Baofeng Portable Ham CB Radio - £16.15 delivered @ AliExpress / Factory Direct Collected Store

Technically you need a licence to use these in the UK, to transmit on, they're not 'licence free PMR446' radios, so there's a chance using these will interfere with a legitimate radio user that has a licence. While you probably won't get caught, if you did, you could be fined....plus it's a real pain for that legitimate user...which could be anything from small business up to an airport.

For most of us, it's best to buy proper licence free walkie talkies from Argos etc. (edited)

You can use it on the PMR frequencies, so basically a walkie talky without a licence.

If you carry a amatuer radio licence, you can use it on 2M and 1M. Use local repeaters and if the conditions are right, maybe even pick up French stations if you're near the coast.

If you're handy, you can build an antenna (or buy one) to pick up the ISS when they key up occasionally out the year.

With a phone app and a audio cable you can even use the data modes, So pickup SSTV, NOAA weather sats,

Lots of fun things you can do with a little handy like this. i've owned loads over the years

Ordered. Thanks.

Then a longer aerial can be bought to add on to it for £3

No, the numbers stations are on HF - 0-30MHZ you can hear them via Websdr - websdr.org/

Wonderful. Thanks.

Its amateur radio dude

Its £16 for me, how are people seeing £11?

no ATC reception - although ATC uses VHF, it's lower frequencies VHF (118 to 136MHz) than this radio can select.... and they use AM modulation.

The connector will most likely be different but you can buy the converter off eBay for a few quid

Nah mate, you want a fishfinder for that.

It's 5.5w, not 10w, read the reviews.

I purchased one of these before and sold it on as I could never find anything being transmitted, for £11 I have ordered another, do I need a lead to program the unit and is it easy?

PMR is Public Mobile Radio and is primarily used for businesses (in particular taxis). CB seems to be for the kids to swear on these days. HAM radio is for licenced radio amateurs / experimenters who have sat an exam and gotten a licence from Ofcom which allows them to transmit on certain frequency bands with powers of up to 400 watts. This unit would be mainly of interest for the 2 metre and 70cms ham bands and "licence free" 446MHz use (even though the power is a bit much for those channels). I have a slightly better model and it works fine for all of that. Can even pick up the ISS (on 145.800MHz) using a simple whip aerial when its overhead.

The deal isn't over, over

Nobody, and I mean NOBODY makes Sheriff Buford T. Justice look like a possum's pecker.

A bit risky, I would rather use the right equipment such as a chute than risk my life being attached to one of these.

Utterly bizarre.

If the mosque is broadcasting - and you know the frequency - it should work.

333 Miles is a record on 1/2 watt on 446Mhz; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMR446?wprov=sfti1 -

Regularly work Germany on 433 Mhz.

People still DXing all over the World - 10M is cracking at the moment as is 11M. (edited)

Whats the main difference with the Plus version?

You don't need a licence to listen.

I'd say this would be a very frustrating experience! 😁

They would if on the same Channel, but Ham radio frequencies need you to have a ham radio licence

The batteries despite labels are usually the same capacity, can I ask do you keep the unit in the charger as this can cause memory effects on the battery.

I have found the batteries I have seems to work better if they are allowed to run down and then charged back up.

Only if you get a tin hat first 🪖

No - they are further up (or down) the frequency for aircraft comms. I did have an aircraft FM receiver many years ago & all I could ever pick up was the aircraft comms - not the tower, or other control broadcasting. So I only ever got 1 side of the conversation - and they were suprisingly brief...

I’m ready

Anything from Charles and Cams?

Some useful links

Baofeng UV-5R

essexham.co.uk/guide-to-using-the-baofeng-uv-5r.html

Google " Chirp radio software "And download

Chirp software guide
(edited)

I got this message and just changed location to UK and the message stopped.

There should be plenty. Maybe not at this price point but not far off.

Same

Tell me you’re a 50 year old man living in his mams basement without telling me you’re a 50 year old man living in your mams basement…..

Morgan is that you?

Me too . I have an amateur radio
Licence