Review on BaoFeng GT-3WP Dual Band Waterproof Walkie Talkie, VHF/UHF 136-174/400-520MHz, with Programming Cable - 2 Pack by Darrell Beecher

I bought this to use the FRS and HAM radio, and it lives up to the advertising of other Baofeng radios and adds waterproofing. Waterproofing is achieved by gaskets and seals throughout the radio. For added protection, I recommend opening up the radio and applying a conformal silicone coating to the electronics. Fortunately, the radio is very easy to disassemble and reassemble. This is a 30 minute modification that you could probably make and waterproof on any other baofeng instead of paying extra for this model. Accessories are seriously lacking; There is no extended battery pack for it, no 12V battery rectifier, no AA/AAA alkaline battery pack. The only option is to get additional 1800mah B-9 batteries for it, which I could only find on ebay at an affordable price. Nobody wears them on Amazon. However, I left it on and heard the local repeater (very heavy traffic) and it lasted about four days before the battery died. I would suggest replacing the antenna with either a Nagoya NA701 or the longer NA771, both of which are a perfect match for this radio. The only other change I suggest is to widen the mic hole a bit. There is a membrane between the hole and the microphone. As long as you don't tear the membrane, the microphone is still protected from water damage. The GT-3WP has a lot of features that you really can't use unless you program it with the Chirp software. and yes, it is compatible with Chirp. Although it comes preloaded with about 20 preset frequencies in memory channels, I've removed them all and replaced them with FRS channels, local repeaters and simplex channels, and repeaters for areas I visit frequently and want to use nearby. Communication cable and headset are different from other Baofeng radios; Instead of two male-like pins, they have a Motorola-style multi-pin design (used to seal) that screws on. You can remove the cover with your fingers, but you will need a screwdriver to access the headset screw and programming cable. So if you want to pair them with other baofengs, be sure to bring the cable and headset/mic - you can't use the cable and headset you already have. This radio also uses a different belt clip design than other radios. It comes with an eyelet attached to the radio that slides into a clip that stays on your belt. You put it straight in, but twist and slide it up to pull it out. The manual that came with the radio is practically useless; It is written in broken English and clearly translated by a poor Chinese-English translator. For real instructions look online at Miklor for extended UV5r instructions; They mostly work for this model as the features are almost identical. The biggest difference between this and other Baofeng radios I see is that there is no A/B button or two PTT buttons (one for A/one for B), rather you choose which of the two you on which you want to send. I didn't find that problematic. There are two buttons that do the same thing (the I button on the side and the orange button on top, both activate the FM radio when pressed and sound an alert when held); There is currently no reprogramming option in either the Chirp or Baofeng software. Overall this model is a great radio and my review reflects that. You get a waterproof construction, but at the cost of convenience. You get the best value for money by purchasing UV-82 and modifying it by coating the internals with a matching silicone coating. So you have water resistance in the same design but with more battery/power options, and you don't have to keep up with different cables and headsets. If I had known then what I know now, I would have chosen this path.