Reddit reviews Tram 1173 premium 35" coil UHF 450-470MHZ 5.5dBd antenna with metal base and top 5/8 over 5/8 wave

Strictly speaking, BTECH and BaoFeng are different companies. BTECH is just a contract manufacturer. I own a BTECH UV-25X4 (primarily for 1.25M amateur FM), and it's performance far exceeds the UV-5R by any metric. The 50x1 reminds me a lot of the 25x4.

Even Midland acknowledges the deficiencies of their 15 and 40W models: tone squelch is required if you use PL (CTCSS or DCS) on TX, and you can't use "split" tones at all. The 50x1 has no such problems, as is clear from the link.

While tone squelch (TSQ) is common, there are older repeaters that can't accommodate it -- or the operators feel it's not needed. And, while I own a Midland MXT115, operating on simplex with TSQ is a considerable limitation when others try to break in.

I don't see any pictures of the back, so I can't say if there's a cooling fan. I'd be surprised if there wasn't, though. The VHF/UHF RX is a nice touch. You can monitor amateur repeaters, VHF marine, MURS, and all of the weather channels.

If it's similar to the UV-25X4, you can extend the mic cable with simple ethernet inline cable. It's certainly much cheaper than the Midland MXT400, though I doubt the output power of the 50x1 is a full 50W.

The recommendation of the Nagoya mobile antenna is poor, however. The coax is cheap and lossy at UHF, and the connector adapter to PL-259 is ridiculous. This is a much better option. Or, if you already have a suitable NMO mount, this Tram whip is a great choice.
Perhaps not great for monitoring VHF, but neither is the recommended Nagoya.

If you don't want to run the full 50W, a cigarette lighter jack would run this easily. I keep my 25x4 in the back seat "pocket", and change channels with the mic buttons. Otherwise, this could be a nice base station when you add a power supply.

All told, I'd say it's a better buy than the Midland MXT400, if only because of the PL/DCS capability.

• Todd KAF6430