Baofeng UV-5R-mini

[last updated: 2026-03-09]
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Baofeng UV-5R
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• UV-5R-mini is a less expensive (about $20 in 2026) version of the UV-5R.
  It is smaller, has a brighter, multi-color display screen,
  seems to be better-built, more professional,
  it charges via a USB-C connector,
  and programming via the keyboard is completely different than the UV-5R.
• It also comes with a long, flexible antenna.
• Online reports suggest its front-end filtering/selectivity are better than the UV-5R.

• Programming via keypad:
  • As usual for such foreign-manufactured electronic devices,
    the documentation is sometimes difficult to understand and seems to be incomplete in places,
    not to mention being printed in tiny font requiring a magnifying glass for old, tired eyes.
  • The radio comes with channels 1 - 21 pre-programmed.
  • When you change a channel's frequency, you must change both Tx and Rx frequencies.
    There does not seem to be an "offset" parameter like in the UV-5R.