Great video Scott, probably the best and most informative one I've seen on this radio yet! Interesting that the version of the radio you call the UV 17 R didn't have usb charging on the battery because I have this version of the radio too and it DOES have usb charging. Maybe baofeng have started to ship these radios with the usb charging battery now? I'm not a big fan of the screw attachment on the battery though. I could see the point of it if there was rubber sealing around the battery to make it more waterproof but there isn't which just makes it a pain in the ass to remove as you're never quite sure exactly how far to unwind that captive screw in order to release the battery (as your video demonstrated....made me wince all that tapping on the desk you did! Lol 😲) Great video, loved it, keep em coming. Good point about the "banks", let's hope they address that issue with a future firmware upgrade! 👍😎😎😎
I'm a land surveyor and we transitioned from using the term "GPS" about 15 years ago when we started using both GPS and the Russian GLONASS. Now we also have Galileo (European) and Beidou (BDS), which is Chinese. GNSS means Global Navigation Satellite System. BDS is the Chinese "GPS".
Hi Scott - Wanted to say "thanks" for your deliberate, comprehensive approach to this review and others like it. I've purchased one of the UV-17 Pro GPS based on your experience... Sincerely Yours, Sam.
You mention wanting a good tri-bander. I use both these for 220 MHz UV-17L (measured into dummy load) 146.52 5.6W 223.50 6.3W 446.00 4.5W RADTEL RT-490 146.52 5.4W 223.50 6.5W 446.00 5.2W Surprisingly both the above put out slightly more power on 1.25-m (220 MHz) than on 2-m or 440 MHz.
Suggests whoever set up the auto factory programming set the 1.25M TX to 255 and the UV17 Pro GPS TX to 000 (settings are 000 to 255) should be set to around 200 determined by the Computer from frequency, input Voltage and TX RF PA DC Power in
Ali had a brief sale yesterday the 17progps was $22 with free shipping from one of the bigger sellers. Picked up a couple more. Checked again this morning and they're still on sale but around $26 free ship. I've got a dozen or so uv5r variants that don't offer any significant variations, but I'm pretty excited about this one, so I picked up a few for family members to play with the gps features. Great review, keep up the good work
Technical question: there are like 3 or 4 different ways to represent / write GPS coordinates, does it support switching them and support them all. For example one way is via decimal numbers, and another way is by degrees / minutes / seconds. All my FPV quadcopter equipment actually uses the decimal version representation of lat long coords, but what I see on screen is the other version.
all UV17's use the same battery fittings except the basic version doesnt have a USB C socket So buy the cheapest UV17 and use its battery on the Pro GPS
I put a new cord on mine. When I got it I thought it was a mistake. Also I would like to test it with another one because when the gps gets your location and you push the PTT you hear it transmitting data, like it’s transmitting your current location. I am not going to buy another one just to see what happens. Maybe you could make another video. That’s the main question I have about the radio.
Respectfully, I think you might be worrying without cause. GPS doesn't 'get' your location as you are suggesting. GPS satellites basically broadcast a unique signal that is tied to its location relative to the earth (and sometimes other satellites). GPS-enable devices like radios or phones do all the math to triangulate our locations by doing some pretty simple math on those signals. Civilian GPS devices don't 'connect' to GPS satellites at all. They just pick up the broadcast. So our devices don't broadcast our location. If they do send out your location, it's other software/hardware that is doing that (Google maps, etc) based off the processed GPS signals. And it's not super likely that this radio has that kind of software. If you're hearing transmission noise, you might be hearing the less than clean handling of signals that Baofeng is known for having. Just a thought.
i see the 17 gps has an ABC text keypad, which the 17 pro doesnt, i guess it must be capable of texting? I believe it uses the same Beken BK4819 chip the Quanshang K5 does, and can be reflashed to Tx RX text. I hope the UV17 GPS will be able to be reflashable too?
Other 2 sources I've read about say the 17 Pro GPS is the least worse, but who really knows? I wonder how it compares to a Yaesu FTA-450L, for instance.
I picked up 2 of the units you linked, great recommendation! Which of the two Nagoya Antenna you mentioned do you suggest for general all around usage and do you have a link. I am just getting into this and I am being told there is a lot of fakes for things like the Antenna, Thanks in advance! :)
For some reason the UV 17 pro gps that i have cannot access the gps with a long press of the blue button. Long pressing the blue button starts a uhf scan. The radio does have the gps icon molded in the top of the case
Check it again if this is the correct model, I've read lots of info saying that all of them have the icon molded, but are NOT GPS capable. Chinese lack of standardisation I suppose.
Nice overview, thanks. Aliexpress had a sale going on last week and I purchased 3 of the GPS versions for $78 US delivered and they arrived yesterday; that's hard to beat. I see that they have the older firmware (1.03) with 'Poger' Beep; but I read that the Firmware is upgradable on this model and a Facebook page dedicated to this radio can offer guidance. I hope that Baofeng sticks with this body design in the future, but I hope that they recess the lens for the screen like older models to offer some protection if you happen to lay it or it falls face down.
Another excellent video, thank you! Do you or does anyone here know if Baofeng Uv17 or Uv18 can receive and display DTMF CODES? For example, If i send DTMF code via Uv18 pro max to Quasheng k5/6 model, the audio comes, and it clearly shows on the screen the actual DTMF code. If i send DTMF code from Quasheng to any of my other Baofeng radios, audio comes but it does not show or display actual DTMF codes on the screen like Quansheng radio. Could you please make a short video on this topic please? Thank you!!
Something i noticed is that the supplied antenna isnt for 220, only 144 and 440. When i put a different antenna on my radio i was able to hit our local 22 repeater. Which is about 3.5miles away through the city. 🤷♂️ i have no way of testing the power. Great video thank you!!
Can anyone put the URL to find that better antenna? I desperately want to purchase this Hindi Talker. I have a Yaesu VX-170. and being this one I can use on FRS, will be a plus! and having GPS, that makes me want this one Big Time. I found the Nagoya antenna on Amazon.
You're lucky Scott. I have only one bank (Zone1) available. I cannot manually create a second bank/zone. Perhaps it's because I manually program all my radios, (far quicker for me), and I might need to require the programming software to add extra zones? I can easily fill the thousand channels available if I could add the extra zones!
HELLO EXCELLENT VIDEO... COULD YOU MAKE A VIDEO SHOWING US HOW WE CAN MODIFY THE (INITIAL SCREEN) WHEN WE TURN ON THE HT, THAT IS, HOW WE CAN ADD (EXCHANGE) THE SCREEN (BAOFENG) WITH A DIFFERENT (LOGO) OR PHOTO? ? THIS POSSIBILITY EXISTS IN THE ORIGINAL SOFTWARE, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHICH TYPE OF PHOTO FILE (JPEG, ETC) SHOULD BE USED.....
Press the green Menu key - Arrow down to "RADIO SETTING" and press the Menu key - Arrow down to Item #25 "PRESS SK2" and press the menu key - Arrow down to "SCAN" and press the menu key to select that option. Press the blue Exit key to exit the menu. You should now have Scan Start/Stop set on the lower side key.
I found out from watching other videos: 1. Push and keep down the flashlight button and you get an alarm. 2. Send gps over the radio, only another 17 gps can receive the data
Loved this video! Great information and a great presentation. If you are open to suggestions, may I suggest that you review the UV-21 Pro V2? I would love to see a video of yours about it, I would like to know your opinion on it. Again, great video, keep it up
Scot or anyone with one of either the M or Pro 17 models my only question and need is about the USB-C port. Will this unit charge in an automobile's USB-C port? I currently have a UV5R that 99.999% of the time I use for mobile Fox Hunts. I pull the antenna off and clip the radio to my collar and turn the volume all the way up so when I am up close in the near field of RF of the hidden transmitter. A couple of times this year I had left the radio in the console of the car and of course it was dead on hunt day so if I could charge in the car that would be great. Funny 40 years ago I had a Standard 146a 5 channel crystal controlled (expensive crystals) HT that I used all the time now 40 years later the radios are cheap, have 900+ channels and I only have one use for it.
watch out because i got 2 r's even though I ordered pro's from ebay. they never changed the add and just sent back half my money and still never got the pro radios I wanted.
@@aerotacto The altitude is the bottom set of numbers, IN METERS. Accurate is not getting much better than within about 10 meters of actual location. I checked with the American GPS, and the Chinese ones they are both off by a near equal amount. ALL governments with GPS satellites are going to place some "jitter" in their satellites when ANYONE'S Armed Forces are afield in a conflict, to right now, having Ukraine and Israel in conflicts (at war), we won't get as accurate as GPS can work.
@@CHIPSpeaking yes, I know that, but what I meant was REALLY off, I haven't tested yet but I read some comments stating really different altitude readings, not only these differences related to the technology limitation or government input.
What is the purpose of the GPS when there is no APRS, TNC, or other data capabilities? To the skeptical or suspicious it could appear that a $5 part was added to raise the price by $50+.
It's a really excellent way to determine your position on the planet while out in the wilderness. It's also only a $10 difference between the UV-17R & UV-17 PRO GPS.
@@KS6DAY it could be said that if you are in the wilderness without maps, compass, a GPS, or other navigation tools then you should not be in the wilderness let alone relaying on the GPS in your radio. It could be a useful backup but I absolutely would not rely on it. If it was capable of beconing APRS or attaching a position to a signal it would be far more useful.
If it can transmit it location to other UV-17 PRO GPS then it would be a great feature. If it just knows the GPS location then my phone does that fine.
@@SledPemberton Probably not if you're in a no cell service area such as the mountains. No cell service, then no cell towers to ping for your location.
@KS6DAY you do understand that GPS on cell phones is independent of cell or wifi right? It has no need of cell towers. Works just like the GPS radio in Garmins or your ham radio etc. Who exactly these days does not have a cell phone with 99% having a pda type vs a flip phone. That means not only does anyone with a typical Android or apple cell phone not only have GPS loc ability but if they had half a brain also have local maps saved via Google etc whatever so they have location and live tracking on map. The only time you need gps where its not part of aprs etc is on dedicated gps map units Garmin etc for planned deep bush excursions etc for gps to have real benefit it must be tied to mapping software and be shared to other devices in the group otherwise its of little to kniw use and certainly any phones unit far exceeds uts functional use. To me the point of these cheap radios is to test the hobby or more widespread these days is and what I personally use these cheap radios for is for emergencies to give to others in our group for comms. Or for training or comp i.e.force on force SARS practice sims etc.
I'm seeing UV-17R non pro on Amazon with USB-C charging port and a provided USB-C cable. Don't know if this is a very recent update to the UV-17R non-Pro, or what, maybe they're lying on Amazon, as we all know that never happens, but it does look very much like the UV-17R Non-Pro on Amazon has USB-C charging capabilities, it's pictured several times, it is listed as a feature in the text ect. Good Day and God Bless!
The wife and I are photographers and want to position for photos. We want to listen to navel aircraft from Lemoore, civilian aircraft from Visalia-Porterville (Fire tankers) and BNSF rail through the valley. What Baofeng radio should buy and what software should I use?
Has anyone actually run one of these across a bench? I have two and found them to be inferior performers to an original UV-5R. The receivers aren't as sensitive on VHF. Power output is about the same. But the big difference is on UHF. The radios only put out a little over two watts compared to the UV-5R's 4 watts. The sensitivity is also considerably down from the older radios and even the VHF on the same radio. I tested both of the radios I have and they perform Identical. I first found this trying different antennas. The 3 UV-5Rs I have all were picking up a repeater about 15 miles away inside my home. The UV-17 Pro GPS radios would not. Not with the exact same antenna the UV-5R was using and sitting in the exact location. At first it appeared the squelch levels were set differently. But it ended up being sensitivity. The radios added features but is a step backwards in performance. Oh, the performance in the GRMS/FRS frequency ranges on the bench are even worse. I don't see them as serviceable on FRS/GMRS with the reduced sensitivity and the reduced power. Just use a UV-5r if in a pinch. There is a noticeable performance difference.
“The best Baofeng ever” is like saying the best Yugo ever. It may be the best of those, but it's still a cheap Chinese SDR with a direct conversion receiver and not nearly enough filtering and tuning. Bite the bullet and get a Yaesu FT-70DR (if you're a ham). It's a $170 radio. But it's a superheterodyning receiver, which is in every way superior to a direct conversion (unless you do a fantastic job on the electronics like FlexRadio does… and the price tag will reflect it). You'll thank me later.
If you're *not* a ham, you have no business using these radios on frequencies for which they are not type-accepted. Remember, 10 years and $250,000 for each illegal transmission.
I heard the Russians have unlicensed sleeper cells ready to use these radios to randomly kerchunk the amateur bands. Experts are warning that this could cause chaos by delaying the choice of regular vs mustard potato salad for the upcoming POTA meet from 3 weeks to 4 weeks to decide.
@@audiomaker1 Idiot! Its not Russian sleeper cells, its CCP sleeper cells, with north Koreans parachuted in, and its not Potato salad they are looking to subvert, but good used South Korean autos to take back to Pyongyang
I downloaded the UV-17R factory CPS from Baofeng and it worked fine. I used that to do the initial programming for the review. I also used CHIRP just a couple days ago to do some work on the UV-17R. I ended up using the UV-17 PRO (No GPS) selection. But it did work. The only issue I had was with the banks section. I understand that will be worked out very soon.
@KS6DAY What type of cable do you have? I use an FTDI. I just receive an error message saying not the amount of data we want. This cable works with my other Baofengs.
Only fake Baofeng i ever got was a UV-5R, 3 and 6 buttons didnt show firmware and date and battery was half the weight it should have been. externally it looked like a 5R
Unfortunately, like every other Baofeng radio I've tested (I've tested 4 models), the UV-17 Pro GPS hugely violates FCC rules on 2m and 1.25m and using it will put ham radio operator's licenses at risk (not to mention potentially causing interference to first responders and others). At 2m, the second harmonic was at +19dBm ! It's not even close. I just bought a pair based on online recommendations and they will be going back tomorrow.
much the same hardware as the UV17 basics, but the UV17's are in a better case with better displays and double LED Flashlights. I also have a UV13 i wont be buying another as long as the 17's are around the same price
GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System (GPS is USA's GNSS, GLONASS is Russian, Galileo is European; BDS is BeiDou Chinese version of GPS)
Many thanks for that information. Very informative.
Great video Scott, probably the best and most informative one I've seen on this radio yet! Interesting that the version of the radio you call the UV 17 R didn't have usb charging on the battery because I have this version of the radio too and it DOES have usb charging. Maybe baofeng have started to ship these radios with the usb charging battery now? I'm not a big fan of the screw attachment on the battery though. I could see the point of it if there was rubber sealing around the battery to make it more waterproof but there isn't which just makes it a pain in the ass to remove as you're never quite sure exactly how far to unwind that captive screw in order to release the battery (as your video demonstrated....made me wince all that tapping on the desk you did! Lol 😲) Great video, loved it, keep em coming. Good point about the "banks", let's hope they address that issue with a future firmware upgrade! 👍😎😎😎
And Biden's NavSys is out-of-order!
You must be very fun at parties
The BF-17H or uv17pro+gps finally got supported by CHIRP. Took a minute, but finally supported. As is the uv-k5.
GNSS = Global Navigation System Settings
I'm a land surveyor and we transitioned from using the term "GPS" about 15 years ago when we started using both GPS and the Russian GLONASS. Now we also have Galileo (European) and Beidou (BDS), which is Chinese. GNSS means Global Navigation Satellite System. BDS is the Chinese "GPS".
Hi Scott - Wanted to say "thanks" for your deliberate, comprehensive approach to this review and others like it. I've purchased one of the UV-17 Pro GPS based on your experience... Sincerely Yours,
Sam.
I have the Pro in orange. Decent radio, and I really like the GPS feature, which works pretty well.
Another review I saw said GPS didn’t work- Did you have to program anything for this, if so, where is the programming available?
@@ronbennett3998 I don't think it is programmable. Hold down the menu or exit button, I forget which.
You mention wanting a good tri-bander. I use both these for 220 MHz
UV-17L (measured into dummy load)
146.52 5.6W
223.50 6.3W
446.00 4.5W
RADTEL RT-490
146.52 5.4W
223.50 6.5W
446.00 5.2W
Surprisingly both the above put out slightly more power on 1.25-m (220 MHz) than on 2-m or 440 MHz.
Suggests whoever set up the auto factory programming set the 1.25M TX to 255
and the UV17 Pro GPS TX to 000 (settings are 000 to 255) should be set to around 200
determined by the Computer from frequency, input Voltage and TX RF PA DC Power in
I checked online and it appears that BDS is a chinese version of GPS using their own satellite system
Ali had a brief sale yesterday the 17progps was $22 with free shipping from one of the bigger sellers. Picked up a couple more. Checked again this morning and they're still on sale but around $26 free ship. I've got a dozen or so uv5r variants that don't offer any significant variations, but I'm pretty excited about this one, so I picked up a few for family members to play with the gps features. Great review, keep up the good work
@KS6DAY I have the basic Boafeng radio and have an additional larger capacity battery. Is there a suitable larger capacity battery for this radio?
Hi Scott, any chance you will be reviewing the UV-18 Pro GPS? Also looking for any info on the 17 ProGPS or 18 Pro GPS with regard to harmonics.
Hi Scott i have tryed scanning in memory mode pressing z key and it dosn,t scan ?
Technical question: there are like 3 or 4 different ways to represent / write GPS coordinates, does it support switching them and support them all. For example one way is via decimal numbers, and another way is by degrees / minutes / seconds. All my FPV quadcopter equipment actually uses the decimal version representation of lat long coords, but what I see on screen is the other version.
Any indication on how the 17 pro would compare to the Quansheng uv k5 with regard to usabilty as an airband receiver? Scan airband frequencies etc
Looks like there's no opportunity for a high capacity battery like the 3800mAh battery so common on the UV5R
all UV17's use the same battery fittings except the basic version doesnt have a USB C socket
So buy the cheapest UV17 and use its battery on the Pro GPS
I like the upgrades. Is the receiver still essentially a uv5r inside or is there better filtering?
There is also an Baofeng UV18 (H) with airband. What do you prefer ? It has a color screen and USB type-C
Where is the best place to get true 1800 mAh or greater batteries for the 17 Pro GPS?
I don't have one, but the info available says the tyt th350 does 5 watts on 220
Thank You
Generally there are two types of TX PA Mosfets used, the RQA0009 for 5 watt handys
and the RQA0011 for 6 to 8 watt handys
I put a new cord on mine. When I got it I thought it was a mistake. Also I would like to test it with another one because when the gps gets your location and you push the PTT you hear it transmitting data, like it’s transmitting your current location. I am not going to buy another one just to see what happens. Maybe you could make another video. That’s the main question I have about the radio.
Respectfully, I think you might be worrying without cause. GPS doesn't 'get' your location as you are suggesting. GPS satellites basically broadcast a unique signal that is tied to its location relative to the earth (and sometimes other satellites). GPS-enable devices like radios or phones do all the math to triangulate our locations by doing some pretty simple math on those signals. Civilian GPS devices don't 'connect' to GPS satellites at all. They just pick up the broadcast. So our devices don't broadcast our location. If they do send out your location, it's other software/hardware that is doing that (Google maps, etc) based off the processed GPS signals. And it's not super likely that this radio has that kind of software. If you're hearing transmission noise, you might be hearing the less than clean handling of signals that Baofeng is known for having. Just a thought.
If i buy two of these are there channels two peers could use before we get licensed?
button on mine when I press it doesn't always transmit to another radio, is there a suggestion on what I can do?
Had mine for a few weeks so far and find the battery with no screen or GPS on kills the battery in a few hrs just listening to fm radio
Bought a uv 17r but the top of the radio has a gps tag in the shell on the top idk if it has this feature or not
Do a comparison with the uv-21
i see the 17 gps has an ABC text keypad, which the 17 pro doesnt, i guess it must be
capable of texting? I believe it uses the same Beken BK4819 chip the Quanshang K5 does,
and can be reflashed to Tx RX text. I hope the UV17 GPS will be able to be reflashable too?
Hello... can anyone tell me if there is a way to extend the 22oMHz band? go up to 30MHz?
Which of the two baofeng has better reception in aviation? uv 17 pro or uv 18 pro max?
Other 2 sources I've read about say the 17 Pro GPS is the least worse, but who really knows? I wonder how it compares to a Yaesu FTA-450L, for instance.
I bought my uv 17 pro gps a few weeks ago. Nice full-featured radio but the AM air receive is terrible. Is anyone else having the same issue?
I picked up 2 of the units you linked, great recommendation! Which of the two Nagoya Antenna you mentioned do you suggest for general all around usage and do you have a link. I am just getting into this and I am being told there is a lot of fakes for things like the Antenna, Thanks in advance! :)
For some reason the UV 17 pro gps that i have cannot access the gps with a long press of the blue button. Long pressing the blue button starts a uhf scan. The radio does have the gps icon molded in the top of the case
Check it again if this is the correct model, I've read lots of info saying that all of them have the icon molded, but are NOT GPS capable. Chinese lack of standardisation I suppose.
@@aerotactoif your keypad has letters like abc etc, its the GPS model, if it has STEP etc, its not
@@zearcher4633 mine definitely is.
Nice overview, thanks. Aliexpress had a sale going on last week and I purchased 3 of the GPS versions for $78 US delivered and they arrived yesterday; that's hard to beat. I see that they have the older firmware (1.03) with 'Poger' Beep; but I read that the Firmware is upgradable on this model and a Facebook page dedicated to this radio can offer guidance. I hope that Baofeng sticks with this body design in the future, but I hope that they recess the lens for the screen like older models to offer some protection if you happen to lay it or it falls face down.
Another excellent video, thank you! Do you or does anyone here know if Baofeng Uv17 or Uv18 can receive and display DTMF CODES? For example, If i send DTMF code via Uv18 pro max to Quasheng k5/6 model, the audio comes, and it clearly shows on the screen the actual DTMF code. If i send DTMF code from Quasheng to any of my other Baofeng radios, audio comes but it does not show or display actual DTMF codes on the screen like Quansheng radio. Could you please make a short video on this topic please? Thank you!!
I wonder if anyone had checked out its emissions. Bleeding is a common issue with the AliExpress crossing, if not all.
Can this radio do APRS or KISS TNC?
Something i noticed is that the supplied antenna isnt for 220, only 144 and 440.
When i put a different antenna on my radio i was able to hit our local 22 repeater. Which is about 3.5miles away through the city. 🤷♂️ i have no way of testing the power.
Great video thank you!!
Can anyone put the URL to find that better antenna? I desperately want to purchase this Hindi Talker. I have a Yaesu VX-170. and being this one I can use on FRS, will be a plus! and having GPS, that makes me want this one Big Time. I found the Nagoya antenna on Amazon.
You're lucky Scott. I have only one bank (Zone1) available. I cannot manually create a second bank/zone. Perhaps it's because I manually program all my radios, (far quicker for me), and I might need to require the programming software to add extra zones? I can easily fill the thousand channels available if I could add the extra zones!
You need to use the custom CPS and put atleast 1 channel in the other banks to make them pop up
I sure would like to buy this radio. Can't find it anywhere right now.
It took Six weeks for one of them to get to me from AliExpress, but with repeated notes to me about delays.
Not sure anyone is selling this anymore.
Same here ordered mine 4 weeks ago still in transit
Alie express i got one for $15 on sale
@@mikesey1 Global Walkie Talkie Store aliexpress have it
@@curesdcookie2992 a UV17 pro GPS for $15?!! are you sure its a Pro GPS?
HELLO EXCELLENT VIDEO... COULD YOU MAKE A VIDEO SHOWING US HOW WE CAN MODIFY THE (INITIAL SCREEN) WHEN WE TURN ON THE HT, THAT IS, HOW WE CAN ADD (EXCHANGE) THE SCREEN (BAOFENG) WITH A DIFFERENT (LOGO) OR PHOTO? ? THIS POSSIBILITY EXISTS IN THE ORIGINAL SOFTWARE, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHICH TYPE OF PHOTO FILE (JPEG, ETC) SHOULD BE USED.....
U miss the battery life.... tht is really important, how long on standby mode?
how did you program the side button to scan?
Press the green Menu key - Arrow down to "RADIO SETTING" and press the Menu key - Arrow down to Item #25 "PRESS SK2" and press the menu key - Arrow down to "SCAN" and press the menu key to select that option. Press the blue Exit key to exit the menu. You should now have Scan Start/Stop set on the lower side key.
I found out from watching other videos:
1. Push and keep down the flashlight button and you get an alarm.
2. Send gps over the radio, only another 17 gps can receive the data
Batery avalability is main feature of uv5r
Can it he programmed to work on grms frequencies?
I think he said that the UV 17 PRO can TX and RC GMRS not the uv17r
Loved this video! Great information and a great presentation. If you are open to suggestions, may I suggest that you review the UV-21 Pro V2? I would love to see a video of yours about it, I would like to know your opinion on it. Again, great video, keep it up
There appears to be 6 different models of the 17.
@@absintheconundrum But you get to be the Guinea Pig for as little as 25Bucks
Scot or anyone with one of either the M or Pro 17 models my only question and need is about the USB-C port. Will this unit charge in an automobile's USB-C port? I currently have a UV5R that 99.999% of the time I use for mobile Fox Hunts. I pull the antenna off and clip the radio to my collar and turn the volume all the way up so when I am up close in the near field of RF of the hidden transmitter. A couple of times this year I had left the radio in the console of the car and of course it was dead on hunt day so if I could charge in the car that would be great. Funny 40 years ago I had a Standard 146a 5 channel crystal controlled (expensive crystals) HT that I used all the time now 40 years later the radios are cheap, have 900+ channels and I only have one use for it.
I was under the impression that any gmrs that broadcasts data (gps) wasnt allowed to have a removable antenna
I'd debating between this and a kg-uv9d Plus. How's the battery life? Can you turn off the GPS when not in use? Great review!
I finally got a Pro GPS and you should really talk about the nicer speaker on it (vs 5R)! You can hear the difference easily.
watch out because i got 2 r's even though I ordered pro's from ebay. they never changed the add and just sent back half my money and still never got the pro radios I wanted.
Radio noob here- is the 17 pro encrypted?
does GPS have altitude? Would be useful for navigation in mountains.
Yes, it does.
I read that the altitude information is quite off of reality, contrary to the coordinates, which are pretty much precise.
@@aerotacto The altitude is the bottom set of numbers, IN METERS.
Accurate is not getting much better than within about 10 meters of actual location. I checked with the American GPS, and the Chinese ones they are both off by a near equal amount. ALL governments with GPS satellites are going to place some "jitter" in their satellites when ANYONE'S Armed Forces are afield in a conflict, to right now, having Ukraine and Israel in conflicts (at war), we won't get as accurate as GPS can work.
@@CHIPSpeaking yes, I know that, but what I meant was REALLY off, I haven't tested yet but I read some comments stating really different altitude readings, not only these differences related to the technology limitation or government input.
Thank you for the vid! It would be really interesting to do a comparison with the UV-18 Pro Max...
still not water proof?
Ok so they have squeezed in GPS under 60$ and I can’t wait till we can squeeze in APRS too!
2/2024: Shipping has been free from Ali Express for a few months now.
What is the purpose of the GPS when there is no APRS, TNC, or other data capabilities? To the skeptical or suspicious it could appear that a $5 part was added to raise the price by $50+.
It's a really excellent way to determine your position on the planet while out in the wilderness. It's also only a $10 difference between the UV-17R & UV-17 PRO GPS.
@@KS6DAY it could be said that if you are in the wilderness without maps, compass, a GPS, or other navigation tools then you should not be in the wilderness let alone relaying on the GPS in your radio. It could be a useful backup but I absolutely would not rely on it. If it was capable of beconing APRS or attaching a position to a signal it would be far more useful.
If it can transmit it location to other UV-17 PRO GPS then it would be a great feature. If it just knows the GPS location then my phone does that fine.
@@SledPemberton Probably not if you're in a no cell service area such as the mountains. No cell service, then no cell towers to ping for your location.
@KS6DAY you do understand that GPS on cell phones is independent of cell or wifi right? It has no need of cell towers. Works just like the GPS radio in Garmins or your ham radio etc. Who exactly these days does not have a cell phone with 99% having a pda type vs a flip phone. That means not only does anyone with a typical Android or apple cell phone not only have GPS loc ability but if they had half a brain also have local maps saved via Google etc whatever so they have location and live tracking on map. The only time you need gps where its not part of aprs etc is on dedicated gps map units Garmin etc for planned deep bush excursions etc for gps to have real benefit it must be tied to mapping software and be shared to other devices in the group otherwise its of little to kniw use and certainly any phones unit far exceeds uts functional use.
To me the point of these cheap radios is to test the hobby or more widespread these days is and what I personally use these cheap radios for is for emergencies to give to others in our group for comms. Or for training or comp i.e.force on force SARS practice sims etc.
I returned my UV-17R because the UV-5R had a more sensitive receiver. Weird.
My UV17 Pro V2 has a more sensitive RX than any of my UV5R's
IMHO the Pro V2 is the best of the cheap versions
@@g4wwk-k2f Good to know! I haven't been able to get hold of a Pro yet.
Sounds like Baofeng has lost their way has lost their way and forgotten that to much choice is no choice at all.
I'm seeing UV-17R non pro on Amazon with USB-C charging port and a provided USB-C cable. Don't know if this is a very recent update to the UV-17R non-Pro, or what, maybe they're lying on Amazon, as we all know that never happens, but it does look very much like the UV-17R Non-Pro on Amazon has USB-C charging capabilities, it's pictured several times, it is listed as a feature in the text ect.
Good Day and God Bless!
All of the current UV-17 models have USB charging.
The one I just got from Amazon does not have USP C charging. Probably a knockoff it’s going back
Remember the Rhino walkie talkie/GPS combo handheld radio? why cant they make one of those for HAM radios?
Garmin stills RINOs but only the fancy models. GMRS only. SO I have the same question.
Baofeng UV-17 PRO V2 triband Is the best Baofeng for the money
the UV-17 GPS is more than double the money, good if you need GPS
So, GPS is just a GPS not usable for "radio things"?
It can be used to send your GPS coordinates to another radio but I have not tested that out yet.
Its useful for if you get lost and need rescue, Google maps accepts Long lat inputs
The wife and I are photographers and want to position for photos.
We want to listen to navel aircraft from Lemoore, civilian aircraft from Visalia-Porterville (Fire tankers) and BNSF rail through the valley. What Baofeng radio should buy and what software should I use?
I like the sub menu options setup
where can I buy this other than ALI great review thanks
Nobody BUT AliExpress actually has them in stock. I checked today earlier.
SUPERIOR REVIEW!! WELL DONE SIR, THANK YOU
can you connect a bluetooth headset to these? I just like hands free
No you can't
@@petercarter9034I have seen sellers that have Bluetooth for these units.
Has anyone actually run one of these across a bench? I have two and found them to be inferior performers to an original UV-5R. The receivers aren't as sensitive on VHF. Power output is about the same. But the big difference is on UHF. The radios only put out a little over two watts compared to the UV-5R's 4 watts. The sensitivity is also considerably down from the older radios and even the VHF on the same radio. I tested both of the radios I have and they perform Identical. I first found this trying different antennas. The 3 UV-5Rs I have all were picking up a repeater about 15 miles away inside my home. The UV-17 Pro GPS radios would not. Not with the exact same antenna the UV-5R was using and sitting in the exact location. At first it appeared the squelch levels were set differently. But it ended up being sensitivity. The radios added features but is a step backwards in performance. Oh, the performance in the GRMS/FRS frequency ranges on the bench are even worse. I don't see them as serviceable on FRS/GMRS with the reduced sensitivity and the reduced power. Just use a UV-5r if in a pinch. There is a noticeable performance difference.
In the end of the video, you say 'Scott Killo', but isn't it 'Killo Scott', because you r Channel says you are KS6DAY.
Name and callsign. So, "Scott, Kilo Sierra Six Delta Alpha Yankee".
Unidem Frs waterproof have same light
Can this radio do nxdn? I know the railroads are switching over to difital
Digital form of c4fm
“The best Baofeng ever” is like saying the best Yugo ever.
It may be the best of those, but it's still a cheap Chinese SDR with a direct conversion receiver and not nearly enough filtering and tuning.
Bite the bullet and get a Yaesu FT-70DR (if you're a ham). It's a $170 radio. But it's a superheterodyning receiver, which is in every way superior to a direct conversion (unless you do a fantastic job on the electronics like FlexRadio does… and the price tag will reflect it).
You'll thank me later.
If you're *not* a ham, you have no business using these radios on frequencies for which they are not type-accepted. Remember, 10 years and $250,000 for each illegal transmission.
Sad ham alert!😂😂😂
I heard the Russians have unlicensed sleeper cells ready to use these radios to randomly kerchunk the amateur bands.
Experts are warning that this could cause chaos by delaying the choice of regular vs mustard potato salad for the upcoming POTA meet from 3 weeks to 4 weeks to decide.
@@audiomaker1 Idiot! Its not Russian sleeper cells, its CCP sleeper cells, with north Koreans parachuted in, and its not Potato salad they are looking to subvert, but good used South Korean autos to take back to Pyongyang
@@thatprcrawlerguy187 I spot a not a cross the rubicon'er
The UV-17r , not the pro, has no software that works. I placed an order for software that is guaranteed. I hope it works.
I downloaded the UV-17R factory CPS from Baofeng and it worked fine. I used that to do the initial programming for the review. I also used CHIRP just a couple days ago to do some work on the UV-17R. I ended up using the UV-17 PRO (No GPS) selection. But it did work. The only issue I had was with the banks section. I understand that will be worked out very soon.
@KS6DAY What type of cable do you have? I use an FTDI. I just receive an error message saying not the amount of data we want. This cable works with my other Baofengs.
@@rds766 I used a Baofeng UV-5R programming cable.
What can the Pro version do more than the normal version?
This is not a fake baofeng in aliexpress?
Only fake Baofeng i ever got was a UV-5R, 3 and 6 buttons didnt show firmware and date
and battery was half the weight it should have been. externally it looked like a 5R
Just got 2 of these for $45 shipped from ali express. Pretty insane
Baofeng UV-5RX3 DOES 2M, 1.25M and 70cm...
Tyt th350 is tri band
I've had a few recommendations for that radio. I will be taking a look at one fairly soon. Thanks.
Why a gps?
You would need to ask them. I didn't design the radio.
Unfortunately, like every other Baofeng radio I've tested (I've tested 4 models), the UV-17 Pro GPS hugely violates FCC rules on 2m and 1.25m and using it will put ham radio operator's licenses at risk (not to mention potentially causing interference to first responders and others). At 2m, the second harmonic was at +19dBm ! It's not even close. I just bought a pair based on online recommendations and they will be going back tomorrow.
Is this radio gsmr fcc approved?
No. It is not an approved Part 95 radio.
Nope but they might bring out a GMRS version? they did the 5R, 82R, 9R
Just watching banggood also sells it. Im interested in seeing how the gps works so i may comment after watching the rest. Lol
Cheers 🍻
Bought pro gps for 34 Canadian shipped
lol @31:00 a hammer fixes everything ;)
Baofeng uv-13 pro 10 w
much the same hardware as the UV17 basics, but the UV17's are in a better case with better displays and double LED Flashlights. I also have a UV13 i wont be buying another as long as the 17's are around the same price
@@g4wwk-k2fuv17 doesn't output 10watts like the uv13 v2 does
Lol there's nothing more American than comparison to a smith and western 😅
bag of crap get the baofeng uv 5rh pro max gps
Aside from the case, how are they different from each other in any significant way?
You know that antenna is daul antenna is it not
Could that radio use the GPS for APRS?
Can it work on MURS/GMRS freqs?