Why you should NOT buy the Baofeng AR 152 Tactical Radio

[@agmsmith4079]

It’s designed specifically to fit in PRC 152 radio pouches. You aren’t supposed to carry it with a belt clip.

[@jonmorris8036]

I thought it was supposed to be pared with a wide band PRIK E8 with the extra padding to keep I warm in cold climate.

[@tedmichas7709]

Mine came with a pouch

[@med2343]

There is no belt clip because it is meant to be carried on your chest rig, plate carrier or battle belt. Belt clips are most definitely not tacticool.

[@HamRadio2]

Who'd want this bulky thing on a chest rig? Maybe a battle belt, or maybe on your back in a molle rig

[@bradskis81]

I'd rather carry 4 mags in the real estate this piece of hot garbage would take up on a rig

[@EverydayAdmin]

@@HamRadio2 exactly I use it as base camp radio or in a Molle pouch on the side of my pack with an external hand mic and a CAATails antenna woven in the Molle. Great radio really for niche purposes but not for EDC.

[@nativetexan9776]

That antenna will put your eye out carrying it on your chest

[@spitz3389]

Check out any CCT or TACP loadout and you'll see the PRC-152 on the plate carrier, not on a belt or on the back.

[@Adamhazie]

you are unbelievably critical on something that is phenomenal at its price point.

[@HamRadio2]

Ok

[@DeplorableBitterClinger]

Not sure it's a worth it, but they are down to $70 now. It's also worth noting it's designed to be used in a pouch, not on a belt.

[@DMF716]

I'm ordering another one out of Homg Kong. Less than 2 weeks delivery. And at time writing only $56.00

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

"Mom, I want a Harris radio" "We have Harris radios at home" - Harris radio at home.

[@HK-qj4im]

Ok, I have more info on the AR 152. It is superior to the Uv8HP.. The sound quality of the speaker is far superior. The Abree antenna is also superior. The display is way better for my old eyes. The buttons are way better for big fingers. The battery is a big bonus. I really like mine. The small Baefeng feels like a toy.

[@DMF716]

100% accurate! That's why I bought it. And seeing over 9 watt output is a plus with a dummyload. The stock antenna attached I'm seeing 13.6 watt output! That's double of any baofeng that not 8 watts or higher.

[@wcrawford]

Military grade= made by lowest bidder.

[@indridcold8433]

My insignificant findings into a dry dummy load and on high power are: 146.000Mhz - 10.5 watts 147.900Mhz - 11.0 watts 222.000Mhz - 1.45 watts (after a conversion) 223.500Mhz - 1.10 watts (after a conversion) 432.100Mhz - 14.5 watts 446.000Mhz - 12.0 watts This was done on a khaki coloured AR-152 with the 1.25 meter conversion.

[@DMF716]

Well, I'm not going to bother with the 1.25 conversion

[@indridcold8433]

@@DMF716 With as low power as the radio puts out in that band, you must be relatively close to a repeater for it to be effective. The paintball teams love it for simplex, though.

[@VeteranOfSojuWars]

Funny story: the Harris PRC-152 this is copying only outputs 5 watts across all bands. Sure the 5-6w you saw is below what's advertised, but 5w is more than sufficient for the role the real 152 is employed in. As many have already stated, this is for those who want the baofengs capabilities in a package that looks close enough to an actual PRC-152 but is cheaper than the TRI clones and easier to obtain than the heavily restricted and very expensive ITAR prohibited item real Harris 152s are.

[@HamRadio2]

The Harris radios have much better receivers and front-end filtering than these radios. Transmit power isn't the only thing that makes your radio useable over longer distances.

[@Sophistry0001]

The reason I'm even looking at one of these is it's water resistance vs the normal UV-5R's lack of water resistance. How much is one of those PRC152 radios? I tried looking it up and I couldn't find any on sale immediately.

[@jki808]

@@Sophistry0001seems theres some missing information on your end. To answer your question bluntly, try $4,000. You can’t buy one however. It’s restricted due to its military encryption. You could try and fine one with its encryption removed however, there’s not much more functionality you’d get from that though than some higher end radio for like $500-$1000

[@Sophistry0001]

@@jki808 Good to know. Why can't we have encrypted radios? We have encrypted everything else on computers. You can send encrypted digital over analog with a phone app and a cord to plug into the radio, what's the big deal?

[@aesthetic8780]

​@@Sophistry0001it's illegal in America.

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

I do like My AR152 Radio I have used it in the field a ton and Most of that was During camping in a few different Forests and I was able to reach repeaters over 10 miles away with no issues and even repeaters 80 miles away with no issues just a small amount of static I think its a great Radio for the price if you get the Full kit with all the accessories and the holster case for it 19:00 @Ham Radio 2.0

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

If you tap the hash tag button it will change the low medium and high power without going into the menu on baofeng Radios @Ham Radio 2.0

[@ccovemaker]

I have one. It is mostly just a big FDE Baofeng. I think the biggest hit to its tacticoolness is the lat of waterproofing. I like the battery life and the kit I bought came with the antenna in the video and a big folder. I think the only thing I have issue with in this video is your quoted price. The AR152 is $69 (so you can probably get it cheaper) and my kit with every accessory available was still like $100.

[@METALfanUSMC]

Tactical radios live in a radio pouch not on a belt clip. The Harris this thing is ripping off lives in one and doesn't have a belt clip.

[@whiskeyactual.]

If this was proven to be submersible, shock proof, weather proof etc I can see this being applicable for actual field or tactical use. They didn't even do that so it seems tactical only applies to it's aesthetics. Then again there are plenty of UV5Rs in use in Ukraine that also have none of those features.

[@spinynorman887]

I am dubious about reviews from people who have decided before actually trying the product. Your attitude, comments, and even the way you threw the box after showing it tell me that you've already decided to dislike the radio before even turning it on. I am also skeptical when people make obvious mistakes that make me doubt their credibility or even their basic intelligence. You measured the antenna at "about 25 millimeters" while showing it on camera. The problem is this: One inch is 25.4 millimeters. That antenna is WAY longer than an inch! Basically the 25 CENTIMETER antenna is ten times longer than the measurement you gave, mainly because you don't even know that the grid you used to measure the antenna is in centimeters. These are basic things...layups that any competent high school grad should know. Therefore I am going to disregard this "review" (read "product assassination") and look elsewhere for someone who knows what they are talking about.

[@gregglavich3754]

The first editions of these had some issues, low transmit mic gain mainly. The newer version (the last few months) have good sounding audio, it’s a large relatively east to use and program once you learn how to keyboard program it, It has good loud receive audio and with the larger display and backlit keypad it’s easier to use for those with big mitts. Internally it’s mostly a clone of a UV5R late model as far as operation and functionality, almost identical menus and features. They come in wanna be commando Army Green, Tacticool Desert tan and Black for those of us that aren’t wannabe Mil-Sim larper closet commandos Testing on my IFR120B service monitor it’s within 100hz on being exactly on frequency on both UHF and VHF, the RX sensitivity is very good at -124 for 12 DB SINAD, TX power is actually about 8 watts on both UHF and VHF, TX deviation is just under maximum specs, 2.4 KHz on narrow band and 4.6 KHz on wide band. Actual testing on the air compared to my APX7000, 8000 and XTS5000 radios which are $400 to $4000 on the used market, the 152 has virtually the same range as the top tier PS rated radios! The 152 does suffer front end overload at Comms tower sites that the PS radios are more immune to so it’s not a great🎉 Comms tech radio for site/systems work. It build quality is pretty darn good for a $70 radio that covers VHF and UHF, no where near as rugged as a PS rated radio but it’s $70. Battery life is very good, it lasts for several days of average use, spare batteries are available in all 3 colors for $30 from Amazon. While it’s no public safety rated radio IMHO, it’s very well worth the $70 for what it does and what it is.

[@markj284]

That's a good break down. My opinion having a radio for coms is more important than having nothing. I'm new and trying to evaluate the best options. Thanks for sharing.

[@aesthetic8780]

Nope, it's not even close a UV-5R. Why everyone saying that? Because of the display? I hope this is just a joke guys...

[@shane35fowler]

Who's going to tell him the black is for the Blk-Ops Sog Ground Branch DevSoc Delta ODA RRC Ranger Oper8r.... at night

[@DMF716]

Could you post this on face books Baofeng for Beginners? I just posted my thoughts and what I found on mine, but all the haters wanted what you did to see. Maybe it will shut them up, seeing it isn't a splatter matter radio. Thanks

[@MrMt42304]

L3 Harris AN/PRC-152 replica. These and SINCGARS are commonly carried in a pack. Soldiers don't use belt clip devices. The PRC-152, as long as I have used it, has never had a belt clip. There is even a portable coder/programming device available for its competitors. Also a replica. (KDU/keypad display unit). It has a PTT function built in.

[@AngryMarine-il6ej]

Big difference. AN/PRC-152 is of course a hand-held. SINCGARS, which I operated for the Marines, was not necessarily a 'man-pack' we also used vehicle mounted models. Another difference is the original SINCGARS was fielded in 1988, the AN/PRC -152 in 2005. Tech is substantially different as is capability. SINCGARS also used a KYK device for loading crypto and the SOI ( frequencies, callsigns etc). The SINCGARS was capable of frequency hopping on its own. To integrate a 152 into a SINCGARS net, an encryption key has to be programmed into the device itself.

[@roberttarwacki978]

In order to see full output power, these radios must be supplied with 9vdc at the battery connector. The batteries do not provide full voltage. These radios are built with Airsoft enthusiast and military recreations in mind. That is why folks buy them at $100. There is no belt clip, as Abbree provides milspec web gear for them. They also provide foldover antennas other milspec replicas. A forward observer mic is also available. This is a crossover product. Not just for hams.

[@jdp1956]

Just got 2 from AliExpress for 39.00 dollars each with 2 data cables. Took 5 weeks to it delivered but I got it with no damages, very well wrapped and protected.

[@HamRadio2]

Great news. I'm thinking of picking up another one and making a follow up video

[@jdp1956]

@@HamRadio2 Excellent ! They have really dropped in price since they were introduced. 73 de WA4ONV.

[@indridcold8433]

I have made a primitive video showing how to add 1.25 meters to this transceiver. This was done on a salvaged camera that I found and bought a few things for it.

[@thestonerguy5276]

Given the color, I'm kinda surprised it didn't come with a small package of green plastic army men 😁

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

The new version of this radio it is IP57 Rated @Ham Radio 2.0

[@DirtRoadReset]

The radio you have there isnt the version that is gaining popularity and more widely sold. Yours is junk. The better version is the TCA AN/PRC-152A.

[@Jana.Milcham]

It's on Amazon today for $70, no USB charger. The lack of a plug over the charging port means it definitely is not weatherproof (except on sunny days in the Spring and Fall). I've heard the stock antenna for this one is better suited on the -5R, though any antenna other than what it came with would be. Still too expensive for LARPing and cosplay (which applies depends on how old you are).

[@jonathanstein6056]

I believe “some people” call it boof-wang.

[@crominion6045]

You get twice as many fars by pronouncing it that way. Fact.

[@TUBEORATER]

I bought both the bf-f8hp and the ar-152 which are allegedly the same guts...NOT! Side by side scanning, the ar is superior even when switching antennas. You must have gotten a bad one. AR is certainly more powerful than the bf-8hp They are very different units.

[@mrmetal60]

My AR152 Is Awesome !!! I would buy again !!!

[@billwatcher9321]

Wow. What a clueless review. You should really study and learn about all of the features of this radio before attempting to do a review. You obviously have done no research and therefor don't have a clue what your talking about. It's NOT "a tactical radio because it's green". If you had done ANY research, you would know why it has the "tactical" in it's title.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

What the IP rating? IP-Freely.

[@johnmarsh6337]

It's way better than a damn uv5r. And why are you paying 120. I got one for 60 bucks.

[@HamRadio2]

Look at the date of the video and try again

[@whiteranger6655]

I have this in black.use it for Fire/LEO work. This radio is a BEAST. Loud audio, very well lit screen and keys and long battery life. the only issue I have is the long antenna and I substituted it with a 450 mhz stubby(I dont use the VHF side of this radio) and it does well as well. The kenwood lapel mic fits and functions. There are several material carrying cases for this radio as well ranging from a pouch and strap to an adjustable holster type case. I like it but it is big in the hand. Past that looking forward to getting spare battery on those long weekend shifts.

[@ironmatic1]

lol what

[@whiteranger6655]

@@ironmatic1 the radio works for me. Im not a hamster so ham bands would be a waste of chip space to me.

[@P25AES]

What agency allows you to use this junk on their systems?

[@whiteranger6655]

@@P25AES not tellin you

[@ironmatic1]

@@P25AES This guy is obviously a whacker volunteer. Whoever holds the license for the frequencies he's using is technically liable for FCC civil forfeiture from him using non-type approved equipment on their station.

[@williammorris3815]

Obviously this critique from the get go was a biased critique. Enough said…

[@daviduhl7444]

FYI - you can check the battery level on a Baofeng radio by holding down the zero (0) button.

[@daveN2MXX]

This is clearly designed for LARP folks to pretend like they are using a military radio. Thanks for the video, but the "is it worth it" discussion completely missed the point of this radio.

[@raymondmoore2707]

I totally agree

[@EverydayAdmin]

For the most part probably but the battery performance is amazing at at 8watts it’s more than enough for a go box for SHTF, base camp, etc.

[@asystole_]

@@EverydayAdmin I'd still argue a low-tier Japanese radio with a couple of spare batteries is a way better (and less bulky) option.

[@sidanx7887]

Yeah it looks like the L3 AN/PRC-152A kinda - tacticool maybe - LARP yeah I think you got it there

[@KalashmanNC]

Came to post exactly this. This is not for the old dudes wanting performance. This is for younger LARP guys who want something that resembles a PRC152.

[@anthonyshepard9606]

11-19-2023, 11:39PM, PST : I received my from Amazon for $69.00 I use it as a scanner to monitor the Los Angeles County Fair Department. Outstanding piece of equipment for using it for this purpose. I am so digging the long battery life. I also purchased a KENMAX 400-470MHz UHF Flexible Spring Walkie Antenna. It's much shorter and works much better than the stock antenna that you receive what this unit. I'm using it for receive only. 🐢 👍 🐢 😀

[@Devin_Milford]

UV5R with extended antenna and 3 batteries - $100-110 AR152 - $86 today online I'm not seeing the problem with the cost. If it has any water resistance or increased ruggedness then it comes out ahead for the price.

[@HamRadio2]

At the time of this recording, the radio was $120. I was actually more disappointed with the low power output. Also I'm not sure how much faith I'd put in it being "water resistant"

[@threadripper979]

False Baofeng advertising? Say it ain't so! LOL

[@toddinfl]

Belt clips are for boomers only, lmao.

[@HamRadio2]

ok great.

[@TonyLing]

10:20 Dude to be fair, military radios don't have belt clips. They use pouches which attach to webbing

[@mohawkdriver4155]

I bought one. Don't see the issues.

[@HamRadio2]

Good

[@sentineloffreedomforever1381]

Mine registered 9.8 watts on high setting Maybe you didn't do it right Oh you got a bad radio Mine also came with a 4 foot collapsible antenna And it transmits a good 10 miles easily Also mine for that price came with two radios not one And it also had battery pouches specific to that radio with Molly attachments on the back

[@HamRadio2]

No it's just poor quality control from 'feng

[@BiggBells]

You gonna mount that big thing on a belt? That's dumb. It's not its intention

[@HamRadio2]

What's really dumb is having this oversized radio that costs more money but doesn't do anything different than a $30 UV5R.

[@BiggBells]

@HamRadio2 yeah man I agree 100%. Baofengs are beginner budget style radios but man the uv5r is so capable with better antenna and extended battery. It's great and you can get base radios for 25bucks now haha This product is insanely over priced for sure!

[@undertuga]

you lost my attention and your credibility while measuring on a cm ruler, thinking its millimeters....

[@HamRadio2]

ok

[@fredorrell1273]

I don’t own this one, but have a small collection of other Baofengs. My take on this model is like yours Jason. This model is just for show. If they wanted to make this one more suitable for the game players, they should have upgraded the speaker/mike connector. I own a couple of the Btech triband HTs. So far this is the best of all the Baofeng variants when you add the Nagoya triband antenna and the 3800mah battery. WB5NOE

[@tomperone9338]

I agree with you. The 5X3 is definitely the best of the UV-5R variants. I likewise went with with the Nagoya NA-320A tri-bander.

[@hectore.sanchez3839]

Just another note on the Baofeng AR-152, if you program the radio using the factory software you can open up the 1.25m band.

[@HamRadio2]

I may have to try that

[@roberttarwacki978]

Good info.

[@Blasserman]

I'd like to see that on a spectrum analyzer. I'd bet it transmits on 220 and 440Mhz at the same time!

[@patriot9455]

The extended length battery for the UV5R makes it easier to hold for my big hands, it is a 3800Milliamp battery. I use it for my triband radio.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for saving me $120 USD, Jason. It seems this falls into the tacticool camp.

[@HamRadio2]

Thanks for stopping by the channel!

[@obvious6927]

You clearly dont understand why the made this radio and for wich public it's suposed to be adressed

[@HamRadio2]

Once again, this time in English, please

[@hamelmer4827]

Im going to buy one, because I like bigger radios. The fact it doesn't contain a belt clip sucks, but wont stop me from buying it. Baofeng knocked this one out of the park. I love it!

[@mrbyamile6973]

Knocked it out of the park? Perhaps a foul ball that flew backwards over the batters box and into the street then run over by a garbage truck. Can bet bigger battery for UV5R for fraction of the price that will make the radio bigger. I'm quite certain this radio has no water IP rating.

[@bradskis81]

I really hope you're joking 🤣

[@hamelmer4827]

@@bradskis81 i like big radios, and no joke, i like this one.😀

[@whiteranger6655]

Ill have to look up the actual brand of holster for this radio, but it is nylon ADJUSTABLE and has a very solid hasp clip. Attaches to the belt vertically or horizontally and if you do need to get to the radio, there is a thumb break in the front of the holster after you disconnect the clip. I like this radio too. So far it has worked in areas my UV 82 wont.

[@75thranger]

It's a us military comms radio it's supposed to go on a plate carrier or a chest rig

[@____________________________.x]

It's $90 on Amaz including a belt loop case + 18" antenna, that sounds fine to me

[@HamRadio2]

Is the prices come down since I recorded this video. You can actually get them cheaper than $90 on other sites

[@____________________________.x]

@@HamRadio2 yep, I think your opinion is valid, a few other people have wondered what this thing is for

[@noahgraeme9364]

You don't need a belt clip, it's meant to go in a radio pouch on your kit, genius.

[@TheEnderman67]

If anybody actually wants a good replica for a Falcon III they need to look at TRI or TCA PRC-152s. They interface with most Falcon accessories and have far better displays and power outputs. I'd love to see you review one of those and compare it to this one, Jason!

[@davidbrass2562]

TCA's are far better than the TRI brand.

[@indridcold8433]

What are the output powers on the various bands, please? What are the bands covered, please?

[@RobertHallIV]

Glad I happened upon this video and especially your post. I purchased the TRI AN/PRC-152a and I have a genuine Harris KDU and cable, and apparently they're not compatible. Any clue about this setup? People complain that the TRI KDU is plastic-y feeling, and their complaints have no merit, because the original Harris KDU is plastic as well. I have the quad band version.

[@aldonalexander7178]

Ah which one is better tri or tca?

[@gregglavich3754]

@@aldonalexander7178 Apples and oranges, I own one of each, current late 2023 release radios. They’re both built well, heavy aluminum housings, however the TRI On/off/volume control feels a little flimsy to me. Neither came with a manual and they’re hard to find accurate manuals on the net. The TRA has better RX audio but weak transmit audio, the TRI the opposite! Tinny RX audio, and great TX audio, go figure! The TRI concentric switch has three positions, companded audio, standard audio and scrambled RX TX audio. This is not documented anywhere! I was about to send the POS back until I found out I had it in the companded mode which makes the RX audio even more tinny and distorted. The companding feature in the menu doesn’t work at all. The Vol and concentric control on the TRI feel cheap and kinda sloppy to me, the TRA controls feel tighter and more robust. The TRI can’t be programmed by a PC, the TRA can, you’ll need the software and the side connector programming cable. They’re different from each other and there is definitely a learning curve figuring out the keypad programming without a manual, and I’ve found the ones on line are about 75 percent accurate. The main issues as far as programming goes are, the TRI has 128 channels, AKA and has a Baofeng’ish menu structure. No channel groups or zones within those 128 channels, The TRA has 8 groups of 16 channels each, the biggest PITA with the TRA is when using PL/CTCSS it’s either full RX/TX PL or csq, you cannot separate for TX only PL or cross coded PL tones for RX and TX when keypad programming, however PC programming allows separate RX TX PL codes and TX only PL programming, very frustrating as if you need a TX only or cross coded PL channel you’re stuck with PC programming! The Menus are significantly different between the two radios, the TRI is very similar to a Baofeng, the TCA nothing like Baofeng Like many Chinese radios the firmware is a little buggy and twitchy, and a few menu items either work strangely or not at all. For direct radio to radio or a single full PL repeater both are fine, the keypad programming PL limitation of the TRA is frustrating! Proof that the engineers that wrote the firmware aren’t very radio savvy, hopefully that will change. The other issue I’ve noticed with the TRI is it can be configured to use either the top control for volume or the top side buttons, the top control make sense to me BUT for some reason that causes some receive audio distortion at lower volume levels, using the side controls for volume the distortion is gone, another design problem! It’s not very bad and not everyone would hear it I’m guessing. One more thing, the TCA has a longer squelch burst at the end of a transmission than the TRI, it’s not objectionable. I understand the TCA is an SDR type receiver, the TRI more of a “standard” superhet receiver, both are very sensitive, about -122 on my COM-120C service monitor, transmitter power is about 7 watts output with a charged battery, battery life is great, about 24 hours of mostly receiving and some transmitting. Overall I like both radios but I do wish they’d do a better job of getting the firmware and features right the first time!

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

The AR Stands For Assault Radio @Ham Radio 2.0

[@HamRadio2]

Lol, right

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

@@HamRadio2 I'm just Stating What they Call It Lol

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

@@HamRadio2 radios like this Used To be Used Like a Billy Club or a Old Metal Maglite that took 6 D Cell Batteries

[@HamRadio2]

@@AntonioClaudioMichael oh I am sure its been called that. AR-15 rifles are called that too, but it actually means "Armalite Rifle"

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

​@@HamRadio2I know Armalite Rifle it's the First Developer To have ever Made The Ar-15 interesting Conversation Change From Assault Radio TO Billy clubs and mag lights to Weapeons Aren't we missing knives Bro 😂

[@EverydayAdmin]

I actually just bought one for a review as well for SHTF, Survival, etc. I actually like it for the battery mainly. I can't wait to see your thoughts I will hold off watching yours until my review is done and see how we compare :) Love your channel and you inspire me every day!!!!!!

[@matthewrowley9679]

Worth it?

[@Rylisa24]

Is it worth it?

[@slashsplat]

Input voltage is NOT necessarily the voltage of the battery, just what the charging circuit input uses.

[@rogerpeterson7581]

I bought one through Ebay. It came with every accessory including the molle pouch which btw is fairly well made. What makes the radio a hit for me is the sound quality and the fact that it is LOUD! A great feature with hearing loss. I also like the large keybad and screen. As far as belt clips go, I've broken almost every belt clip on my other 4 baofeng radios, so for me the pouch is far superior. One last comment. The current version is 15 watts. I don't know what the real output would be, but it will be much better than the older 10 watt version.

[@agoraphobicadam1171]

It's seems like a repackaged Baofeng UV-82.

[@williamclark9743]

AR does stand for amateur radio (just looked it up) and the military “nomenclature” (as we call it) is the AN/PRC - (input model number). AN/PRC (Army and Navy Portable Radio Communications if I remember correctly)). I used to repair these when I was active duty Marine Corps. Medically retired 2862 (Communications Maintenance Chief) here.

[@TTTrod]

So im not the only 28xx that watches this kinda shit.

[@jeff7160]

I carried a PRC-77 on my back, AM for line of site for close air support and a microwave in my Mark-151! The nomenclatures are bringing back memories.

[@sanction7627]

@@jeff7160 I carried a 77 and a KY-38 device for secure coms....79-82.

[@GenXPertChannel]

Meh, they're $62 and personally, I don't like tiny radios- it sounds good, works well, and pretty much disposable. Why you shouldn't buy it? No idea... the only problem with all these cheap radios that work relatively well is all the morons w/o licenses who are doing loads of stupid shit with them.

[@HamRadio2]

I never recommend buying something that has false advertising and is overpriced. Look at the date on this video and you will see it is a few years old, so while they might be $62 now, they weren't at the time of this recording.

[@GenXPertChannel]

@@HamRadio2 Good point- and point taken. False advertising- good point... but all these cheap radios are marketed in sketchy ways and we get to wade through the BS. I appreciate you doing the vids to help people do just that.

[@HamRadio2]

@@GenXPertChannelYes that is one of the focus points of my channel. Thanks for watching and for your comments.

[@PowerAverage]

I think it is just for airsoft larpers

[@barneymccord4759]

Need a sling for that thing..

[@tedmichas7709]

Might add it into a solar panel

[@longrider42]

Okay, as a user of HT's, I even have 2 Baofeng HT's and two TYT HT's. Here is something I have learned. When testing SWR and Power. Set the frequency to 1466.000. Since that is dead center in the middle of the 2 meter band. Remember folks, the higher the SWR the lower the power will be. Oh and you will only get the full power on one frequency.

[@mattthomas7882]

The radio should still be putting out near 10 watts. For the radiated power to be as low as 5 and 6 watts the SWR would need to be in the ballpark of 5:1.

[@j.kevinhunt147]

It's "tactical" because it's VERY durable. Mine has been dropped on concrete from 10 feet, and pummeled with rain, while bicycling. It isn't IP-rated, but it IS quite robust and resilient, as my experience demonstrates. The battery lasts a very long time. It's easy enough to test whether it is really 1.2 ah. You won't find another HT with ~ 8W high TX power this robust for the price, which is now ~ $70. Sure, it capitalizes on the "tactical" marketing craze, but frankly it IS a great radio for tactical operations such as SAR, Skywarn, etc. It does not scan very fast. Amazon and other secondary markets always exaggerate the output power. Actual low power on these is ~1.6W on low; ~ 5.5W on medium; ~ 7.5-8W on high. If one is going to do a purportedly critical review of a dual band HT and is suspicious of the claimed power output, with all due respect, an MFJ wattmeter is not a credible measurement device for that purpose. A belt clip would be useless on a radio of this size and weight! There are green, black, and camel colored Molle and belt attachable lightweight cases. I have mine strapped into the side of my tactical backpack. I must respectfully dissent from your opinion. Go ahead and rely on a UV-5R as your primary operational HT if you like. That's rather like jumping from an aircraft with a parachute made out of a space blanket.

[@MuertoChango]

was $80, and is a great radio (on amazon)

[@HamRadio2]

Look at the date this video was posted

[@daniebiermann5361]

The 8.4V on the wall plug shows that the lithium ion charging chip is in the wall adapter so it is actually not a power supply but a charger. I find those USB chargers taking the 5V to 8V quite useless as it will fry the usb port at some stage. Greetings from Uganda and thanks for you informative videos.

[@daveharrod]

The antenna is 25,cm not 22mm like you stated lol, 25mm is one inch

[@prestonhagman2027]

It is big but the battery life is amazing. Monitored 2 repeaters and one MURS Channel for 96 hours continuous. Need to work o. A test plane for transmit and monitor. From my point of view this is a good radio. I did change the antenna and seems to work better.

[@PreparedAegean]

The radio is meant to resemble a Harris PRC-152 radio, hence the Baofeng name AR-152. Everyone can now look like a high speed instagram operator with their cool Harris looking radio.

[@unixbehr]

I got mine for 65$ and with the battery life its a good radio I have the blackand tan and green

[@chrissewell1608]

It really looks like a 1950's chinese military radio. As seen in an old Godzilla movie. I mean wtf?

[@brendanmatelan2129]

Even though you don't recommend the radio, would you recommend the antenna? I've been considering that type of antenna for my UV-5R cause it looks sturdier than say the Nagoya Whip antenna and longer than the stock Baofeng plastic antennas. Also, do you know if the AR-152 antenna is compatible with the UV-5R?

[@HamRadio2]

Sure, the antenna is fine

[@jeffreypetchharrison4363]

baoping ping ping ping .... moo moo i smell bull shizen.... 10 watts even more bull shizen.... jeffrey

[@BBaldwin]

What every fair weather ham needs for “comms” in his “bug out bag” when LARPing in the woods..🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@rick0596]

Are you kidding me? This is well worth 120 bucks. These guys will pay it because when they put there camo on and a bullet proof vest with (dont forget) the tacti-cool vest. They can run around in the woods yelling PEW PEW PEW with that radio. They will be the most tacti-cool people you never did see

[@Chrisfortier1]

I would love to see a video on this particular radio.TCA PRC 152A. These are clones of Harris falcon iii.

[@chuck6753]

Do you think prc-152 is reliable and worth to buy it?Thanks

[@Nick-hm9rh]

The TCA is just a big baofeng. If you go out anf buy one of the overpriced fakes buy s TRI

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Please wear this at Hamvention!

[@rmccombs66]

I know this is an old video. That would be 26 centimeters. If it was 26 millimeters, it would be only about an inch.

[@Subgunman]

Too bad W&W associates probably no longer carry’s belt clips and mounting pad with a high power adhesive. These were great for some of the earlier radios that had zero provisions for a belt clip. Might try charging the battery for a day and redo the power output test. I have found Amazon's pricing to be about 15%+ higher than direct sales from other sources.

[@rohnkd4hct260]

It's just made to look cool.

[@idonotanswerquestions5110]

It now sells for $60 on eBay and Amazon. It’s cool looking and okay to monitor local analog fire freqs but that’s about it ..

[@GregEmbury]

A 30 dollar Baofeng in a different dress. Way, way overpriced for typical Baofeng performance. Very appealing to the wannabe commando crowd.

[@holydaman6952]

for the price i would say GD77 .. at least then you would be able to do DMR

[@TheNotaRubicon]

You had me at Roger Beep.

[@HamRadio2]

Lol

[@FrankAllbright]

Mine came with a nice tactical carrying belt holster as well as an additional 18.89" ABBREE antenna.

[@MuertoChango]

again its $80 with all the crap....

[@HamRadio2]

Again, no it wasn't at the time this video was posted

[@chuckleskie]

Some sources advertise it as some sort of survival SHTF radio. Frankly, for that purpose, I don't think it would hold a candle to my IP54 rated FT-65 with the accessory hi cap battery. for a little more money.

[@HamRadio2]

Agreed

[@patriot9455]

I would be inclined to keep my UV5R, with the belt clip and hand held antenna in my pocket. It is slimmer than a pack of cigarettes, at least as far as I remember, not being a smoker. The green one seems more of a gimmick than an improvement.

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

There are bigger Kits with this Radio now for 129 that you do get a Holster for it and I belive a belt clip as well @Ham Radio 2.0

[@HamRadio2]

Nice

[@Yugo-CA]

cut the rubber off the antenna and see if its even a full coil. Doubt it. 4 watts less than advertised is a YUGE deal. Baofeng=FAIL

[@ColeDedhand]

I don't need any explanation why I shouldn't buy this. Just the giant plastic-army-man look is enough to keep me away.

[@stepbruv8780]

Instructions not clear,buy ‘‘em anyway-Russian military-,probably

[@nativetexan9776]

They needed these in Ukraine

[@crewsgiles9499]

I’m drinking a tactical can of Dos Equis beer while watching this.

[@HamRadio2]

LOL

[@jesuspompa1473]

Theft by customer service. I’m gonna use it all over my channel and get views then send it back.

[@Medarr1]

Those are not milimeters (mm) but centimeters (cm) 10 mm = 1 cm. So its 26.5 CM long

[@kelixfernandez2547]

I get one a few weeks ago, more tacticool than functional, needs to buy a new antenna, its more for the use of airsoft than ham, but its good to get a molle pouch mount it on your tactical backback and use it for aprs

[@EverydayAdmin]

The antenna is actually good especially on UHF

[@Screamingtut]

the radio is made to go into a radio pouch like a Tactical radio.

[@PANOPTIC-VIDS]

I just received mine today 3/25/2023 from Amazon for $75 I got two. It's charging overnight then I will review and test it to see how it performs ✌️

[@TonyLing]

Within Chinese culture, they love brand names, and they are not bothered if their car is not a real Rolls Royce, of whether their radio is a real Harris.