Station KK6ZLX--Current Radio Inventory

• Yaesu VX-6R handheld transceiver (144/220/440 MHz)
• Wouxun KG-UV5D handheld transceiver (50/144 MHz)
• TYT TH-UVF9 handheld transceiver (144/220 MHz)
• Baofeng UV-5R handheld transceiver (144/440 MHz)
• Hallicrafters S-120 general coverage receiver (AM and shortwave)
• Radio Shack PRO-651 handheld scanner (digital trunking capable)
• Radio Shack PRO-62 handheld scanner
• Radio Shack PRO-2035 desktop scanner

I'm surely not the only one...

...who likes looking at pictures of radios.

Left to right in both pictures:

• Yaesu VX-6R (144/220/440 MHz) with a Diamond SRH320A tri-band antenna
• TYT TH-UVF9 (144/220 MHz) with a Nagoya NA-702 VHF/UHF antenna
• Baofeng UV-5R (144/440 MHz) with a Nagoya NA-701 VHF/UHF antenna and high-capacity 3800-mAh battery

Radio #1: Baofeng UV-5R

This was my first handheld transceiver. I won it on eBay for $32. After realizing that I needed an FCC license to be able to anything more than just listen to it, I finally had the motivation I needed to go out and get my Technician Class ticket (discovering that the Morse Code requirement was gone helped, too).

The radio is programmed for the 2-meter and 70-centimeter bands. Optional accessories seen in the photo include an authentic Nagoya NA-701 VHF/UHF antenna (tuned for 144/440 MHz) and a larger, 3800 mAh extended life battery.

I have heard and read many disparaging remarks about this and other low-price Chinese radios. I really have no complaints, though, especially considering the price. It seems to perform well, so far.

The Baofeng UV-5R Demystified

Anyone who finds manually programming the UV-5R daunting should find this blog post by WP4AOH useful. He also goes through the various menu settings that are appropriate for amateur radio use.