Baofeng UV-5R Dual-Band Handheld: What It Does and What License You Need

The Baofeng UV-5R is a compact dual-band handheld radio. It is sold as an amateur (ham) radio, and that one fact decides how it can legally be used, so it is worth covering before anything else.

What the radio covers

According to the store listing, the UV-5R covers two ranges: VHF (136–174 MHz) and UHF (400–520 MHz). Listings for this model typically describe 128 memory channels, keypad programming, a built-in flashlight and an FM broadcast receiver. It can also be programmed from a computer, which is how many owners set up their channel lists.

Covering a frequency range is not the same as being allowed to transmit across it. The radio is physically capable of transmitting on frequencies where the FCC does not permit this kind of radio, which is why the licensing section below matters.

The license you need

To transmit on the amateur bands, you need an FCC amateur radio license. Technician is the usual entry-level class. You earn it by passing an exam given by volunteer examiners, and the FCC charges a $35 application fee for a new license (exam session fees vary by organizer). The two bands most handhelds like this use are 2 meters (144–148 MHz) and 70 centimeters (420–450 MHz), both of which are open to Technician licensees.

The UV-5R is not an FRS, GMRS or MURS radio. Those services require equipment that is FCC-certified for that specific service, and the FCC will not certify a GMRS radio that can also operate in the amateur service. A GMRS license does not change this. Listening on those frequencies is not restricted, but transmitting on them with a UV-5R is not permitted.

Where it fits, and where it does not

• A reasonable fit: licensed hams, or people planning to get licensed, who want an inexpensive handheld for local repeaters and simplex chats.
• Not a fit: families or work crews who just want to talk to each other without paperwork. For that, look at FRS radios (no license) or GMRS radios (a license, but not an exam). Our FRS vs GMRS comparison explains the difference.

What to expect for range

A handheld with a stock antenna typically reaches somewhere around one to a few miles in ordinary terrain, and farther across open ground or from high spots. Buildings, hills and trees cut that down quickly. Ham repeaters, which relay your signal from a high location, are the usual way to cover a larger area. Manufacturer range figures describe best-case, line-of-sight conditions and should not be treated as what you will get day to day.

Before you buy

• Plan to get your amateur license first, or at least before you transmit.
• Check the frequency range and what is included in the box on the store page.
• Remember that the radio leaves the factory able to transmit well outside the ham bands. Staying within the bands you are licensed for is your responsibility.

If that fits your plans, the Baofeng UV-5R dual-band handheld is available in our store.

Top image: “Baofeng UV-5R” by Gustavo Belemmi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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