Yaesu FT 4X Review - A Baofeng Killer?

“The FT-4X is the cheapest HT producted by Yaesu and manugactured in China. For intents and purposes, this radio has all the featues of a Baofeng plus a few more. Does this make it a Baofeng killer? Should you spend the extra money and upgrade to the FT-4X?”

FT-4XR – VHF/UHF Dual Band FM Handheld Transceiver

The FT-4XR 2 meter/ 440 MHz HT has three output power levels: 5, 2.5 or 0.5 watts transmitting from 144 to 148 MHz and from 400 to 480 MHz. Receive coverage is 65-108 (FM broadcast band), 136-174 and 400-480 MHz. The FT-4XR is compact and light, yet ruggedly constructed. The speaker provides a full 1 Watt of powerful, clear audio. The supplied 1750mAh Li-ion battery pack is capable of up to 15 hours operation (TX 5 seconds, RX 5 seconds, Standby 90 seconds). The SBH-22 3.5-hour rapid charger is included. VOX operation is available with the optional SSM-512B earpiece microphone. Other features include: WX Channels with “Severe Weather” Alert, PC Programming (optional cable), Transceiver-to-Transceiver Cloning (optional cable), Keypad Entry, FM Broadcast Receiver, Automatic Range Transponder System (ARTS), CTCSS/DCS Operation, Busy Channel Lockout (BLCO), Automatic Power Off feature and Transmitter Time Out Timer (TOT). Size: 2.1 x 3.5 x 1.2 inches (less knobs and antenna) 8.82 oz.

Powerful Outputs
With 5 Watts of reliable RF output power this radio is sure to be heard. Never miss a call with One watt of Crisp, Clear Audio output from the oversized front panel speaker.
High Capacity Li-Ion Battery
Packaged with a powerful 1750 mAh Li-Ion battery pack, giving the radio over 9 hours of operating time. To ensure minimal down time the FT-4XR also comes packaged with a 3.5-Hour Rapid charger.
Versatile Scanning Capabilities
Programmable VFO Scan scans all channels in the desired frequency range, Memory scan allows scanning of user selectable frequencies, Priority Channel Scan can be used to scan memory channels while making one channel a priority. Weather Alert scan alerts the user when severe weather is approaching.
PC Programmable
The FT-4XR is capable of being programmed directly from a PC making all of the advanced setup features a breeze using the optional software and SCU-35 programming cable.
More Advanced Features
Tons of advanced features are loaded into this compact radio including: Transceiver to Transceiver cloning with the optional SCU-36 clone cable, FM Band receiver equipped, ARTS (Automatic Range Transponder System), DTMF operation, CTCSS/DCS operation, TOT (time out timer) and more.