AnyTone AT-5888UV Mobile Transceiver Dual Band VHF UHF 50W/40W Vehicle Radio with Programming Cable

I'm using this as a base station hooked up to an Ed Fong dual band 2M/70cm pvc antenna. As a makeshift base station in the 2M/70cm range, this is a great radio. Basic programming is okay with Chirp but to get deeper into the settings you'll need to use the manufacturer's software. What I do is use the manufacturer software to do the deep programming, then upload that to Chirp, then any basic frequency changes I do on Chirp downloading to the radio then uploading the current config back to the manufacturer software. Seems like a bunch of steps but once you're done, you don't have to do it often.You do have to have a good power supply. I had a hard time figuring out just how much current this unit draws on high power so I did an unscientific test: I hooked it up to one of my "solar" power stations using the lighter plug and let 'er rip on high. The power supply, rated for 10A at the lighter plug, hummed with a very angry sound while transmitting (although it didn't shut off). I think you'll need something rated for at least 12A which will also disqualify most of your vehicle lighter plugs that are fused at 10A if you're going to use this as a mobile. For the base station setup I'm using a bench supply rated for 30A at 13.8VDC which handles it no problem. In a SHTF situation I could use it with my solar unit on reduced power with no problem as long as I don't switch to high power transmit.Easy to shift between A and B channels with a really good display for both.Note that if you change the power setting on a particular channel, then switch away from that channel and come back to it, it will revert back to whatever was programmed into it. Not a big deal for me; actually I kind of like that feature.Also... for the preppers, it'll go up into the GMRS freqs with no problems.

I was relatively new to the GMRS scene. But I knew I wanted to upgrade and get my technician license this transciver is unlocked and works well on GMRS as well as ham. Right now I am using it for GMRS and with the midland MXT nmo antenna I can hit repeaters 30 to 40 miles with ease on high power. I've been doing a lot of talking the past few days the fan comes on It does not overheat. The speaker is loud and my audio quality reports are always excellent from other operators on the other end of the transmission. The menus are a little cumbersome but the instruction manual is great. I got it to work with chirp. I noticed if you try to program it again you have to uninstall the driver and then plug the radio in again to get it to work chirp. I have not tried it on the 2-m band as I am waiting for my license to come in the mail UHF it works fine I will update this when I use two meters. It draws quite a bit of current cannot use with the cigar lighter outlet.

So far, this is a great radio for the money. I've only had it installed for a couple weeks but I'm pretty happy with it. Very easy to program with Chirp. Nothing fancy but it does everything I need a radio to do.Mine would transmit out of the ham bands right out of the box so make sure you are diligent on what frequencies you are using. You can change this setting back and forth with their software if it's a concern.My only complaint is that the mic port is on the side of the head unit. This means it is getting lateral strain on the port and cord no matter how you mount it. I used a right angle RJ45 adapter to solve the problem. The mic cord should really have a right angle connector on it from the factory.

UPDATE: It's more than a year later and this radio is still going strong mounted in my Ford Escape through harsh cold and sweltering summer heat. Still haven't had to replace a single fuse. Have recieved great reports up to 50-80 miles away on Simplex under optimal conditions and running high power. Low to mid power is great for repeaters in my area. This thing is as sturdy as any Alinco or Yaesu mobile.I love my Anytone 5888uv. I use it as a true mobile rig in my car paired with a Diamond NR770 NMO antenna (about 4 ft tall) with a Diamond NMO luggage mount rack. I am able to talk simplex to people as far as 50 miles away under the right conditions on full power. The mid1 and mid2 power settings are great for hitting repeaters within 35 miles or so, depending upon the repeater. There is still plenty of analog activity going on out there. The only thing missing is DMR operations but you add considerable cost with that feature on a good mobile or base. The 5888UV is very easy to program by hand or through chirp or the Anytone software. Also has the cross band repeater option, which is great when you don't want to stay right by the radio and have a HT handy. The sound quality is absolutely excellent. I have it wired directly to the battery in my car. You can set it to turn off after so many minutes of your car being turned off or if you know what you are doing, you can even turn it off when you turn the ignition off on your vehicle. It has a removable head, which is great for popping it out and taking it with you if you are worried about theft. Overall, this is as good as any mobile Yaseau I've used go date.

Fantastic radio for the price. Very happy.Great dual band, dual display radio. Easily programmable with the included cable. Plenty of memory, easy to operate, yet flexible and powerful. Would be nice if there was a DMR version of this radio.Only complaint I have is if the Left Receiver is 'scanning' you will hear a 'click' on the right side's receiver that coresponds with each change of frequency of the scan if you happen to be listening to that side. If you reverse the situation, there is no problem. (i.e. always scan with the right, and listen with the left).Update Jan 2023: Unfortunately, this unit failed. It's CTCS Encoder failed was unable to be engaged on 70cm band making converstaion on 440Mhz repeaters impossible. Factory Resets, or other troubleshooting and online support did not resolve. It's a good radio when it worked. Product Returned.