Transmission1

Some advice please chaps, quite simply which one to buy? Are they all the same beast in different cases or does sensitivity and selectivity vary?

I've got the Baofeng BF-F8+ in a fleabay shopping basket but is there anything else worth considering for the same price?

Go for Zastone ZT-2R. The Zastone is a Yaesu VX-2R from top to bottom.
Chris

I personally would not recommend the Zastone ZT-2R / ZT-2R+. Yes, it basically is a Yaesu VX-2R, which wasn't a good radio to begin with.
I have a ZT-2R, and whilst it has more features than a Baofeng, performance isn't any better, added to the low TX power and tiny speaker, it really isn't anything special.

All the Baofengs are similar. If any, i'd go for the UV-82HP.

I have a few of these Baofengs, they mostly all perform much the same way.
However, my favourite Baofeng is the UV-B5 and the reasons for this are twofold. Firstly, it has the best receiver from all of the ones I've tested and secondly, it has a rotary VFO/Memory control on the top along with the volume control.

No more changing channels/frequencies using the up and down arrows, although it has these too if you want to use it that way.

I like the extended rx coverage of the Zastone but I need something cheap because they could have to be sacrificed, if I get to keep them I like the rotary control of the UV-B5 so will look for one of those.

The Zastone has a very wide receive coverage, unfortunately it's useless unless you connect an external antenna, at least for the MW and SW bands. There's also no SSB so only really much use for AM broadcasting which also seems to be getting phased out before too long. There's VHF airband which the Baofengs don't have.

It's a micro sized HT, with compromises, the main being a really short antenna that is pretty much useless for anything, low TX output, and a small tinny speaker. I'm sure it would have a use somewhere, but not really a good choice as a sole HT, despite it really being a Yaesu under the hood.

I bought my ZT-2R+ about 1.5 years ago, it was only £60 imported and was pretty much a curiosity purchase, especially because of the price. I can't really think of a time I've actually used it for anything. I'm not sure how much the original Yaesu VX-2R cost when it was in production, but it would have been much higher than £60. To be fair, it's an OK HT for what I paid for it, and knowing it's limitations, I'm ok with it.

Go for the Baofeng UV-B5, lovely radio and only £25. I had a Yaesu VX-2R and I thought that was pants, all the above faults same as Zastone, rubbish radio imho. There's the Baofeng UV-3R if you want tiny, they're good for what they are, but my fave tiny radio is the TYT TH-UV3R. I tried the Baofeng UV-5R as well and hated that, ugly awkward thing that was, but some people luv 'em, go figure.

Q. Which Baofeng should I buy?
A. Zastone ZT-2R

All of the Baofengs are much of a muchness, it really depends on what you want to do with them, the B5 is a good all-rounder if you want a handie in your pocket to hit the repeaters when walking the dog, if you want it as part of an internet node with an external antenna running 24/7 and other embedded project stuff then you may as well go for the cheapest you can get your hands on.