A Baofeng CB radio
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| Possible baofeng cb in the future ? |
C'mon people, really ???
The Baofeng UV5r radios are a great bargain at a low low price that is affordable for most radio operators. But let's get one thing straight, the Baofeng UV-5R is NOT a CB radio.
Baofeng UV-5R Comparison Chart.
The Baofeng line of radios are VHF/UHF radios working in the 100 to 500 MHZ range. The most popular use of these radios is Ham radio (2M and 440) and public service. Yes, they WILL work in other services, but the legality of them is a grey area at best.
Services in VHF
Services in UHF
Citizens Band (CB) radio is a public band that uses the frequency range 26.965 to 27.405 in the HF (High Frequency) spectrum. Yes they do make CB radios that will operate outside this frequency range, but again these are illegal and if caught operating by the F.C.C you will be fined. They also sometimes sell high power Amateur radio equipment that can be easily modified to work on the CB band. Again, if caught you will be fined. CB also uses AM and SSB as the only modes that are legal to use.
The Baofeng UV5R radios are all FM (Frequency Modulation) and will not go low enough in frequency to operate on the CB bands. Their are some mods (modifications) that are out there floating around the internet that will expand the frequency range, but even those are sketchy at best, and the receive quality and signal strength drop off quickly once they are out of the normal frequency range. Really, with the tremendous range these radios already have why would anyone want to go beyond that.
That being said, the low price and dual band range of the Baofeng UV5R radios have made them very popular in the various radio circles. For a radio that sells under $50.00 you get a decent dual band handheld radio to carry around with you. It is small enough to fit in a pocket, or throw in a backpack or SHTF bag, and durable enough to last. The accessories are also very cheap. You can equip yourself with a complete package including case, antenna, extra batteries and speaker mics and still spend under $100 bucks.
But, back to the original topic, the answer is no, you can not use the baofeng UV-5R or any of the Baofeng series of radios on the CB band at this time.
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