Sub $100 "BORK" [first post]

[SemperAptum]

This is my Bug Out Radio Kit. It consists of a really inexpensive, handheld HAM radio and its accessories in a case. I developed
it on accident when I wanted a cheap HT (Handie-Talkie) to play with. While perusing eBay for used radios I stumbled across
the Baofeng UV-3R and decided to look into it. eHAM reviews were surprisingly positive for such a cheap radio and after
watching every YouTube video I could find about it, I decided to take the plunge. Then, fueled by my incessant desire for
Pelican (style) cases, I found a little box to keep it dry and in one piece. The BORK was born.



The total cost is about $85. An even hundred could include a mag-mount antenna for use as a mobile. A decent little kit can
easily be made for less if you don't want some of the accessories.

Items & Cost (shipped):

Baofeng UV-3R Mark II****: $45.80
UV-3R Cable (w/CD)***: $11.50
OtterBox 2000: $13
USB Charging Cable**: $5
SMA-BNC Adaptor*: $5
UHF-BNC Adaptor*: $5.20

*optional for other antenna types - see External Antennas
**recommended - see USB Charging Cable
***highly recommended - see Programming
****there are two versions of the UV-3R - I adamantly recommend the Mark II. Understand why by watching the first video in my
UV-3R playlist on Youtube, and make sure you're getting the right one when you buy - eBay is a tricky place!

Prices fluctuate often: I paid at least $5 less on my first setup, yet some things are cheaper now. I originally started buying on
eBay until I found the above prices. I've ordered 5 radios and many accessories from 409shop.com since then. They also have
an eBay store called mega409shop. It may or not be worth your time to shop around for dollar or three savings, but I enjoyed
it personally, and hope to have given those who don't like shopping a good start at the very least.

The Radio

Now, obviously the radio is the key component and the most significant in cost. Anyone familiar with handheld HAMs really
knows how cheap this is though. In fact, the Baofeng UV-3R is an unabashed rip-off of a Yaesu - one of the top three HAM
radio makers - at ~¼ the price! And believe it or not, for many people, this cheap knock-off actually comes out on top of the
Yaesu VX-3R even without price as a factor: higher wattage on battery power, better display, off-band TX out of the box, and
FM broadcast receive, admittedly with a few less bells and whistles - but it does have a flashlight!

The final reason the Baofeng won me over though, was that this radio doesn't cost much more than a family radio, but in
addition to the FRS band and NOAA weather channels, it adds access to two of the more popular repeater HAM bands.

FYI, transmitting on the FRS/GMRS frequencies with this radio is illegal ...but, who cares when I can hit a repeater 30
miles from me that blasts out 70 miles+ on the 2-meter HAM band!!?

Included with the HT are a wall-wart, battery dock, in-ear headset with PTT button and mic, dual-band antenna, belt clip, and
one battery.

The in-ear headset is surprisingly good. The receive volume isn't super loud but works fine in my truck with the windows down
in traffic. It's adjustable to suit most ears, although probably not everyone comfortably. Included for free, it's perfect.

The belt clip is also good, and can't imagine much going wrong with it besides snagging it super duper hard on something. The
battery cover slides off under it easily which was a concern initially...until I figured out that there's a little sliding lock on the
bottom of the radio. Excellent design there. I've got a label maker so I typed out my callsign in case it's ever left somewhere,
and I use the belt clip to conceal the bright white label and to guard it from peeling off.



So far, so good, but wait! The battery dock is pure garbage: it doesn't regulate the battery voltage which can cause batteries
to explode - I'm not joking - I tossed it immediately.

The wall-wart is also horrible. It's designed for European(?) outlets with an American adaptor as an obvious afterthought. If it
were to be used as provided, it'd probably fall out of the wall on its own weight. I never even had a chance to try it out since
mine didn't include the US plug! This actually didn't bother me in the slightest since I'd planned on ditching the wall-wart
altogether.

I've since had better luck with 409shop - I've always gotten decent, American wall-warts.

USB Charging Cable

The included wall-wart outputs 5v DC which coincidentally matches the voltage supplied by USB ports. I have an iPhone and
have grown to love the stock wall-wart Apple provides due to its tiny form factor and its adaptability. I also appreciate that
many phones and mp3 players can be powered via devices with USB; things like car adapters and laptops. This now means that
USB ports are everywhere. The mashup of the Baofeng charging plug and a USB cable was obvious to me from the start.

When I got the radio, I fashioned a decent utilitarian charging cable that I was somewhat satisfied with...until I found a
prefabricated cable for $5!

On my first draft of this post, I outlined the trials and tribulations faced with making the little cable. If you're really
interested in how I made it, feel free to ask for details. If you want to charge via USB, I highly recommend that you just buy
one though.

External Antennas

The included antenna is pretty decent for the size and I can't really see upgrading it for something "better" - I do however plan
on buying a micro antenna to give me the tiniest form factor imaginable when needed.

I currently have an Icom IC-V8000 mobile radio in my truck. It's connected to a mag-mount dual-band (2m/70cm) antenna on
my roof and routed through to the back of my center console for now. I can put the antenna in the back seat cup holder with
the feedline curled up under the seat if I need a car wash, or run it up through the door jam and onto the roof when I actually
need to get any distance out of it.



My eventual plan is to mount a ⅝ wave (~48") antenna to a rack in my bed. I'd then have the ability to use my current antenna
for the Baofeng in my truck, or take them out for use in another vehicle - hence the UHF to BNC and BNC to SMA connectors.



There exists a connector that adapts SMA (what the Baofeng has) to UHF (which is what most mobile antennas have) but I
wanted the flexibility to connect other common HT antennas that use BNC connectors. As it turns out, using two adapters gave
me much more flexibility in movement as well. Since UHF and SMA connectors don't spin freely, having the BNC portion
"between" them allows me to spin the radio 360 degrees with little friction



Programming

While the UV-3R is super easy to use, I highly recommend getting the ~$12 programming cable. Compared to other cables,
this again, is a steal. It's not unheard of to pay nearly $100 for a cable alone...not including software! To my knowledge the
software is free and available online, but is included with the cable on a mini CD - which just so happens to fit in the OtterBox!

Also available is free, cross-platform, open source software that programs a decent amount of radios. You'll still need to install
the USB-serial drivers for the cable, but CHIRP handles the rest.

Which ever way you go, programming the radio via the USB cable makes adding and organizing frequencies, tones, and
repeater offsets a walk in the park.

In lieu of the CD, I've copied the drivers and software to the USB stick I keep on my key chain



Case

As I suggested earlier, the initial reason I wanted the case was because I love them; I'd been trying to talk myself into getting
one for months before I had anything to put in it

And, of course there's no free lunch with this radio. It's cheap, but cheaply made, and it's tiny. I haven't mentioned this yet,
but it's small enough to fit in a pack of cigarettes. Needless to say, it's not waterproof and isn't quite as durable as I'm sure
most zombie hunters would prefer. A strong waterproof case is exactly what's required for this to be part of one's survival or
emergency kit.

The OtterBox is *said* to be waterproof to 100 feet deep. I've also read some reviews that claim they've ruined snorkelers'
phones. I take statements from manufacturers with a grain of salt, but for my purposes, and after having witnessed the build
quality, I'm confident it will suit my needs just fine - I'm mostly worried about dirt, sand, short falls and the occasional
drizzle or splash.

Why didn't I buy a Pelican? The reasons are threefold: Pelican's are double the price for cases this size, they don't include any
padding for the contents, and they're only water resistant.

I put another label with my callsign on the back, and inside I include a list of all the channels I've got in the radio with
descriptions. A necessary evil for micro radios...no alpha characters

A couple considerations when calculating case size. The radio barely fits depth-wise with the belt clip attached. I hadn't
planned for that and I was lucky. Important things to have in a radio go kit are batteries, power adaptors (car/110v house),
paper, pen, repeater directory, manuals and other bits and pieces. You're going to want to make sure you have room for those.

Since this was intended to supplement my EDC and/or BOB I've got most of the stuff on hand. Things like chargers (including a
AA powered USB charger), pens, and paper I already have in my kits. Other things are covered by my iPhone: an app called
Repeaters works without Internet connection (and is better than any repeater book I've ever used) and I keep all of my radio
manuals in iBooks ( inPDF format) for offline access as well.

Conclusion

While this setup isn't the fanciest thing in the world, it's easy to do and super cheap for what you get. It's fun to "build" and
it's an awesome way to get into HAM radio and more importantly, have some form of comms ready for the zombie apocalypse.

Is the UV-3R a good beginner radio? From a technical standpoint, it's debatable. It's easy to use but it lacks features like tone
scanning and it's not wide-band - so no air traffic reception ability. But from a price perspective, it literally can't be beat!

Did I mention it's got a flashlight?

73's



More Links:

• My YouTube roundup of the best Baofeng UV-3R videos
• Brick O'Lore is an awesome resource for all things Baofeng
• DealNews has helped me find OtterBox's for cheap (<$10) - Amazon typically has the best everyday price (note model no's)
• Speaker Mic that's an excellent accessory to the radio, although not part of my BORK
• Cheap Mag-Mount SMA Antenna that I have zero experience with - probably better than a rubber duck though
• Micro SMA Antenna that is almost useless on 2-meter, but makes the Baofeng pocket sized
• Repeaters app for iPhone/iPad/iPod isn't perfect but it's the best of the several apps I've tried
• HAM Technician License Prep YouTube playlist that helped me get my ticket

[SemperAptum]

And for the smokers out there:

The scale is really hard to imagine, but the thing is really tiny.

[Regulator]

You put some time and effort in this. I appreciate it. I learned some things. Thanks!

[Mister Dark]

Excellent write up, man. I have been looking at these radios for a while, for times I just didnt want to carry my too-dammed-expensive Yaesu out in the field. You have given me some great ideas, thanks!

also, welcome to ZS!

[majorhavoc]

Outstanding post, Semper. This might be the ticket to get my feet wet in the Ham arena.

[KJ4VOV]

I agree, excellent write up and a good job with the links and photos. I would, however, point out that if in fact that radio can transmit on FRS frequencies then it's illegal in the US. FCC regs for FRS equipment requires that the antenna be non-removable. I'd also caution you about using adapters that way on the SMA connector. SMA's are really fragile so you want to avoid putting strain on them if you possibly can. Mega409shop (and others) sell a UHF to SMA adapter with a short length of RG-174 (about 4") between the two ends, which helps relieve the strain on the connector in case it gets bumped or dropped.

[SemperAptum]

...if in fact that radio can transmit on FRS frequencies then it's illegal in the US. FCC regs for FRS...

My post is super long and I did my best to include important info. I briefly covered the basic legality of TXing in that band. The radio is FCC Type 90 accepted which means the hardware is kosher.

I'd also caution you about using adapters that way on the SMA connector. SMA's are really fragile so you want to avoid putting strain...

For sure. I have an SMA-UHF that has no base which I don't like but I'm okay with the SMA-BNC since there's some good surface contact on the radio itself.

Mega409shop (and others) sell a UHF to SMA adapter with a short length of RG-174 (about 4") between the two ends, which helps relieve the strain on the connector in case it gets bumped or dropped.

Awesome, I thought about that at some point but never looked. Thanks for the recommendation.

[KJ4VOV]

...if in fact that radio can transmit on FRS frequencies then it's illegal in the US. FCC regs for FRS...

My post is super long and I did my best to include important info. I briefly covered the basic legality of TXing in that band. The radio is FCC Type 90 accepted which means the hardware is kosher.

Not quite kosher... FRS requires Part 95 acceptance, and Part 95 states:

[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 5]
[Revised as of October 1, 2010]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR95.194]

[Page 537]

TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION

CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED)

PART 95_PERSONAL RADIO SERVICES--Table of Contents

Subpart B_Family Radio Service (FRS)

Sec. 95.194 (FRS Rule 4) FRS units.

(a) You may only use an FCC certified FRS unit. (You can identify an
FCC certified FRS unit by the label placed on it by the manufacturer.)
(b) You must not make, or have made, any internal modification to an
FRS unit. Any internal modification cancels the FCC certification and
voids your authority to operate the unit in the FRS.
(c) You may not attach any antenna, power amplifier, or other
apparatus to an FRS unit that has not been FCC certified as part of that
FRS unit. There are no exceptions to this rule and attaching any such
apparatus to a FRS unit cancels the FCC certification and voids
everyone's authority to operate the unit in the FRS.
(d) FRS units are prohibited from transmitting data in store-and-
forward packet operation mode.

[61 FR 28768, June 6, 1996, as amended at 68 FR 9901, Mar. 3, 2003]

[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 5]
[Revised as of October 1, 2010]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR95.603]

[Page 552]

TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION

CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED)

PART 95_PERSONAL RADIO SERVICES--Table of Contents

Subpart E_Technical Regulations

Sec. 95.603 Certification required.

(a) Each GMRS transmitter (a transmitter that operates or is
intended to operate at a station authorized in the GMRS) must be
certificated.
(b) Each R/C transmitter (a transmitter that operates or is intended
to operate at a station authorized in the R/C) must be certificated,
except one that transmits only in the 26-27 MHz frequency band and is
crystal controlled (where the transmitted frequency is established by a
crystal (a quartz piezo-electric element)).
(c) Each CB transmitter (a transmitter that operates or is intended
to operate at a station authorized in the CB) must be certificated. No
CB transmitter certificated pursuant to an application filed prior to
September 10, 1976, shall be manufactured or marketed.
(d) Each FRS unit (a transmitter that operates or is intended to
operate in the FRS) must be certified for use in the FRS in accordance
with subpart J of part 2 of this chapter.
(e) Each Low Power Radio Service transmitter (a transmitter that
operates or is intended to operate in the LPRS) must be certificated.
(f) Each Medical Device Radiocommunication Service (MedRadio)
transmitter (a transmitter that operates or is intended to operate in
the MedRadio service) must be certificated except for such transmitters
that are not marketed for use in the United States, but which otherwise
comply with the MedRadio Service technical requirements and are operated
in the United States by individuals who have traveled to the United
States from abroad.
(g) Each Multi-Use Radio Service transmitter (a transmitter that
operates or is intended to operate in the MURS) must be certificated in
accordance with subpart J of part 2 of this chapter, Provided however,
that those radio units certificated as of November 12, 2002 need not be
recertificated.
(h) Each Dedicated Short-Range Communications Service On-Board Unit
(DSRCS-OBU) that operates or is intended to operate in the DSRCS (5.850-
5.925 GHz) must be certified in accordance with subpart L of this part
and subpart J of part 2 of this chapter.

[53 FR 36789, Sept. 22, 1988, as amended at 61 FR 28769, June 6, 1996;
61 FR 46567, Sept. 4, 1996; 63 FR 36610, July 7, 1998; 64 FR 69929, Dec.
15, 1999; 65 FR 60877, Oct. 13, 2000; 67 FR 63289, Oct. 11, 2002; 69 FR
46446, Aug. 3, 2004; 74 FR 22705, May 14, 2009]

[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 5]
[Revised as of October 1, 2010]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR95.647]

[Page 566]

TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION

CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED)

PART 95_PERSONAL RADIO SERVICES--Table of Contents

Subpart E_Technical Regulations

Sec. 95.647 FRS unit and R/C transmitter antennas.

The antenna of each FRS unit, and the antenna of each R/C station
transmitting in the 72-76 MHz band, must be an integral part of the
transmitter. The antenna must have no gain (as compared to a half-wave
dipole) and must be vertically polarized.

[61 FR 28770, June 6, 1996. Redesignated at 61 FR 46567, Sept. 4, 1996]

Apologies for the long quotes but I needed to provide context. And no, I'm not one of those "legal weenies" who goes around insisting that every single rule, reg, law, etc must be followed, at all times, no matter how dumb or inappropriate they might be. I am, however, someone who would prefer to have as few dealings with the law and court systems as possible, so I try to keep myself informed about laws and regulations that affect me. It also really bugs the shit out of me when I see folks get into trouble, when they believe they are following the law, because they didn't really know what the law was.

[cmxterra]

Great post!

[gary in ohio]

Nice post but I would suggest get rid of the sma(or bnc) to UHF adapters and go with an adapter cable instead. An adapter can put a lot of torgue on the radio and crack the case or break solder joints.

[gary in ohio]

I picked up one of the UV3 just to see what a $47 (shipped with programming cable) would look like and how it would work. I got mine in RED.... Ended up being a nice little radio. Not the radio I would want as my only radio, but a nice toss in the kit radio Programming is a pain without a computer but can be done. The locking channel selector is a nice touch.. I have the radio in my ARES bag as a secondary/loaner radio... The one big thing I do like about the radio is the volume. ITS LOUD.. In fact so loud may complain about it..
Gary

[TacAir]

Just, thanks.

Outstanding post. Information with links.

Now I'm going to have to one!

73s
T/A

[SemperAptum]

Not quite kosher... FRS requires Part 95 acceptance, and Part 95 states...

I understand you're no "legal weenie" hahahaha! To my knowledge, radios only need to be Type 95 if they are intended to be used to transmit in the FRS/GMRS bands. The *capability* to transmit is different if I understand correctly. For instance, many HF rigs are sold that don't limit the TX at all. Part of being a HAM is knowing where you're allowed to TX. As far as I can tell, the Baofeng is 100% legal to own and operate as a licensed HAM in the US. I think it's important to do our best to educate the public (and ourselves) about FCC regulations - especially regarding the HAM bands: they're ours damnit! Thanks again for your additions to the thread

Edit to clarify: "As far as I can tell, the Baofeng is 100% legal to own and operate as a licensed HAM in the US."...in the HAM bands only...since that's what it's intended for and the FCC has approved it for.

[SemperAptum]

Programming is a pain without a computer but can be done.[...]ITS LOUD.. In fact so loud may complain about it..
Gary

You ever done an Icom manually? ...oh man!

Yeah, the volume is awesome on the top end...a little too loud on low though. The mods to attenuate it look pretty gnarly

[KJ4VOV]

Not quite kosher... FRS requires Part 95 acceptance, and Part 95 states...

I understand you're no "legal weenie" hahahaha! To my knowledge, radios only need to be Type 95 if they are intended to be used to transmit in the FRS/GMRS bands. The *capability* to transmit is different if I understand correctly. For instance, many HF rigs are sold that don't limit the TX at all. Part of being a HAM is knowing where you're allowed to TX. As far as I can tell, the Baofeng is 100% legal to own and operate as a licensed HAM in the US. I think it's important to do our best to educate the public (and ourselves) about FCC regulations - especially regarding the HAM bands: they're ours damnit! Thanks again for your additions to the thread

Well, to requote a part I highlighted up there...

(d) Each FRS unit (a transmitter that operates or is intended to
operate in the FRS) must be certified for use in the FRS in accordance
with subpart J of part 2 of this chapter.

Intended or not, if it does operate on FRS frequencies then it must be certified for it. At least that's how I'm reading the regs.

Your mileage may vary however.

[SemperAptum]

Nice post but I would suggest get rid of the sma(or bnc) to UHF adapters and go with an adapter cable instead. An adapter can put a lot of torgue on the radio and crack the case or break solder joints.

Dually noted!

Thanks for all the positive comments, everyone! I truly hope I've inspired someone to look into an often forgotten aspect of preparedness, and a fun, albeit nerdy, hobby.

I'm hoping to showcase some cool uses for the radio in the future. I'm thinking that the price of the Baofeng makes it ideal for some cool remote stuff: APRS beaconing, and possibly proximity sensor type gadgetry. Time will tell: too many projects

[KJ4VOV]

Nice post but I would suggest get rid of the sma(or bnc) to UHF adapters and go with an adapter cable instead. An adapter can put a lot of torgue on the radio and crack the case or break solder joints.

Dually noted!

Thanks for all the positive comments, everyone! I truly hope I've inspired someone to look into an often forgotten aspect of preparedness, and a fun, albeit nerdy, hobby.

I'm hoping to showcase some cool uses for the radio in the future. I'm thinking that the price of the Baofeng makes it ideal for some cool remote stuff: APRS beaconing, and possibly proximity sensor type gadgetry. Time will tell: too many projects

The price certainly lends it towards projects that have small budgets, and/or where there's a good chance the equipment might be lost or damaged (high altitude balloon APRS beacon for example), and a cheap backup radio is always better than no backup radio. But I think it wise, as you've noted, to invest in a more substantial bit of gear for your primary.

[mattltm]

Great work and a nice kit.

How about adding a roll up j-pole antenna made from some twin feeder or maybe a wire collinear?

Something like that would not take up much room and will greatly improve the range when static.

[SemperAptum]

Well, to requote a part I highlighted up there...

(d) Each FRS unit (a transmitter that operates or is intended to
operate in the FRS) must be certified for use in the FRS in accordance
with subpart J of part 2 of this chapter.

Intended or not, if it does operate on FRS frequencies then it must be certified for it. At least that's how I'm reading the regs.

I have no idea how I missed that

That's more or less how'd i'd read it too. At the very least, I think it's safe to say there's some gray area there. I wonder who's capable of making a ruling on verbiage like this. It also begs the question: if the FCC approved it for Type 90, does it meet other parts of the code with respect to meeting exclusion criteria? ie. does it meet part 95 in the sense that it doesn't violate part 95, hence allowing part 90?

I would assume (you know what they say) that if the FCC felt it was to be "intended" as a HAM+FRS it would not meet 95 and consequently, fail part 90.

In the context of the regulation, does "operate" mean *functionally* transmit? Or does it mean *practically* transmit? Because of course, a radio does not operate itself. It obviously doesn't mean receive - I feel like I could rule that definition out, hahaha. The more I learn, the less I know.

[SemperAptum]

But I think it wise, as you've noted, to invest in a more substantial bit of gear for your primary.

I've got a couple Kenwoods on my wish list.

You checked out the D72 or the D710 + Geosat 6 APRS? There's some really cool stuff out there.

...800 things in between me and those though. Off the top of my head, the bumper that Bambi ruined last month is a pretty high priority.

[SemperAptum]

Great work and a nice kit.

How about adding a roll up j-pole antenna made from some twin feeder or maybe a wire collinear?

Can you point me in the direction of building one?

[mattltm]

Sure...

http://www.n1uec.org/n1uec/2meterjpole.html

http://www.kb3kai.com/j-pole.php

[gary in ohio]

Not quite kosher... FRS requires Part 95 acceptance, and Part 95 states...

Your mileage may vary however.

DO note that 7 of the FRS channels are also GMRS channels. Also note the UV3R is part 90 type accepted and is legal on GMRS. So with a GMRS
license you could legally talk on 7 of the FRS channels.

DO note not all UV3R have type acceptance and unless there is an FCC label on the radio then its not type accepted even if someone else is type accepted.

[gary in ohio]

That's more or less how'd i'd read it too. At the very least, I think it's safe to say there's some gray area there. I wonder who's capable of making a ruling on verbiage like this. It also begs the question: if the FCC approved it for Type 90, does it meet other parts of the code with respect to meeting exclusion criteria? ie. does it meet part 95 in the sense that it doesn't violate part 95, hence allowing part 90?

of course, a radio does not operate itself. It obviously doesn't mean receive - I feel like I could rule that definition out, hahaha. The more I learn, the less I know.

do note that the UV3r is being sold as a commercial radio not a ham radio, but will operate on the ham bands. Based on the one I have I would not want to rely on it for commercial use but it does make a nice throw away ham radio.