The Best Handheld Ham Radios! (TOP 5)

Best handheld ham radios we reviewed in our video:
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In this video, we review the top 5 handheld ham radios and discuss all their key features and what things to consider before you pick the best one for you.

We have done an extensive review of the best handheld ham radios in the market.

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[ChatGPT]

Wow, slim pickings--nothing on Icom, Alinco, Wuoxun, Tytera, Anytone, Bridgecom, Kenwood, BTech, Radioddity plus Yaesu replaced the 3DR with the 5DR a long time ago!

[jonathancurrey]

Good luck finding a 2DR and a 3DR new. 5DR is suitable for FM and Fusion and easily available and when all is said and done it'd be around $600 for a radio and programming kit, which is good if you have the budget and a nearby Fusion repeater. Hands down the FT-65 is the best sub-$100 handheld and easily better than any baofeng - although the F8HP is a good alternative to the 65R if you can find one, and a UV-5R or the more recently updated and FCC compliant GT-5R are also now readily available if you are on a tighter budget.. The FT-65R would be number 1 on my list for a new HAM wanting an HT to work on local FM repeaters.

[richardmillican]

Without doubt, everybody should have a couple of UV 5R's

The most important thing that is never mentioned about these Baofengs, is they are "sacrificial". Losing one isn't the end of the world.

I have a pair of "old school" Kenwood TK 2180's with the numerical keypad. They're really no frills radios but the audio is definitely the most awesome of any HT's

[jimf]

I’m looking for a half decent, affordable radio that’s s fairly simple and charges through a usb. That last part is really important, since it would be an emergency radio, and you can’t charge a desk too from a battery

[cpblackout]

my vote goes to the Icom IC V86. TX with 7 watts of real power, 2250 mAh battery, desktop charger with battery life extension function (can be configured to only charge up to 80%) and 19 hours of operation (at 100%). Powerful speaker and Icom quality.

[seavista]

I have a Baofeng, but as soon as you put it as the best...I looked across my desk at my exact model as yours....and stopped listening. I mean come one...you have it listed twice?

[Michael-ewkj]

you said that the Baofeng uv-5r has a freq range of 65-108mhz. Is that correct?

[davidp]

To say that a Baofeng of any model Is better than a Yaesu ft65r is laughable. The ft65r can be bought for around $90 which is twice what the Baofengs sell for but you get a radio that is far superior. I’m not knocking the Baofeng (I own 3 of them) but you are way off the mark here

[eminusipi]

I bought the Yaesu65 to replace by old VX5R. Unfortunately the Diamond dual band antenna upgrade for the VX5R doesn't fit, Yaesu did a gender reassignment on their HT antenna sockets.

[othoapproto]

Yeah, I'm going to take advice from Alex Jones about HAM

[ivandubinsky]

As soon as you mentioned Baofeng radios in the best handheld category, I stopped watching this video. Are you an actual ham radio operator?