When I found out that there was a new $50 miniature 2m/440 Chinese HT on the market, I knew that I had to have one to test and review. I saw that Ed at wouxun.us started carrying the new Baofeng UV-3R so I placed my order and had the radio in my hands in a couple of days.
As you can see, the radio is tiny! It's very similar in size to the Yaesu VX-3R, although the button configuration is different.
Here is a picture that shows how thin this radio really is:
Without the antenna, this radio is smaller than the wallet I carry in my pocket. With the antenna attached, it's still small enough to slip into a baggy pants or shorts pocket.
In this picture, I set the Baofeng VX-3R on top of my Yaesu VX-8R to give you some perspective on the size of the radio:
What's Included
So, I know you're asking: What all do you get for $50? You get a 2 watt 2m/440 radio with 99 memories, scanner, and FM broadcast. Here is a pic of everything included in the box:
As, you can see, in addition to the radio, battery, and manual, you get a desktop charger, belt clip, lanyard, and earphone speaker/mic. I also opted to purchase the USB programming cable and an additional camo colored shell.
Here's a picture of the FM broadcast radio function enabled:
As is commonplace with the Chinese radios, the radio also has a fairly bright LED flashlight:
After I put the battery in and started charging the radio, I started looking for the charging indicator. It took me a few minutes to figure out that the indicator is actually on the wall wart, and turns green when complete:
So, you can see that you get quite a bit of bang for the buck. The battery is a standard Fuji NP-60, Li-ion 3.7v 1500mAh battery that is inexpensive and readily available. If you want to buy them really cheap, you can get them on eBay for $6-$7 ea.
Next in the review, my first on the air impressions.
As you can see, the radio is tiny! It's very similar in size to the Yaesu VX-3R, although the button configuration is different.
Here is a picture that shows how thin this radio really is:
Without the antenna, this radio is smaller than the wallet I carry in my pocket. With the antenna attached, it's still small enough to slip into a baggy pants or shorts pocket.
In this picture, I set the Baofeng VX-3R on top of my Yaesu VX-8R to give you some perspective on the size of the radio:
What's Included
So, I know you're asking: What all do you get for $50? You get a 2 watt 2m/440 radio with 99 memories, scanner, and FM broadcast. Here is a pic of everything included in the box:
As, you can see, in addition to the radio, battery, and manual, you get a desktop charger, belt clip, lanyard, and earphone speaker/mic. I also opted to purchase the USB programming cable and an additional camo colored shell.
Here's a picture of the FM broadcast radio function enabled:
As is commonplace with the Chinese radios, the radio also has a fairly bright LED flashlight:
After I put the battery in and started charging the radio, I started looking for the charging indicator. It took me a few minutes to figure out that the indicator is actually on the wall wart, and turns green when complete:
So, you can see that you get quite a bit of bang for the buck. The battery is a standard Fuji NP-60, Li-ion 3.7v 1500mAh battery that is inexpensive and readily available. If you want to buy them really cheap, you can get them on eBay for $6-$7 ea.
Next in the review, my first on the air impressions.