Review on GT 3TP Mark III Speaker Tri Power Included by Sean Maples

EDIT: I'm KK4WFR from Southcentral Kentucky. I work in a radio shop and have access to all kinds of test equipment. That aside I only tested the power output of this radio as many have stated in their reviews that they didn't believe it actually puts out 8 watts but had no way to confirm their suspicions. We all know that these radios are a HUGE bang for your buck and a great way for radio amateurs, new and old, to get an extremely cheap radio that will work just as well as many of the high quality radios on the market at much higher prices. I think it's also clear that these radios have their downsides and most people who buy them already know about them. This review focuses on the package, which I purchased as a whole. REVIEW: This is my second Baofeng radio so I already knew what to expect. This package seemed like a good deal with the extras that came with it, but alas, you get what you pay for. As many would expect, this radio doesn't put out the full 8 watts. As measured by my service monitor, it puts out around 6.5W at high power, 3.5W at medium power and around 1.5W at low power. 6.5 watts on HT is still pretty decent, but not what was advertised. The included antenna is definitely better than the standard short antenna it usually comes with, but that's not at all surprising. The handheld microphone is cheap and has terrible sound quality. I would compare the quality of the included earphones with airplane headphones, but they work properly. The earbud is not very comfortable for me and probably not suitable for prolonged use. I doubt it will last very long even with normal wear and tear. I have not tested the VOX function with it. The chargers are pretty standard for Baofeng, nothing special although the radio is much easier to fit than the last one I had. The car charger will work, but good luck keeping the radio in a cradle in a moving vehicle. All in all I'd say for $50 it's a fair deal. However, I would say that you are better off getting a radio somewhere cheaper and skipping all the extra beats as they don't really cost that much. Spend the extra cash on a telescoping Dual Range or Nagoya.