The chirp software can be hard to use, just takes a little time to figure it out.once loaded the radio works great.the nagoya na- 771 is definitely worth the little extra money.
27/09/2020
New HAM licensee. Starting very basic with recommended BF-F8HP handheld radio. LED light did not work first time plugged in as per directions. SUBSEQUENTLY, spoke to Dave at Amazon the same day I received the radio, he walked me through getting a replacement charging unit, made it right re: cost, etc.RJF
25/09/2020
The manual isn’t very clear how to go through the steps to set up your radio. As a novice some of the terminology was confusing.
24/09/2020
I like how much fun it is to hear what goes on in the EMS and fire department listening to what goes on behind the scenes.I'm going to join the fire department and get training to how to use my amature radio in emergencies ( I would like to get the license). So I can help save other I calamities.
23/09/2020
Charged the battery and replacement battery. It never turned on. Possibly a defective unit.
20/09/2020
Great build quality. Lots of upgrade accessories available. Decent scanning feature. Easy to program with Chirp.
18/09/2020
Easy to use when you download CHIRP software to program, even without it the menu system is not all that bad once you get used to it. Just buy the authentic data cable that goes with it. Pretty decent radio with lots of features for a first timer. Everything worked fine except for the phone charger base, it had some issue with the cord being sloppy and it wouldn't keep power on unless I put something on the cord that plugged into it to apply some pressure to it. I contacted BTech and they sent me a new one immediately...nice job! The new one arrived today and works perfectly.
17/09/2020
In the world of amateur radio, this is a great choice. This is the third and final generation of the UV-5R. I also purchased a longer antenna for it, which radically changes the radio for the better. It has more of a rugged feel and comes with a 76 Page User Manual that will help you get acquainted with all the features. There is a lot of information also posted on Youtube.
16/09/2020
I have never owned an inexpensive HT before, only Icom and Kenwood. Once I figured out how to hand program in some repeaters I found that this radio is a dynamo in transmit power. To program this radio do NOT follow the instructions one can find on YouTube. Those guys are either spoof's or very unclear. Follow the handbook instructions to set up on a repeater: Program the receive frequency as instructed in frequency mode by typing in the receive frequency. Set the CTCSS for receive #11 and for transmit #13 (Leave the offset turned off), go to the menu item, Memory #27, and save on a memory channel you assign it and it will save as receive memory. Then at Frequency mode key in the transmit frequency, press menu #27, Press menu again to assign a memory channel, use the same memory channel number as the receive memory number, press menu again to save and it will tell you it is saving to Transmit memory. Remember, press menu, them find the menu number you need, press menu again to be able to program what you need, program (like a CTCCS frequency), press menu again to save.
15/09/2020