Baofeng UV-28 vs TIDRADIO TD-H9

The TD-H9 edges out the UV-28 based on listed specifications and what owners report. Both radios deliver 10W of transmit power and include GPS and Bluetooth. The key difference is that the TD-H9 adds APRS capability, which the UV-28 lacks, making it more useful for position tracking and messaging. The TD-H9 also carries an IP54 weather rating, whereas the UV-28 has no published IP rating. Owners report satisfaction with both units, though the TD-H9 benefits from a larger sample of 450 Amazon reviews averaging 4.2/5, compared to the UV-28's 44 reviews at 4.1/5.

The single most important differentiator is APRS support on the TD-H9, which opens up a whole class of amateur radio applications the UV-28 cannot access.

The UV-28 makes sense if you want to minimize cost and only need basic GPS and Bluetooth connectivity. The TD-H9 is the better choice if you want APRS capability and weather resistance, and can stretch your budget to seventy dollars.

We recommend the TD-H9 for most buyers, since APRS is a meaningful capability gap and the owner feedback is based on substantially more data.