Baofeng A52

This is the most recent release from Baofeng, and it gets opposing reviews depending on whom you're reading. It is the same radio inside as the GT-3 that Baofeng made for another OEM. It uses the same speaker Mic's and antennas as the other Chinese radios, but not the battery packs. Besides the obvious changes to the case form factor and layout, there is a changed screen readout: white letters on a black background. This makes it readable in bright light, and not readable at all after dark unless you are looking at it with your headlamp on, or activate the backlighting (by pressing any key). However another reviewer on Amazon says, "As I hoped, I can read the white-on-black much better than the color-background display on the UV5R --especially in poor light. For me this is a big improvement." (I assume he meant when the backlighting is activated). So it seems that as well as contradicting each other, some reviewers love it, others (especially older HAMS) hate it. So we decided to test how the display looks when you look at it with your headlamp on without activating the backlight, because that simulates realistic S&R scenarios. You can read more about that below.

It is claimed the radio uses a couple of newer chips (a different RF Chip, a different Receiver Chip, and a different Power Amplifier Chip) that improve noise reduction, reception, etc. Again, some reviewers claim there is a noticeable difference, and others say there is not. As the mountains make up their own rules, we looked at these factors and came to the conclusion that while this may make a difference in urban areas, it seems to be negligible in the mountains.

Impressions after real world use:

All the reviews we have found are written by HAMS. The problem with reading reviews written by HAMS, is they come at these items with a whole different set of 'pre-disposals'. With this unit, a controversial feature is the non-standard display. Indeed when we got delivery of these and turned it on in a dimly lit room, I thought to myself, "this will never fly". If I took it to the window I could read it, but in dim moderate light, not so good. Then I punched a key, and the display looked very nice: better than the standard backlit LCD displays we are used to. Later, we tested it at night while wearing a headlamp. The display is easily readable when you look at it with your headlamp on, about the same readability index as the standard LCD display when neither has backlighting activated. However: when you hit a key and the backlight is activated (user definable for up to 27 seconds), the A52 looks sharper and stands out against the dark background more. Now, hitting a random key to activate backlighting could be a problem when the keypress might change the radio's parameters. But if the keypad is locked, which is the way it should always be anyway, then any keypress activates the backlight without changing any settings.

Having an LCD display on radios is a recent development. Let's face it, your radio is not your smartphone. You don't use it to play Angry Birds or do messaging. If you're not a HAM, you lock your working frequency on 'A' channel, and perhaps another frequency you want to monitor on 'B'. Stick it on your hip or in the flap of your pack, and forget about it. In other words, you do not spend a lot of your leisure time staring at your radio's display. But what if you hear someone talking and you glance at your radio to see what channel they are talking on? Fortunately, the backlight comes on when that happens, so you would be able to see the display information without hitting the keypad in moderate lighting conditions. Backlighting also activates when you press your Mic, or any key, and the keypad is also backlit. Conclusion: we think that the backlighting that is used on these is not a problem when used for non-HAM activities that our clients are normally engaged in.

Other observations: Due to the tapered base, the radio does not tail stand well when our Top-Heavy 5/8 wave S&R antennas are on it. It will stand, but it anyone bumps the table, it will fall over. Until you get used to the keypad layout, the numbers are harder to read because it shares each key's real estate with a function code.

Who is this radio for?

Recreational users who may want an economical lightweight unit to use for VHF and FRS, want a clear display to use at night, and do not need a AA cell pack for backup power. Because it uses the same Mic's and antennas as the other Chinese radios, it can make for a good second radio to be carried by your partner. May perform better near urban environments where there is more RFI to contend with.