Hi,

OK, here goes...

Yeah, the earphone is just kind of OK, but both of them that I’ve bought have come with it. Any Kenwood-wired speaker/mic will work. 

The USB cable works, though software isn’t terribly easy to use with speech. You can sort of do stuff with Chirp if you can use your mouse cursor or JAWS cursor, but easiest if you import from a .csv file. However, this doesn’t save all options, like power level for instance. The cable uses a fake Prolific chip, so you will need an older Prolific driver and force Windows to not upgrade it. Another option is to buy a more expensive cable for Kenwood HT’s, one that uses an FTDI chip, which won’t give you any trouble. 

The 3600 or 3800 mA/H battery is great, but be careful. Last I knew anyway, it only worked with the UV-5R, not the RA, RB, RC R+, etc. without some slight filing of the battery’s case to make it fit properly. However, the thing lasts forever. The stock battery is still pretty good, too, and batteries are very cheap either way. I think I paid $23 for my 3800 Ma/H one. You can also get a cigarette lighter adapter, which has a cigarette light plug on one end and an empty battery shell on the other. 
--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY



On Jun 15, 2013, at 10:54 AM, "Ronald E. Milliman" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Those of you who actually have one of the BAOFENG UV5-R handhelds, which
> accessories do you recommend? For instance, I have heard people say that
> the earphone/mic is not worth the money if you have to purchase it
> separately. Also, I have heard some people say that the USB cable and
> software are extremely desireable; however, I have heard other people say
> it cannot be used with newer computers with the newer operating systems,
> and that you need an older computer with Com ports to make it work. 
> 
> So, I keep putting off purchasing one of these little handhelds because I
> don't want to buy the wrong combination. It seems as if it is desirable to
> purchase one of the better antennas, but there appears to be considerable
> disagreement as to which after-market antenna is best. It also seems as if
> there is some agreement that the extra High Capacity 3800MAh Li-Ion Battery
> is highly desireable. So, those of you who have purchased the BAOFENG
> UV5-R, what package do you recommend? 
> 
> Ron, K8HSY
> 
> Dr. Ronald E. Milliman, retired Professor Western Kentucky University
> Ph: 270-782-9325 
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> 
> Chair, American Council of the Blind Public Relations Committee
> 
> Chair, American Council of the Blind's Monthly Monetary Support Program
> (MMS) Committee
> 
> President: South Central Kentucky Council of the Blind (SCKCB)