Not all baofengs are created equally

Are all of the Baofeng radios and accessories interchangeable

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Great prices on the Baofeng UV-5R at Amazon! 

 As you scour the internet looking for the cheapest deal on your Baofeng UV 5r dual band handheld radio, be sure to keep in mind that not all of the Baofeng radios are created equally. All of them seem to have little idiosyncrasies that make them unique.

Some accessories are not interchangeable.


I currently own a Baofeng UV-5R in camouflage and a BF-F9. The aftermarket 14.4 inch dual band antenna easily works for both of them. SO does the speaker mic. One odd thing is that the UV-5R stock battery will not fit into the BF-F9, although the BF-F9 works in the UV-5R. I assume it has something to do with the extra camo coloring of the battery case, making it off size to work

 Another oddity is why Baofeng decided to go with the reverse SMA adapter for the antenna connector since almost all other radios use a standard SMA connector. Since these radios were not manufactured specifically for amateur radio that it wasn’t a problem for the target market group.

 One last thing that I find odd is the way that the speaker microphone connects to the radio. For some reason it just looks odd to have the connector with the wire coming out of the top. It would seem that you would want it pointing down. This makes the radio off balance when in the standing position. The microphone connects this way on both the Baofeng UV-5R and the BF-F9 model.

 OK, so the down and dirty of it is, that ALL the Baofeng radios are basically ALL the same. This includes:

• UV-5R
• UV-5R plus
• UV-5Ra
• UV-5Re
• BF-F9
• BF-F11

 Except for the Baofeng UV-5RCX and UV-5RAX models which are 2M/220 models all of the radio are the same thing with just a few cosmetic changes.  Most of the accessories are also interchangeable with the few exceptions that are mentioned above.

Great prices on the Baofeng UV-5R at Amazon



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emergency power options and the Baofeng UV-5RE

 The Baofeng UV-5re is a great way to stay prepared when you need to know what is happening NOW! 

Not only can it be used for ham radio use, but it can also receive police and fire like a regular scanner, at half the price. It will also communicate with existing FRS and GMRS equipment.

 One thing that i have noticed about my Baofeng UV-5re radio now that i have had it for while is that it is highly prone to interference from other electrical devices such as computer monitors with the aftermarket 14.5 antenna. When placed close to my 19 inch monitor the squelch will break, even when placed on the highest setting. Another annoyance is the gas generator that I use during extended power outages tends to cause interference as well.
 One option that I have been looking at is using and RV and motorhome solar panel kit to power electrical devices during the extended power outages that we have out here every winter. When the wind gusts start reaching over 100 MPH power outages start to occur.  Not only would this be a greener option but it would reduce interference to my radio equipment and remove the need for valuable gasoline, that may become harder to get as the power outage extends. We also get snow flurries at times that make it impossible to get supplies and gasoline to keep a gas generator going.

For more information on Solar power be sure to check out Solar power kits in emergencies

Great prices on the Baofeng UV-5R at Amazon

 How far will your Baofeng UV-5R radio talk ?

Those pesky Baofeng batteries

Which Baofeng UV-5R radio is right for you

An idiots guide to programming your Baofeng UV-5R radio