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By the creator of The Prepper’s Information to Publish-Catastrophe Communications.
The Natural Prepper has clever readers. One solely must learn by the remark part to appreciate this. Simply the opposite day, a commenter on an article of mine identified that there have been several types of UV-5R radios.
Whereas I knew that there have been completely different battery pack variations, colours, and so forth., on the market, I had no clue that there have been UV-5Rs with completely different spectrum talents. (Lesson discovered: learn the feedback part extra typically.)
What are among the several types of Baofeng UV-5R radios on the market? Let’s take a fast look…
A fast caveat
For starters, there are a selection of various Baofeng models which can be out there on the market. Not every part that you simply’ll see on this checklist is technically thought-about a UV-5R, but when it seems to be like a duck and quacks like a duck, we’re calling it a duck right here. Additionally…
Be careful for the fakes.
There are a selection of knockoff variations of UV-5R radios on the market that you’re going to need to keep away from. Baofeng is the model that you’re on the lookout for, although, to my understanding, B-TECH is the true deal brand-wise as nicely. The rest you discover on-line, simply avoid it.
That is an 8W model that has an enormous ol’ battery pack that provides you with loads of juice for once you’re out and about. Should you solely need to use this radio for licensed ham radio contacts, you’re in luck, as this model solely is able to transmitting and receiving on 144-148MHz/420-520MHz.
It’s form of a bummer of radio, in my view, as this implies you aren’t going to have the ability to choose up any of the analog (old fashioned) public service radio transmissions in your area, nor will you have the ability to choose up a bunch of different attention-grabbing frequencies that older UV-5Rs had been able to selecting up.
If I had a selection between the above or this one, I’d choose the above. You find yourself with a much bigger battery pack and the flexibility to work the very same frequencies – 144-148MHz/420-520MHz. That is fairly lame of a model in the event you ask me.
(Comms aren’t the one prep you have to be trying into. Do you could have your meals storage so as? Ensure you take a look at our free QUICKSTART Information to dwelling canning to get the data you want sooner fairly than too late.)
That is extra prefer it. For starters, this model of the UV-5R is a tri-band. Which means it will possibly choose up three completely different segments of the radio wave spectrum. Sometimes, the UV-5R is a dual-band radio – able to selecting up the 2-meter band (good for rural places) and the 70 cm band (good for city places).
This radio may choose up the 1.25-meter band – a characteristic I personally like given that no one appears to ever be on the 1.25-meter band (at the least the place I reside). Should you don’t need everyone with a radio in your space to listen to your dialog along with your buddy about your secret fishing holes, it’s nice to have entry to a band that’s not anyplace as busy because the 2-meter band. Two antennas are included to can help you pay attention to the 1.25-meter band (a 2-meter/70cm band antenna received’t work on 1.25 meter).
One other advantage of this radio is you can pay attention to greater than the UV-5R fashions above. You have got entry to 136-174MHz, 400-520MHz, and 220-260MHz.
The programming cable is thrown in right here as nicely, which means you may immediately obtain CHIRP and add your settings to your radio with out having to make a second on-line buy. Desire a one-and-done UV-5R? That is it.
That is the UV-5RIII simply with out the programming cable. If you have already got a cable, this could prevent cash.
These are bare-bones preps that can assist to maintain your neighborhood protected.
Comms preps don’t should be costly, and a UV-5R is an ideal instance as to why. Except for serving to you to transmit priceless data over sizable distances instantaneously, these can also make nice barter gadgets as they’re a reasonably sensible unit of worth. Simply be sure you know the kind of UV-5R that you’re shopping for earlier than you ever hit that “Purchase” button.
What are your ideas right here? Are there different variations of the UV-5R that we didn’t cowl that individuals have to find out about? Do you could have different recommendation right here you can share? Tell us within the feedback beneath.
About Aden
Aden Tate is a daily contributor to TheOrganicPrepper.com and TheFrugalite.com. Aden runs a micro-farm the place he raises dairy goats, a pig, honeybees, meat chickens, laying chickens, tomatoes, mushrooms, and greens. Aden has three printed books, The Trustworthy Prepper, The Prepper’s Information to Publish-Catastrophe Communications, and Zombie Selections. You’ll find his podcast The Final American on Preppers’ Broadcasting Community.
