Baofeng UV-82 Spare Battery Deal

Spare Batteries for my Baofeng UV-82's

Twin pack of white label Baofeng BL-8

Price: £12.99 currently with free shipping
Manufacturer: Genuine Baofeng
Model: BL-8
Specifications: 3000mAh 7.4V
Description: 2 x Baofeng 7.4V BL-8L 3000mAh Li-ion Battery for UV-82 UV-82L
Vendor nextbigthink
Shipped From: UK or Germany

The 82L battery fits better than the one that came with it!

This isn't really a review as such more a recommendation regarding the acquisition of spare Baofeng UV-82 batteries. As I recently purchased two such radios I thought it was wise to buy up a few spares.
I didn't really want to wait a fortnight for some to ship from China so finding the best price from a UK seller on eBay was the only solution.
Happily for me I found a good deal on a twin pack of UV-82L batteries. Presumably the 'L' was an abbreviation of large capacity? The label rating of these particular batteries were 3000mAh which will undoubtedly be bullshit. - just the standard 1700mAh type I suspect but I'm not bothered about that.

Black Label = 2800mAh  White Label = 3000mAh 

There are many counterfeit batteries hidden amongst the ebay listings and it can be a nightmare finding a reputable seller with the genuine article.
I'm glad to say that these batteries are the real deal (at least I think they are?) and the seller has the relevant Baofeng reseller approval certification. I have bought radio equipment from these guys before and never had any problems so I trust them for now.

After the initial three charges and discharges the batteries were tested one after the other in my Misuta 82.
Everything worked as normal and the batteries lasted the same length of time as the standard one supplied with the radio. Lol no way are these 3000mAh!


So that's it, two fully working battery replacements. Handy handy handy!

Great value for money 👍 😁😁😁😁

Bear Claw BBQ Meat Shredder Review

Bear Claw BBQ Meat Shredders

Price: £1 free shipping
Manufacturer: unknown
Description: 1 pair bear paws/claws meat handler
Weight: 100g (50g each)
Materials: ABS plastic
Vendor: seller doitbest2010 via ebay
Shipped From: Kowloon, HK


First Impressions
(This is just a quick review and first impression)
As I glided through an ebay sellers shop I came across these in the auction section going for £1 approximately. Without giving it much thought I bid on them and won.
Listed as BBQ Meat pullers or shredders this pair of plastic claws promised to make light work of any large chunk of protein.

I hadn't heard of these Bear Claw meat shredders before so I was curious about what I would actually recieve.
Judging by the listing photos these things looked quite sharp and aggressive. The individual claws looked like they measured about 2-3 inches in length.
One wonders if these claws were made with self defence in mind as well as the meat shredding?

After a few weeks of waiting they finally arrived from Kowloon. Packaging wasn't such a big deal with this order. No real special care was needed as these claws are virtually indestructible as it turns out.
Inside the plastic bag were the two bear claws, made from an ABS tough plastic and black in appearance. The five claws on each handle were indeed very sharp and I did manage to stab myself a few times completely by accident!

In terms of durability these claws would take a fair bit of force before they might buckle and snap. They feel really firm and tough.
Gripping the claw handles is quite comfortable. The actual hole where the hand is placed is large enough to accommodate the biggest of hands making these a '1 claw fits all' item.

One nice feature of these claws is their weight. At 50g each they weigh hardly anything. Surprisingly light and yet incredibly strong.

Testing
At this point in time I don't have a hog roast or side of Beef to test these claws on which is a shame. Confidence is high though.
I don't doubt that these will do the job and do it well.

Going back to the previous mention of them possibly being self defence claws.... it wouldn't surprise me! if we can have tactical pens and tactical spike rings then why not tactical BBQ claws?
Thankfully I don't think that these claws are illegal to carry! lol

In conclusion I'm quite impressed with these items.  A novelty perhaps but definitely practical.
These Bear claws could make a good gift idea for someone who do a lot of cooking.  They would certainly be a talking point.

Rating: ✅✅✅✅✅ 5 out of 5
A straight 5 score for these unusual kitchen implements. They are strong and light and unlikely to break under normal circumstances.

Wether it's shredding a particulally large piece of Pork or shredding up an assailant you really can't go wrong for a quid!

Radio Mysteries: Ice X2 12W UHF Transceiver

Has Anyone Seen This Radio?

The Ice X2 12W UHF Transceiver 

I  was searching YouTube for some UV-82 review videos when I came across this video from December 2015. It features a Baofeng style 888s two-way radio which has a claimed output of >12W. - This sounds incredible and would be a guaranteed top seller but where is it? Who has one? Why are they not all over the ebay and Amazon listings? I'm a little confused. 

Here is the video...

One wonders if this radio ever existed? Is it a hoax video? Who knows.
I'm struggling to find any real information about this model on the internet, it's all very strange......

😏

GloveLite Torch Review

Flashlight Fiesta


GloveLite - Glove Torch 

Price: £1.95 free shipping
Manufacturer: unknown
Power: 2 X unknown mini LEDs
Run By: 2 X button cells
Shipped From:Dar es Salaam 

First Impressions
After waiting for what seemed like a decade, my new novelty 'Glove Light' torch finally arrived upon the doorstep to my frantic ripping of the crap plastic bag packaging.
This little parcel didn't actually ship from Hong Kong as stated on the auction lot, no this flew in from Dar es Salaam which is near Tanzania or somewhere? Who cares! I opened the package.......

What a confounded pile of tut! The outer box was cheap and crap looking. 
Inside the 'Glove' (if you can call it that) looked like the left overs from a surgical support bandage and the little LED's on the fingers pointless.
That may sound a little harsh but that's how it is. 
Not worth the £1.95 asking price at all. More like 50p fire sale stock to be honest.

It's such a bad piece of kit that I had considered leaving this review unwritten. Sigh...it's bloody awful.


Testing

Hmm, as far as performance goes, this strap on Flashlight bandage is absolutely crap. Yes it does offer some kind of modest illumination but it's only really effective at very close range. The concept of using your fingers as torches is a strange one. It never really feels quite right somehow.
I'm finding it hard to find an everyday application for this glove. It's simply pointless. 

Rating: ✅ 1 out of 5 
Hmm I give it a 1 for novelty value and nothing more.
I won't be daft enough to buy something like this again!
It's utter tat from the devil's toilet bowl - 

Baofeng UV-82 V Misuta UV-82+

 

Comparison: Baofeng V Misuta UV-82 FM Transceiver
Whats new and what's not!

Firmware Version: N822413
Both of these radios use the same firmware

Baofeng UV-82 and Misuta UV-82+

Following on my last post highlighting the fantastic Misuta 82+
Review Here.
I thought I might compare this model with a brand new standard Baofeng 82 which conveniently arrived in the post yesterday.
I wanted to see what all the hype was all about and get to the bottom of this '2016 upgraded cross-over' myth.

First of all both of these radios arrive in different boxes. The Misuta box is much smaller than the Baofeng.
Inside the box we find exactly the same bundled accessories with only two exceptions. The A-V85 antenna is slightly longer on the Misuta than the Baofeng and both of the belt clips are different in design.

Different belt clips

Other than those two small differences, the contents of the boxes are identical. 

Lifting both radios straight from their boxes it was difficult to see any immediate cosmetic differences between the two. It was only after rotating the Misuta in my hand that some subtle changes were noticed.

Cosmetic Differences On The Misuta UV-82+

• Separate PTT buttons (not a one piece rocker switch)
• No white lettering on the secondary side buttons
• Battery sticker says '3150mAh 
• Longer Antenna with no Baofeng branding
• Larger belt clip
• Misuta face plate replacing Baofeng 

Both Antennas perform the same

Internal Differences On The Misuta UV-82+

• None Whatsoever!

Ha! Just as I suspected! The overall performance of both radios is Identical to each other. Both transmit and receive with the same sound quality and strength of signal. Both are great radios but not perfect. The same trademark Baofeng choppy front end is still in evidence here. Baofeng owners will know this already. The Misuta battery claims to have a 3150mAh capacity but this is utter crap. In truth, both of the batteries on these radios are 1700mAh much like the UV-5R.  Both batteries lasted the same amount of time.

In general both of these radios performed marginally better than the celebrated UV-5R. 

2016 Upgraded Cross-over Version

I'm still at a loss as to where this cross-over comes in? Yes, the Misuta UV-82 is a slight redesign over its fellow Baofeng  and it does come with a higher capacity battery (or so they would have you believe) but to suggest that the internals have been overhauled is outrageous! Lol

Getting Baofeng to make your Radios

It's common knowledge that Baofeng will rebadge their radios for third party companies if they order enough of them and allegedly a stipulation of the contract is that the rebadged radios must not carry the Baofeng name anywhere on the radio. This is certainly true of the Misuta UV-82+. Baofeng only appears on the Chassis of the radio behind the battery and nowhere else. It is also alleged that Baofeng will print anything on those battery stickers. So if Misuta wanted them to be 5000mAh then no problem! Put a sticker on a standard 1700mAh battery. The Misuta has a unbranded antenna......more contract rules?.. hmm

I'm not making a big thing of this. Both radios cost the same and work the same. That isn't a problem. It's the lies and bullshit in order to sell more that's slightly annoying. 

My theory is that the ebay sellers add further crap to the claims by adding the 'new chipset' upgrade bull to the listings. The Misuta is meant to have a new chipset? Where is it then? I suspect that this new chipset bull is a throw back to when the original 82 came out. Indeed the original 82 was an overhaul and a total redesign over the UV-5R but that was about 3-4 years ago I think? Lol

 There has been no recent overhauls to the 82 innards as far as I'm aware.

So what can I make of this comparison? Well I like both of these radios but the Misuta is my favourite. The redesigned dual PTT is a helpful addition and the extra flexibility of the longer antenna is a bonus.

Misuta UV-82+ FM Transceiver Review

Baofeng X Misuta UV-82 plus dual band FM Transceiver

Price: £25.49 free shipping

Manufacturer: Baofeng / Misuta

Model: UV-82+

Power: 1W / 5W

Run By: 8.2V Lithium battery

Frequencies: 136-174MHz / 400-520MHz

Features: 

• Dual PTT buttons
• Dual Channel/ dual standby
• 3 Colour LCD display
• 128 channel memory
• Long battery life
• Dual PTT lapel mic / ear phone
• FM Radio
• Alarm
• High gain Antenna
• LED Flashlight
• Upgraded 2016 version*

Vendor: seller  theone-outlet   via ebay

Shipped from: UK 

Description: 2016 latest model. High capacity battery.

First Impressions

On the look out for a new radio I was looking to buy a standard Baofeng UV-82 from eBay. Prices are normally around the £25 mark which is only a few pounds more than the UV-5R.  Looking through the listings I saw this Misuta version of the 82 or as it's commonly known 'Baofeng X Misuta cross-over version'. I was intreged to say the least. The price was the same as the normal 82 so I ordered one. 

The radio arrived in only a couple of days and was well packaged. Thanks to the seller for a really good transaction. 👍

Inside the box we find the standard Baofeng bundle (mic, lanyard, instructions, belt clip, antenna) along with the radio and battery. 

The outer cardboard box says 'Misuta' on it but thats the only difference over the standard 82 so far

I'm guessing the Misuta stuff is going to be under the bonnet of the radio rather than any restyling? 

It might be a good opportunity to mention what 'Misuta' actually means. Well it's Japanese for 'Mister' or 'MR' which is perhaps why the logo has a huge moustache for an M?! anyway Misuta are a Japanese firm who apparently tweaked the radio?! How though?

*2016 Misuta Cross-over:

•  Higher Capacity 3100mAh Lithium Battery
• Improved circuitry
• Improved RX 
• Improved TX
• Improved front end

 Separate transmit buttons

Standard UV-82 battery by the looks of things

Cosmetically the only differences between this model and the standard 82 seem to be separate dual PTT  switches rather than the usual one piece rocker button. This actually helps select the right channel. 

The secondary buttons on the side are now totally black. The original had F and M printed in white. 

The Flashlight and RX/TX LED's are situated on the top of the radio.

Testing
Anyone familiar with a Baofeng radio will find this radio no different to any other in terms of its menu system and general setup.
As I already own two UV-5R's the setup was done in a matter of minutes. Unlike the 5R the 82 doesn't have the VFO/MR button to toggle between frequency and channel modes.  Instead of a button Baofeng decided that switching the radio off and holding the 'menu' key then switching it back on was better!? - it's a pain in the arse to me but nevermind.

Recieve quality on this radio is very good. The sound is loud with a subtle bass note to it.
Compared to a UV-5RE it performs marginally better when it comes to recieving signals. The signal meter on the LCD display seems to have been optimised and responds to the slightest change. - this meter was unusable in previous Baofeng radios from the past. It's more responsive than the 5RE (which had enhancements itself) meter.

When it comes to transmitting on the Misuta it's very much the same as my UV-5RE.  The signal was clear over short distances but became a little choppy the further apart the radios got.

As with all Baofeng radios the front end can become overloaded very easily and this improved version was no better at minimising the effects.

Overall it's a good radio. A solid performer. It looks and sounds the part. And for £25 it's impossible to find a rival.

*2016 Upgraded Version?
So now I'm wondering where these so called improvements have been made? Unfortunately I don't have a standard Baofeng UV-82 handy to compare with the Misuta at the moment.  A back to back test with a standard model will reveal of any electronic upgrades have been made.
One of the upgrade claims is the capacity of the battery. According to the sticker on the battery it's a 3150mAh! - not really, infact it's probably a normal 1700mAh standard one with a bogus sticker on it. - further testing is in progress.
At the moment the only thing I have to go on is the general internet stock photo of the electronic upgrades

This upgraded chip photo is attached to the other Misuta radios on ebay which suggests misutas handy work perhaps? But then I find the same photo on other slightly older Baofeng branded radios and I'm confused?
Without opening up the radio I can confirm which chips are on there?

Until I get a standard Baofeng UV-82 to compare, I can only speculate that Misuta have done little to nothing in way of improving this radio. Just a re-badging excersize perhaps? - updates to follow.


Rating: 4 out of 5 ✅✅✅✅
The radio itself is really good. It's looks and feels like a professional radio and it's a fraction of the price of Kenwoods.
It only gets a 4 because of the inflated battery capacity lie and other potential falsehoods. Still a good radio! Great value for money


Review to be updated soon

My Paracord Project Part 1

Aphoristic Does Bush Craft

From left to right we have

1. Solomon knot Karabiner Lanyard
2. Simple solomon knot Cross
3. Camouflage Solomon knot Survival Bracelet
4. "Boxed-in" Solomon Survival Bracelet
5. Fishtail belly knot survival bracelet
6. Two colour Mini Solomon bracelet
7. Small box knot keyring
8. Large box knot keyring
9. Large Solomon knot cross

With paracord being so cheap these days I thought I might buy a load and make some interesting stuff with it.
Making paracord items has been said to be quite therapeutic and stress relieving so I was curious.
After a few hours and a few YouTube videos I managed to knock up a few items - this post represents what I have made so far.
Rather than showing step by step instructions on making each knot I thought it would be easier to post a link to the actual videos I watched to learn the knots. These guys are professionals and make a better video that I could ever muster. So under each knot design will be the how-to link to make one yourself.

Over the past few weeks I had slowly been building a small stock pile of coloured cord. Rather than buying huge 100 feet lengths of each colour I went for the smaller 7 feet lengths which can be bought for as little as 11p each.
Despite being shipped from the sun kissed pacific island of vanuatu, the quality of this paracord isnt exactly the best it has to be said. It's a little thinner than what I'm used to, a bit like shoe laces but it's strong and usable none-the-less.
Armed with a few colours and a few ideas I set to work on my little projects.

Box Knot Keyring

This fancy looking knot is a little tricky to get started but once it's completed, it looks really nice. The keyring is optional

How to make video below

'Boxed-In" Knot

This knot is a striking variation on the Solomon/Cobra. With an little twist here and there it's quite easy to make a nice looking alternative.

How to make video below

Solomon Knot

This has to be the easiest knot to learn. It's really simple and only takes a view minutes to master. Most survival bracelets from eBay will feature this basic knot. It's easy to knock up a bracelet in 5 minutes once mastered.

How to make video below

Fishtail Belly Knot

Out of all the different knots I tried, the fishtail Belly was the most intricate. It's not difficult by any means, but it did require a little more work. I actually like this knot more than the others

How to video below

So this is as far as I have got with the Paracord weaving.
I plan on trying a few more different styles once my next batch of paracord arrives.

Free 18650 Torch Batteries!

Following on from my post a few weeks back regarding 18650 rechargeable  batteries and how it's probably not a good idea to buy the cheapest ones.  Fake 18650 Batteries

I found an interesting way of getting good quality cells for nothing! 

Hacking an old laptop battery.....

6 little Sanyo's hiding in the pack

It so happens that I had an old Sony Vaio knocking around doing nothing. It was pronounced as dead a year or so ago and was left down the side of a cabinet to be forgotten.

As memory serves me the battery was in good condition before the laptop died so with any luck I should be able to harvest a few good cells from the stack.

The battery pack was held together with three torx 8 size screws which were easy to remove. Then the outer plastic shell had to be prized apart- this wasn't that easy. It took a bit of careful skill and brute force to get it apart.

Special care had to be taken when removing the batteries from the case. To avoid the risk of a short circuit, I used a plastic pry tool to gently easy each battery free. It's a bit risky using a metal screw driver to be honest.

Once the top cover was off it was just a case of ripping each of the 6 batteries out from their housing. As these batteries are joined together the little metal strips had to be pulled off each.

It's wasn't such a big job in the end. 

Checking the batteries it seems that these are all Sanyo 2400mAh 18650's (unprotected) which seems a really good find.

I checked each battery on my meter and they were all still showing 3.7V ?! They all worked when I tested them in a torch.

Sanyo 2400mAh 18650

I actually got the idea of stripping laptop batteries down from YouTube. It seems that people have been doing this for years and as a sad byproduct, some sell old savaged batteries as brand new ones on ebay.... Dodgy characters.

Each of these batteries needs to be properly tested to see how fatigued they have become since manufacture. - when I get the time.
Free batteries in your old gear....can't be bad!