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.

[Northcutt114]

So to the original topic of this post, what is the difference between the AR-5RM and just the regular old 5RM. I have a 5RM and as others have said, I really like it. I hit a repeater with ease 40 miles from me off my back deck and people are regularly surprised that I'm on an HT. The battery lasts about a week, but I only use it at night to play rag chew. Also, the 5RM does aviation bands? I'm going to have to look into that. I live near an airport. That could be some fun listening.

 

Google AI says that the difference is the AR-5RM is unlocked and that the "AR" stands for Aviation Bands. But my 5RM is also unlocked and people in this thread have said it will do aviation, sooooo?

 

[WSJW650]

On 4/24/2025 at 3:36 PM, WRTC928 said:

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.

They could argue that they are almost constantly on a navigable body of water…..frozen water in the form of ice/snow.  

[WRTC928]

9 hours ago, WSJW650 said:

They could argue that they are almost constantly on a navigable body of water…..frozen water in the form of ice/snow.  

Given the number of lakes and rivers in Alaska, I suppose it would be hard to prove they weren't on the water. More likely, though, it doesn't cause any significant interference with marine operations so nobody cares.

[GreggInFL]

On 4/24/2025 at 4:36 PM, WRTC928 said:

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.

16 is the international distress channel that is monitored 24/7 worldwide, and any vessel with a radio is required to monitor 16. They are probably on another channel, or so far from water they can't be heard by anyone who cares.

[WRTC928]

19 hours ago, GreggInFL said:

They are probably on another channel, or so far from water they can't be heard by anyone who cares.

That's kind of what I've always assumed. If you're 140 miles from the next town, few will know and even fewer will care what radio/frequency you're using. Alaska is kind of the Wild West with regard to radios. I had a GMRS repeater at my remote cabin and used GMRS to talk to the lodge up the mountain for years before I got a license. A lot of other people did the same. Much more of the state now has cellular service and satellite phones aren't as prohibitively expensive, so it may be different, but 10-15 years ago, CB/marine/GMRS radios were pretty much the de facto standard of communication outside the Anchorage and Fairbanks areas.

[RogerSpendlove]

Is 16 the Emergency channel on GMRS? Or are you all talking about HAM or some other system?

[SteveShannon]

5 minutes ago, RogerSpendlove said:

Is 16 the Emergency channel on GMRS? Or are you all talking about HAM or some other system?

They’re talking about the VHF Marine Band.

[GreggInFL]

Here is a list of marine VHF channels. Notice how specialized some are, and how many are reserved for some rather serious uses. I'm about 100 miles from the Jacksonville CG station and can hear 16 and 22A all day on an HT, probably bouncing off a closer repeater in Ponce Inlet. This suggests their RX is strong, so staying off the Pentagon's channels is a good idea.

If you insist on breaking the rules I'd recommend 68, 69, 71 or 72.

 

[WSJW650]

Yes, channel 69 is the "unofficial", commonly utilized channel for all kayakers when on the lakes/rivers whether inland or near the ocean.

[OffRoaderX]

1 hour ago, WSJW650 said:

channel 69 is the "unofficial", commonly utilized channel for all kayakers

I'm going to go buy a kayak today so I can use this channel!

[WRUU653]

3 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

I'm going to go buy a kayak today so I can use this channel!

I can picture it now, Randy standing in line at Costco with kayak under shoulder. Don’t forget to stop and get some of those tie down straps in the automotive section . Could you get me some of those chocolate covered macadamia nuts while you’re there.

[GreggInFL]

Who ever guesses which of those four channels is referred to as the "sex channel" wins. And no, I'm not kidding.

[SteveShannon]

38 minutes ago, GreggInFL said:

Who ever guesses which of those four channels is referred to as the "sex channel" wins. And no, I'm not kidding.

I don’t even want to know what they win!

[Northcutt114]

1 hour ago, GreggInFL said:

Who ever guesses which of those four channels is referred to as the "sex channel" wins. And no, I'm not kidding.

I mean, it's pretty obvious. Same number Bill & Tedd were thinking of, dudes.

 

[GreggInFL]

On 9/18/2025 at 10:53 AM, SteveShannon said:

I don’t even want to know what they win!

A kayak ride with Randy?