Baofeng Radios

[BroncLander]

So I recently got a Baofeng UV-5R.
While I'm not licensed to talk on it, I'm starting to get it figured out how to listen to a lot of things going on around me.

What impresses me the most is the range. I'm picking up comms from over 100km away. I expect with a proper antenna on the roof I could double that.

I can get about 8 hours of scan time with the small battery and way more with the bigger one. I see you can even get a battery delete and just power it from the cigarette plug.

I've been recording active channel frequencies and putting a name to them. Like the local fire center dispatch has been interesting to listen to. A lot of crews in trucks, helicopters calling in.

I'm getting much closer to going through with the Ham training and exam

 

[bobbywalter]

i looked at them critters....

 

[BroncLander]

i looked at them critters....

The range is incredible. That's with the stock antenna from inside my truck, in the bottom of the valley. I plan on getting a magnetic antenna for my roof and go camping up on the mountain and see what I can pick up at night.
Been listening to the Burns Lake Fire Command all day and then switched to FM radio to catch the news about the fires in Kelowna and Yellowknife.
Now that I figured out the scan function, things got interesting

 

[bobbywalter]

i got my book...just need to read and test. summit had a cool radio shop for a bit in the store. not sure if it is still there but i been looking at radios...

 

[BroncLander]

i got my book...just need to read and test. summit had a cool radio shop for a bit in the store. not sure if it is still there but i been looking at radios...

$500 will get your a real powerhouse of a radio. If you get wild about it, can set your house up as a high power broadcast station and reach around the world. Me, I just like the local area but I will be trying more at night to see what I can catch, especially once I get a better antenna

 

[bobbywalter]

that is the plan

 

[sgtsandman]

Terrain has a lot to do with it as well as antenna placement for reception and transmitting.

Baofeng radios do what they were made to do.

Anecdotal experience, my TYT MD-390 sends and receives a few miles farther than my UV5R.

But if the UV5R does what you need it to do, run with it.

 

[BroncLander]

Terrain has a lot to do with it as well as antenna placement for reception and transmitting.

Baofeng radios do what they were made to do.

Anecdotal experience, my TYT MD-390 sends and receives a few miles farther than my UV5R.

But if the UV5R does what you need it to do, run with it.

Now you know I'm just going to have to google TYT MD-390 and research the hell out of it

 

[sgtsandman]

Now you know I'm just going to have to google TYT MD-390 and research the hell out of it

If you don’t need DMR, there are other radios just as good or better at the same price or lower. Research away though. A good place to check out radios and their prices, outside of ebay or amazon is Buy two way radios. They seem more geared toward the novice/nontechy user than places like ham radio outlet or gigaparts. Things get expensive quick and they speak more radio geek jargon.

 

[BroncLander]

If you don’t need DMR, there are other radios just as good or better at the same price or lower. Research away though. A good place to check out radios and their prices, outside of ebay or amazon is Buy two way radios. They seem more geared toward the novice/nontechy user than places like ham radio outlet or gigaparts. Things get expensive quick and they speak more radio geek jargon.

That's good because I now know what it's like for someone who isn't mechanical to listen to me explain the inner workings of a rotary engine haha

 

[BroncLander]

I have an Amazon rewards card and they gave me a $40 gift card, so I used it towards a second UV-5R, two hand mics, 2 magnetic antennas, and a usb car charger.
The idea is for my kids to have a way to talk to me in the event that there's a cellular/internet blackout

 

[sgtsandman]

I have an Amazon rewards card and they gave me a $40 gift card, so I used it towards a second UV-5R, two hand mics, 2 magnetic antennas, and a usb car charger.
The idea is for my kids to have a way to talk to me in the event that there's a cellular/internet blackout

Just be aware that the radio is a ham radio and even if you get your license, it doesn’t cover the family like GMRS does. The chances of the FCC coming after you is small but not zero. What you do with that information is up to you.

 

[BroncLander]

Just be aware that the radio is a ham radio and even if you get your license, it doesn’t cover the family like GMRS does. The chances of the FCC coming after you is small but not zero. What you do with that information is up to you.

Yeah, we might just get licensed. Tbh, I'm not very interested in GMRS because they don't have the range and nobody in canada uses them.

In the meantime, in the event of an emergency, we have communications. (Which is legal use, even without a license)

 

[sgtsandman]

Yeah, we might just get licensed. Tbh, I'm not very interested in GMRS because they don't have the range and nobody in canada uses them.

In the meantime, in the event of an emergency, we have communications. (Which is legal use, even without a license)

In life and limb situations, you are correct. Communications by any means is allowed, at least in the US. In total chaos, the rules are out the window.

 

[BroncLander]

In life and limb situations, you are correct. Communications by any means is allowed, at least in the US. In total chaos, the rules are out the window.

It's pretty close to total chaos right now. I feel like there's about one or 2 strands left on the winch cable and the truck (metaphorical society) is so deep in the mud were gonna need a bigger boat.