First and foremost this is advertised as an 8 watt radio and my best test I was only able to produce 6.64 Watts using a 3rd party antenna. For this reason I removed a star. I was testing it on 462 which is gmrs however it should be capable of at least it's advertised 8 watts. This is a common issue across multiple radios I've tested so just make sure to check yours when you receive it.
This radio comes with a decent starter kit of items. Including USBC rechargeable battery, USB a to c charging cable, battery/radio charging dock, two antennas (one is a multiband antenna the other is not listed), belt clip, wrist strap, and earpiece microphone. From my testing the shortest antenna had the best SWR between the two but I would recommend purchasing a separate antenna specifically for the frequencies you intend to use.
The radio does have an excellent receive on gmrs and NOAA bands. The receive audio also sounds very good through its internal speaker. Transmitting I was able to open the local repeater with no issue.
The radio build quality is great. I really like the metal plate on the face. The only thing I didn't like about the build is the usb-c port on the back of the battery. It does not have a cover.
This radio screen is not colored it is blue backlit. That is actually a benefit if you are in an outdoor high light environment. The multi-colored screens although pretty are hard to see outdoors in most cases. So I will likely be using this as an outdoor handheld radio.
Overall I would still recommend it. It's a good value for what you get as long as you get one that is producing at or near it's advertised transmission watts.
A
Alan G
★★★★★
Solid Budget-Friendly Ham Radio with Good Performance
I bought the BaoFeng K61 Handheld Ham Radio as a less expensive secondary radio—something I could lend out without worrying too much if it got lost or damaged. For the price, it performs well and offers a ton of features that make it a great value.
Key Features:
Up to 8W output power
999 programmable channels for plenty of frequency flexibility
Tri-band coverage: VHF, UHF, and 1.25m bands
NOAA weather receiver for real-time weather alerts
2600mAh rechargeable battery for extended use
USB-C charging port (a nice modern touch)
Earpiece included for convenient hands-free operation
In my testing, I measured about 5W on VHF (H setting), just under 4W on UHF, and around 3.5W on the 1.25m band. Using a TinySA Ultra, I found some spurious emissions—VHF showed 2nd and 3rd harmonics, 1.25m had one harmonic but passed, and UHF came out pretty clean.
Overall, it’s not a Yaesu or high-end radio, but if you go in with realistic expectations, it’s a solid, dependable budget radio that does what it’s supposed to. Perfect for casual use, lending out, or as a backup.
Disclaimer: This review reflects my personal experience and testing. Individual performance may vary based on conditions, equipment calibration, and user setup. Always operate radios in compliance with FCC regulations and local licensing requirements.
J
J. Uy
★★★★★
bad harmonics
I was hopeful about the BaoFeng K61, but unfortunately, it does not pass FCC spurious emissions requirements. This raises serious concerns about its safety and legality for regular use. I cannot recommend it unless you're in an emergency situation where you have no other options; for me, this radio will be my last resort.
While it does have decent features like NOAA weather reception and long-range capabilities, the issues with emissions overshadow its benefits. I would suggest considering other options if you're looking for a reliable and compliant two-way radio.
J
jake brown
★★★★★
Another decent radio from Baofeng!
Seems to be a decent HT!
The antennas that come with it are alright, pretty much what you’d expect with the added flexible whip style that I like.
From the pictures you can see a bit better how they perform.
The long one isn’t really suitable for the VHF band, as the dip sits low, but should work well for the Aviation bands and then UHF.
The shorter is your typical dual band VHF/UHF.
The larger did not come with a label so the VNA helped there.
The radio itself is well built and sturdy feeling. Should last a long time!
Some cool features as well!
Baofeng does a decent job for a cost effective radio!
A
Anna Raevsky dvm
★★★★★
A decent beginner amateur/HAM radio
The first thing that jumped at me when I look at the radio is that is seems to be a copy of the Quansheng UV K5 which is, frankly, weird, considering that this radio is sold as a Baofeng. Check out the side by side photo below. Internally, however, this is not a Quansheng at all. Some reviewers have claimed that this is an upgrade to the famous Baofeng UV-5R. So is this a Quansheng UV K5 killer or a Baofeng UV-5R killer? Or maybe both?
In this three way comparison the very first thing we need to say is that the Baofeng K61 is not compatible with CHIRP and neither is it compatible with the Egzumer firmware (which unleashes the full power of the Quansheng UV K5). So that is a huge minus (although, with time, the Egzumer and CHIRP coders might come up with the needed modules/drivers). The big plus is the external hardware: the K61 feel much stronger than either the Quansheng UV K5 or the UV-5R (for example the main front plate is made of metal, not plastic). The radio also feels "beefier" thanks to its large battery (2600mAh).
The screen is pretty small (see photo) and modest, yet functional.
One thing I immediately noted is that on airband the reception is pretty awful (I compared with my Radtel and Wouxuns and the difference is huge, even the Quansheng UV K5 or a TID radio does much better with airband).
The battery can be charged via cradle or via USB-C. A definite plus for that radio. You also get two unbranded and probably pretty bad antennas (get a Nagoya Tri-band).
The radio is supposed to give out 8W, I did not test that, but in reality the power output is probably not that high and, besides, 8W vs 5W makes less difference than a good antenna versus a bad one.
The speaker is okay, but there is a lot of hiss. The resulting sound is adequate, but no better than that.
Well, this is, indeed, a amateur or "HAM" radio, but most definitely not a professional one (and expecting a truly professional grade radio at that price point would be most unreasonable anyway!).
This is clearly a budget, entry-level amateur/HAM radio.
The "Pro" model is supposed to have an IP55 rating. This is not the "Pro" version and it has no resistance to water, sand, dust or snow.
So if you are a beginner and you want to have a radio to learn the ropes on, this might be a great model for you. If you are already experienced radio amateur, this is, at best, a cheap radio which can be used as a backup or handout radio in case of emergency (if this is a weather emergency, like a hurricane, remember that this radio has no water resistance).
So the price point is nice, some of the hardware is pretty decent, this is a real tri-band radio, but in spite of it all, I cannot give it more than a 3 star rating.
