BTECH, BaoFeng BL-5 Battery Eliminator for for BF-F8HP, UV-5X3, and UV-5R Radios

BTech/Baofeng are one of the few Chinese manufacturers that I can trust, and that’s saying a lot. This product is great. LiPo battery exactly as described, with 0 cycles. Everything matching 1:1 with product specs, no bait and switch which can be common with custom battery adapters. Crazy how long this battery lasts compared to the stock Baofeng 7.4V 1800mAh. I’ve had it idling for three days now and I still have 3/3 battery bars. Low SWR + this battery = will it ever run out??? Quality is excellent, I abuse the bajeezus out of my radio kit so if anyone can break it, it’ll be me, and if I do – I’ll update this review with. So far, it feels extremely sturdy. Another user mentioned that it’s easy for the battery pins to short out. I also noticed that but realized it’s the same on Baofeng’s stock batteries too, so would be unfair to critique this product in particular over Baofeng’s entire design ideology.

I like this battery for two reasons: First, it increases the overall length of the UV-5R, thus making the radio feel a bit more substantial and offering a better feel in the hand. The 5R is quite tiny, after all, and this battery pack offers a superior grip for an adult male with big paws. Secondly, I like that it offers a second option for charging; in addition to the standard charging cradle connectors this unit also offers direct USB charging with a dedicated cable, meaning it can be charged from the USB power in a car (where it would be downright clumsy to try and use the charging cradle) or from a cell phone charger while traveling. I end up using a standard iPhone charger without having to bring along the normal cradle.

I would have given this a five but I had to remove the long bus that runs from the top to the bottom of the battery case and bend the ends just past a true 90* angle so as to get the bus to lay in the case better. Then I had to use some clear silicone caulk to insulate that same bus so it would not rise up out of its slot and cause a short as some other reviewers have experienced. This case is a very complicated part to mold and Im very impressed with the quality of it. It fit my UV5R+ perfectly. If you choose to go the route I did please use some very tight fitting needle nose pliers so you can get the accuracy needed.

I am impressed! This is a quality piece of work. The plastic is high grade and thick enough to be plenty durable. It has a very solid feel, and is a perfect fit to my radio. With the batteries installed, you cant tell it form the 3800MAH battery. Battery performance will vary depending on the batteries you use, but with 3800 MAH NiMH batteries, It lasted far longer than the 3800MAH LiON battery I bought with the radio ever did. BTW, that is why I bought this battery box. The Baofeng 3800 MAH LiON battery I bought was thoroughly depleted after just 6 months of use. I figured I could do better with NiMH batteries. I highly recommend getting this instead of the standard 3800 MAH battery. ATTENTION: Reviewer, For Realz pointed out a design flaw in this battery box that could cause injury. There is good chance the battery pack can short out if the middle battery contact comes in contact with the radio contact. There is only a small air gap between them. I used a piece of credit card plastic to insulate them, It wedged in tight enough it wont come out, but to be sure, you can SuperGlue it in place. This will solve this hazardous problem. This does not change my rating, but this *is* something you need to know.

Got exactly what I ordered. It arrived before the delivery time.

I have ordered, received, programmed, and used four BaoFeng radios and accessories from BTech and thrilled by the performance of the radios and the service when I have a question directed to BTECH. I received one radio that sent and received perfectly but the red transmit light was not functioning. BTech got me an RA number immediately to return for repair or replacement. I mailed it in to be received by them Monday. On that very Monday I received a notice that the repair or replaced radio was in the mail back to me. I call that exceptional service. They really stand by there product.

This is a good option to have around when you don’t have access to power to charge the battery that came with the radio. You can use alkaline batteries or ni-cd/nimh rechargeable. Just make sure that you use the dummy battery when using alkaline. This should be on a sticker that you apply to the pack to always remember

I love the added length this gives the radio, makes it holdable for people with big hands! The added battery life is a bonus too. It will charge in the standard table top docks but be aware if you want to use the built in charging port on the battery, you will need the smaller 2.5mm plug, it does not use the same power connector as the desk top charger.

Good price for a good product.

Bought a cheaper TENQ one and had to return it. It did not provide enough power on transmit and the radio would turn off and back on when key was released.(7.4V or so idle) This is the one by Baofeng and is designed differently. The pcb is in the DC jack portion not the battery adapter portion. It provides 8.5V which is clearly what the radio needs. The batteries and this unit state 7.4V but they all put out about 8.5V. I will be replacing the coiled cord which I really dislike and putting in a long straight cord. I have included a collage of a tear down of this unit which will hopefully be of some use. UPDATE: 2/19/15 The radio began rebooting on tx on 2m. There was a rattling sound from the plug. I opened it to find a large diode loose. It was either very cold solder joints or the part got hot enough to desolder itself from the pcb. I was able to fix it easily but def not worth the orig 4 star review I gave it. If I can find a way to add or update the pics I will add photo of the issue.