Thanks for the offer to help set it up, unfortunately I am in Montana. I do have tons of questions though, What kind of range can I expect in mountains with thick trees? What kind of battery life? What's the difference between the UV-5R and the UV-5RE? What kind and where did you get your waterproof mic, and excuse the ignorance, but does the mic serve as a speaker as well? I think the best price is on Amazon, and I would like to get 5 or 6 for my riding group. Do they have a lock so they don't get accidentally bumped into a different mode in the back pack while riding?
Sorry for the questions, just cant find a review that gives me these answers.
In mtns and trees you should average a couple of miles. Battery will be more than adequate for a long day of riding. No difference what so ever, just looks. Yes it is a speaker/mic. You probably will hear it but not understand what is being said when you are wot'n around. It is a stop to talk operation. Baofengtech seems to have the best quality speaker mics. Yes there is a front panel lock, use it. I recommend that you buy the 5 watt version. The 8 watt will not make a noticable difference. :face-icon-small-coo
Get the ftdi programming cable. Miklor.com is the place to find answers about the cheap chinese radios. No sales just info.