
- 1. dual vhf uhf UV B5
- 2. Compandor
- 3. 1750Hz tone
- 4. FM radio built in
- 5. Emergency alarm function

The UV-B5 not just another UV-5R variant housed in a different case. This radio is a completely new design focused on overcoming some of the many flaws inherent in the UV-5R. To begin with, the 'B5 feels more like a commercial radio and less like a toy. The front end on the UV-B5 is superior to the '5R. The squelch tail elimination feature for example is a great feature usually found only in more expensive commercial radios. The UV-B5 comes with a much better antenna than the one included with the '5R. Oh, and that silly LED flashlight option is gone replaced with a convenient knob to change channels.
I'm able to program the radio flawlessly with the latest version of CHIRP. The program still doesn't have an 'Advanced' settings tab but having the ability to program all the channels through software eliminates 99% of the work and allows me to easily share the .img file with others. CHIRP even includes some generic files that allow you to program your radio to be a Marine Band only HT or a FRS/GMRS only radio or a combination of both plus your own manually entered frequencies. For ease of interoperability, I programmed mine so that the first 22 channels are standard FRS/GMRS frequencies.
I recommend ordering the following accessories:
1. Programming cable
2. Spare battery (sadly, unlike the '5R, no 3800ma optional battery is available for this unit)
3. External speaker/mic
4. BNC adapter to use radio with a 1/4 ground plane mag mount antenna in the car
One final note: Don't expect this radio to have the same specs as a commercial HT or even a Japanese Ham-class dual bander. However, for what it is a sub $50, no-frills dual-bander, it's certainly a bargain.
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I've been an Amateur Radio Operator for many years, and have more radios than I'll ever need. But when I see these Baofeng radios for under $50, I can't help myself. I already own the popular Baofeng UV-5R, and the new UV-B5 is even better. The UV-B5 feels more like a quality radio than the UV-5R. Most of the features are similar. The UV-B5 has slightly less channels (99), but has a channel knob instead of the LED flashlight. Programming is a little easier, but like the UV-5R, you'll want to buy the optional programming cable. Using the software from Baofeng, you can also expand the UHF RX frequency range to 520MHZ. The latest daily builds of CHIRP also work, but not the advanced settings or programming above 470MHZ (as of June, 2013). The UV-B5's operating manual is light years better than the operating manual that comes with the UV-5R, and also has a much better antenna.
Performance wise, the UV-B5 is on par with my radios costing 3 times more. Transmit and receive are both excellent. Build quality is a step below the more expensive Japanese radios, and the scan speed is slower, but that should be expected from a dual-band radio costing under $50. Audio is excellent, and plenty loud from the small speaker. The 2000mAh battery lasts a long time. Unfortunately, the battery and charger are not compatible with the UV-5R. The programming cable is.
This is just a great, cheap, dual-band radio.
Pros:
Price!!
Very good audio on TX and RX.
Good battery life.
Good sensitivity and selectivity.
Great features.
Cons:
As of June 2013, radio is still only available from overseas dealers.
Programming cable not included.
Very quirky programming without the cable.
Channel skip is only available using the programming software.
SMA Female antenna instead of standard SMA Male antenna.
Very slow scan speed.
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Beware, there is nothing that I found so far that can program this radio through software and doing so manually is a severe pain in the butt. Doable, but take a weekend to do so :). The radio delivers. I made a test call on 146.52 and had a station come back ~10miles away full quieting.
The thing i like about this radio over the UV-5R is the second dial to control moving through freqs and channels. On the UV5R you have to use the up and down arrows on the keypad, this radio has a dial for it. Its something basic, but for $43 you really cant split hairs.
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This is a very good handy talkie at a bargain price. It is sturdy, has plenty of options and features and has a VFO knob instead of the light other BAOFENG'S have... I like that. To compare this product to one's priced twice or four times as much is unfair. I would not recommend it as a primary station or for beginners, unless you have/get an exterior antenna; since, the rubber ducky offers limited simplex coverage (about 1 or 2 miles). It does, however, hit my local repeaters just fine with its rubber ducky, but squelch may need to be set to zero in order to receive, depending on signal strength. Overall a good product at a great price with normal limitations due to its low power. Four stars because there's always room for improvement.... LOL
First, I should say I am not using this as my main radio, but the UV-B5 is good for backup and other purposes.
So, why is it not my primary HT? It lacks features, some of which a person would expect on a traditional name-brand handheld. For example, I could find no way to make it do automatic repeater frequency-shifts. I measured power output at 4 watts (less than the 5w specified). The time it takes to quit transmitting after the key is released seems long. This could be a problem for some digital mode operations. It does have VOX, which would have been nice for digital ops, but the release time is quite long (designed for voice).
There is a UV-5B group on Yahoo. You might want to check that out for more pros and cons.
In summary, if you need a functional backup radio for a relatively low price, the UV-B5 is worthy of consideration. (I gave it an extra star for the low price.)