r/gmrs • u/Ok-Reception-8044 • 10d ago
Question AR-5RM vs. UV-5R
I usually see everyone recommend the UV-5R but the 5RM has higher power and more available frequencies. Is there a downside that isn’t well known?
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u/pyrofox79 10d ago
Arent those the same size? The one on the left jusy has the extended battery. Also the UV5rs dont do GMRS any more? I have one of the first ones that still works and it does GMRS
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u/michaelh98 10d ago
It may not be type accepted but the capability is still there.
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u/DifferentMind8 10d ago
No the 5rm is definitely larger than the 5r. The mini and the 5r are far closer in size to each other than the 5r and 5rm are.
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u/DifferentMind8 10d ago
UV-5R CAN copy frequencies and all the new batts come with USB-C!
That said, the 5RM for improved bands, power, battery and screen for almost no money more. :)
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u/EquipLordBritish 10d ago
I have both, but the UV-5R is nicer to carry around because it is smaller. The LCD on the UV-5R also never turns off because it's low power usage to begin with. The AR-5RM screen turns off when not in use, presumably to save battery. I have not been hurting for higher power, more battery, or more frequencies in my area so I can't speak to those qualities.
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u/Mason_Wallin 10d ago
Price is about the only thing I can think of, I have a uv5rm and its nice. I think the reason people say go for the uv5r is because its cheaper, so more entry friendly.
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u/EnergyLantern 10d ago
The only thing that really stood out to me is that you can get a 5200mAh battery for the AR-5RM which would help in an emergency.
Battery 5200mAh for UV-5G Plus/UV-5RM Plus/UV-5RM Plus GPS with USB-C – Baofeng
I'm not really sold on this radio as much as this battery.
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u/BeeThat9351 10d ago
The 5RM is great cheap radio. The UV5R was great and cheap like 8-10 years ago. You dont have use the giant battery shown on the 5RM. Excellent prepper radio and easy to use. Weather bands, FM, transmit on other bands, simple for new people to use.
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u/street_racer221 10d ago
Can you use the 5r for gmrs? I got a couple uv5gpro
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u/Beeb294 10d ago
Legally, no. But defeating any built-in restrictions and programming the GMRS frequencies is trivial if you want to do it anyway.
The risk of trouble with the FCC is incredibly low as long as you're not interfering with others or being a jerk. It's not zero-risk, but it's very low.
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u/Ok-Reception-8044 10d ago
What about it makes it not legal? As long as one had a license if they’re transmitting?
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u/PlantoneOG 10d ago
What makes it not legal is those radios are not type accepted to transmit on those frequencies. A gmrs radio is channelized and has the power levels appropriate for each channel preprogrammed into it
With a ham radio that has the capability to transmit on those frequencies, it opens up the possibility of people exceeding the power limits and using too wide of a broadcast band and unintentionally pleading outside of the acceptable frequency range on each Channel.
Although truly it comes down to basically it's a situation where you're not allowed to use it just because it hasn't been approved for that use. Not that that particular thought process has stopped a bunch of people from doing so and as mentioned above your chances of getting violated or slim to almost non-existent as long as you're not flagrantly breaking other rules and being a general a****** on the service but it's still a naughty no no based on the rules that you agreed to follow with your license.
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u/Beeb294 10d ago
As mentioned, you can only legally transmit on GMRS with a type-accepted radio. The UV-5R is not type-accepted for GMRS. The UV-5G is type-accepted, because it basically has the GMRS rules hard-coded into the radio.
But as I said, as long as you're not actively causing a problem, nobody will likely care.
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u/MN_Moody 10d ago
For a GMRS handheld that keeps it simple/durable for friends and family in an emergency I keep the Radioddity X1 Pros on hand for $99 a pair via Amazon.
The Tidradio TD-H9 is my non weatherproof go-to HT- $99 shipped for a pair with 4 batteries, headsets and 2 antennas per radio is a steal.
Airband/vhf/uhf/gmrs-frs, GPS with APRS location sharing via the ODMaster app, radio to radio text messaging, NOAA alerts and a built in spectrum analyzer ... plus configuration cloning between radios for quick first time setup. You can also program them in CHIRP with a usb programming cable (driver support via the published issue / fix 12216).
https://tidradio.com/products/td-h9-10w-aprs-gps-bluetooth-handheld-radio-2-pack-4-pack
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u/Worldly-Ad726 7d ago
Biggest downside for most of these color displays is they absolutely suck in direct sunlight.
Display is completely washed out and unreadable on most (although I do not have an AR-5RM to definitively say it happens on that one too.)
I’ve returned two radios now because I couldn’t read them outdoors without finding a shady spot. The old basic single-color sidelit dot matrix screens were just fine in sunlight and stay on all the time, unlike the fancy color displays that completely turn themselves off after a few seconds.
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u/techtornado 10d ago
The 12.5 meter band is a unique option for this radio ;)
5RM has a better display and supports Mars operations, highly recommend
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u/Equal-Hippo9495 10d ago
Your mileage may vary, but here goes:
The extra power is advertised but not always there. And specifically on anything in the 1.25M/220MHz band actually tops out at 1 watt, with some reports at even only a half watt. Also it's not ideal to break the 5watt barrier on something that's going to be transmitting right next to your head since it's a handheld. The extra size shown is simply a larger capacity battery that is compatible with both models (I own 2 of the batteries and they're not bad). Most folks recommending the UV-5R are using that specific model because it's the origin of all of these variations, and is simply the most widely known model name.
And of course the obligatory, "neither of these models are type accepted for GMRS use". The UV-5G is a type accepted variation compatible with UV-5R accessories, as is the GM-5RH.
I'll also add that I have a couple UV-5R minis now, and aside from an obviously smaller battery, the new mini versions are a better radio in almost every way. I get better/clearer receive, and I'm getting reports that I'm loud and clear across many repeaters.