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BaoFengs: amazing, or a sham?

3x5

3x5

Member
Feb 27, 2016
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USA
I'm looking to get walkie-talkies for my family. I have heard a lot of great things about BaoFengs, and a lot of bad things. Some say the UV-5R is great, but the FCC seems not to like them and I don't really understand them. It seems like they're just portable HAM radios that people are using illegally as walkie-talkies, but maybe I'm confused.

I've heard them described as CB radios, but then I've read they can't be used as CB radios at all. They can't use FRS, and you're supposed to get a license to use GMRS. But then I've read you can use them as MURS walkie-talkes, legally and without a license.

If MURS is a good option for walkie talkies, and UV-5Rs work for this purpose, then they might be a good option. As an added bonus, you can listen to HAM on them, and even transmit if you have a license.

What I really want is a walkie-talkie that can also be used as a 2-way CB radio. That seems more useful than a handheld HAM, but maybe you can tell me otherwise.
 
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They are not for you unless you are a licensed ham. In the US they are only legal on the ham bands. They are a decent radio, I have 9 of them in all different configurations. There is a MURS legal Barfeng, the UV-82C is available for MURS and only has MURS in it. I could be wrong about the model but just Google it.
 
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The MURS legal Baofeng is the MURS-V1. It is a version of the UV-82. They also make a GMRS-only version. Lots of people use the UV-5R on GMRS and also MURS. It's not legal, but there you go. It is a decent little rig for 2M and 70cm ham radio, but don't even think about transmitting there without a license. Unlike MURS and GMRS, you are pretty much guaranteed to get caught if you transmit on ham bands for very long without a license.
 
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OK, so it looks like the UV-5R is highly programmable, if I buy a USB cable and run Chirp. It looks like the UV-5R can broadcast on FRS, but it's against FCC regulations because the wattage is too high. But if I can control the wattage with Chirp, then it seems like I could then bring the device within compliance, theoretically.

Plus, if I'm in a place where no one's using walkie-talkies, using an illicit walkie-talkie is a bit like jaywalking in the desert. I'm seeing posts where people say their fire department uses the UV-5R as a walkie-talkie, so I wonder if the illegality of the device is something that's just widely ignored.

I'm not clear on why the UV-5R is illegal to use as a MURS radio. Everything I've read says MURS doesn't have the same watt restriction as FRS, and you don't need a license to transmit on MURS. So why is this not a legal option?
 
Just bought a Retrevis RT-27v (MURS) for $16 to try out. Has basic 5 channels and 2 channels have the 2w and the rest are the lower wattage. Video test up online. Just watched last night.
 
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The BaoFengs UV-5R type of Hand held radios work well on Murs. As a family communicator for family the legal considerations go out the window.

While camping here in the Mojave Desert many of the jeep clubs have a CB and VHF radios. The VHF radios work quit well. We once used the cheap FRS hand held radios but due to the poor performance they ended up in the camp fire after a few totties.

Hope those 16 dollar radios work out for you.

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert.... "Next Gas 150 miles"
 
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3x5 said:
OK, so it looks like the UV-5R is highly programmable, if I buy a USB cable and run Chirp. It looks like the UV-5R can broadcast on FRS, but it's against FCC regulations because the wattage is too high. But if I can control the wattage with Chirp, then it seems like I could then bring the device within compliance, theoretically.
Click to expand...

You can't even if you reduce the power below the limit because it isn't certified for FRS.
 
 

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