[Chirp & APP Programming] Radioddity GS-5B Dual Band Ham Radio Handheld, BT APP Programming Long Range Two Way Radio, Dual PTT, 2000mAh USB Rechargeable Battery & High Gain Antenna

October 14, 2020— Before I start, I am an Extra Class Amateur radio operator.Short summary: This is an industrial-strength quality water-resistant radio, suitable for daily use and rugged use. The GS-5B is the one to buy. I foresee this replacing UV-5R and pretty much becoming the standard for all non-digital HTs. The distance/range is outstanding and beats my well-established Japanese name-brand ham radios. With included antenna: 38 miles low power to a repeater, 7 miles simplex. Save up to buy a second battery once it is offered, not available yet.Long review: First, disregard all the other reviews that are upset about the cell phone programming app that uses Bluetooth because it is still in the beta testing phase. I can attest that with the iPhone, one needs to camera app to have the q- code in the manual in focus, and the phone will do the rest. One has to download the "Test-flight" app from the Apple app store that allows you to beta test programs. Then select "Radioddity Gs-5b", and you are good to go. It is straightforward. The package comes with the serial programming cable, which allows direct programming via computer, and once again, download a program from the radiology website. Very easy. Many people are upset that this radio does not work with CHIRP. Get over it! It might work with CHIRP eventually. Nevertheless, programming is elementary.Power and Range: This is the shining star of this radio. All tests were done with the included rubber duck antenna. My meter tested exactly 4W output on high power on all tested channels and roughly 0.5 W on low power transmission. I was able to talk to repeater 38 miles away on low power. I did a measure of elevation from where I was to the repeater, with only an elevation difference of 100 feet. Simplex: High power =11 miles, clear signal. Low power =7 miles, clear signal! I was blown away by this capability because this is better than my several of my Yeasu HTs.Frequency range: Transmit frequencies of 136-175 MHz and 400-520 Mhz, which spans amateur into commercial bands. Receiver frequency 136-520 Mhz, so you can monitor on the 220 Mhz bandPackage: The back is very sturdy. The accessories included are a stand-alone drop-in charger, antenna, serial programming cable, belt clip, lanyard, and quality radiology clear earpiece and microphone.Unit: The unit is very well constructed, sturdy, and drop resistant. It is Hunter orange, with his very visible, especially in a rugged outdoor situation, very easy to find. I love this! There is a large flashlight on the bottom of the radio that is very visible up to 3 miles away, with a strobe capability. I tested this out on the lake nearby, with my friends on the shore.Battery: The battery is a 7.4 V 2000 MAH battery pack. The package comes with one battery. It is secured to the back of the radio with an attached set screw, so there is the battery is extremely secure. It is a rubbery surrounding edge, which adds to the moisture resistance. The back of the battery has a micro USB port.On, High power, standby: almost 36 hours. Low power, standby: almost two days, more like 48 hrs.High power, talking for in 3-5 minute burst non-stop rag chewing= 4.5 hrsLow power, talking for 3-5 minute rag-chews nonstop= 7 hrsOverall, the battery life could be better, most likely is due to the requirements to power the color screen.Charging: Out of the package, it took about 15 minutes for the radio to charge fully.Fully depleted: Standalone battery charger = average 1 hour & 15-minute. If one charges via the micro USB port, with any generic cord, = 2.5 hours. This is a bonus because one can find these micro USB cords that are standardly used with many portable devices such as Samsung phones and any other devices. This cord can be found just about anywhere or any store's lost-and-found if one is in a situation where one needs to find a cord very quickly.Recommendation: I recommend wholeheartedly for radio newbies and veterans to obtain this radio. This may become the new standard dual-band radio.N4REX

Did I NEED a dual-band HT? Not really. Did I want a dual-band HT? Yes, I did. So, I looked at a lot of models from a lot of manufacturers. All of them had features that made their model very compelling and desirable. That’s the reason for the marketing, right? They all want you to think that theirs is the best and the rest can’t compete. Well, that’s simply not true. You do not have to spend big money to get quality and performance. If you want a dual-band HT (2 m 144Mhz and 70 cm 420Mhz), then look at this little jewel from Radioddity. The Radioddity GS-5B.I ordered mine and had it in two days (actually, about 36 hours). On opening the box, the first thing I noticed was how well it was packaged. Right on par with the much more expensive rigs. All of the accessories were well packaged and intact. No shipping damage. The radio itself stared up at me and begged to be picked up. Right away I noticed that, even without the battery on it, it felt sturdy and hefty. Nothing about it looked cheap or flimsy. The controls and buttons felt crisp and smooth and it fit my hand like it was made for me. In my opinion, it is perfectly sized. The battery compartment was clean and sturdy. I installed the battery (held in with a screw to keep it solid and tight), the belt clip (also very well thought out and very sturdy), and the antenna (the male end of the SMA connector is on the radio which is becoming more common). I gave it a good look over. The fit and finish were excellent. All I could think was, wow, what a sweet little radio. I hope it works as well as it looks and feels.I turned the little radio on and it came to life. The screen quality is excellent and easy to read. The audio is abundant and clear. Very impressive for an HT. The knob on top is the on/off and volume knob. Squelch, power level, and other functions are controlled in the menu and are easily configured.While it is fairly easy to program some settings on the GS-5B using the keypad (frequency mode makes it easy to enter the frequency manually or you can use the up/down button to scroll through frequencies) I think it is faster and easier to use the included programming cable (a nice touch as most companies make you purchase one) and the Radioddity software. I had no problems connecting the GS-5B to my computer and the GS-5B CPS software. The Radioddity website has the software, user manual, drivers, smartphone app information, and the programming guide available for download on their website. You read that right. There is a smartphone app available for programming the GS-5B via Bluetooth. How cool is that? Programming via Bluetooth on the go makes it easy to make changes to the GS-5B programming when you are out and about without the need for a computer. A very nice feature.On the air, the GS-5B is impressive. I was able to hit a repeater about 15 miles away with no problem. Audio reports were very good and receive audio was equally good. In simplex mode, I was able to talk with friends around the area at about 4 miles with no problems. Again, audio reports were good, and the received audio was good.Two other little things that make this radio unique. You can charge the battery via a USB connection on the back of the radio. That is a nice feature that would make charging the large 2000mAh Li-ion battery easy to do when you are away from home. Also, there is a light on the bottom of the radio that can be used as a little flashlight, as an emergency flasher that flashes white, red, and blue, or as an emergency flasher that includes a siren feature that is actually pretty loud and would get attention from nearby persons.One comment about Radioddity. I have purchased other radios and accessories from Radioditty and have had no problems with customer service. They respond well, usually within 24 hours or less, are very polite and very anxious to help. I give Radioddity a thumbs up as well. I think you will too.Bottom Line… This little radio is well made and includes all of the basic features you would need in a dual-band radio. It should serve anyone needing a basic 2m/70cm HTvery well. I would recommend it to friends and may purchase another for myself.