Bao Feng AR-152 Handi-talkie

[pkveazey]

Bao Feng supposedly has a new 15 watt handi-talkie. The model number is AR-152. It ain't cheap either. If you just get the HT alone it's about $70. Hey, wait, Amazon has it in several forms and all of them say they are 10 watts. Somebody is lying. Is it 15 watts or is it 10 watts? Hmmmm.... I'm inclined to believe it's more like 10 watts. A 5 watt UV5R will get hot in your hand if you key down too long. The 8 watt UV5R will get hot even quicker. The prices are all over the place depending on the amount of accessories that come with it. I'm not going to get one. Things are bit too iffy and if it actually will do 15 watts, you're definitely going to burn your hand on a long key down. I'll have to admit that it looks really cool, but it's kind of like putting a tuxedo on a UV5R. If you see an ad for one, please do your homework before plunking down the big bucks.

[Jackalope]

    The ones that I?ve purchased have been 10 watt units.  They aren?t really new, I have a couple that I purchased last summer.  They are quite rugged, though not weatherproof.  They feel like they could be used as a hammer.  They do transmit better than the UV-5R. Their battery life is impressive, the radio can be left on for literally days in receive mode.

     So, the pros include more effective transmitter, long battery life, and overall ruggedness.

     The cons include, significant weight, lack of weatherproofing, and it?s a Baofeng.

      I?ve paid under $70.00 for mine.  They are programmable with Chirp.  I really prefer the UV-9R Pro, as it?s waterproof and dust proof, and it can be recharged directly with a USB-C.  Both radios have a place in my radio toolbox, the UV-5R, not so much.

[Sir John Honeybucket]

RF exposure concerns me.  10 to 15 Watts from the antenna in front of my facw, a few inches from my eyes.  Look up power, frequency vs safe distances , especially from eyes, on-line.   

[Deathstyle]

NcScout seems to approve of them.


He sells them at his brushbeater store as well as accessories and has custom pouches made for them.

 

[pkveazey]

Sir John Honeybucket: You are right on the money. I've done a bit of research on RF Exposure and Handi-talkies are usually the focus of RF Exposure. Basically, there is a consensus of the 7 inch, 7 watt rule. That is based on operating at 440 Mhz. I've got a bunch of 8 watters and generally stick to 2 meters where it is a bit more safe. I also try to not get long winded when transmitting. Then, of course there are a ton of Hams who are in love with the sound of their own voice, and they will probably be the first to burn out there braincells because they just can't bring themselves to limit the length of their transmissions.