Quansheng radios have a very good reputation for being very capable and also very affordable. In some ways they have somewhat replaced older scanner radios, because in many ways the Quansheng radios can cover pretty much everything the older scanners can. Especially when modified with firmware like Egzumer. Many of the older scanners where made to be very stuck in their ways. What I mean by that is, they were made with a set-in-stone frequency range [unless you had knowledge of electronics and possible mods for that model], and also the mode [AM. WFM, NFM etc] was fixed for a certain frequency range. And the kHz steps were also the same.
Buy From: Amazon UK | AliExpress
They were fixed for specific ranges in the frequencies. For example. 27MHz, which is the frequency for CB radio, would be set to 5kHz steps and FM mode. But with the Quansheng radios all this can be changed. Once modified the Quansheng’s frequency range is increased from 18MHz to 1300MHz. The user can then choose between modes AM, Wide FM, Narrow FM and USB in any frequency range. Same with the kHz steps. Any step range can be chosen in any frequency. And the step range on a modified Quansheng is huge, starting from 0.01kHz and going all the way up to 500kHz. Including the 8.33kHz for airband.
So in many ways, while I still love older scanners and do own many, I can’t help but notice and have to admit that the Quansheng radio’s are much more versatile and have many more features and options available to the user than many of the older scanners do. Especially the cheaper ones.
Other than all the mentioned advantages, two other features that really stand out for me are, first, the very well-lit screen. Which can be set to stay on for certain amounts of time. Or infinite if you like so its always on. A good majority of older scanners have terrible screen lights. Some are like a little corner light similar to what you find in a calculator or cheap Casio watch with a side light. There are exceptions like some of the older Uniden’s, which have great display lights, but overall many retro handhelds have poor lighting.
And the second feature is the light up keypad. In dark conditions all buttons on the Quansheng keypad can be seen, so its easy to use in low light. Whereas on most of the older scanners the keypad keys do not light up at all. So its very difficult to use an older hand-held scanner receiver in low light. These are simple features, but they do make a lot of difference when it comes to usability. If you own both older scanners and Quansheng’s, such as the UV 5R Plus, K5, K6 etc, and can compare them regularly, it’s really noticeable.
Buying In The UK
Most people know that the Quansheng radios come from Asia. The two websites where most resellers / drop shippers are getting their stock from is either Alibaba or AliExpress. This stock then ends up on sites like Amazon and eBay. And the buyer then ends up paying more than they would buying direct from Alibaba or Aliexpress because the reseller wants to make their profit.
So yes, it is cheaper to buy direct from Asia [Alibaba / AliExpress ] but more convenient for some to people just buy in the UK from a reseller and pay a bit more to have an easier transaction with it potentially being faster delivery if the goods are already in the UK. And, a UK based point of call / return address should something go wrong and you want to return the item and receive a refund etc.
I personally bought mine from AliExpress and have never had any problems. I continue to buy items from AliExpress and have never had any issues. Yes, it does take longer to arrive, but I don’t mind waiting a few days longer. However, for those who prefer to buy from within the UK, Quansheng UV K5’s and K6’s are available for sale on Amazon. As a side note, the screen is different on some of the newer UV-K5 8’s. It looks inverted. I’m not sure if this can be changed but I prefer the older look.
It does seem though as the screen on the newer models can be changed, because some reviewers who bought the inverted screen version [in 2024] have taken pictures of their purchased radio, and it has the normal screen. Not sure though if the stock has changed in 2025, so its not a certainty as to which type is being sold right now.