Baofeng Is the BAOFENG BF-F8HP a good first handheld?

[KO4SZA]

Hello,

I'm new to the HAM hobby and am looking to get a handheld first to get my feet wet. I got my Technician license a few months back and it's time to buy a radio.

I'm definitely going to get a base station set up next year, but for the time being and money allowing I was planning on getting a handheld. I've seen the Baofeng BF-F8HP come up a lot on different sites, but I want to make a good purchase. The one concern I had is I don't believe that particular radio is FCC certified? I'm not sure if that is important, but it seems like it would be.

Hopefully, y'all can lead me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance,
Jacob

 

[AK9R]

Equipment for use in the amateur radio service do not need FCC certification except in two specific situations: 1. VHF/UHF radios that have scanning capability have to be certified as Part 15 devices proving that they can't scan prohibited cordless phone and cell phone frequencies, 2. amplifiers which are designed for the higher HF bands have to be certified that they won't work on the CB frequencies.

The issue with Baofengs has historically been one of spurious emissions when the radios are transmitting. I have tested many radios with my spectrum analyzer and almost all of the Baofengs I've tested do not meet the FCC rules for spurious emissions from amateur radio transmitters. But, there's no requirement that these radios be certified, so it's up to amateur radio operators to understand what their radios are doing.

Most of the inexpensive Chinese radios can be challenging to program, but there is computer software available that will help you program the radio.

Most of the inexpensive Chinese radios are built around a "radio-on-a-chip" which combines most of the components typically used in a radio transceiver. These radios often have issues with being easily overloaded by strong signals from other sources. You may not notice this if you always use the stock rubber duck antenna, but you may have overload issues if you use a mobile or base antenna.

It's been said that these are "throwaway" radios in that if something fails, just add it to the e-waste and buy another. There are U.S.-based importers for some of these radios, but I'm not aware of anyone who services them. If you have a problem with your radio, you are probably on your own.

 

[KC3ECJ]

I like the UV-5X3 as far as these Memefeng radios go.
3 amateur radio bands on it and it has a decent front end. It also has some ok scan functions.
Many of these radios look the same on the outside, have similar model numbers, but are different.

These Chinese brand radios can be hit or miss with the front end stopping receive interference.
Many are wide open, meaning harsh interference on the receive, usually on the 2m band.

Take a look at reviews on places like eham and Amazon.

 

[Hit_Factor]

Is the BAOFENG BF-F8HP a good first handheld?
No.

Great news about Baofeng. We need this here.

Finally people realizing the truth. Let’s do this here. https://hackaday.com/2021/12/05/is-the-game-up-for-baofeng-in-europe/

forums.radioreference.com

Search and you will find out how poor they generally are. Good HTs are made by Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu, and Motorola.

 

[KC3ECJ]

Is the BAOFENG BF-F8HP a good first handheld?
No.

Great news about Baofeng. We need this here.

Finally people realizing the truth. Let’s do this here. https://hackaday.com/2021/12/05/is-the-game-up-for-baofeng-in-europe/

forums.radioreference.com

Search and you will find out how poor they generally are. Good HTs are made by Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu, and Motorola.

It was an older model, so maybe that has something to do with it, but I've used a couple Motorola UHF FM radios, think the model was the Radius CP150, in a big steel multi floor concrete building and it's coverage was poor.

In the same building I tried the Motorola XPR 3300e and Baofeng UV-B6, both also UHF and FM.

The older model, the Motorola Radius CP150 did not do as well coverage wise as the XPR 3300e and the UV-B6.

The 3300e and UV-B6 performed about the same.

 

[mmckenna]

Hopefully, y'all can lead me in the right direction.

You can do better. Easily, if your budget allows.

If you just want a cheap radio to get on the air quickly and you don't care about quality, then sure, get one, heck, get several, you may need them.

If you want a well performing radio that's going to last you for years, then you can easily do better.
Kenwood, Icom, Yaesu. You might pay more for them, but you'll be getting a better radio, less headaches, more support, and something that will last a long time.

 

[MindenJoe]

I also just received my technician license and wanted a reasonable priced radio to get my feet wet and use before I made a decision on a more expensive radio. I purchased the UV-5R and I'm surprised how well it works. I've only had it a few days, but I'm able to hit the local repeater 7.2 miles away from inside our house with the stock antenna (granted the repeater is on top of a mountain). I was told my signal sounded great. Pretty good for the $26.00 purchase price. If it lasts me till I reach a decision on a more permanent set up, I will be happy with my purchase and use the handheld as a backup.

 

[ko6jw_2]

I also just received my technician license and wanted a reasonable priced radio to get my feet wet and use before I made a decision on a more expensive radio. I purchased the UV-5R and I'm surprised how well it works. I've only had it a few days, but I'm able to hit the local repeater 7.2 miles away from inside our house with the stock antenna (granted the repeater is on top of a mountain). I was told my signal sounded great. Pretty good for the $26.00 purchase price. If it lasts me till I reach a decision on a more permanent set up, I will be happy with my purchase and use the handheld as a backup.

One thing to consider about Baofeng as a first radio is that it is more difficult to program than other brands especially when you are just learning. Yes, you want to get your feet wet, but you don't need to be frustrated by programming software. Dedicated OEM or RT Systems programming software will make it easier to set up other radios. You can use CHIRP, but it is not so user friendly.

Next, as a new operator, you may not realize how poor the Baofeng receivers are. To give you an example, we had a drill for ARES and CERT volunteers where many newer hams had Baofeng radios. In the presence of strong signals the Baofeng receivers overloaded and lost sensitivity. Some ops were unable to hear instructions on simplex due to these overloads. Not a good thing even for a drill. In a real emergency it could have had fatal consequences.

Baofeng has a poor track record with accessories like battery packs. I wanted to get the high capacity batteries for my Baofeng and returned several to Amazon because they would not fit on the radio. Also, some battery packs would not charge in the drop in chargers because they required a higher current than it could provide.

Mechanically Baofengs are not as well made as the higher priced brands. Not water resistant for example.

You can get a Yaesu FT-65 for about $90. The venerable FT-60 is $150 and the C4FM FT-70 is $160. They will outlast your Baofeng by years. You will be able to rely on them in an emergency. You can get accessories that will actually work.

I hope you enjoy ham radio and a little experience will convince you to move up to better equipment.

 

[KC3ECJ]

One thing to consider about Baofeng as a first radio is that it is more difficult to program than other brands especially when you are just learning. Yes, you want to get your feet wet, but you don't need to be frustrated by programming software. Dedicated OEM or RT Systems programming software will make it easier to set up other radios. You can use CHIRP, but it is not so user friendly.

Next, as a new operator, you may not realize how poor the Baofeng receivers are. To give you an example, we had a drill for ARES and CERT volunteers where many newer hams had Baofeng radios. In the presence of strong signals the Baofeng receivers overloaded and lost sensitivity. Some ops were unable to hear instructions on simplex due to these overloads. Not a good thing even for a drill. In a real emergency it could have had fatal consequences.

Baofeng has a poor track record with accessories like battery packs. I wanted to get the high capacity batteries for my Baofeng and returned several to Amazon because they would not fit on the radio. Also, some battery packs would not charge in the drop in chargers because they required a higher current than it could provide.

Mechanically Baofengs are not as well made as the higher priced brands. Not water resistant for example.

You can get a Yaesu FT-65 for about $90. The venerable FT-60 is $150 and the C4FM FT-70 is $160. They will outlast your Baofeng by years. You will be able to rely on them in an emergency. You can get accessories that will actually work.

I hope you enjoy ham radio and a little experience will convince you to move up to better equipment.

Huh?
There is at least 1 water resistant Baofeng and I found CHIRP easy to use early on.

 

[MindenJoe]

Thanks for the advice! The programming wasn’t too difficult to learn but it takes a long time to enter the data by hand. I purchased a data cable and that with the chirp software made things much easier but there is a lot of room for improvement with the software as it seems pretty outdated. I really don’t expect much from a cheap radio and plan to move on to a quality radio soon. I’ll be sure to take a look at the radios you mentioned. I’ve had great experiences with the ham community so far and look forward to becoming involved with our local club.

 

[KK4JUG]

You can do better. Easily, if your budget allows.

If you just want a cheap radio to get on the air quickly and you don't care about quality, then sure, get one, heck, get several, you may need them.

If you want a well performing radio that's going to last you for years, then you can easily do better.
Kenwood, Icom, Yaesu. You might pay more for them, but you'll be getting a better radio, less headaches, more support, and something that will last a long time.

I've owned a Yaesu VX3R for almost 10 years and it still works great. I bought it used so I have no idea how old it is. My VX-6 was bought new in (I think) 2013 and it still performs like a trooper. Most Baofengs are like Bic lighters. When they quit working, you throw them away.

 

[AM909]

One thing I like about my Yaesu FT-70D is that it is programmed with a standard USB mini cable. No special cable to buy, no troublesome drivers to find on some Chinese site and try to make work, etc. The Yaesu software is pretty annoying, but it beats programming hundreds of channels through the front panel, like I had to do with my BF GT3TP Mark III when the cable died (as they often do, apparently).

 

[K5MPH]

I also just received my technician license and wanted a reasonable priced radio to get my feet wet and use before I made a decision on a more expensive radio. I purchased the UV-5R and I'm surprised how well it works. I've only had it a few days, but I'm able to hit the local repeater 7.2 miles away from inside our house with the stock antenna (granted the repeater is on top of a mountain). I was told my signal sounded great. Pretty good for the $26.00 purchase price. If it lasts me till I reach a decision on a more permanent set up, I will be happy with my purchase and use the handheld as a backup.

I have a UV-5R and its been in the rain and dropped many time,I have had it for 8 years and still works it would not be my go to radio and yes they are cheep to own and have a very crappy front end but would not make it my main radio ..........