Get More Transmit Range And Distance From Your Baofeng UV-5R - Talk farther with the highest power 

Links mentioned: Nagoya 771 for ham (below 450Mhz): amzn.to/3JqVbfr Nagoya 771-G for frequencies above 450Mhz (GMRS): amzn.to/4aKHkwj Buy a Baofeng UV-5R radio here: amzn.to/2QojPFw

Learned Something = Yes Laughed several times = Yes 👍

Self appointed division of the RU-vid FCC Police, that is epic. I love this channel. Keep up the good work, Thank You

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels. Love the humor.

Second time watching. Ham-General here, military radio guy from tactical teletype (yes, I’m old) to Earth station SATCOM control. Flu a few satellites, none hit the atmosphere. Anyway, your work is fantastic. I’m bringing some new UV5R’s into the family, my daughters will each get their own. Went all out with extra batteries, “better” antennas and yes, manuals that I’ve read. Wait, ok, I read ONE of the manuals. I really appreciate all your vids on the subject, fun and funny does not hurt. Keep it up, your efforts are enjoyed and appreciated! Stay safe.

Holy shit, I found your channel last night. Absolutely love the way you present the information. The "don't give two drops of monkey piss what you think" mentality is a nice change from the current state of the world. I've spent the last 15 or so years as an avionics mechanic on H60 and CH47s, and at 6:29, you spoke directly from what I think almost daily!

Your humor is the best part of this channel, honestly.

Irreverent, sarcastic, caustic, cynical, yes....my kind of guy! Thanks for getting to the point and not wasting my time.

Early in my career I managed a Radio Shack store. We called it RTFM (Read the F*ing Manual).

Your advice is the best, just unlocked my new baofeg uv5rtp and hit a repeater 50 miles away

For car to car, magnetic mount roof antenna adds a lot of range and a lapel mic makes long drives much more fun because you can roast your friends all the way to your destination. I always have 2-3. One mounted to the magnetic antenna to my vehicle. One handheld for a spotter, or a newbie joining the group.

I transmitted the words "pearl necklace" on GMRS with my baofeng

I truly love your videos, I enjoy the jabs at the old timers in Ham Radio. Since they are hurting the hobby, know one wants to be in a group with pompous asses!

New to HAM and cramming in as much information as I can while I study for the test. Your vids are by far the best. I appreciate your straightforward approach and calling me out for being a dumbass when necessary. I find you are the Bill Bob Thorton of the Ham RU-vid world. Bravo!

I instruct this stuff to some of our alphabet soup folks. LOVE your presentation style. Late 80s, 90s and 2000s I could talk like this in class. Miss it. Was sooooo refreshing to hear this. Rock on.

The way u lovingly look at your uv5r, it wouldn't shock me if it received a pearl necklace.

This is the only channel where I learn a lot and laugh out loud! Please don’t stop curb stomping the sad hams!

Thanks for your knowledge and humor, really enjoy listening to you , did 26 years volunteer firefighter, used ham radios in our rigs and handhelds !

In my experience, finding higher ground makes the most drastic improvement. Climbing up in the back of your truck or on the roof of your house or even just walking up a small hill can increase range. For really short people, always be sure to have a tall, bulky friend with broad shoulders. As skinny boney should are very uncomfortable to sit on.

Still watching your shows and love them, it’s just the way you put things, straight to the point, thanks again Alan from England 🇬🇧🍻👍

The sarcasm.... Omg... SUBSCRIBED!

I had my amature radio license when I was 15... but do to my traveling all over the world with my family in the Intel Community I never renewed it. But now at 48 and watch alot of your videos, I bought a Baofeng UV-5R III. I am now applying for my GMRS Family Licenses and studying up to also take my Technicians Licenses. Keep up your videos, they are inspiring!

For anyone that is experiencing poor results w/ the antennas mentioned in the video, and other similar antennas, you’re not alone. It is a problem experienced by many owners of this radio. It’s an awesome little radio so don’t misunderstand me. Using the “upgraded” antennas has resulted in much better transmit (further distance). However, for whatever reason, these “upgraded” antennas have caused issues w/ the radios receiving signals. Several tests performed w/ multiple Uv-5R radios setting side by side, using stock antennas vs different “upgraded” antennas (including jpole base antennas) resulted in the UV-5R simply not even acknowledging a signal. People debate why the problem exists. The reason I’m sharing this is so that if and when you experience this problem, you don’t beat your head against the wall wondering if you’re doing something wrong.

Kn6eiv here. I'm new and dumb to this hobby. Still trying to get over mic fright. Bought a Baofang bf-f8hp and got a Nagoya na-771 antenna for it. Just hiked up Cerro Alto Mt. 2624' elevation San luis County and made contact with Lockwood ca. 41 miles north as the crow flies. working simplex 146.52. Got 3 on low power and 7 on high power. People bag on this little radio. I know it's not a real radio but for a very cheep radio it touched another ham 41 miles away. Thank you for the advice.

Nagoya also makes a 701C which is commercial tuned (455,450-512 range) which is close to GMRS. Since the G model is sold out most places.

AWESOME video man! The main 'amateur radio maxim': "HEIGHT is MIGHT and ANTENNA IS EVERYTHING!" Also "A watt is a lot". So standing on a mountain top with a lot longer "line of sight" and a better tuned antenna you might be able to transmit 60 or perhaps even 100+ miles vs standing at sea level and being blocked by the curvature of the Earth... The higher dB gain your antenna is will usually be better! Not too long ago I actually made a crystal clear contact with my UV-5R 30 MILES away pretty close to sea level! I was "cheating" though because I had hooked it up to my big 20 foot tall collinear antenna at my house that has a pretty asinine 14 dB gain! Personally, I find the Nagoya antennas, while they're "good", they aren't the highest gain/range and plus they can bend and break if you're not careful. (The Luiton brand clones of the Nagoya actually perform better and are WAY less money!) My absolute favorite 1/4 wave antenna for the UV-5R is actually the "Super Elastic Signal Stick" because all the ones I have tested and seen tested on RU-vid had greater range and higher dB, plus they're practically indestructible with a lifetime warranty if you do manage to break one, and all for about the same price as the Nagoya, for $21 bucks. Check them out on signalstuff.com (you want the "SMA female" antenna for the UV-5R). They also accept Amazon pay and they're a nonprofit for hamstudy.org too! "Tiger tails" AKA a counterpoise DO work pretty dang well, they effectively serve as an improved ground/ground plane and also work kind of like a dipole antenna if I understand correctly because you're basically adding a 2nd antenna element? I've messed around with them a LOT! Where they can really help your signal strength is if you're standing on certain types rocky ground that has very poor grounding/electrical conductivity, I forget the specific rock types off the top of my head. But you DO need to test and trim them to the correct length, otherwise I've found they can raise the SWR (standing wave ratio) the amount of reflected power that isn't transmitting into the air, instead it bounces power BACK into the radio and will slowly COOK the radio! My main annoyance with having a counterpoise on though is that roughly 19" long wire can get in the freakin way a lot... I've made a bunch of them in a "compact" version. Take about 22" of solid copper wire (stranded works too but it's floppy and can be a pain to coil) and wrap that around something like a long 1/4" socket extension or a Bic pen, round pencil ETC to make a coil and stretch the coil a bit so there's an even gap between the coils, you could also use a small flathead screwdriver to space the coil gap evenly. Then on one end, bend the wire at a 90 degree angle and solder on a round terminal connector and attach that to one of the belt clip mounting screws on the UV-5R which is chassis ground. Hook up an SWR meter and trim the bottom of the wire until the SWR is decent. "A watt is a lot"... The regular UV-5R is only 5w tops, but there's a UV-5R "plus" or + that's 8w that usually comes with the higher capacity 3800mAh battery for about $40... 3 measly watts might not sound like much of a difference, but that's a 60% increase in power...

Thanks for the videos, I just bought one to listen to in case of emergencies. You have taught me so much. Thank you

Took me several hours over months to accept your wisdom delivery methodology. This is good, as it allowed me to ferret out the others. You'll be the only sub channel for this genre of mental sport. Thank you.

🤣🤣My favorite channel ❤. The actual information. But the music and commentary is just phuckin priceless! Great delivery! 🤣🤣

You're the absolute best when it comes to tutorials for this.

Thanks man, I always enjoy the videos. Stay safe and happy trails 👣

I am enjoying using my new UV-5R radio's with my son. I have however been enjoying your videos far more than the radios themselves. Thanks for teaching me 100% of what I wanted to know about GMRS. Thanks for all the laughs too.

I don't read the manual, I sit here and watch you....make sure you get it right! Keep'em coming!

Totally liking and following you because of how real you get. The language and direct-ness in this video is much needed in youtube-land. Thank you for the tips to legally do this with a license and not do it without a license under absolutely no circumstances..

Great information, like the presentation. My father was a ham operator, built his own ham radio. Talked to people all over the world. At 78 I have a harder time getting it too stick in the grey matter. Keep up the good work. John

The best sarcasm on Utube 😂 And the most informative, no nonsense instruction.

First of your videos I’ve seen. I like your attitude, and how lovingly you fondle your precious.

Thanks for the info and the laughs.... I love my Baofeng uv-5r. We take it offroading with us and use it for spotting drivers. And if the spotter drops it, or we loan it out and dont get it back... well we are out $20. While it sucks to be out the $20, its a whole lot better than giving someone a $400 Yaesu or Kenwood radio and having them drop it in the mud.

Good video as always. I have had pretty good luck with the Signal Stick antenna on my UV5R as well.

I subbed simply because of the laughter you gave me. Unexpected humor while learning something. 👍🏻

Just discovered this channel and am a new HAM. Love your content. Keep being you! Thank you!

Hey Randy, another great video, and I learned more from you once again, thanks for the great video.

Highlight of my day. Great video.

Keep it up. I just subscribed and added to my alerts. The sarcasm and real life attitude is refreshing. Thanks for that!

This video just popped up. Always awesome and never disappoint. Love this channel

I got one yesterday with original antenna the longer flexible one and did a range test locally and got a 2.1 mile range from walkie talkie to walkie talkie. Pretty good 👍

I hit a GMRS Repeater with my Baofeng GMRS Radio which is 12 miles away through Pennsylvania Hills & Trees (in Winter) AND even on Low Power setting !... The dude I chatted to 30 miles away said the low power setting made it a bit of a struggle to hear me but we did have a conversation. Perfectly clear back on High Power, I was impressed.

Dude you are the greatest youtube asset for two way radio. Keep up the great work.

Love the humor!! Made learning ham fun and not as boring and dry as the others

Love your videos, direct and to the point no BS 👍👍

That was the most passionate and genuine RTFM I've ever heard 6:26 . I really felt it down in the cockles of my heart...maybe even in the sub-cockle area, maybe the kidneys, maybe even in the colon - it was deep.

Another very nicely done video to make my brain cells work. I have a UV S9Plus and an Abbree NA-771 that came with the set. got to a repeater 35 ish miles away. I will try the counter poise and see how I do. Thanks for helping us get more fars.

Mark From Florida Here,. Rock on brother. 😲. WOW. 13 miles. I just ordered a 5 pk. UV-5r plus for my Paramotor training school at the Williston Airport Florida. I was so worried about distance they would travel. I made the right choice. Walkie talkie perfection. Thank you sir for the super news.

When I was a kid my dad was into c.b. and I remember a time (during the Vietnam War ) when my dad would back his car up to a lake, attach a chain to the trailer hitch and throw the other end into the lake. According to him, this made the entire lake into a parabolic antenna. I recall him talking to soldiers in Guam. We lived in Northern Canada at the time.

I bought a 222 MHz antenna that was VHF and 222 MHz and it is about 16 inches long and it increased my reception and transmit range dramatically. I was trying to receive low-power 900 MHz data transmissions from 1 watt sites spread out over 25 miles and I could barely get a clear decode unless I was within half a mile on the same elevation in the city. I went to the top of the mountain to the east about 10 miles away from the closest site and I got super strong positive decode 100% on all the control points where I had been getting 25% on the ground 1 mile away. I was dumbfounded how strong and clear the signals were so far away and the only difference was the elevation. I tried calling on my VHF radio from the top of the mountain and I easily activated the repeater 60 miles away and I could hear the mountain repeater 120 miles away clearly but could not activate it. That was with a 5 Watt handheld With my 120 watt Motorola VHF radio I was able to activate the repeater 120 miles away and I was able to reach a repeater 200 miles away up at the Canadian border. It really makes all the difference in the world to have the highest elevation I tested TV reception from the same location and I received stations from most of the northeast states This was before digital TV. Even here in Pennsylvania if I go to the top of the highest mountain at Clark's Summit I can receive NYC and Philadelphia and NJ stations and Syracuse NY I think the elevation is 2000 feet Down south, like SC and GA and FL, in the " Low Country " with an antenna mounted on a 50 foot mast you can receive 5 Watt signals 200 miles away if they are also on a mast.

I'm a UK radio ham and use a UV-5R from time to time and they are great value for money. The Nagoya is a big help and at home I use a 5R via a J Pole antenna about 25' up and can access repeaters 25 mile away.

always entertaining and informative! Also, it cracks me up when you "pet" the baofeng. Keep up the great work!

As always, a funny and informative video. On a historical note, years ago a company whose name escapes me, marketed a flexible wire counterpoise for 2 Meter handy-talkies. It was about 19 inches long (one-quarter wavelength at about 146 MHz) with a ring terminal on one end, that would fit onto the BNC connector on top of the radio, to be held in place by the attached antenna. It was called "Tiger Tail," and the name sort of stuck as a generic descriptor, like "Good Buddy" or even "Sad Ham." 😜 But yes, filling in the "missing" half of an antenna system by adding a counterpoise can help with range. It might make a difference when calling for help when injured in the wild.

PMR446 is our equivalent to your FRS over there, 500mw with a fixed antenna only is the legal option. Seen a contact from here SE England, near the South Coast, to a point in France over 100 miles away on these. I use a Baofeng Gt3-tp Mk 3, with a Retevis 771 antenna and while sitting around a camp fire during a storm, 30 miles no problem. Stick a Diamond x30 or x50 on it and get that up and boom...youre going to rx and tx brilliantly, put an 8 element beam up and turn it to your contact, absolutely brilliant. And nope, I'm not licenced

Best advice I've heard yet from a youtube video about the UV-5R: RTFM!

I got a fake one and little better on uhf 430 kHz plus frequency. I now use a backpack with a car style uniden uhf antenna. Awesome reception and your counterpoise makes a huge difference. I'm picking up truckies over 50 km away. Amazing

Your videos rock, I keep ordering radios however as a side effect. Nevertheless brilliant editing as well 👍

Any great Baofeng UV-5R informational video here. Thank you!

Very informative and original videos! Funny as hell too! Just want to say thanks for sparing the subscriber, music and sponsor stuff. Refreshing! (I subscribed anyway)

You remind me of my old shop teacher. Good days. Love your channel. Your a good teacher.

And this is why I want/need to put up some repeaters in my area. [right now there are NONE, in Lincoln County, Mo] and I need to be able to communicate with other members of my MAG [mutual asst. group..NOT a militia, but a group of preppers who are spread pout a bit]

“Highly illegal” 😂😂😂😂😂😂

You did good here for your watchers. You give the facts and making it your own kind of making it funny to listen too in your own way.

You are awesome. I like how you call people out. Getting into Ham Radios.

Man this pandemic is really killing music. I miss the Ham Band, they were really rockin with hits like "I've got your frequency baby" "Hot mic" and from their hit album Repeater (goin long distance) the top 10 hit "what's your call sign".

To reiterate - make SURE you're getting one from a reputable supplier. There are more fake knockoffs on Amazon than there are real ones by far. I got two fake ones in a package with 2 UV-82HP's, and the SWR is WAY unacceptable in ANY band - like 7 - 11 SWR from 2 meter through GMRS when I swept with a VNA. The fake ones don't have the base loading coils, it's just a piece of wire. It can burn up your radio. I got them in a package, where I was buying it for the radios and batteries (90 bucks for 2 82HP's, 2 regular batteries, and 2 3800mah batteries) and I knew they were going to be fake so it was a good way to test some to see how bad the fakes really are - and they're REALLY bad. WAY better off with the factory rubber duck. I also have two genuine Nagoya mag mounts (UT-72 and U-308UV), which I also swept. IMHO - if you're going to risk going to prison for the rest of your life by using a baofeng on GMRS frequencies, the UT-72 is THE ONE to get. The 308UV has a bit more gain, but like I'd expect - the SWR was focused into a narrower frequency range, and GMRS was starting to get into the "unacceptable" range. The 72 even as old and beat up as it is compared to my 308, is a much better antenna, even in the higher range of the 440 band where licensed hams can use it without risking possibly the death penalty! Oh - and also, the way to double your range as the thummbnail image says - is to get a really good antenna, and put it on a really tall pole! :D

The weird looks and the very odd back ground music along with the sad ham really makes for true entertainment. I am a fan. Thanks for all the great info

This channel is brilliant.No pulling any punches either.

This guy is really good 👍 I'm in the UK 🇬🇧 and will get one of these for when the shit hits the fan. When that happens I don't think anybody is going to be worried about what freeking frequency you're on, they'll all be zombies.

The amplifier hub for these is incredible. Turns your UV5R into a base station with 25 to 40 watts of output power. Works very well with a custom wire dipole or ground plane made out of TV coax.

I am learning about radios with your videos. I love it!!!

I gotta say I love your style, RTFM has been one of my pet peeves when people complain about things that are normal they just didn't read the manual. You certainly have me laughing and I've picked up a few tips and tricks from your videos. I really appreciate that you don't waste me time with music and asking me to subscribe and click the bell, lol. If you have ever seem Will Ferrell's Saturday night skit with Christopher Walken needing more cow bell, I think you need more Baofeng UV-5R's, thanks for tips and laughs.

And don't forget that antennas break. Swap if you're not having any luck.

Lol. You will go to prison for life. These videos are always great!

Lol your videos crack me up while they’re helping me understand this radio! Keep them coming!

I’ve been able to transmit to a repeater 25km away with my UV-5R completely stock. I’m in a valley which I thought would make it impossible. Very happy.

Hi, I dig ur sense of humor and jabs at certain people. Also thanks for the education. Are there certain frequencies that will go a tad bit farther then others? I got my UV-5R to break squelch on my dads identical radio at 5miles away using an ~18in Abbree tape measure antenna on 462.562. We can’t communicate but sometimes it will crackle when we press the PTT. Any tips for that tiny push more? I can try the Nagoya’s and we were thinking of raising the antennas up about 20ft on a pole. Thanks very much!

Awesome video!! I'm going to throw out my manuals out of respect! :-)

Another excellent option for stationary use is the Ed Fong Roll-Up JPole.

Haha! Always informative, always real! Cracks me up the way you lovingly caress that little radio. Cheers!

To those nerds, come and take it.

It's only illegal if you get caught. 🍺😜

I just found this video. What a crackup. I don't mind the language, I'm a grown boy and can take it. I have used my uv-5r out in the outback and, I'm truly amazed at it's range, even with the Nagoya. These little radios work pretty darn good for what they are. I appreciate your candor in this subject. Nice tip about the "Poise" thing. SR

Love the way you caress your UV-5r. Laughed each time.

I agree with all your points. My Baofeng UV-9R + works better on it's factory antenna, than the 15" Upgrade antenna. I tried a counterpoise antenna too. While it does help a bit! It is a pain in the butt to have dangling around, and hanging on stuff. And I have never heard a (know-it-all) person, state the proper way to hold my HT. Hell, If it doesn't work upside down, its crap anyway. And my little chinese girl, in the box, talks to me to much too! 😆 If you really want a better radio, buy a $$$$ Japanese brand. Yaesu, I-Com, Kenwood, Alinco, etc. But Baofeng works ✔, and is affordable! $

So , if someone (no code license...) wanted to “clone” a number of bay o fang 🤣 hand tranceivers... what steps ‘ software ‘ cables would be required.

Your videos made me order one like two hours ago, like the way you explain it.

From the UK love your sense of humor!!

If the government collapses, is it still illegal to TX without a ham license?? 😶

We are in a state of emergency scene Mar of 2020. Anyone can use HAM right now

You Sir, are friggin' HILARIOUS! Please, do more reviews of ANYTHING! Thanx for your time.

Great knowledge and awesome personality.I enjoyed your video from start to finish.👍

You can transmit the longest distance if you transmit underwater.

Definitely the most important factor is line of sight. Also you should be aware of what frequency you are using, there are different benefits to UHF and VHF. But my friends and I have talked clearly 20+ miles when we are on opposite sides of the valley.

I'm glad to find your channel. Very very useful information. I like your mood also, tough!