The big brother of the Baofeng UV-3R micro-HT is now available for a few dollars more. The UV-5R has a numeric keypad for entering frequency and DTMF tones, 128 memory channels, and 5 watts output power. It features a true drop-in charger, and a 7.4v 1800mAH (13.3 WH) Li-ion battery pack. The dot-matrix, alphanumeric display features tri-color LED backlighting, and the keypad has backlighting as well for night operation. See the article in the April Parasitic Emission for a review.
The group price is $60, and shipments are arriving within a week of ordering.
I am looking into sourcing for extra battery packs. The best pricing I can get is $16 each with approximately two week shipping time. This situation should quickly improve, as this is a brand-new model that was just released this month. So far in our area, 10 have been purchased. They sound great on the air, and no complaints have been registered! This radio is every bit as good and in many ways superior to its nearest competitor, the Wouxung dual-band HT and only costs half the price!
RIGHT-CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINKS AND SELECT “SAVE LINK AS” FROM THE MENU!!!
Here’s the manual: 
Here’s the programming software: uv-5r (Caution! Primitive!)
Here’s a USB-Serial driver for “Prolific” chipsets that works with 32 and 64 bit Windows: PL2303_Prolific_GPS_AllInOne_1013
Here’s a local frequency list: QC-HAM+PS
Here’s a schematic for building a serial programming interface: 
Heard about this offer at the PARC meeting tonight.
How do I take advantage of the group buy
How do I take advantage of the group buy, also?
Hello Brian!
Pretty easy. They’re $60 and all you have to do is tell me you want one. I’m placing an order on Tuesday, and they should arrive by Friday… Should I add yours to it?
73
Joe