The USB-C charging is listed as 'for emergencies only'. I believe the battery is dual-cell and the USB-C port only charges one side which can damage the cell iirc.

It is a really fun, very cheap radio. Use egzumer's firmware and play around with it if you want. Just don't transmit out of the band it's spec'd for from factory. It will spray all over the place.

I just checked it out. It seems it only solves one of the problems I listed. You can charge it with USB-C (not program it or anything else, just charge it).

i think i have a UV-something, but in general quansheng are far superior to baofeng vis a vis reliability, clarity and volume, and durability. When i'm in a machine room working on a repeater i want to be able to hear the radio, even if it falls 16'. on the antenna.

THe only radio i own that's built more like a tank than my oldest quansheng is a motorola from the late 90s (VHF, NFM)