This page will be updated as I build or acquire new radio equipment. Ham radio equipment can get pretty expensive though, so I will likely try and find ways to get as much out of my current setup as I can before trying something new.

Baofeng UV-5RA

Like many hams before me, when I first became interested in the hobby I saw the Baofeng brand name come up a lot. The main advantage to Baofeng radios is that they are cheap and easy to operate. The main disadvantage is that you get what you pay for: they’re not particularly powerful and the rubber ducky antenna that many models ship with doesn’t give you great TX/RX quality. I have heard that some models are not strictly compliant with all FCC regulations, potentially allowing operators to use them in ways that could be disruptive. At time of writing I admit that I don’t have the technical expertise to verify these claims one way or another (yet). I’ve also heard that some hams tend to look down on folks who use them, but fortunately I have yet to speak with anyone like that in my local ham community.

Acquisition

I bought my Baofeng UV-5RA off of Amazon shortly after I got my technician license in 2018. I have not had much luck finding the exact model again, but many near-identical models can be easily found on Amazon today. Here is an example of one that is very similar to mine. If memory serves, I bought mine for roughly $25. When I tracked down the link above to write this post the price was $15.98.

Operation

Baofeng is the platonic ideal of a cheap Chinese import. As such, their user manuals are not particularly well-written. Fortunately, since they are so popular with hams, there are a myriad of online resources available for how to use and program them. The OEM user manual can be found here. Fellow ham W7APK has an excellent writeup on his website with all kinds of technical information on how to get the most out of your Baofeng, and that page is my go-to whenever I need reference material.

Upgrading the Antenna

The Baofeng UV-5R models ship with a very wimpy 6.5" rubber ducky antenna. This is usually enough to get you started when you are primarily listening in on repeater activity, provided you have decent line-of-sight where you’re operating. However, I found that when I started wanting to participate in check-ins my transmissions were reported as “very weak” by other hams. Per the recommendation on W7APK’s website, I bought a Diamond Antenna brand SRJ77CA antenna as a drop-in replacement. It is currently available on Amazon for $25.99. So far I’ve noticed much better reception, but have not yet had a chance to test transmission quality. Keep an eye on the logbook for updates! (Update: TX seems much improved as well, no complaints from local repeater during check-in!)