BaoFeng UV-5R Pro 8W High Power Radio 144-148Mhz/420-450Mhz Ham Radio Handheld Two Way Radio with TIDRADIO-771 Antenna Walkie Talkie for Off-Roading,5 Pack Full Kit

I got this package deal for $20 and I couldn't be happier. Just the bluetooth programmer costs that much. The extended battery is $16 and the folding antenna is $8 so I got a few freebies from my point of view! The antenna is good by my swr meter and antenna analyzer. The programmer works great. I have cycled the extended battery and it takes 2 days with the fm radio to drain the battery. The radio is fairly close to the stated power and seems like it is working fine. Haven't checked it yet for spurs but not a big concern for me right now. The radio and battery seems lighter than my older radio and extended battery but I haven't weighed them to compare. They just didn't seem to have a more solid feel compared to the older ones. Not sure if it's a big deal and not really a concern but I just wanted to let you know that when you get one. Still a very good deal.

These are a great value, A 8 watt radio with extended battery, antenna and Bluetooth programmer. Its the same size as the 5 watt version but the extra power makes a difference in certain situations. Where my 5 watt radio sometimes doesn't really "hold" A repeater this one will be more clear and static free. I also like the smaller size compared to the common 10 watt radios. I often carry it on hikes or walking the dog with the standard smaller sized battery.

Love these radios! That work great!

I bought these for my get home bag and inch bag. I watched a lot of videos about these radios and these have such a wide rang of use. The UV5R can be used as ham radios as long as you have the proper licensing with the FCC. But as I recently found out these can be used on GMRS frequencies as well so you could use these for off roading, airsoft, milsim, hiking, etc. Or depending on your location, you can use these as scanners to listen to local law enforcement agencies, security, fire, ambulances, so on and so forth. There are a lot of people out there that will bash these radios but from what I have heard and watched those people are mostly upset that the spent a lot of money on other radios that have the same functions but spent 3x the amount of money. If you have any questions about these radios the best educational channel I have found is notarubicon on YouTube. There is a lot of information available on that channel everything from function and frequencies to FCC laws and licensing. With the wide rang of use you really can’t go wrong with these radios. I would also recommend getting the larger batteries for longer run times and getting spare large batteries as well.

Five stars for the radios. However, 0 stars for the programmer. I couldn't get mine to work and I ordered two radios. Otherwise than that, these radios are a great deal and love them.

This is a great deal 8 watt radio, blue tooth programming that worked great! And tactile antenna! Just wonderful and works great! I strongly recommend!

I have several versions of HT's some Beofang some Yeasu and even a wouxun or two. I really didn't need more HT's but I was interested in the Bluetooth programming. I found the setup and programming to be extremely easy and I was able to use it with not only the BF but my other radios too. As with anything I do computer wise I had a learning curve but my programming life is much easier. Oh, and the BF's work like the other BF's I have great although I can only get 6+ watts out if them but who cares for the price. I find a watt or two doesn’t make much difference. I can hit the repeaters I want with 4 watts easily with the longer antenna (about 60 miles away. Line of sight). I've never had anyone ask if I was running a BF or a Yeasu. So I guess they are getting out well. Using the HT's simplex style. In the northern Sacramento valley i only get about 4 miles radio to radio. Yes, I do have a Ham tag.

Over the past ten or more years, Baofeng has established a reputation of making very inexpensive radios that perform pretty well for their price. The best known of these is the UV-5R series, which had a nominal RF output power of ~5 watts. I recently saw this new, 8 watt version, and wanted to try it. Admittedly, 8 watts is only 2dB more power than 5 watts, a relatively insignificant difference in terms of RF signal. But it might make my signal just a little bit better when I'm working outdoor public service events. And the new radio also has a somewhat bigger battery, which should provide longer talk time IF the radio is set to produce only 5 watts. I bought a kit with two of the radios, two batteries, two short "rubber duck" antennas, and two longer whip-type antennas, which should perform better than the "rubber ducks." It was an attractive combination package and a very attractive price.Everything arrived promptly and in good condition. Amazon seems to have conquered the shipping market! And shipping was free with my Prime account, which I love.Initially charging the radios took a few hours (as predicted by the instruction manual). Then I set out to test my new toys. When I turned on the first radio, I was shocked to see a very dim, low-contrast display. Thinking that the radio might be defective, I tried the second one, and found it was just as bad. This is a big disappointment. Displays like this were common around ten years ago, but are certainly outdated today. For example, in my house, on an overcast day, with two 60-watt lights plus subdued daylight in the room, the display is dimmer than my 20-year-old Dell laptop, much dimmer than my LCD TV, much dimmer than my Samsung phone. In addition to being dim, the contrast is low, so the characters are NOT sharp. They are difficult to read. Of course the situation is even worse outdoors. On a moderately sunny day, I need to shade the display with one hand, in order to have any possibility of reading it. Certainly NOT a radio I'd want to use for outdoor bike races and the like. The display is a deal killer.Because of the display, I didn't do any further testing of the radios. Presumably they work like a typical Baofeng. Hopefully the power output is as advertised. I imagine the longer whip antennas provide better performance than the shorter "rubber ducks." But I will never know these things for certain, because IMHO the display makes the radio a definite loser. I'm packing them up and sending them back for credit.BTW I see that Baofeng now has at least two new models with much brighter, clearer, high-contrast displays. (UV-17 Pro Max GPS, and UV-21) Photos and other reviews confirm that they are much better than this present model. I hope to try one or both of the new ones, if and when they become available from Amazon. With luck I'll be able to review one of these in the not too distant future.73 de K3GEM