Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Baofeng UV-B5: Flashlight Mod

You know I like opening radios up for no apparent reason. This UV-B5 was especially attractive to me - look two rotary encoders with that easily breakable blue plastic!

But that's not the point...

See, this enterprising soul has discovered that you can add a flashlight to the UV-B5:
"Just underneath where the rotary knob is the two holes for the flashlight L.E.D. on the UV-B6 model. 
Even though the circuit board is printed UV-B5; I assume that both radio's have the same circuit boards? 
It also look like the switching transistor for the L.E.D. next to it. I wonder if you put an led in here whether it would light up? If so maybe a backlight mod can be done as the button under the monitor IS wired in circuit (On the B5). I take it that the flashlight on the UV-B6 is either ON or OFF and doesn't flash? if so then this has given me food for thought!"
Then:
"Just temporarily put an L.E.D. in the holes and it works! So a mod can be done to have a UV-B5 with a flashlight!! All the components ARE already in circuit on the PCB."


Now some may ask "Why?" when you could get a UV-B6. To them I say, why not? Also, you could have both a flash light and knob for changing channels.

Via the UV-B5 Yahoo Group

3 comments:

  1. Thanks,

    Any electronics scheme for the B5 to re-route it.

    A mod to have a button to light the LCD independetly ?
    more handy than a flash light to me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Here it is:

    http://pedja.supurovic.net/how-to-use-baofeng-uv-b5-flash-light-switch-for-lcd-background-light

    Nenad

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks,
    for the link with :
    "the baofeng-uv-b5-flash-light-switch-for-lcd-background-light mod "
    works fine

    ReplyDelete