BaoFengs: amazing, or a sham?

[BJ radionut]

I've had more luck with the GT3/4 series and the best one for me is the UV82+
It seems to have much less intermod and better sounding RX audio.
But that's just MHO...for the $60 I paid for the package...no brainer
Yes, CHIRP only way to program them IMHO...biggest deal on some computers is getting the COM PORT correct...getting the right driver installed when using USB port for COM 1...is the main issue.
Every time I want to change something, I have to reload driver an "F" with it as Windows 10 Pro and even WIN8.1 will after some time see it as a worthless USB driver and will kill the working status or even delete it on an Update cycle.
Then I must start all over again.
All the Best
Gary

 

[WECSOG]

I have the cable and have CHIRP on my computer, but I have not found keypad programming to be much of a hassle on my UV82s and both early and late UV-5Rs.
Some of my older Japanese HTs are more hassle to program; especially my Alinco DJ-F1T.

 

[3x5]

Wow, so many replies to this. I only got one notification in my inbox. Anyway, I bought 3 of these! They're great!

 

[secret squirrel]

I am really going to date myself with this question. My favorite portable from work was the Motorola HT600. If you just wanted to monitor a channel you left out the transmit frequency when to programmed it. It you tried to key on that channel if I remember correctly it the radio wound just beep in error. Can you program a BaoFeng with just receive channels, no transmit side. I wanted to program one then use the scan function for a couple of cheap portable scanners.

 

[sunbulls]

I am really going to date myself with this question. My favorite portable from work was the Motorola HT600. If you just wanted to monitor a channel you left out the transmit frequency when to programmed it. It you tried to key on that channel if I remember correctly it the radio wound just beep in error. Can you program a BaoFeng with just receive channels, no transmit side. I wanted to program one then use the scan function for a couple of cheap portable scanners.

I had no luck doing that with several UHF models that I gave away. I programmed those with all FRS frequencies except the last channel was programmed with our local Ham repeater output. The idea was to introduce to these people a part of the Ham radio experience without the possibility of them transmitting on some illegal frequency. When I left the transmit frequency blank it would revert back to simplex (transmit on the receive frequency). To keep that repeater from accidental use or in case any kids got hold of them, I programming the repeater’s transmit frequency to one of the FRS frequencies. None of Biofeng radios or clones make very good scanners, at least the ones I’ve tried. Their scan rate is way too slow.

 

[secret squirrel]

Thank you the info. From jobs I have a few HT600s and MT1000. The MT1000 was UHF and had scan mode it was very nice. I worked at a Trauma Center in Pittsburgh. I carried the MT1000 to speak to security. I had the local MED Channels that Stat Medevac used to call report to hospital. The transmit side was blank so no way I could accidentally transmit. I could hear the helicopter crew on approach to the hospital. those old Motorolas were nice. We always joked that in emergency you had two bricks to throw, if you separated the battery from the radio.