Baogeng UV-5R II Upgrade version!

[N1SQB]

Sorry for the misspelling on the heading, must be the excitement... LOL...! Anyway, I got a chance to go down to my local radio shop and play around with a Baofeng UV-5R. For the price, I like the radio. So, I decided to do some looking around to get more info and prices. I came across this ad which shocked the heck out of me mainly because I never saw anything like it from overseas radios.
BAOFENG Model UV-5R II Dual Band UHF/VHF Radio + free earpiece Upgrade Version | eBay

It looks like pretty much the same radio but with a much better, redesigned battery and still at a very reasonable price. The battery looks like a cross between a commercial battery from say, a Motorola MTS2000 in the back and on the bottom, like the batteries the Uniden BC 200XLT scanner or ICOM IC-W2A radios used to have. Strange but nice! Has anyone else seen these upgraded versions or heard anything else about them? Anyone have one perhaps?

Manny

 

[vagrant]

You're right. It is the same radio. You'll see that it is just a UV-5R. The "II" is their own addition, when they should've just noted that it has an upgraded battery, but I understand their point.

This battery is new on the scene for these specific radios. The battery by itself is also being sold for around $25 on eBay. I'm not aware of anyone receiving one of the new batteries yet, but orders have been placed. That's a nice battery for that radio. The smaller battery, typically sold with the radio, is 1800 mAh.

Something to think about is how the battery secures to the radio. There's a latch at the top and two small bits of plastic on the bottom that the battery mounts (slides on) to. I would imagine the larger one connects using the same mount points. Thus, the larger battery would be more prone to break off from those two "plastic" mount points if struck, since the smaller battery is relatively flush at the bottom. One must remember that these are inexpensive radios at a fantastic price point for recreational use, so plastic is where metal should be. If it breaks, buy another. The broken one can now be the "base radio" with a bit of tape.

Actually, looking at the bottom of the radio again, there are other plastic bits where the larger battery "may" have channels to better hold, instead of just the two the smaller battery uses. Not having seen the new battery I cannot confirm, but one would hope so.

 

[N1SQB]

I really like the look of the battery and radio together! Listen, for the price that they are going for and all that is included, you can't go wrong! I plan on getting a pair for GMRS and Ham simplex work during outings. I had a chance to play with one, they are not bad!

Manny

 

[Skypilot007]

I know they are cheap radios but does this brand have any better performance than the Wouxun brand. My Wouxun is terribly suceptable to intermod and I live out in the woods, no towers or strong RFenvironments around here except for me. The Wouxun doesn't play well around my computers either. Is this brand any better? Anyone with experience with these that can add any info on this would be much appreciated.

 

[N1SQB]

What Wouxun do you have? I have the latest model UV6D and when I put on the PL/DPL tones, it sits next to my laptop without any issues.

Manny

 

[Skypilot007]

What Wouxun do you have? I have the latest model UV6D and when I put on the PL/DPL tones, it sits next to my laptop without any issues.

Manny

I have the 1st generation I believe..KG-UVD1P.

It even receives some sort of intermod on my favorite 440 repeater when I'm way out in the woods on my bike. I'm suspecting it being generated internally from the radio. Other than these couple of faults it seems to be a pretty good little rig.

 

[kf5qgf]

I have the uv-5r, except for a slight difficulty programming (which just watch the youtube videos and practice a few freqs) it's a good little radio for the price. Haven't had the chance to crossband with it yet but I don't see why it should be a problem. Only complaint I have was the ac adapter for the charger was bad, but I had a spare 10v adapter with the right end and polarity in the junk drawer (never throw an adapter away...). It does what I want it to which is monitor and hit the club repeater, vhf, 3 miles, from sitting in my easy chair.

KF5QGF

 

[K9WG]

FYI - The charger base I received for my UV-5R appeared to be dead. Upon further examination I discovered the LED had not been soldered to the circuit board. A couple quick solder joints and everything works OK.

 

[prcguy]

I talked with a guy that imports both Wouxun and Boefeng by the boatload at Dayton and he says the Wouxons are slightly better radios.

My Wouxun does not get Intermod using the same freqs and in the same area where my Yaesu VX7 got ripped to pieces.
prcguy

 

[Token]

What Wouxun do you have? I have the latest model UV6D and when I put on the PL/DPL tones, it sits next to my laptop without any issues.

Manny

I would hope this would be the case, as the intermod would probably not have the correct tones to open the squelch. However, what do you do if you use simplex frequencies or repeaters without PL on the output?

I have tried a few Wouxons, one time I had two of the same model side-by-side, and from the intermod standpoint the two could not be more different. One was very quiet and performed as well as, or better than, my Kenwoods, Icoms, or Yaesus, the other had noise issues all over the place, you could not have another transmitter, even a 5 Watt hand held, keyed up for a significant distance, like hundreds of yards. I have tested or helped set up radios for friends and seen the same issues, some of them are great and some not so much. I think that is what has soured me on this whole cheap Chinese radio thing, I think the designs are probably pretty good but the production is a bit hit or miss, you might get a great one and you might get one that annoys the crap out of you.

T!

 

[gewecke]

I would hope this would be the case, as the intermod would probably not have the correct tones to open the squelch. However, what do you do if you use simplex frequencies or repeaters without PL on the output?

I have tried a few Wouxons, one time I had two of the same model side-by-side, and from the intermod standpoint the two could not be more different. One was very quiet and performed as well as, or better than, my Kenwoods, Icoms, or Yaesus, the other had noise issues all over the place, you could not have another transmitter, even a 5 Watt hand held, keyed up for a significant distance, like hundreds of yards. I have tested or helped set up radios for friends and seen the same issues, some of them are great and some not so much. I think that is what has soured me on this whole cheap Chinese radio thing, I think the designs are probably pretty good but the production is a bit hit or miss, you might get a great one and you might get one that annoys the crap out of you.

T!

I agree!

after the one I got to play with,
I think I'd rather spend $400 once,for quality instead of $40-50 for questionable junk!

73,
n9zas

 

[kf5qgf]

FYI - The charger base I received for my UV-5R appeared to be dead. Upon further examination I discovered the LED had not been soldered to the circuit board. A couple quick solder joints and everything works OK.

Yeah I thought that might be the case here too, so i put my volt meter on the terminals and got nothing, so I unplugged the ac adapter from the back of the charger and put the voltmeter on the terminals of the adapter, still nothing, so I dug around and found another 10v charger, and boom, charged baofeng.

 

[K9WG]

... snip ... so I unplugged the ac adapter from the back of the charger and put the voltmeter on the terminals of the adapter, still nothing, so I dug around and found another 10v charger, and boom, charged baofeng.

You are not the first person I have heard with this problem. Seems common for this radio/charger...

 

[62Truck]

I talked with a guy that imports both Wouxun and Boefeng by the boatload at Dayton and he says the Wouxons are slightly better radios.

My Wouxun does not get Intermod using the same freqs and in the same area where my Yaesu VX7 got ripped to pieces.
prcguy

I have the UVD1P the signal meter isn't all that accurate. I can't remember if mine had any intermod problems

 

[N1SQB]

UPDATE! Radio Has Arrived!

I finally received the radio this Saturday. All I can say is WOW! This new battery design makes a day and night difference on the handling of this radio. Notwithstanding the operational good or not so good things about this radio, and there really aren't many bad, this new battery design is absolutely wonderful! Since there are no videos featuring this new design on youtube that I could find, I made a short one myself.
UV5R Upgrade Version - YouTube
Like I said at the onset, I am not discussing the features on this baby. Personally, I believe it all comes down to what you like or dislike in a radio. As for me, I kept a low expectancy level right from the beginning, and ended up pleasantly surprised in the end. For $65 shipped to my door, I got a radio with very decent features and performance. The extended capacity battery is just an added bonus. I'm getting a second unit and selling my Wouxun! It's just mind blowing to think that a radio with all these features is in my hands for such little money. After all these years of paying C-notes for the "name brand" radios, I can say I am truly happy! While nothing feels or handles like a commercial radio besides a true commercial radio, this battery with this radio comes really close!

Manny