Radios - new handsets

Anyone please a current comms / radio “guru” - looking to replace our current hand-held sets, our budget for 6 handsets + odds & ends = about £1000. We are looking (for durability, 5W power, suitable freqs, etc) at this handset - any comments / thoughts please?

Yes, not cheap, but we are looking at a “long-life” purchase rather than a basic fix, & we use our radio sets a lot.

Check out these guys http://www.radioswap.co.uk Always helpful with advice, spares etc

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Our sqn uses Baofengs. We have about 20 of them. Decent radios. And can get a multitude of accessories. And come in at around 25 pounds each.

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We bought 12 x Wouxon UV9Ds and are very happy with them so far.
Around £199each but I trust them more than the Baufeng units.

I bought a Hytera unit (different model) to try it out but it seems to use a custom connector for remote mics. The wouxon and baufeng use a more standard connector.

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We also transitioned to the Baofengs. Okay they may not be as reliable (we haven’t had any issues with ours) but at £25 compared to £200 you can replace or break them or even just have more of them without having to worry about them.

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We have a set of Yaesu FT-60E radios. Work very well. Good battery life.

We have studded them to the Air Cadet frequencies, but still have freedom to use other channels ( with a licence) and can even use them to listen to airband (so useful for airshows / aviation training)

However… cost just over £100 a handset.

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nothing new to add

FT-60s is the Rolls-Royce of what you are asking for.

I have used Wouxun UV6 (via Martin Lynch & Sons) and can’t fault them (~£110 with speaker mic)
I also know alot rate the Baofengs.

the Wouxun is a cheaper FT-60 while the Baofeng is a cheaper UV6 - they all give or take do the same thing. talk to a person in the industry and they’ll tell you they have the same inners, the only difference being the quality of the parts (think budget>affordable>Rolls-Royce)

The UV6 is only available via eBay and Amazon style routes as its been replaced by the UV8, and UV9 - you might be able to get them cheaper now. I haven’t heard any negatives about the Baofeng tbf although if I had one critism they don’t feel as “sturdy” or solid as other units I have used – that said still to hear they are fragile and break on the second bounce from a careless grip of a Cadet’s hand.
For £25 a pop they are easier to replace than repair.

(the next question you’ll have is programming. As a Wouxun user I know the software provided is straightforward and simple to use, there are also plenty of other options available free for download. I suspect Baofeng will be the same but have heard no stories either way about their ease of programming)

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I’ve been using a Baofeng UV-6R for about 8 years and not had a problem with it. For programming, doing it manually is a pain, don’t bother with the Baofeng software, use Chirp, a free download.

My Sqn has 10 of the same handest of which a couple of handests have had issues probably due to being dropped by cadets, but if looked after reasonably, they are good for the money.

Give it two years and there will be a flood of hand portable devices coming on the second hand market.