I have two BF-F9V2+, and five UV-5R radios. I forgot that I had two, not just one of the BF-F9V2+’s. Also, I believe that my son has one or two more of that model also. I have since learned that the BF-F9V2+ radios are probably fake knockoffs of real Baofeng models, using older firmware. They may be that, but they also work....at least as receivers. I haven’t tried transmitting with them. That would be illegal.Syntyr wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2020 11:22 amPardon the quick thread drift...The Annoyed Man wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2020 10:51 am Here’s what I know. My preps include six Baofeng handhelds with a charger, spare battery, and longer antenna for each one of them. They’re still in the box, and I haven’t gotten my ham license yet. Maybe I’ll get serious about tackling the license this year....maybe not. But either way, if the pooty hits the fan, me and mine will have coms.
TAM,
What models are those radios?
But if there’s no more gov’t to enforce laws anymore.....UV-5R Models sold after March-April 2015 are probably knockoffs, although Baofeng made a ton of these, and units purchased after that may be be real left over stock. I bought mine this past October. I bought the UV-5Rs on Amazon (which is no guarantee of authenticity) where they’ve had them for $125 for a pack of 5.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E4FO2TW/re ... dEbAE91M6EBaoFeng UV-5R UHF VHF Dual Band Two Way Radio Walkie Talkie with 5 Earpieces + 1 Programming Cable, 5 Pack
I don’t remember where I bought the two BF-F9V2+ radios from, except that it wasn't from Amazon, and I bought them at least a couple of years before buying the others. Even so, I remember them being pretty cheap too....like maybe $30-$40 each or so.
People who know more than I do about this stuff, say that Baofeng is junk....and maybe it is when compared to an honest piece of kit that would be used by a real ham hobbyist. I’m not that.....yet. Maybe some day I might be; but for now, what I’m mainly concerned with is having some rudimentary coms with a greater range and more available frequencies than a cheap FSRS walkie-talkie.
Theres a website I found here: http://www.km4fmk.com/blog/realvfake.html that has some good information about fakes. It doesn’t boost my confidence in Amazon's integrity.
If I decide to pursue my ham license this year....which I probably will finally do....I’ll step up and buy a serious handheld unit and a base station. These cheap Baofeng (knockoffs?) I have are strictly for having some kind of rudimentary coms to share with a team, or use as trade goods, for if the Boog actually happens.