A better VHF radio
- Thread starter skegpro
- Start date
What would that translate to while using in the mountains? Ie small percentage better range or way better range or some other quality? Would a “dumb user” like me notice the difference using a good 1.13 vs a 4.00?
X-it
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It would say it would be like 30 or 40% loss in power from the radio, but honestly the boafeng antennas quality of build are low, so i think the 1.13 would soon be garbage as well. But i will test the baofengs a bit more, there is a small possibility they will stand up but i highly doubt it. If you want a good set up get the quansheng TG-UV2 plus and the HA06 antenna. It will not program with chirp and you will have a learning curve programming it.
X-it
Active VIP Member
Anyone order in the lastest Baofeng concoction of radio? The UV-g30 pro. I am tired of ordering all these latest and greatest Baofengs only to find out they are 1 to 3 watt radios. I usually just kept the batteries and tossed their crap in the garbage. I have put one on speed dial pending some input on here.
X-it
Active VIP Member
No bites ...so for those wanted info on the latest Baofeng, the UV-G30 pro 10 watt ..it's a 4 watt radio, however the cheaper 5 watt version is a 6 watt radio. But don't blame me if you ordered one and it turns out to be only 2 watts, these radios are all over the map and maybe the batteries too.
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Bnorth
Active VIP Member
What is your best radio and antenna recommendation that is programmable with CHIRP?
X-it
Active VIP Member
What will you be using the radio for? Handheld ..truck... vhf or uhf
Bnorth
Active VIP Member
Handheld, backcountry usage
X-it
Active VIP Member
Most range ...Most conenient.. what size. Will you be on uhf or vhf.
X-it
Active VIP Member
After getting asked whats the best radio for chirp it dawned on me how little i used chirp, so probably the best for chirp would be the Zastone A-19 which programs using wouxun kg-uv8d but it is a little wonky for programming repeaters and a bit expensive and the 889g may not program with chirp, if you can find the gt-5tp at least you will know you have a true uv-82hp.. those chinamen stick all kinds of crap in radios so if you think you are getting a good deal you are not, if you want power on uhf the conterfiet bf-f8hp gets good numbers on uhf. I am sure i missed some radios on the long list of radio programmed under chirp... the only radios i have used chirp for in the last two years is a few bj-218 and some bf-f8hp. I would highly recommed you not getting to focused on chirp. The ha-06 antenna gets pretty consistant numbers.
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Is there something equivalent to Chirp for quickly populating a radio with a hundred channels?
Most of us are just looking to run a quality, powerful, lightweight radio that lasts and works in the cold. We aren't looking to become 'radio' guys lol. It seems like these cingchong radios are hit and miss.
Most of us are just looking to run a quality, powerful, lightweight radio that lasts and works in the cold. We aren't looking to become 'radio' guys lol. It seems like these cingchong radios are hit and miss.
X-it
Active VIP Member
No not really. The only one i know for sure that is a real UV-82hp is a GT-5tp. Not sure how easy they are to get anymore though. I think there was a UV-82III that worked good but i cannot remember where i got them from or what they look like anymore. Just stay away from the waterproof ones and the 10 watters. Some of the uv-5r tri powers got close to 10 watts but it has been years since i have ordered them, however i order some smoking cheap tripowered uv-5r baofengs they were 3.5watt haha. So much junk in the baofeng radios. Good luck! I just finished ordering in another 2 crappy radios from baofeng that you guys will not be getting stuck with.
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X-it
Active VIP Member
I knew if i thought on it long enough i would remember a radio you guys would be happy with. The UV-5RA8 the thicker battery one. And the other one that used to get good numbers was the BF-F8HP but two years ago they changed something in it and the VHF dropped to 6.5 watts the UHF raised to 8 watts though. I still bring in a few of these radios because people want them thinking they are still great. If i have time today i will post some numbers from the UV-5RA8. I will give you a link i know it says it is no longer available but now you know what to search for with the larger battery. https://vi.aliexpress.com/i/1005003595819427.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2vnm Do not order the one in the link that is the A3, if you go to the right one that is the A8 with the larger battery. Finding it maybe a problem. The one i will be testing came from lightmalls it said thicker battery.. it was not. So maybe the radio is a fake as well, i have the thicker batteries i will be testing it with.
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X-it
Active VIP Member
Crap this was better than i expected, a fully charged UV-5R A8 from lightmalls on RR21 with a thicker battery not supplied from them. The large number is the swr not the wattage the wattage is in the upper right hand corner, my phone cover was getting in the way of the camera. I Still do not believe it will touch the quansheng though.
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X-it
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The quansheng was 11.4 watts, but it just recieves better than baofeng. But then again i might have to physically test these UV-5R A8 radios. I sure they will kill batteries so the longer 3800 mah batteries might be a good investment. But at least they work with chirp, i think it is the BF-F8HP download setting. They cost me over 70 dollars each to the door, but it was at least a couple years back. most of mine come form somewhere else until they stopped carrying them. These were just sitting in the corner collecting dust. No one wants a uv-5r for over 70 dollars and getting onto 90 by the time you buy the 3800 mah battery.
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X-it
Active VIP Member
Another test... they are 10 watts on mid and 3 watts on low, so on low the battery will last pretty good. But after testing thousands of radios some just put out more power for some reason, this one is probably one of those. But off of lightmalls website they tested theirs with the same tester i have and they got 8.51 watts so they are a true 8 watt radio. Just not as good as quansheng by any means.
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X-it
Active VIP Member
After taking some flack for having couterfeit Nagoya 771 and not the real ones. I managed to get some nagoya's directly from Japan. Packaging and antenna are higher quality as well as the rubber seal, the seal is real good quality. I never went throught the stack of antenna but manage two test a few of them so far the swr ranges from 1.03 to 1.53. Not a bad antenna at all but its about 16-17 dollars delivered per antenna.
X-it
Active VIP Member
After going through the pile of antennas i got, most were above 1.5 swr several over 2.0. I got 4 pretty good antennas. They base is too large to screw into a UV-5r radio or other baofengs. I did keep one of these antennas for the quansheng radio. Great rubber seal though and awesome threads. I think i just wasted another $250 dollars.
In your travels, have you come across a decent radio with dual-ptt like the uv-82? I find this feature indispensable for both sledding and at work. It’s especially useful when riding with a mixed group where some are on uhf and some are on vhf.
I am however, getting tired of the uv-82 build quality, have a growing pile of parts radios from myself and friends that is keeping our fleet going.
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