Repeater-START is a multi-platform app designed for ham radio and radio-operator enthusiasts who need fast access to repeater information. The app provides a detailed repeater map as well as a distance-sorted list, allowing users to easily locate nearby communication points wherever they travel. Because it uses open repeater databases, the information remains current, community-supported, and reliable.
A major advantage of Repeater-START is its strong offline support. Once your repeater data is downloaded, the app continues to function without cellular or internet coverage. This makes it especially useful for operators travelling through remote regions, rural areas, or emergency-response zones where connectivity cannot be guaranteed.
The app also includes clear programming instructions for many popular radios, including handheld units from brands such as Baofeng, Yaesu, and Kenwood. This feature helps both new and experienced operators quickly configure their radios to work with specific repeaters, saving time and reducing setup errors.
Repeater-START offers optional visibility for GMRS repeaters in supported regions, making it valuable not just for amateur radio operators but also for general outdoor users, preparedness groups, and radio hobbyists. The Android and Linux versions are open-source, appealing to users who prefer transparent, community-driven software.
Overall, Repeater-START is a practical, lightweight tool built for ham radio operators, GMRS users, and anyone who depends on accurate, offline-ready repeater mapping and step-by-step radio programming guidance. It combines simplicity with flexibility, making it a strong companion for both everyday use and field operations.
I’ve heard a lot about dipole antennas, and I’ve heard a lot about long wire antennas also. I would say I’ve seen more dipoles than long wire antennas. So why is that? What is the difference between them? Which is better? If one is a clear winner,…
Repeater-START is a multi-platform app designed for ham radio and radio-operator enthusiasts who need fast access to repeater information. The app provides a detailed repeater map as well as a distance-sorted list, allowing users to easily locate nearby communication points wherever they travel. Because it uses open…
What Is the 6m Band? The 6-meter band, spanning roughly 50–54 MHz, is a section of the VHF spectrum assigned to amateur radio operators. Its wavelength is six meters, and its position between HF and VHF makes it behave like a mix of both services. Why It’s…
Overview The Anytone AT-778UV is a dual-band VHF/UHF mobile transceiver designed for amateur radio operators. It operates on the 136–174 MHz (VHF) and 400–490 MHz (UHF) bands, offering reliable two-way communication for both ham radio and commercial use (depending on firmware version). Power Output This transceiver provides…
160 meters band is known as the “Gentlemen’s band”. It is right next to the AM commercial band, known as medium wave. The 160-meter band is the radio frequencies between 1.8 and 2 MHz. For many decades it was the lowest radio frequency band allocated for use…
I’ve heard a lot about dipole antennas, and I’ve heard a lot about long wire antennas also. I would say I’ve seen more dipoles than long wire antennas. So…
Repeater-START is a multi-platform app designed for ham radio and radio-operator enthusiasts who need fast access to repeater information. The app provides a detailed repeater map as well as…
What Is the 6m Band? The 6-meter band, spanning roughly 50–54 MHz, is a section of the VHF spectrum assigned to amateur radio operators. Its wavelength is six meters,…
Overview The Anytone AT-778UV is a dual-band VHF/UHF mobile transceiver designed for amateur radio operators. It operates on the 136–174 MHz (VHF) and 400–490 MHz (UHF) bands, offering reliable…
160 meters band is known as the “Gentlemen’s band”. It is right next to the AM commercial band, known as medium wave. The 160-meter band is the radio frequencies…
Yes, this popular girl name is actually an Amateur Radio term. Christian, DK8EW, put me onto Olivia after we chatted on VARA HF. I had heard about Olivia before,…
The Yaesu FT-620 (and its updated version, the FT-620B) is a vintage amateur radio transceiver designed specifically for the 6-meter band (50–54 MHz). Produced in the 1970s, it offers support for AM, CW, and SSB…
Key Assignment For some reason, not all the key assignment options are in the manual and after a bit of searching, I found no complete list. Hopefully this below…
Everyone that has been into radio for a while will know the brand Kenwood. And most know Kenwood isn’t only into Amateur radio, they are bigger than that, and…
You could say every amateur radio operator knows about the Baofeng if they have been around long enough. Most have held one of their radios and lots have at least one. They have made a huge amount of radios.
According to their website, they have been around fifty years now. However other information I found contradicts this.
Owning a R&D team with 50 years experience in the field of wireless communication. Having launched the Baofeng series of wireless walkie-talkies and related ancillary products.
But how big are they? Do they just build radios and then tweak them to launch another one or are they bigger than that?
Again, according to their website:
Total employees over 1500+. Our factory locates in Changfu Industrial Zone, XIamei of Nan’an, Quanzhou, Fujian province, China.
So what does Baofeng mean in English?
storm wind storm
bào fēng. storm wind storm (force 11 wind)
Baofeng Radio Information
After a bit of research, this is what I found.
Baofeng, a Chinese manufacturer, was founded in 2001 by Mr. Wang Jinding founded Baoan Electronics Co., Ltd. in Nan’an City, Fujian Province in Nan’an City, Fujian Province. In 2017, Fujian Nan’an Baofeng Electronics Co., Ltd. changed its name to Fujian Baofeng Electronics Co., Ltd.
It gained prominence with its Baofeng UV-5R dual-band radio, which became popular for its affordability and features, but also faced regulatory scrutiny due to potential frequency interference.
Fujian Baofeng Electronics Co., Ltd. was founded in 2001 as a high-tech enterprise focused on research, development, production, and sales of radios.
The Baofeng UV-5R, a dual-band radio, became a global sensation in 2012 due to its affordability and features, particularly its ability to operate on both VHF and UHF bands.
However, the UV-5R, and other similar radios, faced regulatory issues in countries like Switzerland, Germany, Poland, and South Africa, due to concerns about frequency interference and the lack of certification in some regions. In the United States, the FCC cited Baofeng for illegally marketing the UV-5R, which was “capable of operating outside the scope of its equipment authorization”. The UV-5R served as a basis for numerous other models, with vendors able to create private-labeled versions, according to CHIRP.
The German Federal Network Agency banned the UV-5R because it dampens harmonics poorly, potentially disturbing other users, and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa issued a ban after finding the UV-5R to be causing radio frequency interference and for having continuous tuning capabilities, a feature that would require an operator obtain a Frequency allocation license before purchasing or using the device.
Baofeng Models
This website I think only shows a fraction of the radios Baofeng have made and sold. For example a Pro version will be very similar to the original version but comes with so many more things, it is almost a new radio.
In my experience, you either love them starting at their cost, or hate them. It’s well known that some of cheap in price and quality, but this is perhaps the earlier models. If you love them, then they will bread like rabbits, if you hate them and own one, it will probably be sitting at the back of the draw or behind a box somewhere out of site.
There are so many models available now. So if you are wanting a hand held radio and on a budget, do your homework well. Just because it may be the latest model, doesn’t mean it has everything all the other models have.
Baofeng Radios Reviewed
Below are the Baofeng radios I have reviewed on YouTube. Hope you enjoy them.
Programming Tip
Did you know you can program these radios via Chirp? Here is a great tip you may like with chirp.
I’ve heard a lot about dipole antennas, and I’ve heard a lot about long wire antennas also. I would say I’ve seen more dipoles than long wire antennas. So why is that? What is the difference between them? Which is…
Repeater-START is a multi-platform app designed for ham radio and radio-operator enthusiasts who need fast access to repeater information. The app provides a detailed repeater map as well as a distance-sorted list, allowing users to easily locate nearby communication points…
What Is the 6m Band? The 6-meter band, spanning roughly 50–54 MHz, is a section of the VHF spectrum assigned to amateur radio operators. Its wavelength is six meters, and its position between HF and VHF makes it behave like…
Overview The Anytone AT-778UV is a dual-band VHF/UHF mobile transceiver designed for amateur radio operators. It operates on the 136–174 MHz (VHF) and 400–490 MHz (UHF) bands, offering reliable two-way communication for both ham radio and commercial use (depending on…
160 meters band is known as the “Gentlemen’s band”. It is right next to the AM commercial band, known as medium wave. The 160-meter band is the radio frequencies between 1.8 and 2 MHz. For many decades it was the…
Have you ever had an antenna and forgotten what it is for? Maybe you have been given one and wasn’t told exactly what it was used for. I got given an antenna at at ham fest because it didn’t sell.…
Yes, this popular girl name is actually an Amateur Radio term. Christian, DK8EW, put me onto Olivia after we chatted on VARA HF. I had heard about Olivia before, but he encouraged me to give it ago. Soon I made…
The Yaesu FT-620 (and its updated version, the FT-620B) is a vintage amateur radio transceiver designed specifically for the 6-meter band (50–54 MHz). Produced in the 1970s, it offers support for AM, CW, and SSB (USB/LSB) modes, making it a versatile rig for its time, especially during…
I came across something different, FreeDV. The name FreeDV insinuates it is free, but is it? What is it? And what does it do? They say it will be the new SSB of radio. They say it is clear and…
Key Assignment For some reason, not all the key assignment options are in the manual and after a bit of searching, I found no complete list. Hopefully this below helps you in selecting your Key Assignments on the main unit…
Everyone that has been into radio for a while will know the brand Kenwood. And most know Kenwood isn’t only into Amateur radio, they are bigger than that, and have been also. But are you sure it started in Japan?…
Today (20/06/25) I head Ron, VK3AHR, on the 7.100 40-meter net. I understand he ran this net for over 7 years, but hasn’t been able to for the last few weeks due to bad health. At 10am this morning he…
As licensed Amateur Radio operators, we have all heard about Yaesu. We have all seen a Yaesu radio and most of us have used and even own one. I’ve had and have several Yaesu radios. From extremely old ones full…
I’ve been using the Parks and Peaks app on iphone and ipad for a little while now and quite enjoyed it. There don’t seem to be many iphone apps compared to android, so when there is one, I usually have…
With digital radio changing so quickly, below is a bit of an update in regards to DMR radio networks. DMR stands for Digital Mobile Radio and is an internation standard for digital radios since about 2005. It can contain voice…
I managed to get one of these radios and was rather impressed with it and what it came with. Have a look what my box had in it. Some of the things I liked included: It is a Tri-Band radio…
I purchased this radio from a friend, and it worked well. He hadn’t really used it, so I did a factory reset. This was a bit of a mistake, as it did a few things like turning everything to Chinese.…
HamClock has always fascinated me, as it seems such an amazing program specifically set up for Amateur Radio. I have seen countless videos on it but the draw back was always needing to have a Raspberry Pi. While I am…
You could say every amateur radio operator knows about the Baofeng if they have been around long enough. Most have held one of their radios and lots have at least one. They have made a huge amount of radios. According…
A great radio that does all bands up to 70cm. Using all modes also you can talk on SSB on VHF and UHF. If you haven’t done SSB on 2m and 70cm, then I’d encourage you to do so. it…
I recently got my hands on the Hiroyasu IC-980 Pro dual band base radio. This is pronounced as “Hiro-Yasu”. When I say, got my hands on it, the unit is so small, you only need one hand really! This analogue…
Have you heard of a flowerpot antenna? I hadn’t until recently, and I enjoy gardening also. But this antenna has nothing to do with gardening apart from why it was named flowerpot and it will probably end up either on…
The Daiwa CN-460M is a small cross-needle meter displays both forward and reflected power for 2m and 70cm. It measures in ranges of 15/150 watts forward and 5/50 watts reflected. SO-239 jacks. It includes a mobile mounting bracket and meter illumination option…
The 2m band has always been an interesting one for me. It used to be swamped with pager interference, but it actually is a great band. Inversion allows your signal to travel long distances at times, especially on SSB. This…
Why does a radio need a cup holder? I agree it’s a bit odd. But this isn’t a product that involves a cup. Rather it uses a cup holder. Almost every car now has a cup holder, but they are…
There are lots of duel band antennas available, but most required extra mounting brackets. These brackets often restrict you as to where you can mount the antenna on your car. One of my first mobile antennas for the car was…
I’ve always wanted to take the radio with me while on holidays and I always do. However I’ve always been limited to 2m and 70cm including local repeaters and digital work. Our family enjoy holidays all over Australia into some…
I recently got my hands on the Hiroyasu IC-980 Pro dual band base radio. This is pronounced as “Hiro-Yasu”. When I say, got my hands on it, the unit is so small, you only need one hand really!
This analogue radio does both 2m and 70cm and will receive more outside of the Amateur bands. I’ve heard unlocking the radio is easy, but I haven’t done this yet, but will do another post on this if and when I do this.
Having the buttons light up makes it easy to control and do what you need to do. It looks intriguing when the radio isn’t turned on, and stylish when it is on.
The cost of the radio. At this cost, I don’t think you would be to upset if you were not happy with this radio,
The Radio body itself is tiny. It can easily fit in a car that hardly has any room, or a radio shack shelf that is almost full. They have also managed to get all the buttons and plugs on the back far enough away from each other so large fingers can still access them and see them.
While the body is small, the screen is a fantastic quality and clear. There is a lot of information available on the screen, and this can be customised as to what you want to display. The live signal metre and volt metre is a handy feature also.
The DTMF microphone is a good comfortable size. I am glad they didn’t go to small on this as they did the radio body. You need to be able to find the microphone, hold it comfortably and use it well. A tiny microphone would not achieve this. I love the direct input you can do with the buttons that light up as well as the shortcuts they have included, such as scan, squelch settings, and offset frequency.
I love the sound from it with the quality speaker mounted on the top of the unit. Although the body is small, it doesn’t have a small tinny speaker at all. I also like how it sounds on air. Many have said how clear the audio is when they hear me use the radio.
The mounting bracket that came with the radio contained all the screws and even a spare fuse. There were no short cuts here which was nice.
The power cord was of good quality and to have a cigarette lighter plug already installed with a led made it easier to install in the car or via a modern power supply that has the socket installed.
While the box did not contain the programming cable, they are a common cable and very fast in communicating between the radio and the computer.
For such a small radio, the output power of 25/30 watts is great. No wonder the back half of the radio is a heatsink. The fan is quiet and comes on automatically after long transmissions.
I liked how easy the programming software was and how you could give each memory a name. You could also adjust a lot of other functions via the software and find things quickly.
Being able to PTT from the unit is a bonus, especially if you can’t reach for the microphone. Though you would have to change in the settings which microphone to use. Perhaps the next firmware upgrade could use the microphone in the mic is the PTT was pressed there, and the microphone in the unit of the PTT button was pressed on the radio. This is a very minor point though.
The packaging the radio came in was well planned and kept everything save in transit. While this is a small point compared to the others, it is a good first impression when the box arrives well, and everything inside is placed well, which can later be used if you want to store the radio.
The time the radio took to arrive after ordering was amazing. It came with full tracking information, but I hardly looked at that, because it arrived before I started to wonder where it was.
The things I didn’t like about this radio
The software was hard to find. I understand if you email them, they will send it to you. I ended up finding it on a Facebook site after some searching. You also have to make sure you have the correct cord when connecting to the radio. However, once I got the software, it worked well and a far easier way to program the radio.
Using dual watch make the radio make a clicking sound like a car indicator. Bit odd, but there you go. Not really annoying me, and most don’t use dual watch anyway.
No way to control the screen brightness. This is only a minor point, but in a car at nighttime, it will be very bright if mounted close to your face. You can configure the screen / microphone and how long it lights up so maybe this is a solution if it bothers you. That said, it really doesn’t bother me, but worth noting.
Some things you may want to know
If you want to turn on commercial FM radio, press the FUN key on the microphone momentarily, then press 7. You can then change to your required station.
How to save a memory channel?
Press V/M button on the front panel to switch your radio in VFO Mode.
Input the desired frequency by the numeric key on the microphone.
Press “FUN” key on the microphone momentarily, then press Numeric key “0” subsequently, and press “Up” or” Down” Key on the microphone to select your desired channel number. The LCD will display Cover->001, which means that the channel 1 is occupied, you can save your frequency to cover the previous memory channel. SAVE->234 means that the channel you selected is empty, you can directly save your frequency to it.
Press “FUN” key on the microphone to save the frequency to channel,.When the data is stored, the word OK will be displayed.
You can recall the memory channel in channel model.
How to delete a memory channel?
Press FUN on the microphone, select SET (or press 3) and then submenu 3.20 “Delete Ch”.
Use the up and down arrows to select the channel number to be deleted and press FUN to confirm.
I belive this radio will do GRMS, however as we don’t have that in Australia, I couldn’t tell you how to do it. I assume it would just require you to program the correct frequencies via the program or directly into the radio.
Frequency Range: FM:76-108MHz (Rx), VHF:136-174MHz (Tx&Rx), UHF:400-470MHz (Tx&Rx)
Output Power (H/L Power Switchable): High=25W, LOW=10W
Memory Channels: 200
Review Video
Below is a video of my full review which I highly recomend seeing and I hope helps you:
Purchacing
If you want to purchase one of these radios, the direct link below is available on the AliExpress website by Global Wakie Talkie Store.
I’ve heard a lot about dipole antennas, and I’ve heard a lot about long wire antennas also. I would say I’ve seen more dipoles than long wire antennas. So why is that? What is the difference between them? Which is…
Repeater-START is a multi-platform app designed for ham radio and radio-operator enthusiasts who need fast access to repeater information. The app provides a detailed repeater map as well as a distance-sorted list, allowing users to easily locate nearby communication points…
What Is the 6m Band? The 6-meter band, spanning roughly 50–54 MHz, is a section of the VHF spectrum assigned to amateur radio operators. Its wavelength is six meters, and its position between HF and VHF makes it behave like…
Overview The Anytone AT-778UV is a dual-band VHF/UHF mobile transceiver designed for amateur radio operators. It operates on the 136–174 MHz (VHF) and 400–490 MHz (UHF) bands, offering reliable two-way communication for both ham radio and commercial use (depending on…
160 meters band is known as the “Gentlemen’s band”. It is right next to the AM commercial band, known as medium wave. The 160-meter band is the radio frequencies between 1.8 and 2 MHz. For many decades it was the…
Have you ever had an antenna and forgotten what it is for? Maybe you have been given one and wasn’t told exactly what it was used for. I got given an antenna at at ham fest because it didn’t sell.…
Yes, this popular girl name is actually an Amateur Radio term. Christian, DK8EW, put me onto Olivia after we chatted on VARA HF. I had heard about Olivia before, but he encouraged me to give it ago. Soon I made…
The Yaesu FT-620 (and its updated version, the FT-620B) is a vintage amateur radio transceiver designed specifically for the 6-meter band (50–54 MHz). Produced in the 1970s, it offers support for AM, CW, and SSB (USB/LSB) modes, making it a versatile rig for its time, especially during…
I came across something different, FreeDV. The name FreeDV insinuates it is free, but is it? What is it? And what does it do? They say it will be the new SSB of radio. They say it is clear and…
Key Assignment For some reason, not all the key assignment options are in the manual and after a bit of searching, I found no complete list. Hopefully this below helps you in selecting your Key Assignments on the main unit…
Everyone that has been into radio for a while will know the brand Kenwood. And most know Kenwood isn’t only into Amateur radio, they are bigger than that, and have been also. But are you sure it started in Japan?…
Today (20/06/25) I head Ron, VK3AHR, on the 7.100 40-meter net. I understand he ran this net for over 7 years, but hasn’t been able to for the last few weeks due to bad health. At 10am this morning he…
As licensed Amateur Radio operators, we have all heard about Yaesu. We have all seen a Yaesu radio and most of us have used and even own one. I’ve had and have several Yaesu radios. From extremely old ones full…
I’ve been using the Parks and Peaks app on iphone and ipad for a little while now and quite enjoyed it. There don’t seem to be many iphone apps compared to android, so when there is one, I usually have…
With digital radio changing so quickly, below is a bit of an update in regards to DMR radio networks. DMR stands for Digital Mobile Radio and is an internation standard for digital radios since about 2005. It can contain voice…
I managed to get one of these radios and was rather impressed with it and what it came with. Have a look what my box had in it. Some of the things I liked included: It is a Tri-Band radio…
I purchased this radio from a friend, and it worked well. He hadn’t really used it, so I did a factory reset. This was a bit of a mistake, as it did a few things like turning everything to Chinese.…
HamClock has always fascinated me, as it seems such an amazing program specifically set up for Amateur Radio. I have seen countless videos on it but the draw back was always needing to have a Raspberry Pi. While I am…
You could say every amateur radio operator knows about the Baofeng if they have been around long enough. Most have held one of their radios and lots have at least one. They have made a huge amount of radios. According…
A great radio that does all bands up to 70cm. Using all modes also you can talk on SSB on VHF and UHF. If you haven’t done SSB on 2m and 70cm, then I’d encourage you to do so. it…
I recently got my hands on the Hiroyasu IC-980 Pro dual band base radio. This is pronounced as “Hiro-Yasu”. When I say, got my hands on it, the unit is so small, you only need one hand really! This analogue…
Have you heard of a flowerpot antenna? I hadn’t until recently, and I enjoy gardening also. But this antenna has nothing to do with gardening apart from why it was named flowerpot and it will probably end up either on…
The Daiwa CN-460M is a small cross-needle meter displays both forward and reflected power for 2m and 70cm. It measures in ranges of 15/150 watts forward and 5/50 watts reflected. SO-239 jacks. It includes a mobile mounting bracket and meter illumination option…
The 2m band has always been an interesting one for me. It used to be swamped with pager interference, but it actually is a great band. Inversion allows your signal to travel long distances at times, especially on SSB. This…
Why does a radio need a cup holder? I agree it’s a bit odd. But this isn’t a product that involves a cup. Rather it uses a cup holder. Almost every car now has a cup holder, but they are…
There are lots of duel band antennas available, but most required extra mounting brackets. These brackets often restrict you as to where you can mount the antenna on your car. One of my first mobile antennas for the car was…
I’ve always wanted to take the radio with me while on holidays and I always do. However I’ve always been limited to 2m and 70cm including local repeaters and digital work. Our family enjoy holidays all over Australia into some…
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I’ve heard a lot about dipole antennas, and I’ve heard a lot about long wire antennas also. I would say I’ve seen more dipoles than long wire antennas. So why is that? What is the difference between them? Which is better? If one is a clear winner,…
Repeater-START is a multi-platform app designed for ham radio and radio-operator enthusiasts who need fast access to repeater information. The app provides a detailed repeater map as well as a distance-sorted list, allowing users to easily locate nearby communication points wherever they travel. Because it uses open…
What Is the 6m Band? The 6-meter band, spanning roughly 50–54 MHz, is a section of the VHF spectrum assigned to amateur radio operators. Its wavelength is six meters, and its position between HF and VHF makes it behave like a mix of both services. Why It’s…
Overview The Anytone AT-778UV is a dual-band VHF/UHF mobile transceiver designed for amateur radio operators. It operates on the 136–174 MHz (VHF) and 400–490 MHz (UHF) bands, offering reliable two-way communication for both ham radio and commercial use (depending on firmware version). Power Output This transceiver provides…
VK3TBS 