Baofeng UV-7B vs Baofeng UV-82

The UV-82 is the better choice here, though the margin is narrow. Both radios are priced identically and receive the same owner rating from Amazon, but the UV-82 has two concrete advantages: it's 22 grams lighter, and its transmit power is specified at 5 watts while the UV-7B's output remains unknown. The UV-82 also supports CHIRP programming, which matters if you want to manage frequencies on a computer rather than manually. The UV-7B does include Bluetooth, a feature absent from the UV-82, though neither specification strongly justifies choosing one over the other for most users. Neither radio includes digital modes, GPS, or APRS capability, so that decision shouldn't factor in here.

The most important differentiator is the specified transmit power on the UV-82 versus the missing data on the UV-7B. Knowing your radio's actual power output is basic information for any operator planning range and battery life.

Get the UV-82 if you want a lighter radio with confirmed specs and computer programming support. Get the UV-7B only if Bluetooth connectivity is essential to your use case. For most people, the UV-82 is the safer pick given its more complete specifications.