VSS
BOOKS
THE PROBLEM
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE OWN A BAOFENG. VERY FEW CAN ACTUALLY USE ONE.
The Baofeng UV-5R is one of the most capable radios you can buy for the money. It's also packed in a box with a manual almost nobody can follow.
So it goes in a drawer. Then the power goes out, the cell towers go down, and the one tool that could have kept your family connected is a $30 paperweight.
It doesn't have to be that way. With the right instruction, you can go from out of the box to your first contact in a single afternoon.
THE FIX
Special Forces Communications Sergeants keep a team talking anywhere in the world, with whatever equipment they have. Erik Lawrence did that job for years. In this book he teaches you exactly what he'd teach a new guy on the team: no fluff, no jargon left unexplained, and no assuming you already know what a "repeater offset" is.
LEARN IT THE WAY A GREEN BERET TEAM LEARNS IT
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
NINE SKILLS - ONE AFTERNOON TO GET STARTED
01
Know your radio
Every button, knob, port and menu, explained in plain English.
02
Stay legal
What FRS, GMRS, MURS and ham radio rules actually allow, and how to get licensed.
03
Program it two ways
Step-by-step keypad programming, plus free CHIRP software on your computer.
04
Understand frequencies
Offsets, tones, and why your radio won't talk to a repeater (and how to fix it).
05
Reach farther
Find and use local repeaters, and use elevation and terrain to extend your range.
06
Build field antennas
Make field-expedient antennas from wire and scrap, with the simple formulas to cut them right.
07
Talk like a pro
Radio etiquette, prowords and the commo discipline that keeps transmissions short and clear.
08
Plan for grid-down
Build a PACE communication plan your whole family can follow when phones fail.
09
Keep it running
Field power, troubleshooting and maintenance when there's no store to run to.
Bonus reference material: a quick-reference cheat sheet, a glossary of terms and prowords, and extended reference tables.
THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU IF ...
No experience required. If you can follow a recipe, you can follow this book.
You bought a Baofeng (or got one as a gift) and it's never left the box
You're a prepper building a communication plan that doesn't depend on cell towers
You want your family to reach each other during a storm, blackout or disaster
You're a homesteader, hunter or outdoorsman who needs to talk where there's no signal
You're curious about ham or GMRS radio but put off by technical manuals
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ERIK LAWRENCE
Erik Lawrence is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Communications Sergeant (18E). As a Green Beret, his job was to keep his team talking across some of the hardest terrain on earth, often with nothing more than the radio on his back and the antenna he could build in the field.
He wrote this book for everyone who owns a radio but was never shown how to use it.
A LOOK INSIDE
Format: 5" × 8" paperback & Kindle eBook
Length: 110 pages
Includes: diagrams, cheat sheet, glossary & reference tables
© 2026 Erik Lawrence. All rights reserved.
The Green Beret Guide to the Baofeng Radio is an independent publication and is not affiliated with, authorized, endorsed or sponsored by Baofeng, the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense. Baofeng and UV-5R are trademarks of their respective owners.