Baofeng DMR Radio. Not April fool’s this time.

Or so it seems. Radioddity (ham radio online retailer) announced that on the 26th of September, the Baofeng DM-5R is going to be released.

Here is their blog post: http://www.radioddity.com/us/blog/dm5r/

It looks exactly like a UV-5R. Which is both good and bad. It’s good because all those batteries, chargers, antennas and accessories will (most likely) fit. Bad because… well, it will still look like the $30 analogue little brother. For me, this is not an issue.

From their blog:

BaoFeng’s goal for the release of their first digital two-way radio is to eliminate one of the largest barriers of entry into the digital zone: price. At a $70 price range, the digital world is open to all.

The price seems tempting. They have it for pre-order for $70, plus they have a pre-sale offer. If you send them an email on support@radioddity.com, or private message on their facebook page, they will send you a coupon code for 10% off. The number of coupons is limited to 100 an only valid for pre-orders until the release date.

Here are the specs:

• DMR Digital Radio
• VHF/UHF 136-174/400-480Mhz
• 2000mAH High Capacity Battery
• High Power/Low power
• 21CM Dual Band Antenna
• 8-Level Stepped Frequency Selection
• Auto power saving function,Super-Long Standby
• Compatibility Of Digital And Analog Under DMR System
• Supports Individual Call, Group Call And All Call
• Support DMR repeater function (DMR Tier 1)

It is also dual band, covering both the 2m and 70cm amateur radio bands. Too good to be true? Not sure, but we’ll know on the 26th. I am going to have my hands on a unit for review soon.

You can buy the Baofeng DM-5R here (affiliate).