[mothballed]

I'd wager Baofeng is the most common emergency radio. Baofeng or something equivalent is what people in the 3rd world have largely been able to actually afford and there in the rough that's actually what's being used. I recall Baofengish radios being the most commonly spotted ones in the Syrian Civil War.

[iamnothere]

Early on they were spotted in the Ukranian conflict as well, before everyone got proper radios.

[ajsnigrutin]

But it's not an emergency radio, it's a cheap chinese radio that's... well. cheap. That's like buying a $60 android smartphone from aliexpress... and yes, many people in 3rd world countries buy those too.

The frontend is horrible, the filtering is horrible, they get easily overloaded, and they're still not emergency radios. People will die because they will rely on them instead of getting a proper radio for emergencies. Garmin inreach will actually get you help when stuck in the middle of nowhere (because no one will be in simplex range then), and a starlink setup is much better for anything at home, becuase you can actually reach someone who can help that way. Baofengs are just something that earns percentages to youtube "preppers" (many of them not licenced hams either... it's like taking car advice from someone who doesn't even have a drivers licence).