I can't believe that these can be sold for such a low price. They actually work very well. The antennas that I received with the radios had a VSWR of about 9 on the Amateur Radio bands. This will prove fatal for the radios' amplifiers. I replaced these immediately with Nagoya NA-771, available from Amazon. These both had a VSWR below 2 across all Amateur Radio VHF and UHF bands.
You may manually program these radios but using Chirp, available for free as a download, makes programming, the 128 memory frequencies, much easier.
I've been using these radios daily, over local repeaters, for several weeks with excellent signal reports. I've been checking into Nets and talking with other radio operators with no issues.
You MUST BE LICENSED by the FCC to transmit with these radios on the Amateur Radio bands. Severe fines and penalties otherwise exist. Other frequencies may also require a license.
The size and weight are perfect for me. The battery life is exceptional and take several hours to recharge. These don't feel cheap. The cases are rugged.
The quality of the USB cable that came with these is not very good. I bought a much better quality one for programming but in reality the one that came with the radios is adequate. You aren't going to use it much after initially programming the radios.
Don't expect that these will really put out 8 watts. Mine generated about 5 watts across the entire VHF and UHF Amateur Radio bands.
The frequency control is also spot on. I verified this using an external frequency counter.
The 1 watt audio output is excellent. This is plenty of audio to listen to conversations with background noise while mobile.
The built-in microphone is okay but very directional. You must be very close to it for it to be effective. I have yet to try the external speaker and microphone. I expect these will be similar.
Overall the value for your money is extraordinary. These perform as well as other brands selling for 10 times more. I doubt that these are as rugged but they are incredible for this price and you can buy 10 of these transceivers for the price of one of the name brands.
These frequencies are generally only good for line-of-sight communications. Don't expect to be talking to someone over great distances. The difference between 5 and 8 watts of transmit power won't make that much difference so don't get too hung-up over power. The use of an Nagoya antenna will make a bigger improvement in both transmit and receive performance than the difference in wattage.
You will need a magnetic mount antenna, or similar, if you want to use these while mobile. They are not, however, hands-free except in VOX (voice operated transmit) mode which may or may not be useful for your purposes.
I highly recommend these for the price if you are properly licensed to use these frequencies or just plan to just listen. You don't need a license to listen. It isn't that difficult to become a legally licensed Amateur Radio operator. This radio equipment is an affordable place to start. Check for a list of Amateur Radio repeaters in your area. There is a lot of help available to get legally licensed. Check the ARRL website for various options.
| Item Weight | 8.2 ounces |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 5.08 x 2.29 x 1.15 inches |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | BAOFENG UV-82 |
| Batteries | 2 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Display Type | LCD |
