Another option for AMBE capability on a USB device is Amateur Radio ThumbDV manufactured and sold by Northwest Digital Radio (Friday Harbor, WA, USA) - https://wuwt.myshopify.com/products/thumbdv™.
Your experience with the programming app for the UV-5R Mini mirrors my (pre-usage) impressions, so I think I'm not going to bother with the app. With 999 channels available, I'm (finally) going to invest in building a code plug file for these (and future) radios that can be programmed via the speaker / microphone ports and (try to use) CHIRP. There are some cautions flying around about using CHIRP with these types of radios (using the AIOC)... but I bought spares and at $17.50 I can afford to experiment.
Also, it's really frustrating to see the variety of bundles on Amazon for radios such as this. The package I received included both the very long antenna, and another (for each radio) that was perhaps 1.5x the length of the tiny one you bought.
I share those frustrations but find it hard to complain too much at this low price point. If an Icom, Yaesu, or Kenwood radio had such a semi-functional programming interface, I'd be much more frustrated. I guess my expectations are low for the Baefeng...but having said that, the Mini seems better than others I've tried. I'm okay with it as a slip-it-into-a-pocket-on-the-way-out-the-door kind of radio.
Another option for AMBE capability on a USB device is Amateur Radio ThumbDV manufactured and sold by Northwest Digital Radio (Friday Harbor, WA, USA) - https://wuwt.myshopify.com/products/thumbdv™.
I'll learn more about ThumbDV and some other products by that vendor. Thank you for shining a light on this!
Your experience with the programming app for the UV-5R Mini mirrors my (pre-usage) impressions, so I think I'm not going to bother with the app. With 999 channels available, I'm (finally) going to invest in building a code plug file for these (and future) radios that can be programmed via the speaker / microphone ports and (try to use) CHIRP. There are some cautions flying around about using CHIRP with these types of radios (using the AIOC)... but I bought spares and at $17.50 I can afford to experiment.
Also, it's really frustrating to see the variety of bundles on Amazon for radios such as this. The package I received included both the very long antenna, and another (for each radio) that was perhaps 1.5x the length of the tiny one you bought.
I share those frustrations but find it hard to complain too much at this low price point. If an Icom, Yaesu, or Kenwood radio had such a semi-functional programming interface, I'd be much more frustrated. I guess my expectations are low for the Baefeng...but having said that, the Mini seems better than others I've tried. I'm okay with it as a slip-it-into-a-pocket-on-the-way-out-the-door kind of radio.