A few thoughts about each radio:
The UV-5RA is still my favorite among the BaoFeng’s. I think it’s the most versatile, it has 2.5KHz steps, a small size, lots of accessories, FCC part 90 certified (so this can be used on Business Bands with an FCC license). My main complaint with this (and all BaoFeng’s) is the slow scan and difficulty programming by hand. (As far as I can tell the UV-5RA, UV-5RB, UV-5RE, UV-5R, BF-F8+, UV-5R+, etc. are the same radio other than minor cosmetic and firmware differences).
The UV-B5 is the best radio I’ve seen from BaoFeng. If I could only have one radio and only had $30 this is probably what I’d get. It is shaped perfect and easy to hold. This has the best receiver of the BaoFengs. I tested the receivers by transmitting slightly off frequency and it would open up the other two BaoFengs but the UV-B5 would still stay quiet. Also, there have been several times the UV-B5 will pickup a weak signal the other two BaoFeng’s didn’t. Scanning is also faster than the UV-5RA and UV-82. The channel encoder knob makes changing channels or settings so much faster! Also this is the only radio that allows you to operate in VFO mode on one display and memory mode on the other. It’s only shortcomings are that it’s not FCC certified so it can’t be used on business bands, and the channel steps don’t go to 2.5KHz (which really is not a big deal, I don’t think I’ve need to be that precise for awhile). If it was FCC certified it would take the place of my favorite from the UV-5RA. (Note: UV-B6 is just like the UV-B5, except the 6 has a flashlight instead of the channel encoder knob).
Tbe UV-82 is the easiest to hold of the bunch because it is larger. Other than that I can’t say it differs much from the UV-5RA. It is a little bigger, has a much bigger battery, a slightly better light. Changing from VFO mode to Memory mode is done by pressing menu while turning the radio on. This radio is supposed to be FCC part 90 certified but mine didn’t come with an FCC label. (There are some variants of this radio like the UV-82X which are 2 meter / 1.25 CM instead of 2M / 70CM).
The VX-6R is still the radio I take with me hiking. The difference between the Yaesu and the BaoFengs is not small. The Yaesu is much higher quality, and it’s designed to be an Amateur radio which means it’s better at scanning and programming by hand. The Yaesu VX-6R is not even in the same class as the BaoFengs but I included it in the comparison because it’s my favorite radio and I think most hams are going to enjoy something like this over a BaoFeng.
Programming
I was able to use CHIRP to program all of these radios and they all worked the same way and all worked fine with the same USB Programming Cable. It was quick to copy and paste the memories from one radio image to the other inside CHIRP and upload to the new radios.
The BaoFeng’s have great versatility because they can transmit on any frequency such as GMRS/FRS/Marine/MURS/business frequencies, etc. However, outside of an emergency it is illegal to do so. I don’t agree with the FCC here, I think the FCC should allow non part certified radios on those frequencies but the rules are the rules. I’ve posted a Legal Frequencies Q&A on my UV-5RA review page.
Scan Speed Compared. You can see the UV-5RA and UV-82 are identically slow, the UV-B5 is a little faster, and the Yaesu VX-6R smokes them all.
Amateur Radio Users Support Group
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North America - USA 🇺🇸 / Canada 🇨🇦 Amateur Frequencies
A shared discussion about North America Frequencies.
https://groups.io/g/Frequency
Radio Scanners
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Whistler Scanners [Whistler, Uniden]
This is an excellent radio for the money. I use it as a ham and public safety band operator. It's receiver is more sensitive and selective than other similar inexpensive chinese radios. In my experience, the UV5R and UV82 both were inferior performers under real world conditions. The UVB5/B6 has several inferior features to those radios (fewer memory channels, fewer alpha tag characters, smaller screen, 5kHz minimum step, etc) but is an all-around better performing unit, especially under noisy conditions. I use Comet 24j and Smiley telescoping antennas which perform great, although the stock antenna is perfectly functional too.
ReplyDeleteThe radio is not, however, a tri-band radio. It does "work" on 220 but it's receiver performance is terrible and the transmitter will interfere due to terrible 1st harmonic (in UHF band) and virtually no suppression. See Miklor's website for more details: http://www.miklor.com/UVB5/pdf/UVB5-220SpectralPlots.pdf
Do not use this radio in the 220MHz band. Use it as intended and you'll be thrilled with it's performance!
I have 4 UV-5RA, 2 UV-B6, 1 UV-B5, and 2 UV-82L HTs. On ebay I got all of these for nearly the same price, between $29 for the 5RA and $36 for the 82L. Among these, I will never buy anything but an 82L again, unless I can get it for a song. Not counting the 82L (because this is a review of the B6), the B6 tops them all, although it's a little difficult to tell the difference betewen features and performance between the B5 and B6.
ReplyDeleteBoth the B5 and B6 brags 5W max, but at the fringes of my favorite repeater (146.76), about 32 miles, the B5 presents a little snow to the monitoring station, but the B6 is still full quieting.
The B6 is inexpensive and powerful, but its two biggest flaws are its size and its cumbersome menu. It feels like a toy, and I don't have fat fingers, but I'm constantly fat-fingering the B6 because the buttons are so tiny and so close together. The menus on the 5RA and 82L are essentially the same, and are very convenient and easy to use, but the B6 has a similar but rather awkward-to-use menu.
Summary: Almost a Perfect Copy of a decent Japanese Engineered Dualband Walkie, but at a third of the price.
ReplyDeleteAfter my first preproduction sample radio disappointed me, a BaoFeng wholesaler sent me a full production model, with the latest firmware. I am happy to report that all subsequent UV-B6 radios I have since received, tested and passed along to other hams, show they are quite a bit better than the first unit I tested and reviewed last month. RX Sensitivity seems much better on subsequent units as tested on my service monitor.
This new radio works well enough that I've provided some units to friends and recommended them to some of my disabled ham friends as well. The voice synthesizer is adequate for sight impaired hams.
With that being said, these radios are not as RX selective as other Japanese made HT's I've tested, but run really close in high RF Metro area side by side testing.
The UV-B6 receiver is so incredibly wide open that filtering is tough at best, but it does a great job with handling most signals.
Don't expect to use this as a base radio hooked up to an outside antenna and not receive wide spread interference, paging, etc. on top or mixed with your received signal.
Considering the price, some Amateurs feel strongly (as already seen here with other reviews regarding my earlier review) that the BaoFeng's are some Miracle Radio and the Red Sea has parted, regardless of those overly loving reviews, it's a cheap radio and made cheaply.
The receiver performance gets overloaded easily in strong noise areas. The unit is totally prone to all computer noise, FIOS ONT's and other boxes that are running in most homes.
Is this latest model better than a Yeasu FT-60R? Seems to work better to me, so there that is.
Is it better than my VX6R? No, not in the receiver sense of things, however the UV-B6 TX audio is pretty miraculous.
Both of the UV-6B and the UV5 series have some of the best portable radio transmit audio I've heard out of any of the 12 + walkies I have owned and tested.
The people I have provided these radios to love them. It's when I cannot tell if they are using their Yaesu Mobile or this walkie that gets me all the time; the UV-B6 TX audio is that clear.
Charger: The unit is 100-277 VAC capable. Some have US plugs on them, some have the UK plug and comes with a UK to US adapter. Some Chargers have the yellow to green (done) light, some seem to have just a green light, that is green is on all the time. Both types charge the radio just fine. Battery life is on the longer side and should be in the miraculous part of the scale. Out lasts my new Yaesu VX6R by about 4 hours.
Better than any review, is the fact that I am here to help anyone with question on this radio. I'm not a dealer, just a walkie enthusiast, so feel free to email me any direct questions about the radio and you'll get the straight answer, without the miraculous puffy stuff that I see posted on some of these reviews that are made by people who are actually dealers of the products reviewed.