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2 comments of this product found across Reddit:
radiomod /r/Baofeng
4 points
1970-01-20 06:16:01.683 +0000 UTC

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Marc-PDX /r/Baofeng
2 points
1970-01-20 06:16:01.366 +0000 UTC

I have a Baofeng UV-82HP and a TIDRadio TD-H6 and as far as I can see these are very similar HTs other than the stated difference in maximum wattage and the physical layouts (similar, but not identical) and some of the accessories. So, other than output wattage or the button layout you prefer or other side features and accessories, I think there is very little difference in the various inexpensive Chinese HTs.

When I use mine in receive mode, I get very similar sound/receive quality on the same incoming frequencies (if one is clear, the other is; if one is static'y, the other is too). I haven't hooked up a transmission power tester but I have seen several people post results of testing Baofengs (and I think all of the various Chinese HTs like TIDRadio, BTech, etc are probably made in the same factories using the same internal circuit designs and parts... just my hunch) and even different units of the same models had some significant variations in wattage output from one another. One would be close to the stated max wattage (I don't know if any actually reached it, though) while the next (same model) would be 10 to 25% lower output strength. Chinese quality control is well known to be dubious. It appears these HTs usually arrive in good working order and last well (overall) but the max output is probably a YMMV situation. And, as others have mentioned, your antenna is more important to transmission distance than the Tx wattage is. Also, how high your antenna is compared to "ground level" If you are on top of a two story building you will transmit considerably further, with say 5 watts, than you will down at ground level. There's LOTS of info about this that you can find via Google.

BUT, the most important thing to note is that many (but not all) of these HTs are capable of transmitting on frequencies that are NOT legal to transmit on, as an amateur of any class in the United States - and I feel pretty certain that will be true in Canada as well. The band plans of the two countries are very similar. Many of these HTs transmit on the legal UHF/VHF Ham frequencies as advertised, but transmit above and/or below the legal Tx frequencies too. So be careful! The authorities here in the US do look for illegal transmissions (they take it seriously and you can be stepping on the police, aircraft, emergency or other frequencies that must be avoided!) and they come down hard (heavy fines, loss of license) on people they catch. I feel certain that it's exactly the same in Canada. So, just a heads up to watch out for those out of bounds frequencies when transmitting. I suspect some people who buy these don't realize this. Especially people who are not licensed amateurs and who buy on first sight without any research into licensed frequencies.

But these are a good price for finding out if you like Ham radio (don't transmit without the proper license either, BTW, in case you don't have a license yet... listening without a license is perfectly legal, of course). And I have been happy with mine. They are certainly much more cost effective than GMRS/FRS 2 Watt radios (even though those transmit up to 30 miles... LOL! That's a lie, BTW! It's like saying "See 10 miles" with some crappy cheap telescope... you may transmit 30 miles from a mountain top over a 30 mile long plain (or large body of water) that has zero interference... maybe. But that's the ONLY way you'll get that range. In the suburbs you'll be lucky to get a half a mile with one of those units... maybe a mile, with a bit of luck and a 5 watt unit, and that is the maximum legal power for those... and 5 watt GMRS units are hard to find, which is why none of the "30 mile" GMRS/FRS radios post their wattage on the outside of the box... misleading & unethical if you ask me!).

Below are the two I purchased from Amazon here in the US. As I said, I'm happy with how they work overall. Good luck and hope you enjoy whichever one(s) you buy! It's good that you're asking questions in forums like this before deciding!

Baofeng: https://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-UV-82HP-High-Power-Radio/dp/B00Z52HP10

TIDRadio: https://www.amazon.com/TIDRADIO-Upgraded-Handheld-Radios-Programming/dp/B089LGD1FX