Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Where I work there are never enough company walkies, so I decided to purchase my own, in hopes it would work with our system. I chose the BaoFeng based on word-of-mouth accolades. I got the least expensive model (UV-5R) in hopes it would work. It did. That is, it connected with our work frequency, no problem. I gave it a 2-star rating due to the VERY annoying rythmic static pulse it continually generated. Wearing it all day with that noise could drive me crazy! Another problem with the radio was that within a week, the earpiece stopped working. Its volume dropped to a whisper, even at the highest setting. I know it wasn't the radio Itself because I tried another earpiece with it and all was well...except for that god-awful static pulse. So, I returned it and upgraded to the new-and-improved BF-F8hp model at $62 and have been happy as a clam :) It costs more than twice as much, but it's more than twice as good. No static noise at all and good power. Definitely worth expense. The quality of workmanship and materials is excellent on both models, and the battery on both models is quite impressive, lasting me several 8-hour work days. If BaoFeng ever solves the noise problem on the less expensive UV-5R model, it'll be the go-to walkie for private use, IMO. Oh, I should mention that I purchased an aftermarket short antenna for convenience of carry and it works just fine. $8 well spent.