Baofeng GT-3 Dual band ... ( First impression )

thanks’s

do you know of any equipment that can accomplish question #2 (doesnt have to be GSM/FRS at all, public frequencies would be fine). I’d really like to be able to get setup like that, where I can leave a unit at both my wife’s work and at our barn and be able to talk over those radios but because there’s other people there I dont care to let use my license so I’d only want them to be able to talk on the legal to transmit on the public channels but still hear me on mine.

Doesnt even have to be handheld.

Amazon has the BF-F8HP and the same store there sells the UV5RA in a pair with double everything for almost the same price. For the average user is the BF-F8HP that much better? Of course I want the F8 -it’s got more power, but for camping do I need that much more power?

Most likely, no. Better, and more fun, to have a few extra radios...

And if you temporarily need more range and want to have some extra fun, it is easy to rig two UV-5Rs to form an ad-hoc repeater.

Hoist them up high in a tree, possibly with better antennas, and you've suddenly got amazing range.

The only extra hardware needed is a cable with 2.5 and 3.5 mm plugs, so you can connect external speaker on one radio to external mic on the other.

http://www.amazon.com/Gino-2-5mm-3-5mm-Audio-Adapter/dp/B009PJG2TU

I thought you only needed one radio to function as a repeater… now it’s two with a jumper between them like a telomere on a dividing cell. Whycome ya’ gotta use two of them radidios to make a repeater?

Adobe, sorry I just realized you are in Europe and might not get the spelling to sound like the ignorant red necks of my humble heritage. Humor is tricky.

do you know of any equipment that can accomplish question #2 Sorry no ...

For the average user is the BF-F8HP that much better? Its should be better for everyone , Its tri power , 3 power settings , so you use what you need , what makes it better is it has more power .

More range = Just make a external antenna , something like a vertical dipole , some RG58 , BNC connectors and a pole ( telescopic ) , even a commercially made magnetic base antenna , as long as you can get it up ( height )

Here is my dipole , http://old4570.com/reviews/dipole.html

Repeater function , there are two hand held radios out there that cross band repeat http://hamgear.wordpress.com/2014/05/04/puxing-px-uv973-vs-wouxun-kg-uvd8d-i/

As for baofengs , you need more than cables . you need a repeater control box , otherwise the radios go into an infinite loop ,

http://www.wouxun.us/category.php?category_id=60

Apparently the UV-82C also has VFO lock out ...

old4570 it looks like you have the Mark II version - they have a Mark III now.

UV-5R is awesome

I like to program mine with a miriad of emergency radio frequencies

This site has a very large database

And a better programming software than the Chinese one (that might be full of malware and junk)

Remember, you can listen w/o a license, to broadcast on amateur radio frequencies you need the license

I got this radio a month ago but got a problem with the power output.
If i use try to select high/med/lo transmit power on a saved frequency it always default on high i can’t set it at med or lo,meanwhile when not use a saved frequency i can set it either high/med/lo.
Anyone got the same problem as me?

Ooooh , you should be able to default to low or medium power VIA software ( CHIRP )

To change power on the fly , try the #Key ( bottom right of keypad )

And if you are in Australia :

Its not legal to use a Baofeng on CB frequencies , to posses a baofeng is a Breach without a license .

And it is a breach if it can operate outside the band plan ( 144 - 148 / 430 - 450 )

In Australia Foundation license holders have been targeted .

Penalties are harsh , with up to 5 years in the pokey ! + A large fine ...

Want a Baofeng without a License , then you need to disable Tx .. ( Permanently )

I have seen the UV-5r sold as a 80 Channel CB ( This is not Legal ) on a certain site , he is begging for a rap on the knuckles ...

I have made some minor improvements to my GT-3 ( Antenna + Battery ) and its better now .

I have seen the GT-3 TP ( Tri Power or MK3 )

But the Baofengs leak power quite a bit , I will have to re-visit this one day .. So I dont like using the hand helds on anything but low power .

Thank fully the new antenna works well ,

Im using the Nagoya NL-R2 , and the Li-ion UV-5r ( Big ) battery on the GT-3 ..

Performs much better than the stock GT-3 ..

I am KB3OYZ, hi guys…

i was always gonna TRY one of the cheap 2m hand rigs always on ebay and such… it wouldnt take much power for me to reach my local 2m repeater tower that a local club (MARC) keeps up.

I dont know about the OTHER countries, but, here in the US ?

any licensed HAM operator is allowed to own/MODIFY/use … “any” radio equipment, it is assumed as a licensed amateur, you are knowledgeable enough to ensure you are not transmitting on “no no” frequencies.

for instance, the 25 or 35 watt 2m mobile rig i used to run in my delivery truck for several years? it was perfectly legal that i opened up the freq’s, so i could LISTEN to the many local police departments that use the same freq just out of 2m… i am trusted not to transmit on that freq, naturally.

it was handy to drive around letting the rig “scan” my 2m repeaters i talked on, and if there was no action, it gave up local police calls too.

but thanks for the write up on the rig… i remember the baofeng name for cheap 2m rigs, wasnt there another cheap chinese name in 2m hand rigs too? cant recall it now…

There are several ( Cheap ) chinese brands , Baofeng is the cheapest .

I go window shopping at the 409 shop http://www.409shop.com/

old4570,

Is that battery mod difficult to do? Would you be willing to explain how it was done? I would love to get a bigger battery onto something other than uv-5r.

Thanks

http://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php/topic,98691.msg782307.html#msg782307

Pretty much the same way as I did the AA battery case mod .

In fact I would recommend you buy a AA case , and mod it first .. ( For the experience )

I was planning to purchase the GT-3 MK III but after reading this review…I am considering the Baofeng UV-82L.

Any comments between the two?

73

You can always check “E-ham” but like Amazon reviews you can’t rely on everything you see there as being accurate. Still good for finding common issues and problems and sometimes the solutions for them.

Phil

I just got my Mark III a few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to spot a sale item which came with the 3800mAh battery! It is big and clunky but lasts literally forever. Have been listening and scanning a few minutes every day and even after all this time I haven’t had to charge it yet!

But the AA battery mod is something I would prefer because the car charger solution is a joke. (putting the device into the (desk) drop-in charger while driving is not that great)

ps: I still don’t have the CHIRP cable yet and the plastic/chrome on/off switch is a turn-off. Need to replace it.

The Mark III is actually a good device for the price. 8W is true for me, have significantly increased performance with a good antenna. the one in the package is not bad either.

Remember to use Baofeng BF-F8HP in the CHIRP program for the GT-3 Mark III TP and not the Baofeng UV-5R (for the GT-3 Mark II) when you get your cable. :wink: