BAOFENGDM-1701 Dual Band Dual Time Slot DMR/Analog Two Way Radio, 3,000 Channels Amateur Radio/Free Programming Cable, Charger and PTT Earpiece, Support OpenGD77

To preface, please ensure you are properly licensed/approved to utilize certain frequencies before operating this radio.TL:DR at bottom.The radio comes with all of the accessories to get you started: charger, programming cable, and a headset. While this can be programmed from the radio, I would highly suggest using a computer – it is a lot easier this way. Drivers and programming software can be downloaded from the radioddity website; I say this because it was not mentioned in the manual. Personally, I would give this radio a 4.5/5 but am rounding it up due to the lack of giving half stars.I have used different HAM radios since receiving my license about a year ago. They include: Radioddity GD-77, GD-73; Anytone AT-D878UV; Baofeng: UV-5R, UV-82; Motorola: Various commercial models from work.I have been using this radio for about a week and note the followingPros:Great build and sound qualityEasy to use interfaceDecent reception compared to other radiosDMR capabilitiesMulti-option programmable buttonsSoftware is mainly self-explanatory (if you have programmed a radio before)Interesting quirks:Programming the radio can be tricky at times – for example, I was trying to create a scan list (I monitor severalfrequencies at work) using the software and it seems you need to add channels in two places – in the “Scan” tab, where you add channels, and customize the scan; and while programming the channel itself under the “Scan List” section of the window. Failing to do this will not allow you access scan. Essentially, you can create the scan list, but without adding the list directly to the channel, you cannot enter the scan option on the radio or scan entirely. (This took me a decent amount of time to find out why I couldn’t scan after creating my lists.The manual included in the box, as well as on the site, are in slightly broken English. For example, on the first page of the manual: “Thank you for your favor with our products.” When programming the radio, I needed to look up certain menu items to understand their functions. Some were poorly described or not included. This resulted in me trialing by fire, while I enjoy this, for some this can be aggravating. I wish that the programming software had the information box at the bottom of the screen to describe what each item did like the GD-77.Cons:I wouldn’t really call these cons, but more of me being picky-The radio is quite tall/big – while not heavy, it can get in the way when clipped to your belt or pocket.Menu system can be tedious – lots of menus in menus, but is in depthVolume knob can stick at times – turning it on will stick at 2 volume, pushing it past that continues on, lowering the volume sticks at 6 in the same spot, but can then be lowered past that.TL:DR: Very nice radio, has some quirks, but would recommend others to purchase.

The Baofeng DM-1701 is a very good dual band, dual time slot DMR Radio that performs well in both analog and digital modes. In the box you get the usual accessories including an antenna, desktop charger, belt clip, and wrist strap. Also included is a free programming cable. Free programming software is available from Radioddity's website. You'll want to download it and not attempt to program the radio by hand.Out of the box, the radio seems ruggedly built and well made for the price. The screen is bright, clear, and easy to read. Volume is strong too. I downloaded the free software from Radioddity and also a newer firmware update. Once the radio was updated and I installed the programming software, creating a codeplug was easy to me since this radio is very similar to other DMR radios I already own. Programming all my talkgroups from one of my local systems took under 30 minutes. I talked to a few contacts in my local talkgroups and they said my audio was very good. I also programmed in a few analog repeaters, and the DM-1701 performed equally as well. Battery life seems great as I'm still on my initial charge.All around I'm very impressed at how well the DM-1701 performs and the all features it has, at a low price point. Although I have several other DMR radios, this one is an excellent addition to my shack.

As others have said here, I really struggled with this radio. Programming it and getting it to work was a nightmare. I really wanted to get the stock firmware to work but because the original firmware is not very user-friendly, it was very difficult. I reluctantly installed OpenGD77 on the radio and it has made a world of difference! The radio is a pleasure to use now. It receives surprising well. The screen is easy to read. Battery life seems be good. I like the form factor and it seems like it's well constructed aside from the top and bottom of the screen is partially obstructed but the plastic housing but can be seen if you tilt the radio. This wasn't an issue with the stock firmware but partially blocks the top line of the OpenGD77 information. For the price, I am very happy with the radio!

You need to download the Baofeng CPS programming application on a computer that has either windows 7, 10, or 11 (idk what about Linux but ik the program is only for windows and no other OS). Once you get used to the programming for it, it’ll be a breeze to use and program the radio!Battery life - it’s pretty goodReception - it’s pretty good as well, it’s a 5 watt radio so it’ll hit the closest repeaters quite wellSound quality - it’s amazing

I got this radio as my first DMR radio to see if I was interested in spending the money for the AnyTone.I had issues right out of the gate because of the USB drivers and them not working on both of my computers. I have a feeling it is because of Windows 11. These drivers are made for really old versions of Windows.Luckily, I found a project called OpenGD, and flashed that on there. It changed everything, and the CPS for that is so much better. Unfortunately, it lacked a lot of neat features such as SMS, but, it allowed for lots of customization and ease-of-use.I liked that the radio had adjustable power modes, a good speaker, and a decent range, though my AnyTone definitely is picking up a repeater that the 1701 couldn't.The other thing is the search speed. This is probably a thing of OpenGD, but at 80-ish ms/channel, it's extremely fast to search through everything.Overall, if you can get OpenGD on this radio, I'd say it's really not bad for the price and doesn't deserve the hate or negativity.