Baofeng UHF Two Way Radio 2 Piece Set with Earpieces

Two people, one job, no phone signal.

You are a couple of hundred metres apart. One of you is backing the trailer, the other is watching the hitch. There are no bars on the phone, yelling does not carry, and hand signals only work while you can both still see each other.

Miss a call on the two-way and it runs from minor to serious very quickly — machine damage, someone standing where they should not be, an incident report at the end of it. Communication is everything. You cannot afford to fail on that.

This is a matched pair of Baofeng BF-88E handhelds, and the plainest thing about them is the one that matters: two of these talk to each other straight out of the box. Sixteen channels on a rotary knob, one push-to-talk button, no screen and no menus. Hand one over, both of you wind to the same number, and that is the whole setup.

Batteries clipped on, both knobs wound to the same number, earpieces plugged in. That is about ten minutes of setup and you are talking. Nothing further to buy, no programming, no computer and no cable.

They are a self-contained pair, and that is the use case: two people on one job. One site, one convoy, one trailer being backed through a gate. Everything either of you needs is in the box, twice over.

The band these transmit on is printed on the back of the radio under the battery, and the Limits tab sets out exactly what it says and what it does not say.

What It Does

• Puts two people on one channel: hand the second radio over, both wind the knob to the same number, and you are talking.
• Works with no network: no SIM, no phone signal, no account and nothing to pay every month.
• Charges off USB: each radio gets its own cradle on a USB lead, so the ute, a laptop or a power bank will do it.
• Keeps your hands on the job: an ear-hook earpiece with an inline microphone and a clothing clip comes with each radio.
• Rides on a belt or a pack: a metal belt clip and a braided hand strap for each unit.

Key Features

• Sixteen channels: selected on a rotary knob on the top of the radio, 12.5 kHz spacing, analogue FM voice.
• Rated 0.5 W: the supplier's test report gives a rated output of 0.5 watts, or 26.99 dBm.
• One big PTT: a single push-to-talk bar on the side, with a separate monitor button and function key beneath it.
• Earpiece per radio: ear-hook style, inline microphone, clothing clip and a two-pin plug into the side jacks.
• Removable battery: a 1500 mAh lithium-ion BL-1 pack at 3.7 V and 5.55 Wh, so a spare can be swapped in.
• USB charging cradle: two supplied, one per radio, adapter output listed as DC 5 V at 0.5 A.
• Nothing to read: no screen and no keypad, just an LED indicator, so there is nothing to squint at in the dark.
• Fits a shirt pocket: 170 mm tall including the antenna, 55 mm wide and 35 mm deep.
• Sold as a pair: two radios, two batteries, two chargers, two earpieces, two clips and two hand straps.

Free delivery to Australia and New Zealand. Delivery runs 10 to 14 days from the day you place the order, so allow up to three weeks.

Limits

• It will not talk to a UHF CB: the supplier states 446 MHz. UHF CB equipment sold in Australia and New Zealand uses a different band, so the two sets cannot hear each other. These are a pair that talks to itself.
• No range figure is stated: the supplier publishes none and we are not going to invent one. Handheld UHF is line of sight. Ridge to ridge or across open water you may get a long way; in scrub, gullies, steel sheds or a built-up street it will be a small fraction of that. The terrain decides it, not the radio.
• Not rated for real heat: the type certificate states a temperature range of -10 °C to +35 °C. Plenty of Australian afternoons sit above the top of that.
• No water rating at all: no IP figure appears on the radio, the battery or the certificate. Treat it as a dry-weather handheld, not something to take out in the rain.
• No screen, no keypad: a channel knob and an LED. You cannot read which channel you are on — you look at the knob and count.
• Half a watt is half a watt: 0.5 W rated. This is a short-range handheld, not a base station and not a repeater set.
• No privacy: anything else on the same channel and band will hear you, and you will hear it. No encryption is stated by the supplier.
• Talk time is not stated: the battery is 1500 mAh, but the supplier publishes no talk time or standby figure, so we cannot give you one.

The frequency band, stated plainly. The label under the battery reads Model: BF-88E, Frequency: PMR446MHz. The supplier's own test report in the image gallery says the same: sixteen channels from 446.00625 MHz to 446.19375 MHz, 12.5 kHz spacing, analogue FM, rated 0.5 W.

The certificate shown in those images is a European type examination certificate, issued by a German notified body and assessed against the European radio standard EN 300 296. The marks on the radio are FCC, CE, RoHS and the crossed-out wheelie bin. There is no RCM mark, no ACMA reference and no AS/NZS standard anywhere on the radio, the battery or the supplier's paperwork, and the supplier does not state an Australian-authorised frequency band.

Q & A

Is it really two radios, or one?

Two. The supplier's pack contents panel lists two radio bodies, two 1500 mAh batteries, two USB chargers, two headsets, two clips, two hand straps and one manual. The old listing title read "2 Peace set" — that was a typo for piece, and it is a genuine pair.

What band and how many channels?

The radio is printed PMR446MHz. The supplier's test report lists sixteen channels running from 446.00625 MHz to 446.19375 MHz at 12.5 kHz spacing, analogue FM, rated 0.5 W. No Australian compliance mark and no Australian-authorised band is stated by the supplier.

How far will they actually reach?

The supplier states no range and we will not put a number on it. Line of sight is what governs handheld UHF. A clear view between the two radios is worth far more than the radio itself, and hills, scrub, steel sheds and buildings all cut it down hard.

Will they work with the UHF CB handheld I already own?

No. The supplier states these run on 446 MHz, and UHF CB gear sold here uses a different band, so the two will not hear each other. Buy them as a self-contained pair.

How do they charge, and can I do it in the ute?

Each radio has its own cradle on a USB lead. The supplier's photos show it running from a car USB socket, a desktop computer and a power bank. The listed adapter output is DC 5 V at 0.5 A.

Is there a screen or a menu to set up?

No. There is a channel knob, a power and volume knob, an LED indicator, a push-to-talk bar, a monitor button and a function key. That is the lot, which is most of the appeal.

Specs