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BAOFENG UV-5G PRO GMRS Handheld Radio

Curated from 122 real Reddit conversations

Refreshed on: March 7, 2025

BAOFENG UV-5G PRO GMRS Handheld Radio

Brand: BAOFENG

Price: $25

Snoop Score:

3.4

Sentiment

6.4

Popularity

6.0

Technical

1.9

Buy on Amazon for $25 See All Radio Scanners Reviews

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Snoop's Take

The BAOFENG UV-5G PRO GMRS Handheld Radio is a versatile communication device designed for both outdoor enthusiasts and emergency situations. It features an expanded range of bands, including GMRS, NOAA, and VHF, making it ideal for reliable long-range communication. Consumer feedback highlights the radio's effective NOAA frequency reception, with users noting, "I was able to program in my local NOAA frequency and it worked just fine." Many appreciate its programmability with CHIRP, great battery life, and compact design, leading to comments like, "the batteries in both lasted a 12 hour road trip," showcasing its practical use during extended outings. However, some users have expressed concerns about its limited police frequency monitoring and scanning capabilities, indicating that while it excels in many areas, it may not meet all users' needs. Overall, the BAOFENG UV-5G PRO is highly recommended for those seeking a reliable GMRS radio with robust features, despite some limitations in frequency monitoring. It serves well for outdoor adventures and emergency scenarios, making it a solid choice in its category.

Not for you? Check out our other rated Radio Scanners

I was able to program in my local NOAA frequency and it worked just fine.
Positive Feedback

Unless you live in some very small town, the police frequencies are very likely far out of range for this radio.
Negative Feedback

3.4

BAOFENG UV-5G PRO GMRS Handheld Radio

Buy on Amazon for $25

Emergency Monitoring

1 / 10

Weather Alerts

1 / 10

Hobbyist Listening

1 / 10

Mobile Use

1 / 10

See how this compares to all Radio Scanners

What it does well!

Key strengths users can’t stop talking about.

Effective NOAA frequency reception

“I was able to program in my local NOAA frequency and it worked just fine.”➕

“Got my first radio, a Baofeng UV-5G Pro.”➕

“What is the best Baofeng handheld and why?”➕

“Great little radios with the Egzumer firmware.”➕

Improved performance with better antennas

“Get a better antenna. Makes a big difference.”➕

Great radio that runs on AA batteries

“Great radio that will also run on AA batteries.”➕

“It also seems to have much better audio than the baofengs.”➕

Effective NOAA Weather reception

“NOAA Weather, scanning frequencies as others have said. All of which is good.”➕

“Lots of these radios can tune in and listen, but alerts are a less common feature.”➕

Ability to scan frequencies

“It has a Barry White voice.”➕

GMRS capability for communication

“So there is absolutely no need to consider an illegal radio at all.”➕

Programmable with CHIRP

“Pretty much any gmrs radio with a vfo feature can do this or one that can be programmed with chirp, example baofeng uv-5g plus.”➕

Great programmability and functionality

“A UVK5 with egzumer firmware is cheap and has brilliant functionality.”➕

Good battery life and clear sound

“Battery life is good and sound is clear.”➕

Great radio functionality for GMRS

“Otherwise it’s great for $35 USD.”➕

Compact and ergonomic design

“they are small ergonomic (easy to clip to my jacket and doesn’t feel like I’m carrying a bug gadget with an insanely long antenna), and seem to handle snow and moisture and cold, and last all day.”➕

“I personally don’t like the belt clip it has though. It’s one of those swingy slide-out types.”➕

Good battery life during long trips

“The batteries in both lasted a 12 hour road trip, and do have USB-C charging.”➕

Versatile functionality for GMRS and scanning

“for about $10 more I found Baofeng GMRS units that seem to "do it all".”➕

“the fm tuner is clunky to use.”➕

Great price for features

“I plan on getting my GMRS license so my father and I can use it when we go on offroading trips in the Appalachians.”➕

“At $44 through Radioddity.com they are a lot of radio for the money.”➕

Reliable long-range communication

“The UV-9G is a good starter radio. It's easy to use, 5 watts on high.”➕

Useful for emergency communication

“For emergency purposes only of course ;)”➕

“I'd recommend the best selling radios over and over.”➕

Better features for GMRS

“the 5G has some firmware features that make it just a little nicer for gmrs.”➕

Good introductory radio for beginners

“I think this is an excellent intro to HT radios. BUY A BAOFENG!”➕

Effective scanning capabilities in frequency mode

“Is it possible to scan selected frequency area with uv-5r As the title says.”➕

“The easiest way to scan would be to pre-program the PMR channels and set their scan parameter to yes to scan only these few channels fast and easy.”➕

Where it needs some work!

Areas to watch—feedback on possible improvements.

Limited police frequency monitoring capability

“Unless you live in some very small town, the police frequencies are very likely far out of range for this radio.”➕

“Even if your local frequencies can be monitored with this radio, a Baofeng radio makes a terrible scanner for listening to Public Safety.”➕

Lacks Air Band and Bluetooth features as advertised

“Really disappointing radio with locked firmware, missing bands and no easy way to program it! Hot garbage with a neat display.”➕

Issues with GMRS transmission

“the one I got wouldn’t transmit on GMRS15 so I sent it back and didn’t get another one as waterproof is not a criteria I’m married to.”➕

Lacks weatherproofing features

“The downsides of these units are as follows: No weatherproofing.”➕

Not reliable for GMRS use

“Don’t waste your time with the UV5R for GMRS unless you simply have no other option.”➕

“I personally don't recommend it ***as a GMRS radio*** (YMMV).”➕

Legal concerns with GMRS usage

“But as this guy said he converted everyone to gmrs.....don't you need a license for gmrs?”➕

“You only need a license for GMRS above 5W.”➕

Inefficient scanning capabilities

“Baofeng radios are having a great day if they scan one channel per second. They are cheap yes but they are a shit scanner.”➕

“They are very bad for scanning and aren’t even all that good as transceivers.”➕

Scanning cuts off mid-sentence

“One aspect I have yet to get around is on SCAN the cops or the dispatch get cut off mid sentence.”➕

Poor performance as a scanner

“If you want a scanner, buy a scanner. Baofeng radios make lousy scanners.”➕

“Yeah. If you want to use it as a police/fire/ems scanner? You might do worse.”➕

Limited frequency bands available

“I was surprised by the lack of radio activity in my area.”➕

“most emergency services no longer transmit on either of the bands that this radio is capable of.”➕

Not suitable for monitoring police frequencies

“I’ve been surfing frequencies trying to find anybody talking, but even on local frequencies... all I hear is static every now and then.”➕

“The UV-5R is a handheld Ham radio transceiver, not a police scanner.”➕

Limited ability to scan selected frequency ranges without major modifications

“the simple answer is NO, at least not without major hacking which I would not bother spending time on attempting.”➕

“Seems like I definitely would need different radio or scanner to do that.”➕

Compare On All Talked About Dimensions

Product Name	Price	Score	See Details	Buy Now
Uniden SDS200 True I/Q™ TrunkTracker X Scanner	$695	7.2	Details	Buy
Uniden HomePatrol-2 Color Touchscreen Scanner	$442	6.7	Details	Buy
Uniden BCD996P2 Digital Mobile TrunkTracker V Scanner	$398	6.5	Details	Buy
Uniden BCD436HP HomePatrol Series Digital Handheld Scanner	$535	6.4	Details	Buy
Uniden SDS100 True I/Q Digital Handheld Scanner	$649	5.8	Details	Buy
Uniden BC355N 300-Channel Base/Mobile Scanner	$90	5.3	Details	Buy
BAOFENG UV-5G PRO GMRS Handheld Radio	$25	3.4	Details	Buy

Core Power Plays

The specs and strengths that make it shine.

Discussion on compatibility with various frequency bands

“Most public services (Police, Fire, EMS, works, etc) have moved to a P25 digital modulation format and are on a trunking system in 700 or 800 MHz.”➕

“I feel like saying 'Most public services' is a little much, at least here in New England and New York, there are plenty of agencies on VHF and UHF, many of which are analog.”➕

Discussion on radio setups and comparisons with other brands

“The Baofeng are fine for me and have been a good intro.”➕

Discussion about radios with customizable frequency banks

“Kinda weird it's not a common feature in all radios with customizable frequencies.”➕

“I think the zone feature is probably pretty universal amongst DMR radios.”➕

“DMR radios can do this.”➕

Discussion on alternative handheld scanner options

“cheap is nice”➕

“They're programmable, have close call, and receive well.”➕

“Programmable came out a few years later.”➕

Discussion on various Baofeng models

“Any thoughts on the diff between a UV-9g and the BF GMRS-9R? Both claim water proof”➕

“That one seems good as well. Look at some reviews. For example, Notarubicon on YouTube is well known”➕

Discussion on starter radios and their performance

“They provide good support and the radios have been reliable and decent output of 4.5 watts.”➕

Community interest in programming and features

“The direct answer is NO. "most people" just use the antenna it comes with.”➕

Interest in programming features and ease of use

“The great thing about mine is it has an sd card with everything from radioreference, so you can just enter your zipcode and it's programmed for your area.”➕

Hidden Hero Hacks

Unexpected tricks and side‑door uses you’ll love.

Inquiry about CHIRP usage with different Baofeng models

“Have you tried using Baofeng 5RM on CHIRP for 5RHP?”➕

Discussion about using UV5R for GMRS frequencies

“do most people who want to use it as a GMSR radio just buy a 2M antenna and program in the GMRS frequencies?”➕

Discussion about using Baofeng for railroad frequencies

“I think he would get a kick out of listening to it.”➕

“Could a baofeng set to receive only pick up those?”➕

“Any old Radio Shack scanner will work even better than a Baofeng.”➕

“Probably not the interesting stuff.”➕

Discussion on using Baofeng radios for airsoft communications

“Last time the opposing team had a scanner and they got into our transmissions and were listening to what we were doing, which is of course quite undesirable.”➕

“If your team have ham licenses, go to a frequency they won't expect, like the neighborhood around 424 MHz.”➕

“What frequencies are you using?”➕

“Switch to Zello on your phones.”➕

Discussion on local HAM repeater use

“My area has a Sunday night check in where there is quite a bit of traffic.”➕

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

What to check before you click ‘Add to Cart.’

Community interest in learning about Baofeng radios

“I’m looking forward to learning as much as I can about Baofeng radios, and hopefully meeting some people that share the same interests.”➕

“Feel like Tobey maguire’s Spider-Man but just listening.”➕

Comparison with other handheld radios

“Would long battery life /audio quality/reliability/dual monitor channels with Bluetooth capability with a minimum of 1-200 memory space be a better option than going for $15 with subpar qualities?”➕

Discussion on Baofeng's value as a scanner

“who honestly cares how *other* people use *their* equipment?”➕

“They are also only $25....”➕

Discussion on settings to improve scanning

“Good luck and happy scanning!”➕

Inquiries about better scanners and recommendations

“Which scanners would you recommend?”➕

“What are some of the major difference between a $150 used scanner and the Bearcat you’ve linked?”➕

Cautionary Callouts

Know the pitfalls before they catch you off guard.

Debate on the quality of Baofeng radios

“I read that the Baofeng UV-5R is the best amateur radio, but the Amazon listing shows a pretty narrow scope of frequencies.”➕

“I can assure you that this is untrue.”➕

“The Baofeng is considered "the best amateur radio" ONLY because of its price.”➕

“If you just want to listen to specific services and to know what you're listening to, a scanner radio is the way to go.”➕

Discussion on the quality and variants of Baofeng radios

“Would have been helpful to others to show a photo of what you received and where you bought it from.”➕

“The BF-F8HP PRO is really the only “new” Baofeng worth it IMO.”➕

Discussion on police frequency usage and technology changes

“I would recommend the Quansheng UVK5 for a very flexible customizable receiver if you want to see what you can receive in your area.”➕

“Pretty slick.”➕

“If it is high band VHF or UHF then you can hear it.”➕

“most police have moved to digital over over last 10 years.”➕

Discussion on rebranded models in the market

“The GM30/GM15 Pro costs more than a UV-5 series for good reason its a better radio with better features and build.”➕

“The Baofeng GM-15 PRO is the exact same radio as the Radioditty GM-30.”➕

Community interest in scanning technology and options

“First option, and one you've most likely heard about before, the Baofeng.”➕

“The nice thing about scanner apps is that you often have a channel that's run by someone in the area with an actual scanning receiver.”➕