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Link to purchase this radio is located at the bottom of the post.
I have to admit, I'm rather impressed with the new Baofeng K6 model. It's priced similar to the classic UV5R, but does so much more. The firmware allows for alphanumeric programming straight through the faceplate, which is a HUGE plus for us field guys who don't want to lug around a laptop every time we need to add a repeater or frequency.
The design is rugged and the battery will charge both in a cradle and via USB-C. The clip slides into the back of the battery and locks in place, but note that if you remove the battery and put in the spare the clip will remain attached to the battery, not the phone. No big issue, just pull back on the clip lock to release and attach to the spare.
What's great about this radio is the extra features you get that go far and above the old UV5R models. You get all 10 preset NOAA channels (just hold down the zero key) - which is a lot easier than programming all 10 into repeater memory banks. It is tri-band, so you'll also own the 1.25 meter band as well as UHF/VHF. It did carry over the commercial FM receive (top left orange button) but a nice addition is AM aircraft receive -- something I enjoy listening to as I live close to an airport. For those you just punch in the proper airport frequency. When compared to the UV5R and the price, this little unit wins hands down.
Programming repeaters or frequencies is pretty straight forward and almost identical to the UV5R. Make sure you're in Frequency Mode, punch in the repeater frequency, enter the offset and direction (menu 11 & 12), set your P/L Tone (T-CTCSS, menu 5) and test it out. If you hit the repeater, go ahead and delete a channel (menu 14), confirm, and then just save the info to the channel you just deleted (menu 13). Very similar to the UV5R. Except for the alphanumerics. Just look for the "Name" menu item!
That being said, the K6 has a couple bonus features with the new firmware. After saving your new channel with repeater information, switch over to channel mode and hit the menu button again. Menu 00 is the name feature, which allows for alphanumerics (about time!). Right from the faceplate, you can give your channel a display name (ie: South Repeater or "test" as shown in the image above). As well, you can even edit the channel information right there without having to delete the channel or use CHIRP. A very welcome addition if you ask me!
The range on these is about what you'd expect from a 5-watt radio, although reception sensitivity and transmit quality have definitely improved some. The stock rubber ducky has also been improved, but if you put on a whip antenna it's surprising how far this little radio can reach.
I have to be honest, I actually like this radio. It's sturdy, well priced, and outperformed my expectations. The only drawback is the 5-watt output. But hey, my first ham radio was a UV5R and for the same price this little guy outperforms my beloved first radio. 73 and happy hamming!
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I am enrolled as an Amazon Associate so I will make a small commission on qualified purchases via these links (at no extra charge to the purchaser). That being said, you are not obligated to purchase from my links to use the information I've given in this blog. 73 de KI5ONA and enjoy the hobby!
Baofeng K6 single-pack:
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