That radio should be around $35 with the larger battery. And since they doubled the price, they also doubled the claimed output power. Real power is probably around 4-5 watts, not 8. Most handhelds are 5 watts, I've yet to see one of any brand that puts out 8 watts. Realistic range with the stock antenna will be around a mile or two, perhaps a little more under ideal line-of-sight conditions. I've seen sellers claiming anywhere from 5-12 watts out of Baofengs. They're decent radios for around $25 with the regular battery. I have 6 of them, along with numerous other brands of handhelds, and I've never found reason to dislike them for what they are, a cheap radio that works fairly well, and is essentially disposable. For a price comparison, a Yaesu FT-65R which is close in specs, but has an actual warranty and will outlast 3 or 4 Baofengs sells for around $90 right now.
Baofeng had to lock out all but ham frequencies for the transmitter because otherwise they would have been banned from selling them in the US. There are still some unlocked ones floating around, and supposedly you can unlock the new ones too, but I wouldn't count on it. Right now, if you transmit without a license on amateur frequencies, you may piss off some hams who will eventually track you down and report you to the FCC. If you transmit where the unlocked radio can other than the ham frequencies, you'll most likely be on public safety frequencies, and they WILL hunt you down eventually if you do it enough. The FCC has successfully gotten tens of thousands of dollars in fines out of people who transmit on public safety bands without authorization.
If the world is ending, sure you can transmit out of band, but who are you going to be talking to that you couldn't use ham frequencies anyway? Besides the legal issues, it's easier to take a 35-question multiple choice test and get a license, then you can practice your communications skills openly and legally. Then when the world does end, you have the skills to communicate and probably a bunch of people who are willing to communicate with you. Like anything else, gear without training or practice is going to be all but useless in a true emergency.
