Baofeng AR-152 10W Tactical Ham Radio - Long Range Handheld Two Way Radio Walkie Talkie with 12000mAh Battery (Full Kit) - Perfect for Outdoor Adventures, Emergency Communication & Tactical Operations

NOTE: This is not a toy radio. This is a ham radio that requires an FCC amateur license to legally operate in the US. Even though it can physically transmit on GMRS/FRS, MURS, and VHF Marine bands, this radio is not FCC type-accepted for these bands; so, using this radio on these bands is at your own risk.That being said, THIS IS A GREAT RADIO!The Baofeng AR-152 is a replica of the PRC-152, which is a replica of the Harris Falcon military radio; and, while it may not feature the PRC or Harris' aluminum shell, it is still a very rugged radio, and also has a wider frequency range than the PRC and Harris.BATTERY:This radio is BIG! It's basically a Baofeng BF-F8HP in a more rugged case with a much much much larger battery. How much larger? I've run one of my AR-152 radios for as long as 10 hours a day for 2 weeks on a single charge.There is no charging cradle made for this radio. Charging is only via a small port in the side of the battery. Charge cords are available in AC/DC transformer, 12-volt cigarette lighter adapter, and USB-type plug.ERGONOMICS:Aside from the long-lasting battery, the big size of this radio also lends itself well to the longer high-gain antennas, such as the Abbree 18" and Abbree 42" folding antennas, being able to support these longer antennas without falling over... or without looking ridiculous. Even though it was not advertised in the particular package I purchased, I received the standard 9" OEM antenna plus the 18" Abbree antenna (pictured)... Bonus! But don't think that you have to get a bigger antenna. The standard 9" OEM antenna that generally comes with this radio is big, and it works very well.The AR-152 has a big LCD display, different than most Baofengs, that is very easy to read indoors and out.It has a large 1 watt speaker that is loud and clear, and can overcome high ambient noise.There is a Kenwood K-type (mini/sub-mini) port on the side that can be used for both a data cable or peripheral headset/handset combinations using the K-type plug.The AR-152 does not have a belt clip; so, I recommend also purchasing the pouch.The side buttons above and below the PTT button activate features such as commercial FM radio, and the flashlight.POWER OUTPUT:If you've owned Baofeng VHF/UHF ham radios before, then you know that advertised power output is never fully attained when operating above 5 watts; and, like any radio, fluctuates and drops off as you run up through the frequencies. This is standard radio physics. The AR-152's power is perfectly adequate. Its output fluctuates from 7.5-9.0 watts on High, 5.2-6.1 on Medium, and 1.9-2.2 on Low, when in the 145 MHz and 430 MHz ranges. When you get into the 500s, the drop-off can be severe.PROGRAMMING:The AR-152 is easily field-programmable through the keypad, if you read the manual. Many people get frustrated with this process because they fail to realize that all field programming entries must be locked-in by pressing the MENU button to complete each entry. Also note that once a channel memory space is used, it cannot be overwritten until that channel memory is deleted.It is also easily programmable via a computer using the OEM Baofeng CPS software written specifically for the AR-152 , available by request through KongTone, or through the Abbree download website.Using the Chirp Next and Chirp Legacy CPS programs have had mixed reviews with this particular radio model. (see below)WARNING:The AR-152 can also be programmed with Chirp using the BF-F8HP or UV-5R settings; however, myself and others have experienced some serious issues when using Chirp.Uploading from Chirp [can] cause an irreversible power output malfunction. The result is that High becomes 3.5 watts, and Medium and Low become 6.2 watts.Again, this condition is not reversible or user-fixable.Some AR-152/Chirp users have reported successful (non-damaging) uploads from the latest version of Chirp-Next, using the latest version of Windows; however, using older versions of Chirp-Next or Chirp-Legacy is not advised, and is likely to cause this condition. RT Systems' BAO-152 software has also been known to cause this issue. Use these CPS programs at your own risk, and check your power output with a Digital Power Meter BEFORE and AFTER your first programming upload to see if your AR-152 has been affected.