Baofeng UV-S9X3 5 Watt Tri-Band Radio : VHF, 1.25M, UHF, with 2200mAh Large Battery,Includes Dual Band Antenna, 220 Antenna, Earpiece, and More Amateur (Ham) Two-Way Radio… (Black)

This radio is 1/2 inch taller than the UV5R (see photo). That half inch makes a huge difference in how comfortable the radio is in the hand for me. Also, the buttons are slightly bigger and brighter, making them easier to read. TX and RX audio are excellent. The PTT feels better than on the UV-5R. The included antennas work well and present a good match to the radio. Yes, it's a bit of a pain having to change antennas when working 220 but I haven't found a good tri-band antenna that has a good match on all 3 bands. I'm still looking. The radio operates exactly like the UV-5R or any other Baofeng so if you are familiar with the interface, there will be no learning curve.The main improvements in this model are the 2200 mAh battery, which can be charged by the jack on the battery via the included USB cable. This makes travel more convenient as you don't need to carry the desk charger with you. You can also charge one battery while operating the radio with another. The redesigned battery is more secure but a tiny bit more of a pain to remove. You need a fingernail to press the release button, which is at the bottom of the radio. It has a larger mic hole for better audio and the buttons are spread out a little more making it more comfortable.In the package, I received the radio, 2200 mAh battery, manual, USB charging cable, desk charger with wall wort, 2m/440 antenna, 220 antenna and an earpiece. No programming cable is included however. If you already have a Baofeng, that should not be a problem. When using Chirp, use the Radioddity UV-5RX3 profile.I tested the radio on the bench into a dummy load and it puts out 5.5W on 2m, 4.5W on 1.25cm, 4W on 70cm and 3.8W on GMRS frequencies.On low power, it puts out 3.5W on 2m, 2.3W on 1.25cm, 1.5W on 70cm and 1.2W on GMRS frequencies. 1W on low power would have been preferred but I've found this on all the Baofeng radios I've tested.On the negative side, the radio is not backward compatible with the UV5R cradle (it won't fit). However, you CAN charge a UV-5R in the new redesigned cradle. Also, some antennas may not fit as the LED bezel is larger and limits the diameter of the antenna base. I found this with some of the Luitron antennas.Overall, I really like the radio. The only negative for me is the 3.5W output on low power. That wastes the battery. As far as the loose antenna ring, I haven't experienced that yet but tiny amount of blue Loctite would surely fix that. If this was a $200+ radio, I'd give it 4 stars but for $34 shipped, it's a fantastic bargain!

I have used this radio on and off for awhile. I think the receive is adequate for most situations. The drop in charger works great. I like the audio that comes out of the speaker, even in noisy environments it is pretty decent. I wound up giving to my best friend who recently got his ham ticket. I would definitely buy again for this price

The price was great for this, definitely worth picking up a second handheld. I already have one of the upgraded UV-5R TYPE Radios and wanted to try something a little different. This one is a little taller, only half an inch or so, but it just feels better in my hand somehow. The battery also has a port to plug an included USB cable into in order to charge with a power pack, computer, or phone charger. It does everything my other radio does, plus has 220 band available, and even includes an extra antenna for that band. It receives about the same as my other and transmits just as good even though it's only 5 watts and my other is supposedly 8.... Just goes to show, that extra 3 watts is hardly worth splitting hairs over, don't let that be a deciding factor because it truly makes no difference in my experience. The menu is exactly the same as my other, making it very simple to use. Also uses the same programming cable so I didn't need to buy a second one, and works great on CHIRP. I ditched the antenna first thing and use a Nagoya whip, I'd suggest doing the same for anyone buying any of these Baofeng or Baofeng dirivitives. All in all, a great buy, and to answer the #1 question on most people's minds..... Drumroll please........ Yes, you can TX on those frequencies too, though it seems someone figured out how to unlock the others anyways. Highly recommend, I've really enjoyed both my radios quite a bit so far.

This is really no more then the UV5r, but to even get it talk about you have to use the beofeng specific program which would may be work. the overall quality of the radio is just extremely low quality. I can see backlight thru the housing. I understand "what you expect for $30" well a working radio that is not this....I will be returning it because I can not get the frequencies to load.

When I unboxed this radio it didn't look like anything special. First impression was that it was a "boutique" Baofeng and would likely perform as such.Tossing the two rubber duck antennas aside, I attached a Nagoya 320a antenna and gave it a go.Wow! I live in a neighborhood with houses and big trees all around me yet I was able to QSO with other hams quite clearly through a repeater more than 9 miles from my home!Battery life is good, too, and the construction seems quite rugged. Sound quality is very good as well.I'll likely purchase another one as I am now quite impressed with this little radio. It is a terrific value for the money.Highly recommended.

I was prepared for the possibility that this would be a disappointing purchase, but that was not the case! I wanted an inexpensive rig to try 220, so I got this. It is actually a pretty nice unit. One surprise; it came with a USB charging cable; not the programming cable, so I bought this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RZ4RCVZ. It came with a little software disc that contained the correct program for this unit. I highly recommend it, rather than trying to program it using CHIRP. This tri-band HT works well and surprisingly, was not hard to program. I would say that the receive audio quality is not quite as good as the TYT UV-88 that I recently purchased, but it is completely adequate as long as you're not using it in a noisy place. For the price, it's great!

I can hit a 220 repeater about 15 miles away with no problem with 5watts full quieting. Good little radio.