Baofeng UV-5R Series – Complete Collection of UV-5R Walkie Talkies UK

All UV-5R Series radios are legal to own and use for receiving (listening) in the UK without any licence. To transmit, you must hold a valid UK Amateur Radio Licence (Foundation, Intermediate, or Full) issued by Ofcom, or an Ofcom Business Radio Licence for commercial use. Transmitting without a licence is a criminal offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006. Read our UK Ham Radio Licence guide to get started.

It depends on your needs:

• Best entry-level: UV-5R Black or Camo — affordable, reliable, and the most widely supported Baofeng radio in the UK
• Best for tri-band: UV-5R III — adds 220MHz band operation alongside VHF and UHF
• Best compact / EDC: UV-5R Mini — ultra-compact with built-in Bluetooth and airband reception
• Best high power: UV-5RH — 10W output with 2500mAh battery, colour display, and airband reception
• Best for GPS tracking: UV-5RH Pro GPS — 10W with built-in GPS for outdoor expeditions and safety tracking
• Best multi-band: UV-5RM Plus — 10W with the widest frequency coverage, NOAA weather, and 999 channels

Yes. All models in the UV-5R Series are fully compatible with CHIRP, the free open-source radio programming software. A USB programming cable is required for PC connection on most models. The UV-5R Mini also supports wireless programming via its built-in Bluetooth and the OLA app. For UV-5R, UV-5RH, UV-5RH Pro GPS, and UV-5RM Plus, the optional BT-A1D Bluetooth adapter enables wireless programming without a cable.

The UV-5RH is a major upgrade over the standard UV-5R across every specification:

• Power: 10W (UV-5RH) vs 5W (UV-5R)
• Battery: 2500mAh (UV-5RH) vs 1800mAh (UV-5R)
• Display: 1.77-inch colour LCD (UV-5RH) vs monochrome LCD (UV-5R)
• Channels: 999 (UV-5RH) vs 128 (UV-5R)
• Airband RX: Yes 108-136MHz (UV-5RH) vs No (UV-5R)
• Charging: USB-C (UV-5RH) vs Desktop Charger (UV-5R)
• 220MHz band: Yes TX/RX (UV-5RH) vs No (UV-5R)

The UV-5R remains the best entry-level choice, while the UV-5RH is designed for users who need significantly more power, range, and features.

Air band reception (108-136MHz AM) is available on the following models: UV-5R Mini, UV-5RH, UV-5RH Pro GPS, and UV-5RM Plus. This makes them popular with aviation enthusiasts monitoring ATC at UK airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester. The standard UV-5R and UV-5R III do not support air band reception. Transmitting on air band frequencies is strictly illegal in the UK under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006, regardless of licence held.

There are three ways to program UV-5R Series radios:

• Manual keypad: Enter frequencies directly on the radio for quick individual channel adjustments in the field
• CHIRP software + USB cable: Connect to a PC using a USB programming cable for full channel management on all models. Download CHIRP free from chirpmyradio.com
• Bluetooth app (OLA): The UV-5R Mini has built-in Bluetooth — see our UV-5R Mini Bluetooth App Guide. For UV-5R, UV-5RH, UV-5RH Pro GPS, and UV-5RM Plus, use the optional BT-A1D adapter with the OLA app — see our BT-A1D programming guide

Yes. The UV-5R III supports tri-band transmit and receive across VHF (136-174MHz), 220MHz band (220-260MHz), and UHF (400-520MHz). This makes it unique in the entry-level UV-5R family — the standard UV-5R only covers VHF and UHF. The 220MHz band provides additional frequency flexibility for licensed amateur radio operators in the UK, though this band sees less everyday use than VHF or UHF. The UV-5R III is available in Black, Camo, and a 3800mAh extended battery version.

The UV-5R III 3800mAh is identical to the standard UV-5R III in every radio specification — same tri-band operation, same 128 channels, same tri-colour display. The only difference is the included 3800mAh extended battery pack, which is more than double the standard 1800mAh battery. This larger battery does increase the overall size of the radio (150 x 58 x 32mm vs 110 x 58 x 32mm). It is the best choice for UV-5R III users who need maximum battery endurance for long shifts, extended outdoor operations, or multi-day use without access to charging.