Baofeng UV-3R + Baofeng BF-U3 Transceivers

Baofeng UV-3R and Baofeng BF-U3 Transceivers 

UV-3R and the BF-U3

Time for another radio review and this time a pair of miniature Baofengs.
Originally released in back in 2011 the UV-3R and BF-U3 are essentially cut down versions of the ever popular Baofeng UV-5R and 888 handy talkies.
These radios can still be found on internet auction sites relatively easily but are in no way as popular as the larger Baofeng radios.
I bought both of these radios for just under £20 from ebay UK sellers.

In this post I decided to look at these radios together rather than separately as they are very similar in looks, dimensions and technicalities.

Virtually the same stuff in both radio kits

The UV-3R and BF-U3 both ship with the usual Baofeng bits and pieces. Lanyards, chargers, crappy ear pieces etc so nothing new really.
One minor difference between these two and the normal Baofeng radios is the ear piece connection. Rather than the standard Kenwood style two pin affair here we have a 3mm Jack instead. The other port is for the charging cable meaning you don't have to use a desk top charger when the battery runs down, just plug the cable directly into the radio. I consider this an advantage.
Another advantage to these radios is the ability to charge them up via USB making them truly universal and portable. This ability negates the need to take the docking station around with you for longer usage or weekend trips etc.

Baofeng UV-3R MK2 UHF/VHF Transceiver

Throughout it's seven year history, The UV-3R has seen three separate revision changes.
The MK1 model featured a single line display, the MK2 introduced a dual line display and dual band antenna and the MK3 had a new case, charging port, battery, antenna connection and comms port roughly speaking. Despite these changes the internals pretty much stayed the same throughout. This radio is the MK2.

Specifications:
To save time and effort the pic below outlines the UV-3Rs specs.

Its basically a 2W UHF/VHF dual band transceiver capable of storing up to 99 memory channels. It operates on VHF between 136MHz - 174MHz and on UHF between 400MHz - 470MHz the usual Baofeng dual band offering.
It also has the usual flashlight, FM radio and annoying personal attack alarm that Baofeng insists on sticking on their radios. Nothing new here.

In terms of size the UV-3R is tiny and is possibly the smallest dual bander I have ever come across. It's very light weight but also feels cheap and plasticy too. Not as well constructed as the UV-5R series of radios that's for sure.
Operating the radio is easy enough if you are familiar with the other Baofeng radios out there although there are a few annoying differences.  Despite there being no keypad to speak of you can program the radio from the handset however once a channel has been stored it cannot be deleted it would seem. The only way to really add and remove channels is via a programming cable and software. Chirp is a good program to do this with.
Another annoyance is the fact that it wont allow stored channels to be available on both A + B VFOs.  Other dual banders let you put your favourite channels on both so you can switch between the two but not so on the UV-3R. Instead the lower B VFO is strictly for frequency only VHF. The upshot being you have to manually find the frequency and can't use any of the stored 'favourites' on the lower VFO. Its a little strange if you are used to normal Baofeng dual banders.
In practice the UV-3R works quite well despite the crappy antenna (more on that later) and the majority of my local repeaters etc are reachable. The audio quality of the internal speaker is very clear and very loud but being a digital volume control doesn't go low enough when operating discreetly. There seems to be a bug in the software stopping it from going low?. The all knowing internet suggests opening the radio and adding a resistor to the main board to counter this problem but to be honest I don't think it's worth faffing about with.
Other issues include channel scanning which is tediously slow and a poor front end allowing break through from nearby strong signals. Those who already own a Baofeng will know all about the crappy front end on these cheap chinese radios but the little UV-3R is possibly the worst of them all. Expect some RF splatter if you venture near any kind of transmitter.

The UV-3R does have a few good points surprisingly. Firstly the ability to store FM radio stations in memory, the ability to use the flashlight without switching the radio on (big deal!) and the transmit and recieve audio is very good (even if you can't turn it down properly!)



Baofeng BF-U3 UHF Transciever

The BF-U3 is a single band, 2W pocket radio operating on the 440Mhz 70cm band.
The lack of a display and buttons is all that really that separates this from the 3R in terms of looks

Specifications:
Once again I have included a photo of the specs sheet as I can't be bothered listing everything

The BF-U3 has a 16 channel storage capacity, channel scan, flashlight and annoying attack alarm.

Programming channels is strictly by PC and cable only due to the lack of a keypad but this is to be expected. Adding channels in software such as chirp is easy enough if you use the right programming cable for it.  Unfortunately The UV-3R cable does not work with this radio which is odd considering they are virtually the same radio. A specific BF-U3 cable is required - good luck finding one!.
It suffers from the same crappy front end and subsequent phase noise/ break through problems from strong signals as the 3R does but that's to be expected also.
What's good about the radio is the sound quality and tiny size.
Transmitting and recieving is pretty awful mainly because of its sawn off antenna. Voice audio is clear if nothing else.


The Similarities
Looking at the photo below it's hard to tell these radios apart. Both radios have a power output is 2W, the batteries are both 1500mAh and the cases and buttons are pretty much the same. Battery life on both radios is surprisingly good considering the physical size of them. Both use a small Nokia style li-po cell which can last a couple of days depending on usage. Unlike some other Baofeng batteries these ones can be bought quite easily and cheaply if a spare is required.

Which is which? The cases and belt clips are identical

The Antennas
The antenna is where these radios go in different directions.
The BF-U3 uses a specific UHF cut antenna which is very small and probably not the best but gets away with it to a certain extent. It's probably best suited to close distance work rather than long distance.
The UV-3R MK2 uses a very short dual band cut antenna which is about 7ins long.  Again it's pretty useless (especially on 2m band) but somehow gets away with it. It is certainly better than the one supplied with the single band BF-U3.
Unlike the normal Baofeng radios which use an SMA-F (female) connection these two use the opposite SMA-M (male) connection.
So forget screwing on your spare UV-5R nagoya. Further purchases are required.

UV-3R on the left and a sawn off BF-U3 antenna on the right

Overall, these radios are OK for what they are. If nothing else they are novelty pocket radios, something to show your mates but really not suitable for serious radio use.
As a spare radio to use in an emergency then I suppose they would do but for the money it's better to buy a normal UV-5R which is about the same price and offers so much more.
Comparing both of these radios I would choose the UV-3R over the BF-U3  because of the extra memory slots and the capability of transmitting on two bands.
What let's both of these radios down is their crappy antennas. Switching to a better quality rubber duck or even a proper roof antenna would improve their performance ten fold.

British SR6 NBC Respirator Part 1

British SR6 Respirator number 1 - 1966

Manufacturer: Leyland & Birmingham Rubber Co, England
Model: SR6 NBC respirator
Country: United Kingdom, Turkey
Production run: 1966 - 1986
Replaced: Light anti-gas respirator
Availability: quite easy to find on ebay UK
Size: N (normal)
Produced: 1966
Condition: used but in very good shape
Price: £19.99
Source: Charity seller on ebay

Buying an SR6 gas mask for my collection has been a very long time coming. The delay hasn't been down to my lack of desire to own one. More down to the cost and availability of them over the past year or so.
Recently I was fortunate enough to obtain two SR6s quite cheaply from ebay and this is my appraisal of the first (and oldest) piece.

These things are fast becoming antiques now so as the age of the S6 goes up in years then so does the price on the open market.
Typically a full SR6/S6 kit can fetch as much as £50 on ebay which is quite pricey compared to the multitude of similar aged soviet masks out there.
This first example of an SR6 cost me a grand total of £20 which seemed a fair price.


A bit about the SR6
At the time of writing this post I have no idea why this mask has two different model numbers? Is it an S6 or is it a SR6? Both numbers are stamped on the face piece which is confusing never the less the British SR6 was originally designed in the late 1950s as a replacement to the light anti-gas respirator which has been knocking about in one form or another since the war.
The SR6 NBC respirator came into service in 1966 and was issued to all branches of the UKs armed forces including civilian police forces for a period of twenty years until it was officially decommissioned in 1986 when the S10 would replace it. 
The SR6 actually continued to be used for much longer than that.

A mask made famous by the SAS

SAS assault on the Iranian embassy in London 1980

In 1980 a group of arab terrorists took 26 people hostage at the Iranian embassy in London.
Demanding the release of imprisoned comrades and safe passage from the UK they set about a sit-in siege which would last a full six days before the UK government got fed up and sent in the SAS to sort them out.
Operation Nimrod as it was known saw a small column of SAS troops dramatically assault the embassy and bring the situation under control. The operation was hailed a success and would forever cement the SAS reputation as being as hard as nails.
Millions of viewers around the world witnessed the assault on television and one memorable image were the soldiers wearing the S6 gas mask before, during and after the raid.
The SR6 will forever be associated with the SAS and the 1980 embassy incident.

Prime minister Margaret Thatcher was later photographed with the SAS members who took part in the operation when she met them to offer thanks from the government.

What came in the kit

• SR6 Face piece
• 40mm filter canister

What should be in the kit (to be complete)

• Original MK1 Haversack
• Decontamination outfit
• Survive to fight NBC booklet revision 1
• anti-dim outfit

Unfortunately this example of the SR6/S6 did not come with all of its original kit components. Not surprising considering the price I paid for it.  Fortunately the absent accessories can be bought separately from ebay to make the kit complete if so desired.

The Face piece

Following in the footsteps of it's predecessor the MK2 light anti-gas respirator, the SR6 is another well made and well designed british mask. The rubber used for the face piece is the thick butyl type - strong yet supple to the touch.      

The left side of the face piece is pretty much void of any notable features except perhaps for the date stamps. This particular mask was made in 1966, the first year of official deployment with the army. 

The right side features the 40mm screw thread connection for the filter and the size stamp.  This mask is an 'N' which means normal size. 

The SR6 has a very innovative inflatable inner mask which can be inflated to ensure a custom fit for the user. The air bladder is operated by way of a tap which sits just inside the mask.

Looking much like the drinking straws found in other masks, this air straw is inflated by the user once the mask has been donned. This clever feature is quite unique and actually works really well in practice. I have no idea why other manufacturers never pickup up on this idea and carried it on. 

The fixing harness at the rear of the mask is a six point design. The straps themselves are made from elasticated cotton and fixed to the mask with metal buckles. Over time and continued use these straps can start to fray but fortunately for me this example hasn't had that much use and so the straps are in very good condition.

The front of the face piece features the large round exhale valve/voice diaphragm and the curious looking eye pieces. The exhale/voice assembly whilst crude in looks is in fact very effective.

At the center of the assembly is a small black metal disc where sound is ejected. Surrounding the disc is a rubber ring which has a slit on either side to allow the exhaled air to escape the mask.  The rubber ring is fixed to the mask with a type of tape which can deteriorate over time. Some good old black insulation tape can be used as a replacement should a repair be required.

Not only does the SR6 have a unique air bladder it also has unique eye pieces. 

Most civilian and military gas masks have flat eye lens but the SR6 has curved lens instead. 

One presumes the idea for this shape was to offer a much better field of view for the user, however they have proven to be quite contraversial among enthusiasts. Many people complained that they had experienced a feeling of nausia after just a few minutes of using the mask due to the fish bowl effect the curved lens presented. This unpleasant side effect wasn't felt by everyone and did not damaged the masks reputation among the soldiers of the british army.

I must admit the eye pieces are very distinctive and a nice feature in my opinion. 

I have yet to come across another mask which has such radical eye pieces as this. 

The Filter Canister

The photos above and below feature the MK1 PR130 NBC filter which originally shipped with the SR6.

This particular filter was made in 1970 and is in quite good condition. There are a few dings here and there but nothing to worry about.
Of course, it has long since expired and therefore no good for anything other than for collecting or display purposes.

Donning and Doffing
Getting the SR6 on and off is simple, fast and easy.
The elasticated straps which attatch to the back of the head are very generous in terms of flexibility and allows for confortable adjustment once the mask is on.
Making an air tight seal around the face is made easy with the inflatable air bladder mentioned earlier. This added seal would be a huge benefit to the user in a real NBC situation as it could save them time in adjustments and reduce the possible risk of a mis-seal and subsequent breech which can happen sometimes.
Once the SR6 is properly fitted it tends to stay put. It doesn't seem front heavy or lob sided in any way, infact feeling reasonably light on the face.

Removing the SR6 is once again very quick and easy with the minimum of fuss.
Overall it's a very comfortable mask to wear all things considered.

Verdict
The SR6 respirator is another classic gas mask in much the same way as the S10 which came after. The build quality and inovations are remarkable for a mask design of over fifty years old. The SR6 is probably no good for preppers to use these days as its getting on in years and may not stand up to todays NBC situations but it still remains an essential mask for the serious collector. It has a character of all it's own.