by John 'Miklor'
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UV-5X3

Although the case design is familiar, the radio inside is not.  BTech has recently introduced the new UV-5X3 to the US Ham Radio market.  This radio is a true triband transceiver with internal filters specifically configured for triband operation.The firmware in this radio has been reworked to include several new features not found in similar appearing radios.

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In the Box

Included with the radio are the:

-  1500mAh Li-Ion Battery **

-  85 page User Guide - English

-  Charger base & AC adapter

-  Hand strap

-  Belt clip

-  PTT Earpiece / Microphone

-  Antenna (1) - VHF / UHF  6  5/8″ (16.9cm)   A-V85

-  Antenna (2) -  220 MHz    6  3/4″ (17.4cm)

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** This is the identical battery that is commonly mislabeled as 1800mAh on some handhelds.
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Tri-Band - VHF  220  UHF

The UV-5X3 was specifically designed as a Tri-Band transceiver.  The internal filtering allows not only the traditional VHF and UHF frequencies, but also includes the 222-225 MHz Ham band for the US.
.   Case Design

The UV-5X3 has the traditional case design, which allows me to use my high capacity  BL-5L  3800mAh battery with no alteration to the base. Accessories such as my mobile battery eliminator, Spkr/Micr, etc. are fully compatible.

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Transmitter

The frequency range is VHF 130-176 / 222-225 / UHF 400-480 MHz, supporting both Wide and Narrowband with 2.5kHz steps.The radio';s filtering scheme allows for full power on all bands. My OTA audio reports have been clean with clear with mellow audio.  Power levels are respectable using a Bird VHF/UHF Termaline.
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UV-5X3
146

MHz
224

MHz
446

MHz

High
5.2
4.2
4.6

Low
1.7
1.6
1.6

     

DTMF / IRLP Access

Something new also appearing on this model is a DTMF gain adjustment, allowing me to adjust the DTMF audio to the transmitter to a comfortable level for both repeater control and IRLP access.
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Tone Burst

If you are in a area that requires tone burst for repeater or network access, the 1000Hz, 1450Hz, 1750Hz, and 2000Hz burst are accessible by pressing the PTT along with one of the four pre-assigned keypad keys.
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Receiver

The receiver sensitivity is excellent, and the audio quality is clear, loud, and undistorted. Along with the 3 TX/RX bands, the receiver also includes the traditional commercial FM radio band. (65MHz-108MHz)

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Tone Scanning - The receiver also has the ability to identify the tone of a repeater being transmitted by a received signal.
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Scan Add / Delete

This feature gives me the ability to add / delete channels from the scanning list using the keypad. No longer a software only function. The more I can do from the keypad, the better I like it.
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Scanning

A Long Press of the [*SCN] button will start the scanning process.Channel Mode - When scanning with the Display Sync set to ON, the upper and lower display will scan together. This is explained below under Display Synchronization.Frequency Mode - When entering Scan, the image below will appear on the screen. Enter the first 3 digits set the range start, the second 3 digits sets the stop.

Example: Entering   146 : 146

Start  the scan range at  146.000

Ends the scan range at  146.999
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Antenna

I found two antennas included with the radio. One was the standard upgraded A-V85 antenna, and a slightly longer one for the 220MHz band.

Antenna (1) - VHF / UHF  6  5/4″ (16.9cm)   A-V85

Antenna (2) -  220 MHz    6  3/4″ (17.4cm)

The separate antenna specifically tuned for 220 MHz is a great addition. The SWR shows 1.3 which is excellent. No compromise. I labeled my 220 antenna, as they are very close in appearance.

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Display

The radio has a tri-color display, allowing the color options of the blue, orange and purple.  The LCD can be formatted in either of three formats. Choices are Frequency, Channel number, or up to 6 Alpha Characters.Display Synchronization

The UV-5X3 supports display syncing, which gives ability to track both the upper and lower LCD. I keep mine set to display the channel name in display A, and the frequency in display B. When you change the channel, both the upper and lower displays move together..

Programming

Manual programming is pretty straight forward once you enter a few channels. A programming guide can be found at Manual Programming with a Menu Definition summary available at Menu Definitions.
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Software  

The software support for the UV-5X3 can be found in the Latest Daily Build of CHIRP. There are a few new options that will be added to the 5X3 in the near future. One is the ability to Stun, Kill, Revive. This gives you the ability to disable your radio remotely.
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3rd Generation Chipset

The new chipset (RDA1846S and RDA5802N) provides reduced AGC switching noise and a low-IF digital audio processor for improved sound quality.
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Programming Cable

The programming cable requires a traditional two pin Baofeng / Kenwood style. There are several cable available. The generic cables may require special drivers, due to the use of cloned chips. For Plug and Play, a cable using an FTDI chip is recommended. Conclusion

The UV-5X3 firmware has obviously been reworked to include:

-  Tri-Band Support: VHF/1.25M/UHF

-  D-ANI  (Display incoming DTMF Tones)

-  Synchronized Displays

-  DTMF audio gain level adjustment

-  Add / Remove Channels from Scanning list via keypad (LCD Dot Indication)

-  On the Fly scanning by Frequency Range

-  4 Tone Burst options

-  Remote Stun, Kill, Revive
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It appears that BTech has once again managed to stay one step ahead of the curve. With the 220 MHz ham band operation back on the rise in the US, this radio hit the market at the right time.  Even if 220 isn';t popular in your area, the additional new features still give it an edge over the traditional dual band series.
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More Information:   Miklor.com,  BaofengTech,  CHIRP
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https://hamgear.wordpress.com/2016/08/19/review-btech-uv-5x3-triband-handheld/