Baufeng UV-82 portable

[deputycrawford]

     A friend of mine has the same radio and loves it.  It also looks good to carry in public so it has credibility to others that see it and ask questions.  It has good audio in and good speaker sound.  I just ordered one as a backup for my Yaesu VX-177 UHF only.  Google it and let me know what you think of it.  I got it on Amazon for $46.42with free shipping.  I hope I'm allowed to put price and stuff on here.  I am excited to get it and put it to use.

 

Jerry

[rhinegarten]

I purchased one last year. Seems to be reliable enough. The operation is a little odd with the PTT rocker switch arrangement. I also recently purchased and installed a Nagoya NA-701 dual-band replacement antenna. It's tough to tell if this is an improvement over the factory stock antenna, but for only a few bucks it's worth a try.

 

If you opt for an external speaker/mic, you will negate the ability to select transmit on different frequencies via the PTT rocker switch.

 

The only programming software I've been able to find is CHIRP, which works well but itself takes a little head scratching to figure out what you're doing. There are both Linux and Windows versions and it can be downloaded for free. Windows requires a Prolific PL-2303 driver for the USB adapter, and you have to get the correct version, which is not the most recent. Once you set it up on a particular USB port, you must always use that specific port (at least it's that way on my Dell laptop running Win 7). It's actually easier to set up with Linux, as it already has the driver.

 

Li Ion battery life seems quite good.

 

Earlier versions of the firmware were a little buggy. Those bugs had been worked off by the time I purchased mine. Firmware cannot be updated, so those poor souls who bought the first batch are basically stuck. I'd be leery of purchasing a used one. But for the price of new there's little reason to do that.

 

Quirky, but for the cost of a UV-82, a dual band HT, one can tolerate a few quirks. It jerks my chain when you pay a bunch of money for something, and you have to be a software engineer to figure out how to program and use it.

 

My 2 cents

[deputycrawford]

     Thanks for the info.  I found that you have to turn it on it channel mode, select the upper frequency on the screen, and turn it back off.  Then turn it back on while holding the menu button and it will go into VFO mode.  Direct dial the receive frequency, then the PL, power, and the other things.  Check the menu numbers and find number 28 I think.  You have to delete a memory before you can store a new frequency.  When you go to save your settings you go to save in your menu, hit the menu button again and it will say in the voice prompt that it is saving memory.  Then you direct dial in the transmit frequency and save it again in the same channel spot.  The voice prompt will say transmit frequency.  Then turn the radio off and turn it back on while holding the menu button again and it will toggle to memory mode.  If it went in correctly you will see both the + and - signs on the display.  Then repeat just the receive and transmit frequencies, and PL's.  Other settings will hold.  What a fiasco.  I also turned off the dual watch and made both A/B frequencies the same channel number and locked out the DTMF buttons.  That way you can hit either side of the rocker PTT button and it will key the repeater the same. 

 

I hate the programming but it started to go very fast once I got going on it.  I love the operation, looks, larger size, ergonomics, and audio both in and out when I back monitored.  I will probably order another one today.  Over all I love this thing like crazy for the price.

 

Jerry

[Logan5]

I have been using a UV5r+ for over a year. Same manual programming fiasco. and get's quite hot when having a long winded convo. However I also own and love the UV3r+ it is half the size of the 5r is also dual band and TX 2 watt max. is clean and discreet when I am out and about. Very good radios. In lot's of 2 the 5r's are about 40 each. and the 3r's are around 25 each. I also like the BF888, 2watt UHF only 16 channel radio. they are as little as 15 bucks each in quantity. I have been looking at the UV82 since Baofeng has proven it's self by me. Although not part95B accepted they do meet all criteria to be so. However I do not know of any Beofeng radio that is legal to TX on FRS 1/2 watt service. since they all TX at about 1 watt on low and close to 4 watts on high. not to mention the removable antenna. I may purchase a UV82, as I have heard they have new electronics. 

73's   

[deputycrawford]

     I guess I'm changing the subject a bit for a second but I just ordered 2 extra batteries for $17.69 each, and a battery eliminator for the cigarette charger for another $16.99 with free shipping from Amazon.  Then I threw in an 888 for a whopping $16.31 for good measure.  That way I can get a proper radio to my much better half that she can use. My friend bought a six pack off the 888 for his family and everybody likes them a lot.  I never thought I would like these cheap Chinese radios but they seem to be awesome in many ways.  Maybe not the programming, but the operation seems to be flawless.

 

Oh, someone please let me know if adding price and distributor is a no-no here and I will stop. Just trying to help save people some money.  I'm not in it for anything more than helping.

 

Jerry

[PastorGary]

That's fine, Jerry - but if anyone wishes to sell personal equipment here, that advertising is not allowed due to forum liability and other legal issues.  Transactions by way of private messaging arrangements and email is acceptable as long as the open forum is not used to OFFER equipment to other members.  Members LOOKING for equipment can say so in the open as long as follow-up transactions are conducted off of the open forum.

[deputycrawford]

     Thanks.  I don't want to cause trouble.  I just found a good deal and thought I would pass it on without being in it for the money.

 

Jerry

[PastorGary]

Thanks, Jerry - No problem and thanks for the info.  Persons must make educated choices on equipment purchases because the Rules are less than complete regarding GMRS.

[Linus]

I bought two of them for Amateur use a few months ago. I use the software that Baofeng provides. I also use CHIRP. The radios work well. I find that people have issues with the mic volume. They cannot hear me as well as other radios. I have heard the hole for the mic is too small. The charging stands are a little bit odd at first. You have to seat the radio in the stand just right for it to provide a charge. Once you get the hang of the fit, all is well.

 

For the price and performance, the UV-82 is fine.

 

CHIRP is nice because it is like the Rosetta Stone. You can read from these radios and write to other radios such as Yeasu. This gives you the ability to call out a channel number to your buddy so that others listening are not hearing an actual frequency. Let's move to channel XX is better than 145.9 MHz, etc.. As long as the other radios are using the same channel line up, all is good.

 

If you buy a cable, make sure you get the Baofeng cable. The others are most likely counterfeit garbage. I had lots of issues with the off brand cables. I bought two of them and had to send them back. One of them made the radio transmit anytime the cable was plugged into the radio. As soon as I got the Baofeng cable those issues went away. Make sure you use the correct driver with the cable. Here is a link about the driver set up: http://www.miklor.com/COM/UV_Drivers.php

 

These radios have less features than other brands. This makes them easier to use for everyday radio activity. I am finding that my Yeasu is a pain because there are way too many features. I use other radios when I need the extra features.

[TimChgo9]

I recently bought 5 of the radios for use around the house, and for the kids to use (12 and 13, I have educated them in proper radio manners).  I have had the "bubble pack" radios in the past, and while decent, the UV-82 is much better.  In my built up suburban area, I get, at ground level, around 1  to 1.5 miles range, and from the second floor of the house, it gets closer to two miles. They work well for when the kids are walking home from school, or when my son and I are out taking photos at the railroad tracks.  Overall, the radios sound good, have decent range, and seem solidly built.  We just got licensed in the last week or two, so I am looking to program them for some repeaters in the area.  For the money, they are good radios, and seem to hold up well.  The microphones are decent, and look like they will stand up to some use, and the audio quality is pretty good.

[PastorGary]

Hello, Tim, and welcome to MyGMRS - Regarding several of your questions here and in the other thread, you may wish to visit the LAGGROUP main site to register there using the "Create Account" on the right center of the main page. The LAGGROUP Association covers most of your home area in Illinois.   Please allow several days for activation by the administrator - his work schedule is intense some weeks.  Once registered, there will be a database available to you for repeaters in your general area including owner contact data.

 

Register through this LINK >>>  http://www.laggroup.info/ 

 

You can also check our main MyGMRS Repeater List at our main MyGMRS website for your area to see if any repeaters are listed within 5 to 25 miles of your home location.

 

Access to repeaters is generally dependent upon your portables or mobiles and the height of the repeater antenna structure that you are accessing. Once you have permission and have the proper repeater dual frequency pair and access code programmed into your equipment, you may see an 8 mile portable access and a 20 to 25 mile mobile (25watt+) range.  This could be more or less depending on variables.  Best of luck with your projects.