Chinese handheld radios

There are always new models of handheld radio coming out of China, usually small variations on an existing model. Now however there are too many new features for us to ignore. Cheap radios are coming out with many interesting and innovative new features such as GPS/APRS, 10m & 6M operation, HF SSB & CW reception, Bluetooth programming, USB-C charging, band scan displays (aka ‘spectrum analyzers’). Some radios are waterproof although these models seem to need dedicated accessories including the programming cables. Essentially manufacturers are throwing new features at the wall and seeing what sticks.

A few caveats – most Chinese radio advertisements appear to be unreliable, as are some of the features. Tales abound of radios with a fraction of the advertised power output and far lower battery capacity too. If you see a handheld advertised with 100w output you’d better hope the ad is wrong or you may suffer bad RF burns – if the battery held out that long!

Saying that, things do seem to be improving with some of the latest generation of radios. Many of the new features do work even if not entirely as you expect. Power outputs are sometimes genuinely higher. Claimed battery capacity may not be much more accurate but the numbers are going up, which may mean a real increase in battery capacity. Some of the radios now have functional S meters.

Many of the current crop of cheap radios seem to cover the US 220 MHz band so be careful not to transmit there or you may be breaking the law AND interfering with DAB reception. The addition of the band (an allocation in the US, not Europe) might suggest US sales could be dropping off thanks to US import tariffs, with radios being diverted to other parts of the world. Maybe leading to bargains here? NB there seem to be some cut and paste errors in advert feature lists, so if you’re desperate for a particular feature check elsewhere before ordering.

If you’re wary of ordering from China a number of UK dealers stock Chinese radios, including Sinotel, Mirfield and Moonraker.

Here are a few of the current crop of radios. We haven’t tested these radios and can’t warrant for their performance. Some do have reviews online or in print. Eham.net user reviews may be worth a look but be aware that there are multitude of brands and model numbers in use, even for what appear to be the same radios (or models with cosmetic differences).

Quansheng TK11(5) and (8) as reviewed in August 2025 Radcom. Features: 10m, 6m, 2m, 70cm amateur bands. 10W Dual Receiving (yes, reception of two different channels at the same time). 27MHz CB, HF CW LSB LW MW, Type-C Charger. Comes with regular antenna and a ferrite rod ‘T’ antenna for MW/LW RX. Some versions may come with a 6m/2m/70cm antenna. (5) version has 2500 mAh battery, (8) version has 3000mAh battery. Possibly not legal to use for CB. Prices from £55.

Baofeng UV-5RH PRO GPS Features: 10W output, 2m, 70cm, AM air band RX, large colour screen (which times out to save battery), Bluetooth, USB type-C, charging cable and USB drop-in charging dock. APRS/GPS mode. Cost from £28 inc VAT depending on options & shipping. Warning – has 220-260 MHz US Ham band transmit capability. NB We seen one of these radios and the 2m transmit power into a dummy load was just under 5w – slightly lower than the UV-5RA it was replacing! Output on 70cm was better, at around 7w. The APRS feature is TX only and the default settings identify the station as one in China – presumably the developer’s call & QTH! AM mode isn’t selectable in the menus but the radio seems to switch into AM when on air band frequencies. Some of the settings can only be programmed in from a PC, including air band memories & APRS settings using software that only seems available from the Baofeng Facebook group. (And it isn’t supported by CHIRP.) Bluetooth seems functionless, although when enabled the device does appear on a Bluetooth scan from a phone or tablet. It appears that Bluetooth may be for programming using a phone app but the only app available at the time didn’t seem to support this model.

Baofeng DM 1701 Features: DMR Digital & FM 2m & 70cm. Support for open source Open GD77 firmware. Dual Time Slot Tier 1+2. Prices from around £39.57 inc VAT but + options & shipping. There is a review here: https://www.besthamradio.com/baofeng-dm-1701/

Iradio UV-98 PLUS Features: 2m 70cm, HF, 10W, FM TX (18 MHz up), AM SSB CW RX, Cross Band Repeater, 2.4″ large screen, Type-C charging, Shortwave Ham Radio. TX on 10m, 6m, 2m & 70cm, RX across most of HF band inc SSB, Broadcast FM and AM airband. Available with APRS/GPS. Has an SMA connector for HF antennas. Cost around £54 inc VAT + options & shipping.

Quoted prices from Banggood.com and AliExpress.com