--By Christian Figueroa

My Baofeng UV-5RM Plus GPS has proven to be a versatile and reliable handheld radio. With 10W of transmit power, multi-band support (VHF, UHF, NOAA, FM, and AM/airband), integrated GPS, and 640 programmable channels, I’ve found it useful across many different situations—both for work and outdoor activities.

Practical Use Cases

1. Outdoor Work (Forestry, Ranching, Construction)
I use this radio for long-range communication and GPS location sharing when working across large or remote areas. It helps keep everyone connected and coordinated.

2. Hiking, Hunting, and Outdoor Recreation
When I’m out in places with poor or no cell service, the radio is a dependable way to stay in touch. GPS tracking helps me keep tabs on group members

3. Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response
I rely on the NOAA and multi-band reception to stay informed during storms, emergencies, or communication outages.

4. Event or Crew Coordination
With 640 programmable channels, I can assign different groups their own channels, which keeps communication organized and interference to a minimum.

5. Aviation-Adjacent Work
The airband receive feature allows me to monitor nearby aircraft activity—useful around rural airstrips or agricultural operations where aircraft pass through.

6. Search & Rescue and Off-Grid Projects
The combination of GPS tracking and solid VHF/UHF communication makes it valuable in rugged terrain or remote areas where navigation and safety matter.

7. Backup Communications
If cell service ever goes down or becomes unreliable, this radio serves as my backup communication tool.

Considerations & Limitations

• I need to follow licensing rules depending on which frequencies I plan to use.
• When the GPS is actively transmitting, the radio can’t use the voice channel at the same time.
• Since it’s not waterproof, I avoid using it in heavy rain or wet environments.
• Programming the radio is much easier with a PC and programming cable, so I keep my setup files saved.

Ideal User Profiles

• Field crews
• Outdoor recreation groups
• Search & rescue teams
• Emergency preparedness users
• Large‑site operational crews
• Off‑grid or rural users

Tips and Tricks

A) Using GPS Without Losing My Voice Channel
I learned that the UV-5RM Plus GPS cannot transmit or receive voice while it’s sending GPS data.

My solution:
II set the GPS to update less often (every 60–180 seconds)
III only use burst mode when I absolutely need it.

B)Quick Emergency Signaling
I customized the alarm button so that it can:

• Sound locally
• Transmit a tone on a selected emergency channel
• Send my location (on GPS-capable channels)

My tip:
I keep a designated emergency frequency programmed for my team or ranch operations

C) GPS Contact Naming
I assign names to GPS-linked contacts so that when someone sends their coordinates, I immediately know who it is.

This has helped me during:

• Search and rescue situations
• Ranch and field operations
• Loss of Cellphone Coverage

Summary

Overall, my Baofeng UV-5RM Plus GPS is a rugged, budget-friendly dual-band handheld radio that offers strong communication capabilities. It handles VHF and UHF well, includes NOAA weather monitoring, FM radio, and airband receive, and its built-in GPS greatly improves safety in remote or low-visibility conditions. With USB-C charging and improved build quality, it works well for both fieldwork and team coordination. While it does take some time to learn the programming and GPS transmissions briefly interrupt voice communication, the radio has been a dependable and valuable tool for everyday use and off-grid operations.