Baofeng and Baofeng Tech

[UncleYoda]

@TerriKennedy If you have any influence with BTech, two things I'd like to see them make higher quality versions of are (1) battery eliminators (my experience is with ones for UV-5R and compatible models), and (2) speaker mics.  A third would be earphones with mic button with a more durable cord (I've replaced a bunch of those).  I use the earphones indoors but would like to use the speaker mic outside if there was a good one available.

[WRTC928]

37 minutes ago, UncleYoda said:

@TerriKennedy If you have any influence with BTech, two things I'd like to see them make higher quality versions of are (1) battery eliminators (my experience is with ones for UV-5R and compatible models), and (2) speaker mics.  A third would be earphones with mic button with a more durable cord (I've replaced a bunch of those).  I use the earphones indoors but would like to use the speaker mic outside if there was a good one available.

+1 on the speaker mic. The sound on them is legible but tinny and the PTT button is waaaaaaay too sensitive. 

[WRUE951]

the first radio i bought from Baoefang Tech was a BF-H6..  It came completely unlocked and operable up to 520Mhz.  I notice now they shipped locked at 450MHz.   

[TerriKennedy]

9 hours ago, UncleYoda said:

@TerriKennedy If you have any influence with BTech, two things I'd like to see them make higher quality versions of are (1) battery eliminators (my experience is with ones for UV-5R and compatible models), and (2) speaker mics.  A third would be earphones with mic button with a more durable cord (I've replaced a bunch of those).  I use the earphones indoors but would like to use the speaker mic outside if there was a good one available.

There's a battery eliminator (car lighter adapter) for the BF-F8HP Pro (I only work on that model - If I did more models everybody at BTECH would be running around trying to satisfy the requests I pass through from users).

I have never found a good corded microphone, across Baofeng, Radtel, Hiroyasu and other brands of radios and quite a few different microphones, ranging from the "$2 extra when you buy a radio" to the $25 BTECH QHM22. They all produce a very unpleasant crack sound when keyed and released. I suspect a capacitor in the microphone body would help - the trick is selecting one that will fix the crack without ruining the audio.

The earphones w/ microphone/PTT cord are rather sub-optimal. I have a customer who has been using one for months and loves it, but others who get the same one say they fall apart rapidly. I'm sure there are good ones, it's just a market segment I haven't investigated.

[TerriKennedy]

8 hours ago, WRUE951 said:

the first radio i bought from Baoefang Tech was a BF-H6..  It came completely unlocked and operable up to 520Mhz.  I notice now they shipped locked at 450MHz.   

The BF-F8HP Pro is specifically marketed as an amateur radio and has full Tx coverage in those bands. You might find that it will Tx out of those bands, but it is not type approved for that use.

[UncleYoda]

1 hour ago, TerriKennedy said:

There's a battery eliminator (car lighter adapter) for the BF-F8HP Pro

Yep, I had found that one and have it marked to order.  It fits other 5RM models like my K5+.

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I have never found a good corded microphone, ... to the $25 BTECH QHM22.

A ham friend strongly endorsed that one a few years ago.  I didn't get it after reading the negative reviews.  I recall there's another one that some reviewers say performs equally for half the price.

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The earphones w/ microphone/PTT cord are rather sub-optimal. I have a customer who has been using one for months and loves it, but others who get the same one say they fall apart rapidly. I'm sure there are good ones

They do often fall apart (even TV/stereo headphones at the local big box store are the same inferior quality).  The best quality I've found is CommMountain.  It's a lapel clip style.  The mic holes are tiny and clog easily.

[Majik]

On 7/3/2025 at 7:37 PM, TerriKennedy said:

Baofeng will private label anything for anybody

BTECH tries to have one product in each market segment

Now that you mention it, yeah it does seem like it’s the Baofeng models that are harder to keep track of. And my favorites so far have all been B-TECHs.