TYT TH-UV88 Ham Radio Handheld Long Range Rechargeable Walkie Talkie VHF UHF Two Way Radio Programming Cable Black

I'm part of the amateur radio crew (almost 300 of us) that provides backup up and routine communications for the medical teams at the Boston Marathon.We are asked to bring two radios and two batteries. I bought this as a replacement to my Baofeng BF-F8HP and to complement my Kenwood TH-F6A. The Baofeng has the problems we're all familiar with (not the most sturdy construction, not the cleanest signal).I decided to try this radio as my primary radio for the event with the understanding that if the radio had any problems I could switch to my reliable Kenwood.This radio was, in a word, AWESOME.Zero problems programming with the Windows version of CHIRP.Great signal reports with the Heil HT headset and great received audio.I was on a medical sweep team, so I was transmitting more than some other positions... great battery life.It feels REALLY WELL BUILT.It was easy to front panel program, should I have needed to.I was great to have the ability to receive the NWS weather channels and FM broadcast, though I never had time to use those during the race (I could tell it was RAINING... didn't need a weather broadcast to tell me that!).I have a TYT MD-2017 DMR radio and love that, too, so I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be disappointed and I wasn't.This is simply a great analog radio as a backup to a more sophisticated dedicated ham radio (like the TH-F6A) or DMR radio... but it has the guts to be a great primary analog radio.If it is good enough for all day usage at the Boston Marathon without problems, I think this makes sense for casual use.

Well I will tell you I have quite a few HTs and this 30 dollar radio out preformed my Japanese radios I purchased it because of the cost an inexpensive radio figure if something happens to it no big deal but I actually really like it the only thing is the battery doesn’t last long

This was my first VHF/UHF HT Radio when I got my ham tech license. I've used it all over my little town to talk on repeaters and simplex. I've had no complaints that anyone couldn't understand what I was saying, so I have to assume it is broadcasting clearly. I can hear easily on its speaker, and I'm a little hard of hearing, so that's good.It works with CHIRP Programming software so that's a great thing. The factory programming software isn't the worst, but data entry is slow and rather time-consuming with it.I believe the menu items on the radio could be set up a little better. It can take some time to memorize what each menu item is and the proper way to adjust it.My only other complaint, which is kind of a moot point. It feels cheap sometimes when using it, but it is cheap so it has a good reason too. Sometimes when I am talking on it I feel like I'm going to break the PTT button, or the plastic is going to crack because I can feel it give a little more than I expect.My rating of a four-star is due to the slowness in using the factory programming software and sometimes confusing menu items on the radio. I would recommend this radio to anyone interested. It has a good price and it works. If you lost it or it did break for some reason then you aren't out a huge chunk of change.

A member of my radio club tested these and gave them a good report, so I decided to get one myself. This unit feels very solid in your hands. It has great audio and plenty of volume. I did find that the transmitted audio is a little bit low in comparison to other stations, but with the matching speaker-mic it's OK; especially if you close talk it. The menu is very straightforward and they give you the programming software for free, so there's nothing else to buy except for the speaker-mic if you want one. I like it!

This is an amazing radio. Super easy to program. If you have never used one please research how to program before sending it back. This can be an amazing hobby once you understand the rules and learn how to program.

For an analog radio, I was going to use it as a backup but it has become a primary item for the simple analog systems I use. Great deal…👍🏼

getting started in ham radio

I purchased this radio because I read the reviews, which seem to be quite good, and found it to be made well and generally better than the Baofeng UV-5R. However..., once I got the radio in hand and started attempting to even do simple programming, I found that it was not at all intuitive and the instruction manual included was not even accurate. After 12 hours of frustration in dealing with programming issues, I returned the radio. The Baofeng 15 PRO appears to be the same radio, but without the frustrating programming issues. It is completely intuitive.