all audio. Even to earplug. Reset it 10 times still dead.
Great vid, I've been curious about the various Boafeng variants. Does that big chain ground radial behind you going from the table and around the tree affect your test?? LOL One thing about the Baofeng's... rarely does the actually transmit power live up to the advertised wattage hype. The 8W model I bought measured less than 5W on VHF and 6W on UHF.
Hi Josh. Been following you since I got my first Baofeng and found your videos about them. Thank you for all the great videos. But, what do you think about BTech? I came across a review saying the BTech UV-5X3 can skip nuisance channels when scanning. I like that, bc I've been scanning and building a list of GMRS channels with the lowest traffic in my area to use with my buddies that only have GMRS. No, I don't have a home radio yet. My interest right now is portable communication.
Now I am more confused! While the numbers clearly showed the GT-5R being the winner, I think it sounded infinitely worse and harder to understand than the BF-F8... like not even a comparison. Also by comparison, my Midland 275 GMRS sounds infinitely clearer, but I haven't learned how to use repeaters yet. I was picking up people from Abilene (TX) while in Colorado yesterday... 428NM from KALS to KABI. HOW in the world could I hear them (they could not hear me)...??? Also- if I can hear GMRS for 400+ miles away, while in the mountains with rock walls towering over us, why would anyone limit themselves to a radio setup limited to just a few miles? Was this a fluke? (It has to be. The radio in the King Air I fly can't reach that far...How else can a $125 radio tucked into the mountains perform better than the $10,000 radio in my plane at 25,000'?) None of the radio licenses I have had for 25+ years now give me any ability to explain this: not my GMRS, HAM, RRTOP (Aviation specific) ... This flies in the face of everything we know about radios... ANY THOUGHTS?
I had to drill a hole (didn't drill big enough so I got to drill bigger than the original port) in the mic port and going to have to do the same on the speaker mic.
Josh, great info, thanks for posting, can you or anyone comment if there is any improvement on the receive side of the GT5R as well- pertaining to intermod rejection or is it the same as basic UV5R? Also, without the spurious emissions (GT5R) would tx power be more efficient on the chosen freq? I have a recent Amazon UV5R seems ok, but am considering if it is worth it to upgrade to the GT5R or an even bigger step to the FT60r as the radio will be accompanying me on motorcycle rides with a 771/signal stick style antenna.. Thanks all.
Interesting and unexpected results from what I would have imagined. What I would be interested in is a comparison over time (a year, for example) of radios that are used on a regular (weekly) basis. Will the Chinese radios hold up over time? I have two 20 year old Kenwood HTs, and I will still go to one of them when I need to depend on my comms in an important situation.
I recently bought a Baofeng BF-S5plus It's a tri bander 70cm 1.25m 2m handheld. I can't find an owners manual download for this rig. Anyone know of one?
