The BTECH UV-5X3 Hand-held Radio.
If you are outdoors in any environment, having a portable handheld HAM radio can be lifesaver. Equipping yourself with a radio like the BTECH UV-5X3 Portable Radio may well be one of the best investments you can make for a variety of reasons.
BTECH UV-5X3 Radio
I recently bought a pair of BTECH UV-5X3 Portable Radios as a replacement for my set of WalyMart walkie talkies. I wanted something with greater range, more power, and much more flexibility with channels. The walkie talkies were great if you wanted to chat with someone say.., on the opposite side of a football field.
In the often harsh Arizona outdoors, you need the right tool for the job.
I need the ability to not only communicate with a partner, but also Law Enforcement, Emergency Services like S.A.R. (search and rescue), Border Patrol, etc. I chose the BTECH UV-5X3 hand-held HAM radio option as my tool of choice.
Why Carry Portable Handheld Radios?
Why this kind of communication needs? Arizona has a lot of great outdoor activities, but there are some hazards you may come across. Things like fall injuries or rattlesnake bites. Believe it or not, the occasional bear or cougar attack actually happens. Plus, being as close to the Mexican border as we are, Arizona has plenty of hazards
If you are hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, or off-roading close to the Arizona/Mexican border, there is a high probability you may encounter border crossers. These can range from cartel drug smugglers to lost or abandoned border crossers. The reality is, a fishing trip to one of our southern border lakes like Pena Blanca for example could very well turn into a humanitarian rescue mission.
Being prepared and equipped with a portable HAM radio like the BTECH UV-5X3 Portable Radio could be a lifesaver out in the boonies. It’s not always about communicating with your geo-cacheing group or staying on top of the changing weather conditions.
I ordered a pair of BTECH UV-5X3 Portable Radios from Amazon. Please note that the above image also includes some of the accessories I purchased along with my radios. The radios are very affordable. As these are HAM radios, I chose this model as my entry-level radio into the HAM world.
Ham Radio Licensing.
As you may or may not know, to transmit you need a license from the FCC. You do not need a license to listen. You can look here at the FCC site for licensing requirements. A local HAM radio club is also a great way to help you get your license.
BTECH UV-5X3 Boxed Accessories.
So here is what came in the box with my BTECH UV-5X3 Tri-bander (VHF/1.25M/UHF) Analog Portable Radio.
- UV-5X3 Radio
- 1500mAh Battery
- V-85 Dual Band Antenna
- 220MHz Single Band Antenna
- CH-5 Charger
- CH-5 110V Adapter
- Earpiece Kit
- Wrist Strap
- Belt Clip
- User Manual
BTECH UV-5X3 Radio features:
I’ll be honest here. Other than programming this thing, all I need to know about the radio’s features is how to press the button to talk and how to switch or scan channels. A lot of the radio’s features are technical things I could care less about. If I need to know about all the other options and features, I can always get a hold of one of my HAM radio buddies to show me right?
- Tri-band Frequency Range.
- Display Sync.
- DTMF Remote Decode (Receive Remote Commands).
- Incoming ANI Display.
- Remote: Stun, Kill, Revive, Inspect, and Monitoring.
- On-the-Go Selectable Frequency Range Scanning.
- Remove and Add Channels from Scanning Right in Menu.
- Full Backward Accessory Compatibility with ALL UV-5R and BF-F8HP accessories.
Programming your BTECH UV-5X3
PC03 FTDI USB Programming Cable
I ordered the PC03 FTDI USB Programming Cable to program my radios. If you want an easy and simple method for programming your BTECH UV-5X3, you are going to need this programming cable. I want to add that be careful when you order your data cable.
Before purchasing mine, I read several reviews where they said their cable did not work with their device. MAKE SURE yours is the correct data cable and compatible with your radio.
CHIRP
The next thing you will need is programming software to edit your radio’s data. I use an application called CHIRP. It’s FREE and available for Windows, Linux or Mac Operating Systems. Download the CHIRP app at: https://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home
CHIRP Installation
Install the software, plug in your PC03 FTDI USB Programming Cable, turn on the radio, and then select your radio model from the list of available radios. Now you may get a COM error when downloading the image. In that case, go to https://ftdichip.com/drivers/vcp-drivers, download the latest vcp driver, and install that on your PC. Reload CHIRP and you should be able to download the radio data image.
chirp radio programming software
The first thing you’re going to want to do is save your base data image. This way you can always restore the original file if you need to. Now you can save the file again and this will be the edited image. (you can see my saved file name has -configured.img in the file name.) To edit a channel, just click in the appropriate box and type in your data for that channel.
I programmed mine with a few general chat channels, and then I added all the local Arizona National Weather, County Search and Rescue, Repeater, and County Sheriff channels. Keep in mind you have up to 128 programmable channels my friend. When you’re done. Save the file, then upload it to the radio. It’s pretty easy.
Additional Radio Accessories:
So.. you want to sexy up your BTECH UV-5X3 Portable Radio? Well, look no further my friend. Here are some options to accessorize your radio. As you can see in my picture above I have all these accessories except the extended batteries and USB Smart Charger.
- Tactical Radio Molle Pouch.
- BTECH QHM22 Rainproof Shoulder Speaker Mic
- StickyDeal 42.5″ Tactical Foldable Antenna (helps to increase range).
- PC03 FTDI USB Programming Cable
- BTECH BL-5L Extended Battery
- BTECH USB Smart Charger (you will also need a car charger adapter with this cable to charge your radio in a vehicle).
In Conclusion
The BTECH UV-5X3 Portable Radio stands out as a robust and reliable communication device, essential for outdoor enthusiasts and emergency preparedness. Its comprehensive features, including tri-band frequency range and compatibility with various accessories, make it a versatile choice.
Programming the BTECH UV-5X3 with the CHIRP software ensures that users can customize their radios to fit their specific needs. With its affordable price and dependable performance, the BTECH UV-5X3 is a valuable addition to any adventurer’s toolkit, providing crucial communication capabilities in diverse environments.
I’m pretty happy with this radio. I feel I got a great bargain for my needs… Does anyone else have a BTECH UV-5X3 Portable Radio? If so let me know in the comments.