5-Pk BaoFeng UHF VHF Dual-Band Two-Way Radio w/ Earpiece + 1 Programming Cable Expired

Technically, yes they'll work. Legally, hell no. If understanding FCC HAM laws was tough, international radio transmission laws are a world worse. Ship's captains permission, various countries licensing, recognized ID etc. Not sure the FRS radios everyone uses on cruise ships are really any different legally once you leave the USA either but Jamaica likely isn't arresting a Disney Mom for her Motorola FRS walkie usage anytime soon.

An FCC HAM Tech license is easy to get these days, download a study app for your phone and you can breeze through a test easily. With a little knowledge, you can make choices programming the radio that technically break the law but use frequency blocks and tx power that use doesn't attract attention. Not knowing any better, you could easily step on critical public safety or Marine VHF with one of these and law enforcement, FCC, or Coast Guard folks will be on you in no time.

Not dead, but if you've listened to a net lately, it's basically a local link network of the area retirement homes chatting with each other about the weather.

First, off the shelf 40 mile walkie talkie claims are utter non-sense, that kind of range might happen in some sort of ideal lab vacuum conditions. But yes, 600% more output power compared to off-the-shelf FRS radios. As with all consumer electronics, and as others point out, wattage claims are hyped, these probably only actually put out ~ 3 Watts. FRS radios are limited to 1/2 Watt output, although as of 2017 a few channels are now permitted to put out up to 2 Watts. All that said, output power helps but environmental issues, the curve of the earth, and all sorts of other things affect range. True of any radio. Lookup how repeaters work which really unlock the utility of these & HAM radio.

It's not like a fishing license, to transmit, someone with an FCC license needs to be in control / present.


The retirement aged HAM crowd has time on their hands and would love nothing more than 'foxhunt' you down for commercial use of repeaters & HAM bands. Definitely illegal and concerned citizens would see that it got pursued. Just don't.




All that above said, these radios are incredible for the price if you understand what you're doing with them. Some of the programming cables are junk and can cause a headache getting them to work, buy a quality programming cable. Open-source software supports it, @see https://chirp.danplanet.com/
I leave one in my vehicle, holds a charge nearly forever and takes all kinds of abuse that I wouldn't subject my cellphone or another expensive HAM mobile radio to. Once you get just the absolute minimum HAM license, a pair of these radios can talk to one another 60+ miles apart going through a repeater which is the draw to understanding HAM radio.

Ham radio hasn't been dead for years...

Not the same Radio
1) No Dual-Band 136-174MHz / 400-480MHz,
2) No 128 Channels
3) No Display
4) No Key Pad
5) No Programming Cable
6) Not able to program to Ping a repeater
7) No ability to field program