BAOFENG 5RM 10W Ham Radio Long Range Handheld Two Way Radio 2500mAh Battery Rechargeable Walkie Talkies with NOAA Weather Receiver, Speaker Mic, Type-C Charging, 999CH, VOX

I got these for fun, but they are actually really good walkie talkies. The range is incredible. I live in a rural area and was able to test this on my land, it reaches at least 2 miles without issue. The battery capacity is very good as well. Lasts a really long time without charging it. It comes with earpieces, too, which are higher quality than expected. The channels are pretty clear and I can hear the other person clearly.

I’ve become a real fan of BAOFENG radio products for the Ham Radio market. This particular model, the ‘5RM’ offers a slightly increased size over the legendary UV-5R that was introduced a few years ago.Along with the increase in size, a larger and more clearly read color LCD screen was added, along with several new menu features and 999 memory channels. While the screen is highly legible, it is difficult to see in the bright sunshine and you’ll have to find some shade. However, there is audible indication of what channel you select in memory mode.This particular version of the 5RM states that it has an 8-Watt transmitter, a slightly later version is advertised as having a 10-Watt transmitter. Frankly, that 2-watt difference wouldn’t make that much of a difference in my experience. Either way, these are relatively short distance communications. If you hold an Amateur Radio license, I’m sure you are knowledgeable of VHF/UHF operational conditions with regard to frequency and terrain challenges.The included accessories are nice, providing a plug-in, drop-in type charger with a 2500 Li-Ion battery, a flexible 8-inch, SMA-mount antenna, corded ear phone with integrated PTT microphone capability, belt clip and short lanyard. Additional batteries and accessories are available at very low cost. It should be noted that the battery can also be charged with a USB-C charger. That’s a nice feature, but you’ll have to supply your own charger and cord. I have found that some suppliers provide a charge cord when purchasing an extra battery, just check the particular supplier for details.The 5RM provides some attractive features, like tri-band operation, and wide-band reception covering the FM broadcast band, the Amateur Radio VHF/UHF bands, NOAA, and even the VHF Aviation band. In addition, there is a small light and even an audible alarm. Make sure you review all the features illustrated in the advertisement.The instructions have been updated and are easier to follow and the format is larger and much easier to read. The one thing I noted as missing, was any mention of CHIRP software to aid programming the memory channels; and, no program cable is supplied.Personally I find the BAFENG 5RM an attractive handy-talkie (HT). It’s not as small and compact as the earlier UV5R, but I like the screen better, and it still fits the hand well, and the overall build and design quality is quite nice. Excellent audio, durable, and very low cost when compared to similar products a decade or so ago. The expanded memory channels and increased transmit power make this a very good buy in my opinion.

Couldnt get over the appearance at first. The construction is a bit wonky with rough plastic shell housing. Its very unattractive in design, but radios work as intended. Battery life lasts a few hrs.Sound quality is meh. If you can get over the crappy appearance, then these inexpensive 2 way radios are the way to go. Its better than nothing.

This is my third round of reviews of this radio. The last production improved upon an already pretty good radio. This run tested out about the same except that harmonic suppression numbers slipped a bit on two meters.This radio will hold no surprises for the legion of Baofeng UV-5R users. It is literally the UV-5R brought up to modern standards. It is a larger radio with more transmit power, more battery capacity and more frequencies available. Nice additional features include a larger, clearer color display, an extra free "upgrade" antenna, USB C charging and Weather Band, FM Broadcast and Air Band recieve only. Frequency scanning and copying from other radios is another big plus. .Measured output power from this latest production into a 50 ohm non reactive load is 8.8 watts on 2 meters and 70 centimeters. That is more than enough power for most applications. Measured SWR using the standard "short" antenna was 3.5 on 2 meters and 1.6 on 70 centimeters. While certainly nothing to write home about, it is not bad for a shortened compromise antenna. Measure SWR using the included longer antenna tape antenna was a surprsie 2.6 on both 2 meters and centimeters. That's pretty good. Power through to the antenna was 12.1 watts on 2 meters and 7.4 on 70 centimters.Transmitter harmonics were improved. While the transmitter showed no measureable harmonics on 70 centimeters the first harmonic on 2 meters was down 22 db down on our test rig. That's not as close to the -30 required by the FCC as previous production runs. I suspect this is an after effect of using a generic 450 mhz FRS chip with the frequency divided down for 2 meter use. Works great in its designed range but not so much otherwise. Having said that, only the FCC and a few tech purists/snobs are that worried about a 22 db down harmonic.Make no mistake. There are more elegant, better designed radios in this price range. I own several of them. But, like its little brother the UV-5R, the 5Rm is a solid basic radio with a lot of features that bring it up to modern standards. There are millions of UV-5R's being put to good use every day around the world and I can see no reason why this new edition should be any different.One person found this helpful

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The BAOFENG 5RM is a larger, upgraded version of the popular UV-5R. The radio is a mix of good, bad, and ugly. The good is that it performs well. It has 8W of output and the audio is very good. It has expanded RX range compared to the UV-5R. It can also be easily programmed with CHIRP. The bad is that it is quite large and heavy, and the antenna is poor. The ugly is the screen. While it's big and clear indoors, it is next to impossible to see outdoors. If it's overcast you can barely see it. If it's bright and sunny it is impossible to see it. All around, it's OK for the price. There are better options out there though like the Quansheng UV-K5/6.