- 2013 Latest Version; More Stubborn Case, More Rich and Enhanced Features
- Frequency Range: 136-174 / 400-480MHz; 25KHz/12.5KHz Switchable
- 128 Channels 50 CTCSS and 104 CDCSS; Channel Step: 2.5/5/6.25/10/12.5/25KHz
- Dual-Band Display, Dual Frequency Display, Dual-Standby; A/B band independent operation
- JK ELECTRONICS is the sole distributor of Baofeng New UV 5RA Two Way Radio on Amazon, buy with confidence!
The 5RA has slightly different button shapes but programming and layout is the same. Programming this with the handheld is a nightmare. Not impossible or hard but time consuming. The directions are worthless and the exact same as the previous version. Buy the 5r usb programming cable to make your life easier.
Seems like they addressed some firmware shortfalls of the 5r and transmit power is slightly better.
Some of the menu text on screen is "cleaned up" meaning they use less characters to get across the same point.
If you are going to hook it up to a external antenna I use a female SMA to female pl259 connector (SO-239). The "reverse SMA" connection is the only thing limiting your antenna choices.
For the price you cannot go wrong. Not a huge fan of the origin of manufacture but the quality far exceeds the price.
The 5r comes with a ear bud/mic this version (5ra) does NOT.
**Update:
As I played with it next to the 5r, I noticed the screen being behind the new plastic causes a "shadow bar" across the bottom at most angles on the screen. In bright light the redesign can reflect it back at you.
Firmware on my handheld was:
BFB281
Hold 3 when turning on to get this infoI like this Radio! Owners manual is pretty weak. Get on the internet, read the tutorials, and you can have frequencies programmed in minutes. Then hit your local repeater.
Its simple to program!!!
Monitor NOAA weather, local police, Fire, and FM radio
The radio feels solid in you hand. The controls are solid.
Antenna works just fine. I would like to try a better one just out of curiosity.
I think it is a great first Amateur Hand held.I bought the 5R and since I have to have the latest toys, I bought the 5RA. I am not a radio techno, so I can't tell you the difference from a technical standpoint, but I actually like the look of the 5R a little better. I work part time as a Cop and the 5RA looks like a toy on my belt. The 5R is all black and looks more official. The 5RA has a silver plate on the front.
The 5RA speaker is crystal clear, it transmits fine, and hits the repeaters with no issues in NYC where I work. It is compact, fits in a back pocket, and is very light. The screen is easy to read. But with any of these radios buy the programming cable, it is a breeze to program.
Besides that you have to love these radios, with the $2.99 cable (you should buy) and software I downloaded. It took me about 4 minutes to program 24 channels, then it took me 10 seconds to clone it to another new radio. My only fear is that these Boafeng radios will become so popular that the price will go up !!
I have a 600 Vertex VX5 that is an amazing radio, but I put it in the desk for now. This is the new toy.I've had it for a week and seems to be working as expected. I took one star off because this "2013 Latest Version" came with old firmware...BFB281 versus BFB291. So far so good, but we will see what I'm missing.
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I bought this radio and the first thing I noticed is that it looked nothing like the photo on the Amazon listing. While installing the battery, I noticed the model number is UV-5RE! After a quick review/comparison of the specs, it appears that the major difference is cosmetic/case. It DOES have the newer BFB-291 firmware.Comparing this to my Wouxun UV6D, the Baofeng is smaller, but weighs about the same (feels more dense). I could fit the Baofeng in my jeans pocket, whereas the Wouxun is just a little too big. The other annoyance is the female SMA connector for the antenna... my Wouxun, and just about every other HT I own, have connectors that take male SMA connectors. The radio does get warm when transmitting on high power for more than 20-30 seconds. So, I don't expect to use this radio for lots of digital mode transmissions.
Testing with some Amateur UHF repeaters about 20 miles out performance seemed on par with my other HTs. However, on 2m, performance was significantly less. I'm guessing the stubby duck antenna may be a major contributor to the poor relative performance on 2m. The built-in microphone is somewhat poor.. it sounds muffled when compared to other radios, the clarity of my FM transmissions is not the same as using a better radio like my Yaesu or even the Wouxun. It lacks a rotary knob for tuning, channel selection, and menu selection, which I use often on my other HTs.
This radio does have 2.5KHz step option right on the radio, unlike my Wouxun UV6D on which the 2.5KHz channels must be programmed via software.
Another nice option is the ability to tune into FRS/GMRS frequencies, and secondary use as a police/fire scanner.
One other slight annoyance is that there appears to be a significant delay to transmit when pressing PTT. I can't just xmit and start talking like on a Yaesu HT, the first second or so of the transmission gets cutoff. If you are transmitting a callsign and just start talking when you press PTT, the first few letters will be cutoff unless you are careful. Listening to local repeaters on 2M I can always identify who is using a Baofeng by this issue... lots of "...6ABC" and "...XYZ" callsigns
While not a perfect radio, for the price, this seems to be a good value.
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