F8HP PRO – Surprisingly good, pleasantly affordable

I picked up the BTech F8HP PRO a while back after deciding it was time to upgrade my old UV5R, and I have to say — this thing has genuinely impressed me in ways I didn’t expect from a radio at this price point.

01 //Build Quality

Right out of the box, the first thing I noticed was how solid it feels. This is not a cheap, hollow chunk of plastic. At 9.2 oz with the battery on, it has some real heft to it. The dimensions are comfortable in the hand without being bulky, and everything about the construction feels deliberate. My previous BTech was noticeably flimsier, so this is a real step up.

02 //The Triple-Band Thing is Actually Useful

I’ll be honest — I was skeptical about 220 MHz (1.25m) being worth anything in my area. Turns out there’s more activity on that band than I expected, and unlike some radios that technically cover 220 but with garbage performance, the F8HP PRO delivers real power there. My audio reports on local repeaters and simplex have been consistently clean.

Band	High Power	Mid Power	Low Power
2m (144 MHz)	8.6 W	4.4 W	2.3 W
1.25m (220 MHz)	4.6 W	4.2 W	3.1 W
70cm (440 MHz)	7.5 W	4.1 W	2.5 W

Power levels measured using a calibrated Bird Termaline wattmeter.

03 //The Aircraft Band is a Genuine Bonus

I live near a busy corridor with a couple of major airports and a handful of smaller fields nearby. The AM aircraft receive on this radio is genuinely clear and impressive. Ground-to-air, air-to-air, UNICOM traffic — it all comes through crisp. This alone gives the radio a lot of extra entertainment value during slow moments on the ham bands.

04 //Channel Banks / Zone System

This is one of the features that doesn’t get enough attention. Having 1000 channels split into 10 zones of 100 each is a game changer for organization. I have one zone for local ham repeaters, one for simplex, one dialed in for aircraft frequencies, and one set up for travel. The fact that the zone name appears on the display rather than just a number makes switching between them fast and intuitive. You can also have different zones on the A and B display simultaneously, which is a nice touch.

05 //NOAA One-Button Access

Simple, fast, no menus. Long press zero and you’re on weather channels. Long press the pound key and it scans all ten. Short press to jump back to normal operation. In severe weather country, this kind of no-fuss access matters.

06 //GPS

The GPS works well — I verified coordinates against my phone and they matched up accurately. For solo hiking or working with a group, the location sharing between F8HP PRO units is a legitimately useful feature, not just a spec sheet bullet point.

07 //USB-C Charging

Finally. No more proprietary charger hunting. The 2500 mAh battery charges from any standard USB-C source, and the charge indicator on the battery itself (red while charging, green when full) is a small but appreciated touch. Just keep in mind it’s charge-in only — you can’t use it as a power bank for other devices.

08 //Firmware V0.53 — This Is How Updates Should Work

V0.53Released January 2026

Smarter Scanning, Better Display

• On-screen signal strength in approx. dBm
• Channel Name + Frequency display option
• Safer keypad channel delete w/ name shown
• Scan Edit + fixed no-tone nuisance stops
• Side keys: 4 programmable actions
• Improved airband stepping indicators
• Updated airband band edges
• Much more throughout

One of my selling points on this radio was the upgradable firmware, and BTech has delivered on that promise in a meaningful way. The V0.53 update is the kind of release that makes you appreciate the hardware all over again. The most immediately noticeable addition is the on-screen signal strength readout in approximate dBm — genuinely useful information right on the display rather than just a vague S-meter bar. Scanning got smarter too, with a new Scan Edit feature and a fix for those annoying nuisance stops on channels with no tone. The side keys now support four programmable actions instead of two, which opens up a lot of flexibility for how you work the radio in the field. Airband users will appreciate the proper stepping indicators and updated band edges. Toss in the new Channel Name + Frequency display option and a safer keypad channel delete that shows the actual channel name before you pull the trigger, and this update touches nearly every part of the radio’s daily operation. It’s the kind of firmware drop that feels less like a patch and more like a free hardware upgrade.

09 //Pros & Cons

Pros

• Solid, hefty build quality
• Real power on all three bands
• 220 MHz fully functional
• AM aircraft receive (108–136 MHz)
• 1000 channels / 10 named zones
• USB-C charging on battery
• GPS with team location sharing
• Upgradable firmware (V0.53 is great)
• NOAA one-button access
• CHIRP + custom software support

Minor Gripes

• Long-press functions need memorizing
• Manual is dense — read it first
• Flashlight removed for GPS antenna
• Use FTDI cable for programming
• USB-C is charge-in only, not power bank

The F8HP PRO hits a sweet spot that’s hard to find: solid construction, three fully functional amateur bands, aircraft receive, intelligent channel organization, GPS, and modern USB-C charging all in one package. The upgradable firmware means it can actually improve after purchase — and with updates like V0.53 already out, BTech is clearly backing that promise up. For the price, it’s one of the most capable handhelds I’ve owned. Highly recommended for anyone who wants more than just a basic dual-bander.

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Todd – KE9DQS

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