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Baofeng Two Way Radios and Accessories in South Africa

Baofeng made handheld transceivers cheap enough that two way radio stopped being specialist equipment. The UV-5R in particular has become the default starting radio worldwide, and the reason is simple: it does most of what a far more expensive handset does, at a price where buying a pair is not a decision. NeonSales carries 14 Baofeng products, from R175 for a programming cable up to R1,849 for a six pack of BF-888S radios.

What Baofeng products does NeonSales stock?

  • Dual band handhelds: UV-5R VHF and UHF, single and two pack, plus the UV-5RM
  • Tri-band handhelds: UV-16R with USB-C charging, UX-19 at 18W with a TFT screen
  • Higher power: UV-9R UHF and VHF transceiver
  • Simple radios: BF-888S GMRS in 3W, sold in sets of two and six
  • Batteries: BL-5 7.4V 1800mAh for the UV-5R, BL-9 8.4V 2500mAh for the UV-9R, UV-5R battery case
  • Programming: CHIRP software cables for UV-5R and FTDI cable for UV-9R
  • Audio: Kenwood type speaker microphone

Which radio suits what

Model Bands Best suited to
BF-888S Single band, 3W Simple site or event use where you just need push to talk out of the box
UV-5R / UV-5RM Dual band VHF and UHF The standard choice, huge accessory support and endless programming guides online
UV-9R Dual band, higher power Longer range work and rougher handling
UV-16R / UX-19 Tri-band, USB-C More frequency coverage and modern charging, the current top of the range

Buy the programming cable

This is the accessory that turns a Baofeng from frustrating into useful. Programming channels from the keypad is slow and unintuitive. A CHIRP cable connects the radio to a computer and lets you set up every channel in minutes using free software, then copy the same configuration to every other radio you own. If you are buying more than one radio, buy the cable with them. Note the UV-5R and UV-9R take different cables.

Buy a spare battery too

Battery life is the practical limit on a long day, and Baofeng batteries are model-specific. The BL-5 fits the UV-5R series, the BL-9 fits the UV-9R, and they are not interchangeable. A spare battery costs a fraction of the radio and doubles your working time.

Common questions

Do I need a licence to use these? Requirements around radio frequency use vary by band and by circumstance. Confirm your own position before transmitting rather than relying on general guidance.

What is the actual range? Far less than advertised figures suggest. Handheld radios are line of sight, so terrain matters more than wattage. In open ground you may get several kilometres. In built up areas or hills, considerably less.

What does dual band mean? The radio works on both VHF and UHF. VHF travels better over open ground, UHF penetrates buildings better. Dual band gives you both.

Which is the sensible first purchase? A UV-5R two pack with a programming cable. That is the configuration most people end up with anyway.

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