Gear, Handheld radios

Baofeng UV-82 8W Power Test [Video]

In this video I am doing a Baofeng UV-82 8W power test.

Baofeng UV-82 8W Power Test

This Baofeng is not the UV-82HP tri-power model. In fact, there is nothing that states it is a new model, apart from the sticker on the back of the radio stating its power is 8 watts. Does it hold up to its claim?

You can get the UV-82 5W model here.
Nissei RS-40 inline power meter.
Various car jump starters.

Here is the video, enjoy:

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4 Comments

  1. Harris Gates

    Back in my old 2 way radio bench tech days we would see radio batteries specked by duty cycle. Such as 5/5/90. 5% xmit 5% receive and 90% standby. Even if this radio made 8 watts it is unlikely to do that for very long before the battery voltage drops. The 8 watt claim is just a selling point. Almost like “click bait”.

    1. hamradioreviews

      Yes, I agree. We seem to have got used to false specifications these days. Nonetheless, it is a very good radio and newer ( <1-2 years) Baofeng models have improved significantly.

  2. John

    A couple of questions, though.

    (1) You measured the SWR at the start of the video, but not after changing to high power, I think. Maybe the SWR is high enough to reduce the forward power?

    (2) Is the SWR meter calibrated at both frequencies, and is it a VHF meter?

    1. hamradioreviews

      Hello John. In reply to your questions:

      1. Yes, I didn’t measure the SWR on high on 2m. Probably because I know the meter and my setup. I need to be more careful in the future an include these details. I am measuring the SWR on High power on 70cm though, at 5:27 in the video. The SWR is < 1:1.2. More like 1:1.1. I can perform another test and upload it if you like. 2. No, the meter is not calibrated, at least not by me. It is just as it was when I purchased it. This is by no means a scientific test, as it this is not my intention. It is, however, quite accurate, as I have measured many different radios and compared the results. The range of the meter is 140-150MHz and 430-450MHz. I hope these answer your questions, thanks!

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