I got 4 radios to join the Feng Gang. I told my gun snob buddy that i will absolutely not buy a $200 radio until the boys prove that they're willing to train with $30 radios.
I love the radio content. Keep it coming. Would love to get a refreshed overview on radios for preparedness (not tactical high speed; low drag, or hobbiest radio). Features like APRS, DMR, etc. and their applications
i would say that anything the requires prior planning and specialty equipment is only applicable if you intend to start and end your mission with the same team members. even then if dmr or aprs has too high a barrier to entry you might hinder you ability to cooperate with other groups. that said it seems that the community is best setup for analog voice over vhf/uhf for short range tactical comms. good effort is being made via the ghostnet to make js8call on HF a source of sustainment communications. clandestine comms are always the hardest but there are some options, meshtastic takes a lot of work but has many upsides. if you dont watch s2underground already you should check his channel out
PSA the best budget radio to get now is the Quansheng UVK5. They are at the same price point of the baofeng but are more capable as they are able to receive on the CB 28hz and 800 MHz band in addition to the normal bands. The signal processor is also upgraded and you are able to perform capture and playback attacks with the proper firmware. Also best of all its USB chargeable. Wish I knew about them before I bought 2 baofengs last year.
@@_Art.Vandelay well definitely anything outside of the standard uhf and vhf ham radio bands is going to be out of spec. @rosswilliams3672 yes you can swap batteries on the fly.
What you are saying is you can buy a”cheap” 9mm handgun for cheaper then a “mid” priced 22lr pistol lol might want to reword that but get what you are saying 💯
@@user-wc1em7pc2p If you're paying $400 for a case of 9mm you are getting bent over the counter and violated. You can find 124gr for $250 and 115gr for $220 all day.
@@Osprey1994bro what? Their whole business is built on proliferation of firearms for civilians based on making them “common” therefore unable to be banned. Get a clue.
The amazing aspect within the world of really cheap analog VHF/UHF radios is the innovation. The "baofeng model" for radios has been copied and improved upon by a lot of companies lately. Not the best for all roles, but the plethora of hardware and firmware options that are already out there is pretty impressive for really cost-effective radios.
Have you tried the Anytone 878UVII plus? I feel like it gives great capabilities in a rugged package even compared to more expensive icom and yaesu equivalents
Just got my Ham license and GMSR. Have a couple of Baofengs and the programming cable. PTT hooked up to ear pro. CHIRP and now learning how to use them. More radio videos!
Just went to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks and was able to hear the rangers communicate during an ongoing SAR mission to find a missing hiker in a remote area of the park. I was also able to hear other LE traffic like the aftermath of a Bison that got struck in the roadway, and even the local UHF channel that all the animal nerds and tour guides use to communicate about where the wildlife is active. Very helpful and cheap tool in the parks where you have zero cell service.
Baofeng, like other cheap Chinese radios, are successfully used in the conflict in Ukraine. It can be said, that it is the most frequently used radio on the battlefield. So unlike the 22lr, this is definitely a combat radio.
Oooh, so after Risky Chrisky and S2 Ungerground, *NOW* T.REX is going for practical advice instead of "Gucci-only".... I kid, I kid. But seriously, I'm happy we're seeing more nuanced discussions about the proper usage of budget comms/other equipment from various UA-camrs. It's long overdue.
Being a big ham radio guy but also a big gun guy, it’s completely wild to me to see the tactical community adopting and using baofengs. Love the overlap lol! Also, just like you practice your firearm proficiency, you should also practice radio and communication proficiency, which is an excellent excuse to get your amateur licence!
Or you don’t get the gay license and run it anyway since I’m guessing majority of people aren’t running tax stamps on their sbr’s or spicy selection lowers.
@@Eric10179 because I don’t want to give the government more money and all of your knowledge can be found online for free or in a radio class. Saying just get a HAM license/cert is boomer/fud lore when there was no internet and just gate keeping of info
@@alexmilbaugh1645 it’s not boomer and fud lore man. If you are serious about comms, then you owe it to yourself and those you care about to learn as much as possible and practice everything in your abilities. You are severely limited in what you can do, practice, and learn without a licence. It’s essentially a licence to learn. It will only be of benefit to yourself even if you look at it from a selfish point of view. If you are truly serious about reliable comms, you ought to broaden your horizons
@@Eric10179 I do take it seriously but will not give even more money to the government I run a Harris falcon radio with a lot of time behind it. Only reason to get the license is to be “legal” but if you care about your freedom and being ungovernable you wouldn’t care about it but if you want to go spend the 30-40 bucks for the license go ahead but it’s not necessary nor is it going to put you way over someone who doesn’t have it.
You should also get your HAM license if you’re going to use it often! By studying and taking the exam, you get more involved in the radio community, you’ll learn how be proficient with it, and you’ll also learn how to use the damn thing without interfering on someone else’s communications. Slight benefit- it’ll actually make using it legal!
I’ve learned the radio community doesn’t want me unless I bother to get more expensive equipment and can nerd out on it. Radios don’t excite me like that, so I don’t have a home. And I did get the license for practicing. I’ll just use my knowledge to help others who don’t want to know any more than how to operate radios in an emergency response 🤷♂️
@@timunderbakke8756 and that’s perfect and awesome. I’m just saying there’s 0 harm in getting licensed, and it helps you understand a little more about how to use your gear. You don’t need to do anymore than that of course. What I think though is dumb is the people who buy a bunch of baofangs, don’t know how to use them, and then transmit like an idiot on frequencies they shouldn’t be on. There’s a reason the FCC wants people to at least have a general knowledge before they hit the PTT. I genuinely am the same way as you. I do not participate in the ham community either, however I think doing your homework first is important regardless of what you’re trying to do.
RTL-SDR's fall into the same bucket, but with probably a bit more cost to performance (apples to oranges, so get both). Cheap, not the best hardware (though this has gotten better with V4), great for teaching and learning, and has plenty of real-world use cases as well.
Isaac is right about 22cal pistols. It’s even worth reading up on the history of how setups like his have been effectively employed in M*necraft. As with any professional field, it’s important to have the right tool for the job one finds oneself doing.
The baofeng is a very useful tool especially for tactical comms. I would recommend the short stubby antenna. This will limit your range to several hundred meters. Ideal to avoid detection. If you desire the ability to change antennas, get a flush bnc adapter and the abree st-20 bnc antenna. Guerrillas guide to the Baofeng radio is a great book that i highly recommend. Best to buy but available in pdf i believe.
@@fosatech you won’t hurt the radio at only 5watts, plus stubbys are purposely made for this purpose (and also for use in tight spaces). It’s actually a good idea in this instance in order to keep a smaller Rf radius.
@@fosatech its my understanding that a compact antenna offers little to no gain simply because of its size ie how compressed the radiating element is, not as a function of standing wave ratio. hopefully my nanoVNA will arrive soon and i can verify this. that said it would not surprise me if many compact uhf vhf antennas have terribe swr but again that is not the only factor effecting gain or loss
I am trying to get into HAM and GMRS. Can someone link me links to get started. Like a 101 that’s starts at ground level. A lot of this is super confusing but I want the capability and tools.
Honestly, any study guide for a “Technician” license will do this for you. GMRS is no different than Technician class radio work except for it’s on a different frequency band and has some power output limitations. And technician class assumes you have no experience with radios.
So the two are similar, but kind of different. GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) does not require a test for a license. You just fill out a form with the FCC, $35 and you get an immediate GMRS license which covers you and your immediate family members for 10 years I think. It uses some of the same frequencies as FRS, or those cheapo Midland walkie-talkies you can buy at Walmart and pop open and just use. They're channelized so any radio using say, channel 3 will always be on the same frequency. With GMRS, the frequency are still channelized, but the radios themselves can be pretty different. They can operate on more power equaling more range, and I think you can change the antennas out for better ones or something.. you'd have to research that a little more. GMRS also is seeing a lot more repeaters pop up in most places as it gains popularity. With ham radio... It opens a lot more for you. There's 3 levels of licensing, Technician, General, and Extra. To just get started, you'd get your technician license. A quick study up and a 35 question test is all it is. It's honestly pretty easy. With that you can pretty much do whatever you want within your band allocation limits and power limits. Lots of stuff available as far as radios, power output, repeaters, frequencies etc. if you really want to dive in, my suggestion would be to just get your GMRS as it's instant with no test needed. While you're reading up and playing with that, study for your technician license and read about different radios etc and check out everything you can do with that. You don't have to have the license either to buy or turn on the radio and screw with it, listen, practice programming, listening to repeaters etc.. just can't transmit or push the magic button until licensed. The first book I'd get is the ARRL Technician license study book. It's packed with tons of great information about radio in general and has the entire test question bank in the back. Second, check out a UA-cam guy named Josh, his channel is "Ham Radio Crash Course" HRCC. He's got loads of great videos for beginners and new people looking to get into it. Great stuff. The best test prep for the test is an app called "HamStudy" by signal stuff-they make antennas. Website is HamStudy.org.
@@timunderbakke8756 "GMRS is no different than Technician class radio work" This is false. The GMRS license requires no test, and only requires a fee. The license covers everyone in the licensee's household. GMRS radios are Part 95 certified. An amateur Technician license requires a test and a fee. The license covers the operator. Radios do not have to be certified. It is up to the operator to know and understand the rules and the principles of radio in order to guarantee that they operate their device properly. In terms of what you can do with GMRS vs an amateur Technician license, these are also different. GMRS only allows phone (voice) transmission on channelized frequencies. No digital modes. No CW. And you only have access to 22 simplex channels, shared with the unwashed masses on FRS, and 8 repeater channels. You essentially have to use your Part 95 certified radio the way it came out of the box. Transmit power is limited to either 5W or 50W, depending on the channel. A Technician license gives you access to a much greater selection of frequencies, plus the ability to use various digital modes, CW, etc. And you have a much higher limit for transmit power. Up to 1500W depending on the band. And you get limited access to HF bands, which have a much greater potential range than VHF.
I have two Baefeng radios and both are on the same frequency and I can't seem to hear the transmit at all. One will light up like it is receiveing but nothing is coming through.
Stick to the UV-5R, or upgrade to a better radio that has better/cleaner reception/transmission. Most “higher end” Baofengs are practically UV-5Rs with a cosmetic upgrade. I have literally seen guys spend $120 on a UV-5R with a cosmetic clamshell so that they could appear more “tactical”. Take a look at the Kenwood TH-K20A if you want a utilitarian and bombproof option, or an ICOM IC-V86 for similar performance. Both are capable and reliable, with excellent overall quality.
@@woodrowcall3158 Good to know. I'm guessing the UV-5R doesn't need a license to own? And yeah, I saw a few feature lists and certain "Upgrades" didn't seem like upgrades. But it is hard to figure out the best one. Was going to get 2-3 for my wife and I for camping and for range usage. I'll check out the Kenwood. Just want to invest in something other than Ammo with prices right now and fill out the kit.
@@Slai47 You can own practically anything in terms of VHF/UHF without a license. Transmitting on bands that require a license is the issue that may arise. You can listen all you like without running afoul of the law, assuming you live in the US. The license is super easy to get. Just study the answers to the test. The test will teach you practically nothing, but actually using your radios and talking with local HAMs and friends will teach you tons about how to use your equipment and it’s capabilities. The worst time to first use and learn your equipment is when chaos and bad guys are running amok. My wife and I use ours all of the time while camping, at large events, and driving in convoys. We even have bluetooth rigs for our motorcycles where we can talk over radios while we ride in the backcountry. If you want to focus on simplicity and durability, the TH-K20A is hard to beat. It doesn’t have unnecessary bells/whistles and “features”, the transmission/reception is great, audio clarity is top of it’s class, and in terms of durability/weatherability I’d pit it against a Motorola APX7000. It is also relatively easy to program in the field without having to use a computer, though you can still program and clone radios if you like. The UV-5R is perfectly workable as a starting radio, but I’d encourage you to start off from a higher tier of quality/performance. If you don’t want to get into a license, your best (legal) choice is likely going to be MURS. A Btech MURS-V2 is a good way to equip yourself for utilizing MURS, but there are limitations to the service, and there are ways to run afoul of the law with certain radios so be careful.
I think the Baofeng is the perfect radio to just program in the channels that you use on your good radios and then you can hand these cheap radios off to anyone around. Just keep them as backups or loaners.
Question about Baofeng: it being a Chinese company, is there any concern over the possibility of China building in "back doors" in to their Radios? For passive listening or otherwise? Or does the nature of Radio broadcast already not being private negate that concern? Or does the fact that one/hobbyists/the community can analyze the signals and nothing weird has been noted maybe remove this concern? As a nooby to radios just something I'm considering while getting ready to purchase
Having broken into several UV-5R units and inspected their guts, I can offer you a high degree of assurance that they have not hidden some sort of bug/killswitch in the circuitry. If they did manage to hide such a piece of high-end technology that can accomplish such feats while hiding in such simple circuitry, they are going to go bankrupt selling them for $20-30. Seriously, Baofeng models are pretty much a home electronics project scaled for mass production.
Definitely more of a concern with more expensive brands I've wondered if a backdoor in program could be made and triggered by a radio transmission to do something like that on people's radios
Use of personal radios in the UK is limited, but saying that, I've used Baofeng BF-888S for the best of 10 years they have never let me down. I've used the standard batteries and extended capacity batteries they have never failed me yet, It much easier over here to have the radios that the .22 pistols as the pistols give the cop the willies.
You failed to explain how the Baufeng fail compared other expensive radios. I’m well aware how a .22cal. Can fail in a self defense situation, and comparing the two really sounded (I’ll be nice) silly.
Can someone recommend good durable HT's? and digital radios? I am looking at Wuoxun KG-Q10H for versatility, but I'd like something that will hold up to some back country living?
@@patrick70335 The FT-65R isn’t “better” so to say than the FT-60R. Between the two, I’d prefer the FT-65R for working as it is a more durable design with better battery life. I’d take the FT-60R if I wanted something to learn on as it boasts easier access to capabilities that you won’t really realize until you break out of simplex comms. That’s not to say that the FT-60R isn’t durable, or that you can’t go beyond simplex with the FT-65R, they are just geared towards different users. If that doesn’t make sense let me know, and I’ll try to expound by simplifying.
@@patrick70335 Also, if you are using the FT-65R and have a friend who has one equipped with ARTS (Automatic Range Transpond System), it is a useful way to ensure comms integrity by two isolated individuals. The two radios will periodically burst a challenge tone that will automatically be responded to when it is received. If three challenge tones are transmitted without a response, the radio will alert you that your partner(s) are out of reception range. It doesn’t beat proper mission planning coupled with terrain and communication awareness, but it is a useful feature within certain contexts.
The BaoFeng UV-5R8W is now $25 online. There is no reason not to have one. My team uses them as backup comms and use encrypted digital mesh voice communicators as primaries.
@@ghostlight69420 Nothing yet...I just bought a few radios,antennas, batteries, cables, etc but I have never messed with radios whatsoever. Except when a was a kid with crappy walkie talkies. Im totally green
It's simple. Find out the channel map you want, and you enter it in worksheet form. You can upload to or download from the radio very easy. If you know someone with a programmed radio you can upload his channel map and download it to however many radios you want.
I'm needing a mossberg vs beretta semi auto comparison vid now...I was deadset on getting a beretta a300 or 1301(whichever I see first after closing on my house)
The practical difference between a 940 and A300 is about as narrow as the difference between the A300 and 1301. By the time you realize the practical difference between any of the three, you’ll be more informed than any video can make you and will know which one you prefer.
Well, I have a 940 Tactical and an A300 Patrol in the next room. They both work IF you get a good one. If you get a lemon, you better hope the company will stand behind it. 940 has a heavier barrel. The additional weight makes it feel softer during recoil. Both have removable chokes. Both can mount red dots. The 940 has better internal coatings, but I think the action of the A300 is more robust personally. It feels less fragile when setting up and clearing feeding malfunctions, for example. The furniture on the A300 is superior. The accessory mounting solutions for lights are superior. Red dot solutions are a wash, but the 940 comes better prepared out of the box. I purchased an upgraded dot mount for the A300. My 940 had an issue that would cause the whole freaking gun to totally lock up solid after a single shot. I mean it, there was no fixing it quickly. If you bought a double barrel shotgun, you would've had 100% more capacity than my POS 940. Mossberg stood behind it. Kinda. After sending it back TWICE, they ended up replacing the whole font end of the gun, including the barrel. But they refused to set me up with a new gun, and they absolutely wouldn't give me a refund. So be warned. They only kinda care about you enough to avoid lawsuits. They don't really care if you lose faith in their garbage products. The company name means nothing when they leave you hanging and they're apparently just fine with leaving that impression on you in the end. After my experiences I would absolutely not pick Mossberg unless there was no other choice. If money was no object, then 100% grab the 1301 mod 2. It's furniture is identical to the A300, and it's back bored barrel and lengthened forcing cone will likely extend its useful range a bit beyond the A300 range and the average range of other comparable shotguns. Individual specimens vary, and its ammunition dependent of course. If you want a smart choice and can live with "second best", then the A300 will probably let you buy the gun and all supporting mods for the same price as the 1301 bare bones. Just a random guy's 2 cents ;) Good luck with the house!
What features is a UV5R missing? Digital? Yeah, it's an analog FM radio. What durability? I've had a UV5R bouncing around in the floorboard of my truck for years, hanging off back packs, dropped on picnic tables throughout the country, in and out of checked luggage. I have never had a UV5R fail and I have had them since they were introduced. They are fine for exactly how you use them - close group comms. Will Seal Team 6 use them? It's not likely their preferred gear, but I guarantee you, in a pinch, they would. I can tell you a radio I never use - the digital Yaesu that has been in my office for about three years and has hit the local digital repeater like three times. Otherwise, it's a $200 Baofeng.
Not everyone can afford a Daniels Defense AR and a cheap training rifle. That’s why anderson cheap lower/uppers sell so well. I have a homebrew ar that shoots sub-moa I built for less than $600. Any reliable rifle is better than no rifle-you just need to know it’s limitations and train with it. Not everyone can afford a pair of $400 a piece digital ht’s either and that’s where a handful of cheap 8w uv5r’s makes sense. Any radio is better than no radio-you just need to know it’s limitations and train with it. Sure, I’d love to have a few really good ht’s!! In time I will too. But in the meantime, I’d rather have a half dozen uv5r 8w I picked up for $120 than only 1 yeasu and no accessories. Some of us aren’t able to get the best and make do with good enough until we can do better. Cheap doesn’t always mean useless.
Only thing i hate on Baofeng is sound reproduction. Noise is excellent, speach worse. There are UHF/VHF radios twice expensive, but have significantly better sound fidelity and noise reduction.
complete useless Chinesium garbage? not quite. best thing since sliced bread? only if you're on some seriously good drugs. For Ham radio, they are not that good, but will get you on the air. It's a great starter radio, but if you plan to move forward with your ham life, I'd recommend an upgrade asap. if you're using it for larping, sure, it's a good little radio (provided you go thru the small effort of getting your license to use the thing). for emcomm.... i wouldn't count on it, but it's better than sending smoke signals or a carrier pigeon. EDIT: at the very least, ditch the crap rubber ruck antenna and get yourself a signal stick for some real range on the baofeng
I got a Baofeng a few years ago, still haven’t figured out how to use it! 😂 All the tutorials back when I looked were for people who already knew a lot about this technology.
Start with tuning. Figure out how to get on the frequency you want to talk on. Second, figure out how to manually program channels into the radio. I get newbies to program the wilderness protocol frequency (VHF 146.520) in as a start to learn how to program their radio channels. From there, do a primary, secondary, tertiary, and weather (your local NOAA VHF freak) channel program. After that you need to find a friend to ragchew with. Talking on your radio is the best way to learn it. Don’t worry about learning offsets, tones, and repeater access until you find a friendly repeater to use, and by then you’ll have someone to show you the way.
@@ghostlight69420 How far are you down the Meshtastic hole? There are several guys in my area that have been talking about it but I’ve been afraid to put more irons in another fire.
is a .22 an effective self defense weapon? No. Should you train to use it as one? Absolutely. Is a Baofeng a reliable, quality radio? no. Should you train to use it as one? Absolutely.
You don’t say….. especially if you program them know a few things and use coded language with short transmission bursts on as low of a power as you can and still reach the person or repeater you need too. (Did not watch yet)
Half a watt can be picked up by an aerial surveillance platform from several miles away. We successfully tested a shop-made aerial VHF/UHF Fox Hunter that picked up a VHF signal transmitting at 0.5 watts from 40 miles away.
My buddies and I all use motorola XTS2500s or 5000s on 800 Mhz. You can buy them dirt cheap right now, and they offer some great features including p25 digital (way clearer than dmr) and high level encryption
You are potentially playing with fire. 800mhz p25 in the US is an easy way to piss off government agencies. There is no amateur radio or business licensing on 800mhz that I am aware of, just government stuff like police and EMS.
People doing things very similar to what you described have been easily located by LE and had their equipment seized along with substantial fines and unnecessary attention being levied against them. Good luck.
@@woodrowcall3158 LE and FD on my area all use UHF. Good to know though. We also have some all band radios that can do VHF, UHF and 800, we'll probably switch to vhf then and keep the other features
Everybody should own a Persistent MPU-5 radio/atak device. However, sadly, they are a government supplier and thus sell $750 radio hardware plus maybe $250 in r&d and software for not $1000 but $30,000. Because then they can tell the government it's a steal if they get a $20k bulk price on large orders. And even worse, our government loves overpriced elitism that bullies out civilians after their tax money was already wasted. Doesn't matter if Persistent, Motorola, or any of the other a**holes that get rich by gatekeeping civilians out of encrypted radio technology while embezzling the military budget.
Encryption is good for information privacy and low-level martial threats. For instance, keeping the public from knowing the name of the minor that I just took into protective custody after their parents were arrested for mutual domestic violence, or keeping the local Simon City Royals from realizing that a warrant team was surrounding their compound. Against an organized, motivated, trained, and well equipped martial threat, it becomes less important than other basic OPSEC considerations. Loom at Ukraine. Simplex and duplex VHF/UHF transmissions litter the battle space, and all the opposition needs is a transceiver and be within range to listen in. What are they listening in to though? Rotating code words and callsigns? Curated misinformation? If encrypted communications pop up in a sea of unencrypted communications, you have likely tipped the OpFor off that some high priority shenanigans are afoot. I can still track an encrypted radio with direction finding techniques, and if one encrypted transceiver is captured you are effectively operationally compromised until you can update every other transceiver in your group. Beyond that, you are still susceptible to signal jamming. The federales keep plenty of signal jamming hardware in their arsenal, and cheap Chinese jammers are extremely effective and have been utilized to great affect by Mexican and Central American criminal elements in recent events. Tactics, training, and practical application of simple technology is more important than encryption.
Only if you have the specific tri-band chipset that allows you to further jailbreak the programing into the 700/800 range, and then only if your local PD/FD is 15yrs behind in radio technology, and then only if you have the correct freaks and offsets, and then only if your modulator picks up a clean enough signal for the little guy to receive and translate a clear signal, and don’t expect to transmit even if you are cool with having state LE hunt down errant radio signals that interfere with public service bands. A lot of work to get the utility of a piss poor scanner that won’t work with 90% of emergency service traffic outside of volunteer fire.
Uncomfortable reality: Transmitting at 0.5 watts in UHF with a stubby antenna does nothing to hide you from aerial fox hunters. Beam antennas, relay networks, and spoofers set up in convenient ambush locations is the way if you have garnered the attention of people who can easily track your transmissions.
Just spend the extra money and get a Yaesu FT-65. It has real range and it's a true 8Watt radio the Baofeng say's it's an 8Watt radio but in reality it's a 3.4 4 Watt at best. A Baofeng will leave you stranded I promise you that. idk if China paid you for this little video but you just set people up for failure. remember you need a Ham license to operate that junk.
I got 4 radios to join the Feng Gang.
I told my gun snob buddy that i will absolutely not buy a $200 radio until the boys prove that they're willing to train with $30 radios.
Training with $30 radios makes you appreciate the $200 radios when you later make the jump.
100%
When the time comes, get a VX-6R
Well said and good comparison. Firearms require training, radios require training. New sub, thanks for the content.
How about a baofeng tutorial? A basic getting started video to help people like me get pointed in the right direction. That would be awesome!
Yea, Do this.
Use google to find tutorials for anything
I second this request
There are DOZENS of videos on this already ranging from 5 minutes to over an hour
mmmkay, @@CTrain Care to recommend a good one?
I love the radio content. Keep it coming. Would love to get a refreshed overview on radios for preparedness (not tactical high speed; low drag, or hobbiest radio). Features like APRS, DMR, etc. and their applications
i would say that anything the requires prior planning and specialty equipment is only applicable if you intend to start and end your mission with the same team members. even then if dmr or aprs has too high a barrier to entry you might hinder you ability to cooperate with other groups. that said it seems that the community is best setup for analog voice over vhf/uhf for short range tactical comms. good effort is being made via the ghostnet to make js8call on HF a source of sustainment communications. clandestine comms are always the hardest but there are some options, meshtastic takes a lot of work but has many upsides. if you dont watch s2underground already you should check his channel out
S2 underground is a great resource
@@paintballthieupwnsagreed, they're the best
PSA the best budget radio to get now is the Quansheng UVK5. They are at the same price point of the baofeng but are more capable as they are able to receive on the CB 28hz and 800 MHz band in addition to the normal bands. The signal processor is also upgraded and you are able to perform capture and playback attacks with the proper firmware. Also best of all its USB chargeable. Wish I knew about them before I bought 2 baofengs last year.
but you can still easily swap the batteries with no tools right? otherwise thats a no go
The only downside I’ve found with mine is more spurious emissions but the older UV5Rs had the same issue. I’m sure they’ll fine tune it.
@@_Art.Vandelay eh. i don't see that as an issue unless you are foolish enough to use it for clandestine communications
@@_Art.Vandelay well definitely anything outside of the standard uhf and vhf ham radio bands is going to be out of spec.
@rosswilliams3672 yes you can swap batteries on the fly.
The K5 is also compatible with an X50 and X5 setup due to the adjustable mic gain which the Baofeng can't do.
Ironic how .22 handguns are "cheap" but you could buy a PSA dagger with magazines cheaper than a mid priced .22 handgun
What you are saying is you can buy a”cheap” 9mm handgun for cheaper then a “mid” priced 22lr pistol lol might want to reword that but get what you are saying 💯
@@Ferrum_Armory_llc yes exactly
@@user-wc1em7pc2p If you're paying $400 for a case of 9mm you are getting bent over the counter and violated. You can find 124gr for $250 and 115gr for $220 all day.
PSA doesn't support my 2nd Amendment right, so I won't even consider a PSA dagger.
@@Osprey1994bro what? Their whole business is built on proliferation of firearms for civilians based on making them “common” therefore unable to be banned. Get a clue.
this is eerily well timed, considering i bought my first baofeng radio last week and ordered 2 more today
The amazing aspect within the world of really cheap analog VHF/UHF radios is the innovation. The "baofeng model" for radios has been copied and improved upon by a lot of companies lately. Not the best for all roles, but the plethora of hardware and firmware options that are already out there is pretty impressive for really cost-effective radios.
What companies are copying and improving the UV-5R or other Baofeng models?
@@woodrowcall3158quansheng ?
Really appreciate the content Trex .
Keep em coming
We need that
SERIOUSLY EQUIPPED CITIZEN tshirt
Who ever said they were useless, were incredibly daft.
Very well said as always. Love it when a Issac video drops
New TREX comms video drops ?? Count me in !
Have you tried the Anytone 878UVII plus? I feel like it gives great capabilities in a rugged package even compared to more expensive icom and yaesu equivalents
Just got my Ham license and GMSR. Have a couple of Baofengs and the programming cable. PTT hooked up to ear pro. CHIRP and now learning how to use them. More radio videos!
How long did that take you and what kind of time/financial investment?
Just went to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks and was able to hear the rangers communicate during an ongoing SAR mission to find a missing hiker in a remote area of the park.
I was also able to hear other LE traffic like the aftermath of a Bison that got struck in the roadway, and even the local UHF channel that all the animal nerds and tour guides use to communicate about where the wildlife is active.
Very helpful and cheap tool in the parks where you have zero cell service.
Baofeng, like other cheap Chinese radios, are successfully used in the conflict in Ukraine. It can be said, that it is the most frequently used radio on the battlefield. So unlike the 22lr, this is definitely a combat radio.
What’s app and signal are also used a lot.
@@kekistanimememan170 Ukrainians use Telegram instead of Whatsapp
Except not encrypted.
@theia1653 uses an external system to send encrypted signals
@@kekistanimememan170 and Discord. As long as there's internet theres no more secure and reliable comms than sh!t like discord Whatsapp and tg
What's the site to program baofang?
Oooh, so after Risky Chrisky and S2 Ungerground, *NOW* T.REX is going for practical advice instead of "Gucci-only".... I kid, I kid.
But seriously, I'm happy we're seeing more nuanced discussions about the proper usage of budget comms/other equipment from various UA-camrs. It's long overdue.
Sounds like the HAM radio community worked to get risky banned from youtube.
This should be on the main channel
Being a big ham radio guy but also a big gun guy, it’s completely wild to me to see the tactical community adopting and using baofengs. Love the overlap lol! Also, just like you practice your firearm proficiency, you should also practice radio and communication proficiency, which is an excellent excuse to get your amateur licence!
Or you don’t get the gay license and run it anyway since I’m guessing majority of people aren’t running tax stamps on their sbr’s or spicy selection lowers.
@@alexmilbaugh1645 knowledge is power and you will be weaker and more vulnerable for having a a closed and narrow mindset.
@@Eric10179 because I don’t want to give the government more money and all of your knowledge can be found online for free or in a radio class. Saying just get a HAM license/cert is boomer/fud lore when there was no internet and just gate keeping of info
@@alexmilbaugh1645 it’s not boomer and fud lore man. If you are serious about comms, then you owe it to yourself and those you care about to learn as much as possible and practice everything in your abilities. You are severely limited in what you can do, practice, and learn without a licence. It’s essentially a licence to learn. It will only be of benefit to yourself even if you look at it from a selfish point of view. If you are truly serious about reliable comms, you ought to broaden your horizons
@@Eric10179 I do take it seriously but will not give even more money to the government I run a Harris falcon radio with a lot of time behind it. Only reason to get the license is to be “legal” but if you care about your freedom and being ungovernable you wouldn’t care about it but if you want to go spend the 30-40 bucks for the license go ahead but it’s not necessary nor is it going to put you way over someone who doesn’t have it.
You should also get your HAM license if you’re going to use it often! By studying and taking the exam, you get more involved in the radio community, you’ll learn how be proficient with it, and you’ll also learn how to use the damn thing without interfering on someone else’s communications. Slight benefit- it’ll actually make using it legal!
Legal barf
Sad Ham detected
I’ve learned the radio community doesn’t want me unless I bother to get more expensive equipment and can nerd out on it.
Radios don’t excite me like that, so I don’t have a home. And I did get the license for practicing.
I’ll just use my knowledge to help others who don’t want to know any more than how to operate radios in an emergency response 🤷♂️
@@timunderbakke8756 and that’s perfect and awesome. I’m just saying there’s 0 harm in getting licensed, and it helps you understand a little more about how to use your gear. You don’t need to do anymore than that of course. What I think though is dumb is the people who buy a bunch of baofangs, don’t know how to use them, and then transmit like an idiot on frequencies they shouldn’t be on. There’s a reason the FCC wants people to at least have a general knowledge before they hit the PTT. I genuinely am the same way as you. I do not participate in the ham community either, however I think doing your homework first is important regardless of what you’re trying to do.
@@frigzy3748 Foxhunters will enjoy tracking you down.
RTL-SDR's fall into the same bucket, but with probably a bit more cost to performance (apples to oranges, so get both). Cheap, not the best hardware (though this has gotten better with V4), great for teaching and learning, and has plenty of real-world use cases as well.
man i have had no luck with my V4. what software are you using?
Isaac is right about 22cal pistols. It’s even worth reading up on the history of how setups like his have been effectively employed in M*necraft. As with any professional field, it’s important to have the right tool for the job one finds oneself doing.
The baofeng is a very useful tool especially for tactical comms. I would recommend the short stubby antenna. This will limit your range to several hundred meters. Ideal to avoid detection. If you desire the ability to change antennas, get a flush bnc adapter and the abree st-20 bnc antenna. Guerrillas guide to the Baofeng radio is a great book that i highly recommend. Best to buy but available in pdf i believe.
Stubby antenna work best for higher frequency. Choose your antenna based off of use case.
Deliberately choosing an antenna with poor SWR for the sake of emissions control really isn't the best idea.
@@kerbalairforce8802 they make stubbys for vhf and uhf
@@fosatech you won’t hurt the radio at only 5watts, plus stubbys are purposely made for this purpose (and also for use in tight spaces). It’s actually a good idea in this instance in order to keep a smaller Rf radius.
@@fosatech its my understanding that a compact antenna offers little to no gain simply because of its size ie how compressed the radiating element is, not as a function of standing wave ratio. hopefully my nanoVNA will arrive soon and i can verify this. that said it would not surprise me if many compact uhf vhf antennas have terribe swr but again that is not the only factor effecting gain or loss
What radio would you recommend for a small team that could reach a couple miles and weather proof and somewhat secure?
I am trying to get into HAM and GMRS. Can someone link me links to get started. Like a 101 that’s starts at ground level. A lot of this is super confusing but I want the capability and tools.
Honestly, any study guide for a “Technician” license will do this for you. GMRS is no different than Technician class radio work except for it’s on a different frequency band and has some power output limitations. And technician class assumes you have no experience with radios.
@@timunderbakke8756 Gotcha. So this Technician Exam Prep app would be solid?
So the two are similar, but kind of different. GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) does not require a test for a license. You just fill out a form with the FCC, $35 and you get an immediate GMRS license which covers you and your immediate family members for 10 years I think. It uses some of the same frequencies as FRS, or those cheapo Midland walkie-talkies you can buy at Walmart and pop open and just use. They're channelized so any radio using say, channel 3 will always be on the same frequency. With GMRS, the frequency are still channelized, but the radios themselves can be pretty different. They can operate on more power equaling more range, and I think you can change the antennas out for better ones or something.. you'd have to research that a little more. GMRS also is seeing a lot more repeaters pop up in most places as it gains popularity.
With ham radio... It opens a lot more for you. There's 3 levels of licensing, Technician, General, and Extra. To just get started, you'd get your technician license. A quick study up and a 35 question test is all it is. It's honestly pretty easy. With that you can pretty much do whatever you want within your band allocation limits and power limits. Lots of stuff available as far as radios, power output, repeaters, frequencies etc. if you really want to dive in, my suggestion would be to just get your GMRS as it's instant with no test needed. While you're reading up and playing with that, study for your technician license and read about different radios etc and check out everything you can do with that. You don't have to have the license either to buy or turn on the radio and screw with it, listen, practice programming, listening to repeaters etc.. just can't transmit or push the magic button until licensed.
The first book I'd get is the ARRL Technician license study book. It's packed with tons of great information about radio in general and has the entire test question bank in the back. Second, check out a UA-cam guy named Josh, his channel is "Ham Radio Crash Course" HRCC. He's got loads of great videos for beginners and new people looking to get into it. Great stuff. The best test prep for the test is an app called "HamStudy" by signal stuff-they make antennas. Website is HamStudy.org.
@@bradskis81 super helpful and encouraging. Thank you for taking the time to respond! Much appreciated.
@@timunderbakke8756 "GMRS is no different than Technician class radio work"
This is false.
The GMRS license requires no test, and only requires a fee. The license covers everyone in the licensee's household. GMRS radios are Part 95 certified.
An amateur Technician license requires a test and a fee. The license covers the operator. Radios do not have to be certified. It is up to the operator to know and understand the rules and the principles of radio in order to guarantee that they operate their device properly.
In terms of what you can do with GMRS vs an amateur Technician license, these are also different.
GMRS only allows phone (voice) transmission on channelized frequencies. No digital modes. No CW. And you only have access to 22 simplex channels, shared with the unwashed masses on FRS, and 8 repeater channels. You essentially have to use your Part 95 certified radio the way it came out of the box. Transmit power is limited to either 5W or 50W, depending on the channel.
A Technician license gives you access to a much greater selection of frequencies, plus the ability to use various digital modes, CW, etc. And you have a much higher limit for transmit power. Up to 1500W depending on the band. And you get limited access to HF bands, which have a much greater potential range than VHF.
I have two Baefeng radios and both are on the same frequency and I can't seem to hear the transmit at all. One will light up like it is receiveing but nothing is coming through.
Licensed radio owner... I own a few... with right elevation you can reach distance.... like 60km or depending on your location, set up and contact
Hell, a little floral wire and a decent helium balloon and you can figure out exactly how good a Baofeng is at collecting noise.
So from what I noticed, if I got the baofang latest gen for like 60 bucks, I need a license to use it. Should I do that?
Stick to the UV-5R, or upgrade to a better radio that has better/cleaner reception/transmission. Most “higher end” Baofengs are practically UV-5Rs with a cosmetic upgrade. I have literally seen guys spend $120 on a UV-5R with a cosmetic clamshell so that they could appear more “tactical”.
Take a look at the Kenwood TH-K20A if you want a utilitarian and bombproof option, or an ICOM IC-V86 for similar performance. Both are capable and reliable, with excellent overall quality.
@@woodrowcall3158 Good to know. I'm guessing the UV-5R doesn't need a license to own?
And yeah, I saw a few feature lists and certain "Upgrades" didn't seem like upgrades. But it is hard to figure out the best one. Was going to get 2-3 for my wife and I for camping and for range usage. I'll check out the Kenwood. Just want to invest in something other than Ammo with prices right now and fill out the kit.
@@Slai47
You can own practically anything in terms of VHF/UHF without a license. Transmitting on bands that require a license is the issue that may arise. You can listen all you like without running afoul of the law, assuming you live in the US.
The license is super easy to get. Just study the answers to the test. The test will teach you practically nothing, but actually using your radios and talking with local HAMs and friends will teach you tons about how to use your equipment and it’s capabilities. The worst time to first use and learn your equipment is when chaos and bad guys are running amok. My wife and I use ours all of the time while camping, at large events, and driving in convoys. We even have bluetooth rigs for our motorcycles where we can talk over radios while we ride in the backcountry.
If you want to focus on simplicity and durability, the TH-K20A is hard to beat. It doesn’t have unnecessary bells/whistles and “features”, the transmission/reception is great, audio clarity is top of it’s class, and in terms of durability/weatherability I’d pit it against a Motorola APX7000. It is also relatively easy to program in the field without having to use a computer, though you can still program and clone radios if you like.
The UV-5R is perfectly workable as a starting radio, but I’d encourage you to start off from a higher tier of quality/performance.
If you don’t want to get into a license, your best (legal) choice is likely going to be MURS. A Btech MURS-V2 is a good way to equip yourself for utilizing MURS, but there are limitations to the service, and there are ways to run afoul of the law with certain radios so be careful.
Love the Baofeng UV-82.. Been using it for 5years.. Has Dual Standby which is very useful..
And very useful content on this Video.. Keep it Up.. 😉🤙
Ruger mark v sidecar when?
I think the Baofeng is the perfect radio to just program in the channels that you use on your good radios and then you can hand these cheap radios off to anyone around. Just keep them as backups or loaners.
What Baofeng model is that, ones that is on the talk? I wanna get one too.
Meshtasic is an interesting addition to incorporate with the uv5.
Which model Baofeng is a good beginner?
Step 1: Get some friends...
Whats the combat radio you advise for the civilian market?
Ar152
@@Dread_Pirate_Homesteader Which you can't get.
@@AJ_Sparten1337 Motorola xts 2500 a good bet?
Question about Baofeng: it being a Chinese company, is there any concern over the possibility of China building in "back doors" in to their Radios? For passive listening or otherwise?
Or does the nature of Radio broadcast already not being private negate that concern?
Or does the fact that one/hobbyists/the community can analyze the signals and nothing weird has been noted maybe remove this concern?
As a nooby to radios just something I'm considering while getting ready to purchase
Having broken into several UV-5R units and inspected their guts, I can offer you a high degree of assurance that they have not hidden some sort of bug/killswitch in the circuitry. If they did manage to hide such a piece of high-end technology that can accomplish such feats while hiding in such simple circuitry, they are going to go bankrupt selling them for $20-30.
Seriously, Baofeng models are pretty much a home electronics project scaled for mass production.
@@woodrowcall3158 lmao, no remote killswitch? guess you don't know much about dtmf tones
Definitely more of a concern with more expensive brands
I've wondered if a backdoor in program could be made and triggered by a radio transmission to do something like that on people's radios
I own many of them. I program them for people here in the high desert area.
Use of personal radios in the UK is limited, but saying that, I've used Baofeng BF-888S for the best of 10 years they have never let me down. I've used the standard batteries and extended capacity batteries they have never failed me yet, It much easier over here to have the radios that the .22 pistols as the pistols give the cop the willies.
You failed to explain how the Baufeng fail compared other expensive radios. I’m well aware how a .22cal. Can fail in a self defense situation, and comparing the two really sounded (I’ll be nice) silly.
GFMARS radio operator checking in on my buffwang! Keep up the good work!
Can someone recommend good durable HT's? and digital radios? I am looking at Wuoxun KG-Q10H for versatility, but I'd like something that will hold up to some back country living?
Kenwood TH-K20A.
Yaesu FT-65R
Icom IC-V86
@@woodrowcall3158 TY. I was also looking at the Yaesu FT-60R. Other that being 5 better, what are the differences? Trying to learn.
@@patrick70335
The FT-65R isn’t “better” so to say than the FT-60R.
Between the two, I’d prefer the FT-65R for working as it is a more durable design with better battery life. I’d take the FT-60R if I wanted something to learn on as it boasts easier access to capabilities that you won’t really realize until you break out of simplex comms.
That’s not to say that the FT-60R isn’t durable, or that you can’t go beyond simplex with the FT-65R, they are just geared towards different users.
If that doesn’t make sense let me know, and I’ll try to expound by simplifying.
@@patrick70335
Also, if you are using the FT-65R and have a friend who has one equipped with ARTS (Automatic Range Transpond System), it is a useful way to ensure comms integrity by two isolated individuals.
The two radios will periodically burst a challenge tone that will automatically be responded to when it is received. If three challenge tones are transmitted without a response, the radio will alert you that your partner(s) are out of reception range.
It doesn’t beat proper mission planning coupled with terrain and communication awareness, but it is a useful feature within certain contexts.
The BaoFeng UV-5R8W is now $25 online. There is no reason not to have one. My team uses them as backup comms and use encrypted digital mesh voice communicators as primaries.
Can’t wait for you to get S2 Underground on the pod!
This is why I dont make friends. Dont want to have to buy a lot of radios.
Do people know how many countries have been overthrown with those things
But they don't filter harmonics so they might be illegal to emit with in many countries.
Will you make a CHIRP video ? I could use the help
Same
Whats your issue?
one of the most common issues are caused by using a programming cable with a counterfeit chip. so make sure your cable is genuine from baofeng.
@@ghostlight69420 Nothing yet...I just bought a few radios,antennas, batteries, cables, etc but I have never messed with radios whatsoever. Except when a was a kid with crappy walkie talkies. Im totally green
It's simple. Find out the channel map you want, and you enter it in worksheet form. You can upload to or download from the radio very easy. If you know someone with a programmed radio you can upload his channel map and download it to however many radios you want.
Radios for all of your friends. Thats funny, i like that one.
Does Trex make a ironside for Ruger mk4 w/ optics? lol
What brand of radios are the really small black ones? Not the uv5r
Radios are cool, i always wanted one when i was a kid, and now i have one. 2 actually, my brother and i need to train with them.
Waiting for the swing back to baofengs being useless garbage again. I can’t cause an aneurysm with my condor/mosin/baofeng loadout anymore.
I'm needing a mossberg vs beretta semi auto comparison vid now...I was deadset on getting a beretta a300 or 1301(whichever I see first after closing on my house)
The practical difference between a 940 and A300 is about as narrow as the difference between the A300 and 1301.
By the time you realize the practical difference between any of the three, you’ll be more informed than any video can make you and will know which one you prefer.
Well, I have a 940 Tactical and an A300 Patrol in the next room. They both work IF you get a good one. If you get a lemon, you better hope the company will stand behind it.
940 has a heavier barrel. The additional weight makes it feel softer during recoil. Both have removable chokes. Both can mount red dots. The 940 has better internal coatings, but I think the action of the A300 is more robust personally. It feels less fragile when setting up and clearing feeding malfunctions, for example. The furniture on the A300 is superior. The accessory mounting solutions for lights are superior. Red dot solutions are a wash, but the 940 comes better prepared out of the box. I purchased an upgraded dot mount for the A300.
My 940 had an issue that would cause the whole freaking gun to totally lock up solid after a single shot. I mean it, there was no fixing it quickly. If you bought a double barrel shotgun, you would've had 100% more capacity than my POS 940. Mossberg stood behind it. Kinda. After sending it back TWICE, they ended up replacing the whole font end of the gun, including the barrel. But they refused to set me up with a new gun, and they absolutely wouldn't give me a refund. So be warned. They only kinda care about you enough to avoid lawsuits. They don't really care if you lose faith in their garbage products. The company name means nothing when they leave you hanging and they're apparently just fine with leaving that impression on you in the end.
After my experiences I would absolutely not pick Mossberg unless there was no other choice. If money was no object, then 100% grab the 1301 mod 2. It's furniture is identical to the A300, and it's back bored barrel and lengthened forcing cone will likely extend its useful range a bit beyond the A300 range and the average range of other comparable shotguns. Individual specimens vary, and its ammunition dependent of course. If you want a smart choice and can live with "second best", then the A300 will probably let you buy the gun and all supporting mods for the same price as the 1301 bare bones.
Just a random guy's 2 cents ;) Good luck with the house!
@@woodrowcall3158sounds about right ;)
I wish you guys would do a baofeng tutorial.
ua-cam.com/channels/ZeBmj9_UNMoqDHSO7QtzXg.html
Anyone else see the TETRA radio radio standard get cracked recently?
It has likely been cracked several times, they are just now realizing that the encryption has a backdoor access that is relatively easy to exploit.
Baofengs are the Mosin/Nagants of the radio world. Not the greatest but better than nothing and very useful.
What features is a UV5R missing? Digital? Yeah, it's an analog FM radio. What durability? I've had a UV5R bouncing around in the floorboard of my truck for years, hanging off back packs, dropped on picnic tables throughout the country, in and out of checked luggage. I have never had a UV5R fail and I have had them since they were introduced. They are fine for exactly how you use them - close group comms. Will Seal Team 6 use them? It's not likely their preferred gear, but I guarantee you, in a pinch, they would. I can tell you a radio I never use - the digital Yaesu that has been in my office for about three years and has hit the local digital repeater like three times. Otherwise, it's a $200 Baofeng.
Which Yaesu is it?
Good thing I already have a couple of those just in case.
Make sure to use and practice with them too!
Buy NC Scouts book. Very helpful.
They work sometimes
whats your preferred setup?
@@ghostlight69420 smoke signals.
Havnt watched religiously but he just aged 20 years .
What’s it like from the future?
Not good. You should go back.
3:26 thanks for not sweeping us with that pistol 🤪
Not everyone can afford a Daniels Defense AR and a cheap training rifle. That’s why anderson cheap lower/uppers sell so well. I have a homebrew ar that shoots sub-moa I built for less than $600. Any reliable rifle is better than no rifle-you just need to know it’s limitations and train with it.
Not everyone can afford a pair of $400 a piece digital ht’s either and that’s where a handful of cheap 8w uv5r’s makes sense.
Any radio is better than no radio-you just need to know it’s limitations and train with it.
Sure, I’d love to have a few really good ht’s!!
In time I will too. But in the meantime, I’d rather have a half dozen uv5r 8w I picked up for $120 than only 1 yeasu and no accessories.
Some of us aren’t able to get the best and make do with good enough until we can do better. Cheap doesn’t always mean useless.
Wife is so mad I got 22 guns this year also the ATF is a little more interested in my life now, the check in about one a week now
Thanks for standing up for my cheap ass.
Not cheap, smart, and not in the condescending way. Be wise with your resources.
Only thing i hate on Baofeng is sound reproduction. Noise is excellent, speach worse. There are UHF/VHF radios twice expensive, but have significantly better sound fidelity and noise reduction.
Not only are they not useless but they are very flexible and affordable.
complete useless Chinesium garbage? not quite. best thing since sliced bread? only if you're on some seriously good drugs. For Ham radio, they are not that good, but will get you on the air. It's a great starter radio, but if you plan to move forward with your ham life, I'd recommend an upgrade asap. if you're using it for larping, sure, it's a good little radio (provided you go thru the small effort of getting your license to use the thing). for emcomm.... i wouldn't count on it, but it's better than sending smoke signals or a carrier pigeon. EDIT: at the very least, ditch the crap rubber ruck antenna and get yourself a signal stick for some real range on the baofeng
This is exactly what I did to be able to get into the deep side of the pool without floaties eventually
Farm-Ranch/Camping-Hunting/Skirmishing/C*Control/.22wayUR. Good Vid.
I got a Baofeng a few years ago, still haven’t figured out how to use it! 😂 All the tutorials back when I looked were for people who already knew a lot about this technology.
Start with tuning. Figure out how to get on the frequency you want to talk on.
Second, figure out how to manually program channels into the radio. I get newbies to program the wilderness protocol frequency (VHF 146.520) in as a start to learn how to program their radio channels. From there, do a primary, secondary, tertiary, and weather (your local NOAA VHF freak) channel program.
After that you need to find a friend to ragchew with. Talking on your radio is the best way to learn it.
Don’t worry about learning offsets, tones, and repeater access until you find a friendly repeater to use, and by then you’ll have someone to show you the way.
@@woodrowcall3158 thanks! I’ll do my best! Just ordered a secondary battery and the data cable for Chirp. Going to run it on macOS.
@@jakenieten
My man!
If you are going to upset both sides of the controversy with facts, it usually means that your view is the most correct.
Well said
Have you seen the very hackable K6 / K5 8?
Yeah for the tech savy this is probably the new uv5r. wish i had more time to dig into those but im still struggling with effing meshtastic
@@ghostlight69420
How far are you down the Meshtastic hole? There are several guys in my area that have been talking about it but I’ve been afraid to put more irons in another fire.
Good content.
is a .22 an effective self defense weapon? No. Should you train to use it as one? Absolutely. Is a Baofeng a reliable, quality radio? no. Should you train to use it as one? Absolutely.
Wait ... I need 22 pistols? I am at least a few short but if you say I need them I'll go get more.
;-)
You don’t say….. especially if you program them know a few things and use coded language with short transmission bursts on as low of a power as you can and still reach the person or repeater you need too. (Did not watch yet)
Half a watt can be picked up by an aerial surveillance platform from several miles away.
We successfully tested a shop-made aerial VHF/UHF Fox Hunter that picked up a VHF signal transmitting at 0.5 watts from 40 miles away.
5:15 I appreciate the effort not to sweep the camera 👌
you need water proof and chok proof baofeng not a regular baofeng to be prep
Get a keltec P17 and a baofeng UV5R and start your journey!
I f-ing LOVE my Baofeng's
That’s a us military L3Harris handheld
APX8000 standard issue
can you even buy radios from motorola or do you have to get infiltrated by feds and wait for an agent to hand them out first?
🗿
Money bags 💰 🤑
If your agency comms guy is out sick, can you program it yourself?
My buddies and I all use motorola XTS2500s or 5000s on 800 Mhz. You can buy them dirt cheap right now, and they offer some great features including p25 digital (way clearer than dmr) and high level encryption
Ummm not a good idea. As far as I’m aware there is no 800mhz business licence so you could run the risk of interfering with police/fire/ems. Not good.
Limited and your using a frequency that isn't good in the woods. Also your signal is very specific and easy to track
You are potentially playing with fire. 800mhz p25 in the US is an easy way to piss off government agencies. There is no amateur radio or business licensing on 800mhz that I am aware of, just government stuff like police and EMS.
People doing things very similar to what you described have been easily located by LE and had their equipment seized along with substantial fines and unnecessary attention being levied against them.
Good luck.
@@woodrowcall3158 LE and FD on my area all use UHF. Good to know though. We also have some all band radios that can do VHF, UHF and 800, we'll probably switch to vhf then and keep the other features
Is it me, or does he sound like Norm MacDonald?
Well said.
Bro I swear if practical terms were a profession
My mom has an amputated leg and we use baofeng radios around the house for when she needs things.
Everybody should own a Persistent MPU-5 radio/atak device.
However, sadly, they are a government supplier and thus sell $750 radio hardware plus maybe $250 in r&d and software for not $1000 but $30,000. Because then they can tell the government it's a steal if they get a $20k bulk price on large orders. And even worse, our government loves overpriced elitism that bullies out civilians after their tax money was already wasted. Doesn't matter if Persistent, Motorola, or any of the other a**holes that get rich by gatekeeping civilians out of encrypted radio technology while embezzling the military budget.
And L3Harris, Thales, Elbit, and whoever else isn't much better.
Encryption is good for information privacy and low-level martial threats. For instance, keeping the public from knowing the name of the minor that I just took into protective custody after their parents were arrested for mutual domestic violence, or keeping the local Simon City Royals from realizing that a warrant team was surrounding their compound.
Against an organized, motivated, trained, and well equipped martial threat, it becomes less important than other basic OPSEC considerations.
Loom at Ukraine. Simplex and duplex VHF/UHF transmissions litter the battle space, and all the opposition needs is a transceiver and be within range to listen in. What are they listening in to though? Rotating code words and callsigns? Curated misinformation?
If encrypted communications pop up in a sea of unencrypted communications, you have likely tipped the OpFor off that some high priority shenanigans are afoot.
I can still track an encrypted radio with direction finding techniques, and if one encrypted transceiver is captured you are effectively operationally compromised until you can update every other transceiver in your group.
Beyond that, you are still susceptible to signal jamming. The federales keep plenty of signal jamming hardware in their arsenal, and cheap Chinese jammers are extremely effective and have been utilized to great affect by Mexican and Central American criminal elements in recent events.
Tactics, training, and practical application of simple technology is more important than encryption.
mine became useless when the state dispatch, all of them, truncated their signal and can no longer listen.
When did they truncate their dispatch? 2004?
Much later maybe 16..
@@1683clifton
Dear lord.
Everyone went from dont buy stuff from china to buy this china radio today! In a heartbeat
Trex's idea of 'radios for poors' are usually around $50,000 per unit. So he's probably confused why everyone is rocking out with Baofengs.
Its 2024 get it right that Baofeng identifies as a combat radio!!! 🤣
I think you can listen to fire and police with the Baofeng,
Only if you have the specific tri-band chipset that allows you to further jailbreak the programing into the 700/800 range, and then only if your local PD/FD is 15yrs behind in radio technology, and then only if you have the correct freaks and offsets, and then only if your modulator picks up a clean enough signal for the little guy to receive and translate a clear signal, and don’t expect to transmit even if you are cool with having state LE hunt down errant radio signals that interfere with public service bands.
A lot of work to get the utility of a piss poor scanner that won’t work with 90% of emergency service traffic outside of volunteer fire.
If you're not reading The Guerilla's Guide to the Baofeng Radio by NC Scout, you're wrong.
And you'll probably get DF'd and drone striked.
Uncomfortable reality: Transmitting at 0.5 watts in UHF with a stubby antenna does nothing to hide you from aerial fox hunters.
Beam antennas, relay networks, and spoofers set up in convenient ambush locations is the way if you have garnered the attention of people who can easily track your transmissions.
I'm just here for the sad HAMs in the comments that are gonna be angry about people using GMRS frequencies on the buffwang
I love talking to people on GMRS, regardless of their license status.
KB6DHD
Just spend the extra money and get a Yaesu FT-65. It has real range and it's a true 8Watt radio the Baofeng say's it's an 8Watt radio but in reality it's a 3.4 4 Watt at best. A Baofeng will leave you stranded I promise you that. idk if China paid you for this little video but you just set people up for failure. remember you need a Ham license to operate that junk.