BAOFENGUV-5R Radio High Power 8 Watt Ham Radio Handheld 144-148Mhz/420-450Mhz Upgraded UV 5R with Rechargeable 3800mAh Battery Walkie Talkie with Programming Cable(2 Pack)

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.

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!

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.

These handheld radios are great for basic use. My kids like them for around the house, and we tested them at about a mile apart before they began to lose signal. However, when doing an off-roading trip in the dense forest, signal was sketchy at about 1/4 - 1/2 mile. I would recommend testing their signal distance prior to any trips along with using longer antennas. The battery life, however, was great. They were on all day and used periodically throughout the trip without very much battery lossAs for the ease of use, basic use is great. If you want to use them to their full potential, there is some studying and practice that must be done. This can get a bit complicated - a bit too much for me and what I use them for.Overall, I recommend them for basic use.

I got these for communication between areas on my property. They absolutely work great and especially with the longer antenna. Regardless of the trees and terrain.

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.

Mine came with the "UV-5R Pro" label on it. These "jailbreak" and work with CHIRP just like any other UV-5R.For around $30 per unit, you get (some) HAM, GMRS, FRS, MURS, Marine band, Weather band, and even FM radio! Really the only thing missing is CB frequencies but I run one of those too, so...Everything worked great, out of the box. This is a COMPLETE kit, with the bigger batteries, two chargers, two wrist straps, two belt clips, two different length antennas, and two programming cables.Even if all you do is listen, these are worth every penny.

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