Baofeng 5rm ar-5rm difference?

[HHD1]

On 12/22/2024 at 7:44 PM, WRYZ926 said:

Actually there is a version of the UV-5r that is Part 95 certified. 

BAOFENG UV-5R GMRS Handheld Radio

How much for a sheet of those stickers....  

[HHD1]

The Baofeng AR-5RM...  Simply the best HT known to man.   (Change my mind).  

[WRYZ926]

3 minutes ago, HHD1 said:

How much for a sheet of those stickers....  

You will have to ask Baofeng that question. Out of the box they will only work on GMRS channels.

[HHD1]

3 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

You will have to ask Baofeng that question. Out of the box they will only work on GMRS channels.

I know.     But I really want the stickers in case the FCC Men in Black beat down my door.

[HHD1]

On 7/31/2024 at 8:26 AM, Guest I am New to Ham/GMRS said:

I am looking for help in deciding between the Baofeng AR-5RM and TidRadio H8.  What recommendations do you have?  

ar-5rm

[WRTC928]

I really like the 5RM (AR-5RM, UV-5RM). It has all the features I would ask for in an entry-level HT. As much power as is practical in an HT, 3 power level selections, 3 bands tx/rx, airband and NOAA rx, USB charging, and it uses accessories which are robustly supported. IMO, the UV-5r is too small to manipulate easily, but the 5RM is a good size and it feels solid in the hand. In fact, I don't have any significant complaints about it. I have a couple of spares unopened, but so far, neither of my "regular use" 5RMs have shown any sign of quitting. I invariably get signal reports of full quieting on repeaters. Some users have reported that they get poor audio output quality, but I haven't experienced that. It doesn't do digital modes, and I'll want that eventually, which is why I describe it as an "entry-level" radio, but that isn't a factor on GMRS and it may be all the HT radio you ever need for simplex and GMRS usage. It remains to be seen how well it will hold up over time, but it was so inexpensive that I bought spares, so I'm not too concerned about that.

[dosw]

1 hour ago, WRTC928 said:

I really like the 5RM (AR-5RM, UV-5RM). It has all the features I would ask for in an entry-level HT. As much power as is practical in an HT, 3 power level selections, 3 bands tx/rx, airband and NOAA rx, USB charging, and it uses accessories which are robustly supported. IMO, the UV-5r is too small to manipulate easily, but the 5RM is a good size and it feels solid in the hand. In fact, I don't have any significant complaints about it. I have a couple of spares unopened, but so far, neither of my "regular use" 5RMs have shown any sign of quitting. I invariably get signal reports of full quieting on repeaters. Some users have reported that they get poor audio output quality, but I haven't experienced that. It doesn't do digital modes, and I'll want that eventually, which is why I describe it as an "entry-level" radio, but that isn't a factor on GMRS and it may be all the HT radio you ever need for simplex and GMRS usage. It remains to be seen how well it will hold up over time, but it was so inexpensive that I bought spares, so I'm not too concerned about that.

The things that could be better on the 5RM:

• It's a little on the large size, particularly when compared to the tiny UV5R.
• It doesn't have a squelch knob as higher end models often have.
• It's not weatherproof, but it's so cheap it probably doesn't really matter.
• It doesn't allow for dividing the 999 channels into scan-banks, as some higher end models allow.
• The lowest power setting is about 2.2w, which exceeds the power limits of some bands it wasn't explicitly designed to work with (GMRS channels 8-14 are max 0.5w. MURS is max 2.0w). Of course it's not made for those frequencies; it's a ham radio. But people often do use it for those bands.
• The display is rather hard to read in bright daylight.
• Some of the menus and secondary functions of the number-pad buttons are counter-intuitive or even mislabeled.

However, for approximately $30, it's the best radio I'm aware of. Models that are substantially better tend to cost substantially more. It's my most frequently used handheld.

[WRTC928]

10 hours ago, dosw said:

However, for approximately $30, it's the best radio I'm aware of. Models that are substantially better tend to cost substantially more. It's my most frequently used handheld.

Exactly my point. I really believe it's the best radio in its class. There are some things more expensive radios can do that it can't, and for those I have more expensive radios, but for an "every day carry", it suits my needs just fine. It's pretty much my "go-to" for grab-and-go.

[Shortarms]

On 1/16/2025 at 5:21 PM, AdmiralCochrane said:

Or Marine Band channel 16 inland.  All Coast Guard stations are set up with direction finding for emergencies which are also used to locate illegal inland use.

only reason why I could see this is if there is a distress call and it's to find that area to help in rescue 

[WRTC928]

On 1/16/2025 at 4:21 PM, AdmiralCochrane said:

Or Marine Band channel 16 inland.  All Coast Guard stations are set up with direction finding for emergencies which are also used to locate illegal inland use.

Is 16 an emergency channel? People in Alaska use marine radios inland all day every day and I never heard of anyone getting in trouble for it. Maybe they know enough to stay off 16.