eSynic 1Pcs UV-5R Dual Band VHF/UHF with LED Display 128 Memory Channel with Rechargable and Radio Function Supports VOX for Construction Site Outdoor Activities etc with UK Plug Charge Base

These radios offer phenomenal value. Viewing the unit in the box, it appeared plasticy, but taking it out and holding it in the hand I realized it had a great build quality. A plastic that probably wouldn't break if dropped from a height and I'm sure that's necessary in many applications. What's more, adding the battery gave the radio a fairly heavy, robust and quality feel which was completely unexpected for such a low price.Turning the radio on, I was greeted with a bright blue LED display with the frequencies stated. Most importantly, to my surprise, I was greeted with a voice too, albeit a Chinese one, but after scrolling through the menus I was pleased to see an English voice. The range of words spoken is vast as you scroll through the menu options too. The voice gives a real feel of holding something high tech and high quality.later in the night I took this to bed and I was pleased to see a lit keypad which previously went unnoticed in the day. Again, this gives the unit a great feel of quality and naturally a greater ability of use in the dark.The unit comes complete with a scanner so you can race through the frequencies looking for broadcasts, though admittedly this didn't retrieve anything for me even with the squelch setting up high (static sound filter). Having done this at such a high squelch setting there was a lot of static hissing as expected as I search eagerly. Nonetheless, I used some common sense the next day and researched frequencing of establishments in the local area (which I suggest people do). After plugging in a frequency of a shopping centre security across the river, I was pleased to be greeted with voices. The broadcasts however were few and far between which was expected. I have since tuned in to the nearby dock which had few broadcasts, but interesting ones. It wasn't until I tuned into the local river police and pilot boat, I had a constant stream of communication. I now know the names of boats and what's more, I know the time that a massive ferry goes out to sea to Amsterdam and the terminology used by the pilot boat and coastguard. Very interesting indeed.I must add, that two days after purchasing this radio, I bought a long flexible ariel to replace the rubber duck which comes as standard. People insisted that this was so much better to receive broadcasts and they were seemingly correct. It's also advised to set up a 'repeater' which is a distant place / airel which delivers and transmits the signal over much greater distances as an intermediate entity. Admittedly, I'm still yet to do this as it's supposedly tricky, but you can purchase a cable and use software named 'Chirp' to alleviate this hassle.I believe it's illegal to broadcast (talk) on certain frequencies, so you have to be careful with such radios like this, but it just adds to the appeal. Naturally if you purchase two of these, they can be used to communicate with people you know, nearby or remotely. Expeditions and paintball spring to mind when I think of such uses. You both choose a suitable frequency and you are good to good. Obviously several people can do this also.The package comes complete with the unit, the battery, an earpiece of good quality and a docking station of reasonable build. The plug / adaptor is also supplied too. Sound through the earpiece is good and arguably better than the speaker.I was so impressed with these radios for the price that I bought one for my friend this Xmas. Needless to say, if you are looking to enter into the world of HAM radio, this is a no brainer. As you'll note, the majority of people sing the same praises. It's a unit that many primed HAM radio users actually dislike, but this I feel is a pretentious viewpoint, since many are used to spending hundreds on their equipment and they complain of the seeming complexity of the menu system in contrast to more expensive HAM radios. The menu complexity isn't too bad in my opinion, but there are many options which I'm yet to understand. This I feel just adds to the excitement of digging deep to understand HAM radio in general. What's more there is plenty of easy to read information online (websites and PDF's), and there's a wealth of information for good reason. This radio is one of the most interesting things I've bought for a mere £25 and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Studying for foundation radio ham license, this radio is an ideal starting point. It is well made, has many useful features and is relatively easy to set up and use. Plenty of inexpensive accessories available to aid reception and ease of use in different environments. I would recommend these radios to any newbie to ham radio.

Cracking radio, has decent range depending on line of sight. Quite robust and well built. I have bought a larger Arial to increase range and a larger battery to prolong use. I found a lot of features on it, but I mostly use it on frequency mode

Good value, compared to other radios. It would be handy to dial up a channel rather than finding out the channel frequency when using the radio for marine purposes as I do.

You buy this for use on a boat however the set up is hard. You tube will be needed and as I have not been to the sea with it I’m still unsure if the marine channels I set are even working. I will update you when I get the boat back out in the spring but could t find other channels that my mates does not him from 1 metre away.

I purchased this device for my son who was going to Airsoft. The radio is used where so you can talk your team members and co-ordinate your attack without the other teams knowing what you are planning. He reported that it worked well, having a range of 5km in the open field, although not so clear in wooden areas. He wasn't sure how set it up initially, but another member of his team, who also had the same radio showed him and after that there were no problems.

It does its job. Easy to use, but after 3-4 uses, the display is already partially gone. Battery lasts about 12h.

Happy