Baofeng UV-5R Dual Band 2m/70cm Radio Review

The Baofeng UV-5R is the radio responsible for a renaissance in the handheld radio market. No longer do you have to spend hundreds of dollars on a useful amateur radio. Is it worth the hype? Read on!

Let me start by saying that no, the Baofeng UV-5R will not hold its own against high-end radios like the Kenwood TH-D74, Yaesu FT-60R, etc. It was never designed for that so just get it out of your head. It is, however, a remarkable and completely usable amateur radio and has spawned more radio models than any other radio around, such as the Baofeng BF-F8HP (I have a review of that radio too!).

In fact, for the price, I would go so far as to say the Baofeng UV-5R is an outstanding radio, and you get more for your money with this radio than you do with any of the high-end pricey radios (this coming from someone who owns pretty much all the pricey radios).

Starting with the build quality of the Baofeng UV-5R you find a radio that far exceeds what you would expect. For my hand, it is a little too short but that is a very personal observation, it still fits pretty well.

All of the buttons, knobs, and keys on the Baofeng feel good when used and are very responsive. My only complaint here is it seems that the BAND button is a little hard to press as it is not raised like the A/B and VFO/MR button is. This is a very minor complaint as I really do not use that button much.

The Baofeng UV-5R employs a low-resolution dot-matrix type of screen but given its size on the radio it is very readable and serves the user well. Even with my older eyes, I can easily see what I need to use and program the radio without a problem.

Speaking of programming, it is true that the Baofeng UV-5R, like all analog Baofeng radios, has a unique menu system that is wildly different than what most people are used to with their Yaesu, Kenwood, Icom and other major radios. The menus also seem to confuse people who are new to amateur radio, which is to be expected since there are a ton of features. Once you get the hang of it however there is no problem with programming the radio in the field. No, it isn’t as easy as my Yaesu FT-60R but then again it costs a small fraction of the Yaesu’s price.

The speaker on the Baofeng UV-5R is pretty small, yet has pretty good audio output. It truly is amazing what they can do with these things today. In the overwhelming majority of communications, I have no problem understanding people easily through the speaker. When operating at the extreme edges of range it can become a problem, but that is rare.

Programming the Baofeng UV-5R with a computer is pretty easy and straight forward using the free CHIRP software. This is one area where the big boys actually lagged behind with their proprietary programming software. Today, most radios that are not digital can be programmed with CHIRP making it very popular. This popularity means you are going to find plenty of help using CHIRP with your radio if you want to.

Lastly, the Baofeng UV-5R comes standard most of the time with a 1800mAh battery that provides plenty of talk time on your radio. You can also get batteries of various sizes including AA battery packs. I usually recommend people start with the standard battery pack as it provides excellent battery life in a fairly small and easily portable package. Larger batteries of course add weight and bulk which defeats some of the great things about this little radio.

If you are into tinkering, there are even a ton of Baofeng UV-5R modifications you can find on the internet (I don’t really recommend do any of the mods if this is your only radio, but they are so cheap, buy a spare!). This just wouldn’t be a proper Baofeng radio review without mentioning they exist. These mods really can make using a Baofeng radio more fun, but then using Baofeng are fun anyway 🙂

Photos

Baofeng UV-5R Test Results:

Screen readability	Good
In-hand feel	Good
Included antenna	Good
Construction quality	Good
Belt clip	Good
Programmability	Good
Transmit audio	CLICK TO LISTEN
Maximum power output (2m/70cm)	3 watts/ 1.4 watts
Size	265 * 58 * 44 mm
Actual weight	7.4 oz
Baofeng UV-5R manual	CLICK TO DOWNLOAD
Programming software	CLICK TO DOWNLOAD
Baofeng UV-5R Overall score

If you are interested, click here for an article on how I test radios.

FEATURES:
Frequency Range: 136-174 / 400-520MHz Dual-Band Display, Dual Freq. Display, Dual-Standby Output Power: 4 /1Watts 128 Channels 50 CTCSS and 104 CDCSS Built-in VOX Function 1750Hz Brust Tone FM Radio (65.0MHz-108.0MHz) LED Flashlight Large LCD Display High /Low RF Power Switchable 25KHz/12.5KHz Switchable Emergency Alert Low Battery Alert Battery Saver Time-out Timer Keypad Lock Monitor Channel Channel Step: 2.5/5/6.25/10/12.5/25KHz ROGER SET
PROS:	CONS:
A remarkable set of features Feels good in the hand Great set of accessories More than acceptable signal quality Reasonable speaker output	For the price? None.

Conclusions

The Baofeng UV-5R is a fantastic little radio for the price. Is it as good as a Yaesu FT-60R or Kenwood TH-D74, sorry, it’s not even in the same universe. The great news is that most people don’t really want or need the $200-$500 radio. Sure, they are nice and superior in every possible way, but that isn’t the point.

Think of the Baofeng UV-5R in terms of cars, no one who has owned a BMW, a Mercedes, and a Kia will tell you that the Kia is just as good, but if they are being honest, they will tell you all three will get you to Walmart and back with your groceries just as well. The same holds true here.

The Baofeng UV-5R will let you communicate with anyone on 2m or 70cm analog using simplex and repeaters in your local area 90% as well as the big boys, for a tenth or less money. That is hard to pass up and might be the best Baofeng radio for you. I own two, go ahead and get your own Beofeng UV-5R.