I just wanted to remind fellow preppers and HAM radio enthusiast, there is an upcoming rule change by the FCC: It will be illegal to sell or advertise radios such as the Baofeng UV-5R and the BaoFeng BF-F8HP. These radios operate in the FRS radio band (462.5625 – 462.7250 MHz) and other HAM licensed bands and they do it all in one device.
This is going away!
OFFICIALLY:
§ 95.591 Sales of FRS combination radios prohibited.
Effective September 30, 2019, no person shall sell or offer for sale hand-held portable radio equipment capable of operating under this subpart (FRS) and under any other licensed or licensed-by-rule radio services in this chapter (devices may be authorized under this subpart with part 15 unlicensed equipment authorizations).
I strongly suggest you stock up on these cheap radios while you can. They are affordable enough to stash just about anywhere.
Please note that this upcoming ban is NOT a ban on the possession or use of FRS dual-band HAM radios. Any of the banned radios that were in possession before September 30th will be grandfathered in. Buy them while they are still available and affordable.
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BAOFENG K5PLUS Tri-Band Ham Radio Long Range, UHF VHF 1.25M Handheld 10W Tri-Power Two Way Radio with Airband, NOAA, 2500mAh Battery, Speaker Mic, 999CH, Frequency Copy, Scramble
$32.99 (as of April 16, 2025 08:29 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
BAOFENG Radio 10W Ham Radio Long Range AR-5RM Handheld Two Way Radio NOAA Weather Receiver DTMF Rechargeable Walkie Talkies Copy Frequency 999CH K5 Plus with USB-C Charger 3800mAh Battery (2 Pack)
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