Baofeng Bf F8hp Two Way 136 174mhz 400 520mhz (BF-F8HP) 211

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The F.A.Q. for Baofeng Bf F8hp Two Way 136 174mhz 400 520mhz (BF-F8HP)

With a few upgrades this can be a great radio. The first thing i upgraded was the antenna to a nagoya whip and on 8 watts i'm very impressed with the range. I'm hitting plenty of repeaters but the only complaint has been that my audio is coming in low. It turns out that a lot of people complain about the same issue with these radios so i ordered an external mic (model qhm22) and the audio quality (both transmit and receive) is excellent now. Battery life is decent but upgrading to a 3800 mah is so much better (not only with battery life but it makes the radio taller improving the grip). I also highly recommend buying a roll-up jpole antenna (for emergencies out in the field or if you are stationary and want good performance). I own the dr. Fong roll-up dbj-2 antenna and i can hit repeaters out to 30 miles (i live in an area with relatively high elevation compared to the rest of the county so that helps too). Programming using the chirp software and data cable is easy. Overall i like this radio a lot especially for the price but had to knock off a star for the low transmit volume (easily remedied by using an external mic).

A number of questions have been asked here.

Q&A

(0) Question: Which frequencies will i be required to become licensed for? how do i know which repeaters i might use and their associated membership fees? thank you

(1) Question: I am trying to receive frequencies in the 800mhz range but it will not allow me to enter.

(2) Question: What kind of range can i expect

(3) Question: I can only hit two where i live. is the extra 3 watts going to gain any range?

(4) Question: We are beginning preppers. does this send & receive and does it give you the long distance coverage(europe or asia) that a base unit provides?

(5) Question: I just got the bf-f8hp and i installed the nagoya na-771 from my uv-5r. the 8hp does not like this antenna. why? only receiving 1/2 transmissions.

(6) Question: Please explain the difference between an am/fm shortwave world band receiver vs bao-feng multi band transceiver

(7) Question: Can i run my new bf-f8hp with the tram 1185 antenna from a mobile installation without problems. what numbered connector is needed to make this happen

(8) Question: What is a much better "rubber duck" antenna for this radio. portable that is.

(9) Question: Do you need to make modifications to make the extended battery pack fit the unit?

(note) Question: where/how to get Baofeng (manufacturer's brand) accessories & similiar Baofeng's products

CB & Two-Way Radios 456271, Electronics 282271, Portable Audio & Video 326271, Two-Way Radios 223219Top Baofeng Bf F8hp Two Way 136 174mhz 400 520mhz (BF-F8HP) FAQ Content

Best baofeng bf f8hp two way 136 174mhz 400 520mhz (bf-f8hp) in review

Purchased this radio as an affordable means to keeping in contact with fellow search and rescue members. The radio is powerful enough to provide clear simplex communication in challenging environments. Since i expect to be in very challenging terrain i wanted a radio that if broken wouldn't break the bank to replace. Unit came with ear speaker/mic, 2100mah battery, antenna, and charging dock w/cord. . I purchased the remote two way speaker and an additional 3800mah battery to help with longer days without access to power. Further upgrades i'm providing is an na-771 antenna, pc03 ftdi programming cable, and 12volt charging cord. . Things that make this a four star review, no included programming cord and the unit itself can take a light rain but don't expect it to be dust proof or water resistant. A couple other programming quirks make this radio not as intuitive as it should be. Overall a decent radio at an affordable price.

O. April, Knowsley

G. Mable, New York says

The first baofeng bf-f8hp i recieved had a problem with the sound on it. I could only hear if i had the microphone plugged in. I returned it and ordered another one. The replacement is very nice. I have 4 other baofengs to compare this one too. The uv5r plus has the best sound with the least amount of back ground hiss when listening to people talk. The bf-f8hp has the best signal going out of the radio. I live out in the desert and its realitvley flat out here. We took all of our radios out and i drove down this long straight road. All the radios with the stock antennas became scratchy at about two miles but could still undertand what was being said. At 3 miles i could hear only one uv5r plus and the bf-f8hp. We switched antennas to aftermarket antennas and at 4 miles i could only recieve and transmit on the bf-f8hp to another uv5r plus. At 5 miles i could not hear them but they could hear me on the bf-f8hp but i was scratchy and not every word was readable. At this point we pulled out our roll up slim jim jpoles and connected them to a tree about 6 feet up and we were both recieving strong signals. I drove up the road and stopoed at 8 miles and we could still hear each other. The could hear me better than i could hear them. Drove up another mile and same thing. Drove up the road till i hit 10 miles and we bith could still hear each other. They could hear me better than i could hear them. Drove to the 12 mile mark and tried again. We could both still hear each other but they were very hard to understand but i came across mostly clear with a little hiss. So the extra watts on this radio does help getting your signal out. My buddies were impressed with the bf-f8hp. We were in simplex mode. Haven't used it on a repeater yet but the extra watts couldn't hurt having.

T. Patton, Corse

You can't go wrong at this price. I now own 6 of these radios that we use when we go on a cruise, hiking, camping etc. They have fallen out of atvs, dropped and stepped on yet still work great. We tried frs radios but they didn't come close to the range that we get with these. Frs radios use the uhf 400mhz band. 400mhz does not work well in the woods, especially with pine trees. We use vhf 2 meter frequencies for the best coverage in the woods and uhf 400mhz on the ship and in town. We do have the frs frequencies programed in the radios that we monitor/scan for emergencies. It is against the law to transmit on frs/gmrs frequencies with this radio unless there is a true emergency. Nor can you transmit on any frequncy that you are not licensed for. This is not a scanner so the scan is real slow but works for us. Being able to monitor two different frequencies at the same time is great.

V. Kathlene, Luton says

This is the one to buy! . . This is the 2nd bf-f8hp unit i've bought from online store and i'm not sure why, but this one is far superior in every way. This one came in outstanding packaging, with a fantastic manual and appears to be better made than the other. I'm not sure exactly why my other unit (which is "baofeng" only - not "pofung baofeng" as this unit is. ) is so different - but this one is much nicer. I have *several* versions of the baofeng hts - this is the first one i could describe as a truly professional product. Extremely pleased!

U. Wimbish, Wyoming

I'm a new amateur radio technician and picked this up as my very first vhf/uhf radio. I was pleasantly surprised by how much there was inside this little thing - and it is tiny! much smaller than i expected, fits nicely in the palm. Many menu options, tons of configurability, and it's all easy to access to control through shortcuts. All in all it feels like and so far is a well-bought radio that works great, has excellent battery life and is easy to learn and use. Also feels like quality materials and design - the plastic feels heavier and/or thicker and has a nice texture to it. . I also bought the nagoya na-771 antenna and that is a great buy too. I can highly recommend this product to anyone, you won't be disappointed.

C. Anonymous, Aquitaine says

I've had this radio about a month now and i like it. I am not a ham operator and know pretty much nothing about the field. My purpose in getting this was for emergencies, in case the grid goes down with no internet, no phones. Unless it's an emp attack, this radio should come in handy to get in touch with ems, police, and other ham operators to find out what's going on out there. As cheap as they are, everyone should have one for themselves and family members, to be able to communicate with each other in extreme emergencies. . I originally purchased a tecsun pl-600 shortwave radio receiver, but sent that back because i wasn't picking up any ham's on the ssb, which made it nothing but a $89 glorified am/fm radio. I shortly discovered from a survival website about these little useful puppies, 2-way ham radios! i couldn't believe how cheap they were. Last time i checked on online store, their base model was going for $28! i went with this 8 watt because it's the best one they have and only $62! . . When i received it, along with the nagoya na-771 antenna, i programmed it with the online chirp software. I don't receive a lot of ham operator signals, but i've picked up some. Probably has to do with the fact that h. O's aren't always on the air and to be honest, i haven't really been monitoring the frequencies all that much since i got it. But last night was very interesting. I was monitoring and came across 447. 580. It's called insomniacs net i believe on the yahoo groups that has a weekly q&a every thursday night. I live in anaheim, ca and i was listening to ham operators from all over the country. In fact the host was from plantation, fl, and his signal was loud and clear, as well as most of the other ham's. I couldn't believe it! i do know what repeaters are and how they basically work, as a relay system. I just didn't think that i could pick up ham's from all over the country! i still need to program ems frequencies into this radio, just been putting it off so far. . I'm very delighted so far with this radio. The only reason i don't give it 5 stars has nothing to do with anything i don't like about it. I don't give it 5 stars because it's not a $300 radio with all the extra features that come along with a high price radio. But in case of an emergency, this radio will do the same job that a much more expensive radio will do. Heck, i might even end up getting my ham license!

B. Weber, Merton

I like this radio because it is just like the uv5r+ only it has the three power levels. I bought it to put in my get home kit so i have a better chance of staying in touch with my family. It's backwardly compatable with it's ability to use the same accesiories as the uv5r+ and programs the same as the uv5r+ so there is nothing new to learn. This is just plain smart business and i will all ways try and do business with manufacturers who practice this. Ryobi did this with there 1+ system of cordless tools by making there new lithium batteries backwardly compatable with the old cordless tools that had been originally powered by ni-cad packs. Made me a loyal customer! oh! i all most forgot, the new manual for the bf-f8hp has been written in a way that makes sense and is a real help to a new user. Way to go baofeng, i'm so glad you'r paying attention! now when are you going to come out with a hf rig that will put icom, kenwood and yaesu to shame? build it and i will buy it

G. Nellie, Tameside says

How can you beat an 8 watt handheld 2-meter fm radio for under $75 shipped? the radio works great, the battery lasts several weeks with my normal use (listen in on three 2-meter nets per week), the stock rubber duck antenna picks up repeaters between 10 and 20 miles away very clearly, and all the accessories are interchangeable with my baofeng uv-5r. I use chirp to program the radio (with a cable i bought from online store as well), and really like how easy the menus are to navigate. Programming via the keypad is fairly easy also, and the walkthrough provided by miklor (search for miklor and baofeng in your favorite search engine and it will pop up) is very good.

E. Fabian, British Columbia

Ever since i decided to get into this hobby (ham/amateur radio), i can't help myself from acquiring these cheap baofeng's. I'm new to this new fascinating world of amateur radio, however i'm coming from nearly 20 years working shf satcom, microwave troposcatter, and hf/vhf/uhf ground radio in the usaf. While i never expected these chinese radios to come anywhere close to the radios i worked with in the past, (i. E. , they definitely aren't motorola lmr's), i'm still fascinated by them noneless. I started out with the uv-5x, quickly learning the basic ropes. I moved on to the uv-5x3 to pick up the additional 220mhz (1. 25m) band. I erected an outdoor dbj-1 (dr. Ed fong) antenna at 35'. I also picked up a cute little bf-888s plus, an aprs cable, and purchased aprs software for ios. (preference is aprs pro on the ipad. ). Finally, and most importantly, i took (and passed) both the technician and general tests. I'm currently now preparing for the extra test. I can tell already that i'm just getting started. An hf rig is in the game plan, however i plan on picking up my own personal spectrum analyzer first. (i've always wanted one. ) after i get the sa, i plan on putting all there baofengs on the bench. (baofeng, you are on notice, haha). Anyway, i just picked up this bf-f8hp and i'd like to give my initial impressions so far after around an hour use. First, if have used baofeng radios in the past, you'll be very comfortable and familiar with this product. The firmware is uv-5r line firmware, with a few additions. Unfortunately, one of the additions isn't dtmf remote codes similar to the uv-5x3. I would've liked to have seen on this product, but i knew beforehand they weren't a feature. The physical layout is roughly the same, except this product comes with a larger battery to account for its higher power output. Does it really put out 7/8 watts? i doubt it. I'd have to put it on the bench. (oh, bird, wattmeter, how i miss thou. ). However, i can say that i was able to open a couple repeaters with the bf-f8hp that i couldn't with the other baofengs (using outdoor antenna), so it is putting out more. A good antenna will always supersede just more raw power though. I made a contact, who said my output/audio was very good, but he didn't give me an s reading. I noticed a few quirks that are different so far, such as the charger base led alternates red/green without anything inserted. This is a minor quirk over the other charger bases that illuminate steady red without anything on them. Like the others, solid red is charging, solid green is charged. Manual programming is exactly the same. Finally, of course chirp supports the bf-f8hp. I highly recommend using the ftdi cable (pc03) cable over the cheap prolific cables (many being counterfeits). Also, at some point, you may want to use a different antenna than the rubber duck it comes with, although the antenna it comes with isn't all that bad honestly. It's the same 144/440 high performance antenna that comes with the uv-5x3. The na series are decent antennas. I have a triband na-320a and a dualband na-771. I also have a retractable heyrtz antenna, which is a decent antenna if you prefer a retractable. This radio does come with a very updated manual as well. I can tell that the chirp/miklore community has much input into the creation of this product (manual). All in all, i'm happy with it so far. I'll give some general breakdown of each. Eventually, when i get the test equipment, i'll really update with a more technical breakdown. Uv-5x, i like the case for this radio a lot. While far from being milspec or anything like that, this radio is probably more water resistant than the others. The advert, humorously, shows it being completely submerged and even driven over. Unlikely, but it probably can take the element a little better. I like the internal led (similar to the bf line). Sadly, the receiver leaves a lot to be desired. The uv-5x3, in my opinion, probably has the best receiver, which makes sense as it also supports 220mhz (1. 25m). I have nothing other (yet) to back up this claim other than general usage and my ears. This bf-f8hp, seems to have the better transmitter. I can open up a couple of repeaters that the others could not. At least one signal report stated i was being received "very well". As subject, so far, so good. I will update as time goes on. Apologies for any typos or grammar errors as i'm entering all of this from an iphone. -73's all around

Z. Terry, Leeds says

Amazing when you consider i purchased my first radio over ten years for $300 and this radio is under $70. It comes with awesome accessories and a great manual for those who have not used radios previously. I am advocating it for licensed citizens who are concerned that in an emergency they might not be able to communicate with friends, families and authorities through normal means, and there are areas even in cities today where cell phone coverage is spotty! this little radio that will fit in a pocket or small pocketbook and is affordable is a great asset for those who want to join ham radio but are hesitant to spend a lot of money to get started!

Y. Fabian, Gateshead

These radios are awesome. I ordered one primarily for milsim training events and wanted to see how it worked. After receiving it i turned around and ordered 2 more for other teammates and we love them. It doesn't list it as coming with an earbud in the box, but it does. Granted, it isn't a great one and if you are going to run it 24/7 as an in-ear option to keep your hands free in a tactical set up you'll probably want to upgrade that at some point. However, out of the box you can't complain about having the option available. The battery will last through a whole day, early morning to late afternoon, with plenty of battery left at the end of the day. I haven't fully tested the range yet, but i know so far just in spot checking it has been close to a mile in the city and full coverage during milsim events over 10+ acres.

I. Valencia, Swindon says

This is a pretty good radio, and my second purchase of the same model number . It seems to work just under a mile at murs and over a mile at gmrs in a city environment. This is where a "40 mile frs" radio actually gets a half mile. This is far better than the 6 or so high end frs/gmrs radio i have tried, and at 2 meters it is powerful enough to hit a local repeater. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that the radio came missing the belt clip screws. Something went wrong at quality control there. I am upgrading my review form 4 stars to 5 stars for two reasons:. 1. The screws for the clip are on the radio. I'm an idiot, i'm sorry. 2. I purchased two of these and sent one in for warrantee repair as the receiver section was having problems. I had the radio back repaired in 10 days. Very good service! they both work great now. - 4 month update: i have two of these, and a couple of yaesu mobile radios. I find that i am using these a lot more than i thought i ever would. They fit in my pocket, if you upgrade the rubber duck antenna they receive almost as good as my ft-2900, i will say that they are not the best and most powerful radio i have, but they are certainly the best radio for the money. I plan to get two for every car with aa battery packs. I really like these radios. I was not given a discount or free products for this review, i paid full price, this is an honest review. I really like these radios.

F. Theresa, Isle of Wight

I ordered 2 of these with the expectancy to order two more for camping and hiking trips. The only reason this didn't get a 5 star was because right out of the sealed box one unit was defective. The issue was in the battery compartment. The working radio has 4 pins that contact the battery to make all the systems work. The defective one is missing one of the pins. It took me a while to find the error. This is a chinese made radio and definitely not up to the quality of a motorola. However, the price tag isn't close to the motorola either. I processed the return through online store and it was taken care of promptly with the replacement in the mail as i write this. . The one that works is fantastic. It has a ton of user modifiable features including screen color for wait, broadcast, and receive. This can be used as a scanner and an fm radio as well. Be careful when you are scanning local pd radios. If you push the transmit button while on their frequency you will be transmitting to their dispatch! the unit is made very solid for an inexpensive radio. There are tons of aftermarket goodies that fit the radio too. The earpiece that comes with it is junk. It works ok, but don't expect to wear it for more than an hour or so before the ear ache starts up. When hunting you would really want a good quality earpiece. The last think you want with that 8 pointer in the crosshair is someone breaking radio silence and scaring away your dinner!

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