Review on 📻 BAOFENG UV-9G GMRS Radio: Waterproof IP67, Long Range, Rechargeable, Dual Band, Handheld NOAA Scanner - Ideal for Outdoor Use, GMRS Repeater Capable, Programming Cable Included by Toby Galbraith

I have had several Baofeng UV-5R ham radios that I have used over the years and although they are cheap and not of the best build quality they have worked very well . When I saw Baofeng launching these new waterproof GMRS radios, I decided to try two. Let me just say that these are definitely not just reprogrammed UV-5Rs. They play in a different quality league. In terms of radio quality, I would put it very close to my Yaesu FT-70D amateur radio. They're a good weight and there's more attention to detail than I've seen in the past. My ONLY complaints are minor and fixable. All channels are set to narrow mode and had to be switched to wide and all channels were pre-configured with privacy codes which I entered and disabled. All of this was easily accomplished with the included cable and Baofeng programming software. If you can run an Excel spreadsheet, you can program this baofeng. It's also easy to change settings using the keyboard, but it takes longer if you're using multiple channels at once. This is a special GMRS radio. You can only broadcast on GMRS channels, but you can program it to scan and listen for UHF/VHF amateur frequencies if you want. As it is a GMRS radio it is ready to use on GMRS channels out of the box. It should work with any other GMRS radio if you have privacy codes disabled or both radios are set to the same codes. I tried to check the range but it depends on many factors. I just wanted to see how it would work in my urban area. I could walk about five miles and still talk to my son on another radio, but it was random, so that's about the max for going through houses, trees, etc. If you were on a mountain and if there was a line of sight in the valley it would get a lot more range. I think the performance/range is more than adequate for my needs. His narrator is excellent. It's very loud, which is important if you're going to be using it in a UTV or a topless Jeep like I do. It's surprisingly loud for a portable device. The device is well sealed and I have confidence in its water resistance. I haven't tested it myself, but I saw a review on YouTube where a guy soaked it in water for 30 minutes and it was fine. All in all, this is the best I've seen from Baofeng in a long time. Great radio for a great price. I highly recommend them. * GMRS radios require an FCC license. They're easy to get (no tests, just a fee) and one license covers your whole family. ** I didn't have any battery issues as mentioned in another review. Both of my radios had excellent battery life. ***************************************************** ******************************************** **** ** ********************************************** *** ***************** ** I rely on reviews when I shop, so I spend a lot of time reviewing everything I buy from Revain for both personal and business purposes. Please show your appreciation by clicking 'helpful' below when asked if the review was helpful!