Showing posts with label UV-5R. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UV-5R. Show all posts

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Baofeng UV-5R: Pricing Updates

The following is from Nate:
"Jun's Electronics A.K.A HamCity.com now sells the Baofeng UV-5R for $55.
They also sell the Kenwood USB programming cable for $12.
Shipping via UPS ground is about $12
Total: $79
So just $22 more is not too bad if you are like me and don't want to risk it or wait for 3-4 weeks (409shop).
If you need a second radio, or have the Kenwood USB programming cable already (or don't care about programming your radio from your computer):
Hamcity.com - UV-5R: $55
Shipping via UPS ground: $11 (not a typo, Jun's website charges you an extra buck to ship the cable with radio).
Total: $66
Not too bad, only $19 more, than 409Shop.

I've used the following for comparison: 

409Shop - UV-5R : $47.Kenwood USB programming cable: $8.Free postal shipping.
Total: $55
Kight Radio have just recently updated his website:http://www.kightradio.com/ - It looks good, but I think that the website is still in it's beta phase, because it seems like some features don't work.
He has a free shipping promotion with the coupon code: OCT30
You might be able to nab a UV-5R there for $60 if you don't need the programming cable (only $13 more than 409Shop, for a US seller).
(He sells the programming cable for $15)."

I had also noticed that the KightRadio site had been updated. Here is the direct link to his Chinese Radio News/Blog section.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Baofeng UV-5R: UV-5RE

First, a warning: What has been seen, cannot be unseen.


Via the UV-5R Yahoo Group

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Baofeng UV-5R: 1800 mAH Battery

marksenk Baofeng UV-5R 1800 mAH battery powers FM radio and flashlight for over 8 hours - Who will test transmit duration? #hamrWed, Jul 25 04:35:24 from SenseTwit

Friday, July 20, 2012

Waccom WUV-6R: Wouxun KG-UVD1P - Fight!

Hans (PD0AC) reviews the Waccom WUV-6R and compares it to the Wouxun KG-UVD1P (as well as the Baofeng UV-5R). Some of the features of the WUV-6R sounded nice, but he is very disappointed in the receiver.

Click here to read the whole review.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Better Than Nothing

I'm, obviously, a big fan of inexpensive things like the Chinese radios. I'm willing to take a risk when it comes to quality and performance if the price is low enough. But there are limits... if you are chasing the absolute lowest price, you may end up with something that isn't even worth the small amount you paid. (And don't get me started about the transaction costs of scouring the whole internet to save $0.05 on a $50.00 purchase.)

Not Better Than Nothing
Hans (PD0AC) has a post up about Waccom where he wonders if they aren't buying up the early versions of various radios - early versions that have problems that were fixed in subsequent releases. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that some of these companies are actually related - that they've created tiers/brands for the various levels of quality. If a radio is good, sell it under the primary brand. If you have a bad batch, sell them under a secondary brand, so you don't dilute the stronger reputation of the primary.

These Waccoms seem to be the exception to the "better than nothing" rule in that, for essentially the same money, you could have a much better product. That's why I call this a "not better than nothing" option - you have wasted a scare resource in a race to the bottom.

Better Than Nothing
When it comes to self-defense, I'm less inclined to find the cheapest gun available, but there are some interesting options out there. (Everyday of the week and twice on Sunday, I would pick an inexpensive gun over no gun - even if it was one of these.)

Today, I saw this article about Cheaper Than Dirt's best selling gun - the Interstate Arms Hawk Model 982. The 982 is a clone of the popular Remington 870 and is less than $200. The article says it is so successful because "it does a great job of doing exactly what the manufacturer intended it to do, which is to be a rugged home defense gun." Then came this article about a polymer AR lower for only $50. There must be something in the water, because Tam also had this post about cheap fakes of the already inexpensive Magpul sights.

Not everyone can afford a Bio Force Gun 9000, so these less expensive options have their place. I would tend to think of them as "trunk guns" unless I couldn't afford something else. In that case, they would be my pride and joy. Much like I think of the Baofengs as cheap insurance. It may not be the best performer, but the low price allows me to keep one at the office, one in each car, etc. Since I don't have a complete armory at my house, maybe a 982 and a polymer lower is in my future.


Cheaper Than Dirt article via Gun Nuts Media

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Programming Software Trouble-shooting

I've seen it enough times on the Yahoo Group and in the comments here that I think it bears repeating.

Programming Software Trouble-shooting

Step 1: Make sure the plug is firmly pushed in to the radio.
Step 2: Push the plug some more.
Step 3: Find your strongest friend and ask them to push on the plug even more.
Step 4: Check the driver, verify the COM port, download the latest version of the software, etc.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Baofeng UV-5R: High Capacity Battery

Want a higher capacity battery? Want your UV-5R to look like a Zack Morris phone? Why not do both!

Try the 7.4V 3600mAH Ultra High Double Capacity Battery from RadioShop888.


Baofeng UV-5R: Reverse Scan

I was doing some catching up on the UV-5R Yahoo Group and found this thread that says you can reverse the direction of the scan by pressing the down arrow.

Does it work on the other Baofengs? I've not got one handy to try.

Friday, June 29, 2012

KGUVD1P vs TH-UVF1 vs UV5R

John asks which radio he should get. Hans replies:
"Best of the pack: Wouxun KGUVD1P. No real flaws to report. The KGUVD1P is verystrict when it comes to battery voltage though. It will switch off immediately,there's no escape. Switching to low power won't help. Buy a spare battery!
Runner up: Quansheng TG-UV2. Flaws: no DTMF. Not the prettiest design ever (a
matter of taste, of course). Strengths: capable of RX/TX on 350-390MHz. Batterylife is unbelievable.
The stock antennas of these two HT's are as good as they get, no need for areplacement.
The Baofeng UV-5R is interesting because of its price - you can buy two UV-5R'sfor the price of one Wouxun. If you can live with its quirks, you have a heck ofa deal."
Hans also replies on another thread:
"The cheap UV-3R can't be used here on 70cm. Total RX collapse. The UV-5R does alot better and is usable. The Quansheng TG-UV2 does even better, and the champion of Chinese HT's is the Wouxun KG-UVD1P. I hardly notice the influence of a 5+5+10 KiloWatt digital TV transmitter on that one, which is located only half a mile away from my QTH.
Even the best Chinese HT is no match for my Yaesu VX-177 mono band though. Thatone doesn't give a d*** about these signals. And it should, as I can buy fourUV-5R's for the price of one VX-177."
If you don't already follow Hans at his blog, I highly recommend it.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Vero Telecom UV-E5

I got an e-mail from Vero Telecom this morning. PDF brochure here. Product page here.






Looks familiar.

DUAL BAND TWO WAY RADIO UV-E5
High output power,1800mAh Li-ion Battery Capacity,128 memory channels,rugged construcion, rich in analog features-the UV-E5 offers practical 2m/70cm dual band operation anthed ruggedness ,updated for today's ham radio enthusiasts.

Our UV-E5 with some attractive features.For European customers,1750Hz Burst tone is a impressive function.And the dual-band,dual frequency,dual-standby are also the big selling ponit for this radio.

There are other common features of this radio,such as high/low power switchable, 25kHz/12.5kHz switchable, emergency alert,CTCSS/CDCSS,low battery alert,battery saver,time-out timer,keypad lock etc.

Our UV-E5 has got the CE,FCC and ROHS approvals.

Our UV-E5 with a bottom-line price.We are willing to receive your specific enquiry at an early date!
Dual-Band ,Dual Frequency,Dual Standby
  • 136-174 & 400-470 MHz (TX/RX)
    65-108MHz (FM Radio )
Wideband Coverage
Two bandwidth versions (400–470MHz&
136-174MHz) all have switchable 12.5/25kHz width by channel, and 5/6.25kHz frequency pitch making all the new UHF&VHF channels available for trunking.
Channel steps (2.5/5K/6.25K/10K/12.5K/25K)
Different channel steps 2.5/ 5K/6.25K/10K/12.5K/25K is optional to confirm with the different need.
Scan Function
The UV-E5 allows CTCSS/DCS Tone scan,FM
Radio frequency scan,VFO scan.


500mW Loud Audio
  The 36mm large speaker delivers 500mW of loud and intelligible audio even in noisy environments
Wideband Coverage
  Two bandwidth versions (400–470MHz&136-174MHz) all have switchable 12.5/25kHz width by channel, and 5/6.25kHz frequency pitch making all the new UHF&VHF channels available for trunking.
Dual-band ,Dual display,Dual Watch
  UV-E5 work in two bands,Display two bands on the screen and with dual watch function
Powerful 5W of Output Power
  The UV-E5 offers a just-right mix of power and size 5 watts of high power which will work to get your message through. Get up to 19 hours* of operating time with the Li-ion battery pack (BP-1805L) . All that power comes is an easy to hold and use size – not too big, not too small.
* Typical operation. 5:5:90 duty cycle with power save on.
Channel Name Editing
  You can edit the channel name by yourself,it is very useful for the user.
Internal VOX function
  The UV-E5 has an internal VOX (Voice Operated Transmission) function for convenient hands-free operation when used with a compatible optional headset and adapter cable. Also, the VOX level and VOX delay time are adjustable.
Built-in CTCSS/DCS
  CTCSS and DTCS tone codes provide quiet stand-by and allow you to use tone-access repeaters. Pocket beep alerts you when a
matching tone frequency is received. Tone scan detects the subaudible tone that is used for repeater access.
128 Memory Channels
  Up to 128 regular memory channels can be stored with a 6-character channel names, tone and duplex settings.
Wide/Narrow Bandwidth Selectable
  Different channel spacing 25KHz/12.5KHz are optional to confirm with the regulations of different countries.
Scan Features
  The UV-E5 allows CTCSS/DCS Tone scan,FM Radio frequency scan,VFO scan.



Technical Specification
  Model
UV-E5
  Frequency Range
136-174 & 400-470 MHz (TX/RX)
  Channel Number
128
  Channel Spacing
2.5/5/6.25/25/12.5KHz
  Frequency Stability
2.5ppm
  Operating Voltage
7.4V
  Battery Type
1800 mAh (Lithium Battery)
  Operating Temperature
-30?C-+60?C
  Standby Current
50mA
  Antenna Impedance
50O
  Dimension(without antenna&battery
58*110*32 mm
  Weight
205 g (with antenna&battery)
Transmitter
  Power Output
5 Watts/1 Watts
  Modulation
16K?F3E /8K?F3E
  Spurious and Harmonious
-36dBm<1GHz -30dBm>1GHz
  FM Noise
45dB(N)/42dB(W)
  Adjacent Channel Power
60dB
  Audio Distortion
=5%
Receiver
  Sensitivity
(12dB SINAD) 0.2uV
  Squelch Selectivity
0.15uV
  Adjacent Channel Selectivity
=65dB
  Spurious Response Rejection
-60dB
  Audio Power Output
500mW
  Audio Distortion
=10%

Monday, June 11, 2012

Baofeng UV-5R: CHIRP Bug

I have been kinda busy the last few days, so I missed a little tempest in a teapot when a new release of CHIRP started bricking UV-5R radios. There was a flurry of messages regarding squelches that would not close, no transmit/receive, no FM, etc. The problem was reported as bug #210 to Dan. The good news is that he was extremely responsive, found the problem, and got a new release out, and posted instructions for fixing the problem are here.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Chinese Radio Mega List by Nate - Part 2 - HTs

Here is the second part of Nate's e-mail with the information about the HTs. (Most of this is from his e-mail, but I've edited it so assume any errors are mine.) Part I was about mobile radios.

Baojie BJ-UV88

BAOJIE have an HT model: BAOJIE BJ-UV88

HYS TC-UV11 / TC-UV99

HYS have an HT as well: HYS TC-UV11 and HYS TC-UV99 (if you need a larger flashlight). And the HYS TC-UV88 that looks a little bit like the Baofeng UV-5R / TYT TH-F8.




More UV-5R clones / brands:
ZasTone ZT-V8 ($85.50 on AliExpress)
Mstar M-UV1 ($56 on AliExpress)

Mstar M-UV2
Mstar also has the M-UV2 (Totally different radio)



Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Baofeng UV-5R: Type 90 Accepted

Chris (NH7QH Radio Supplies) sent me a note saying that the Baofeng UV-5R is now Type 90 accepted by the FCC. He says he has them on order and will be selling them soon.












Friday, May 11, 2012

Baofeng UV-5R: Extreme Receive Modification


[ Don't have a UV-5R yet? Get one here. ]


Alvin and b1gslacker have been editing the .dat file to expand the receive frequencies of the UV-5R. As usual the results are a big of a mixed bag given the limitation of the hardware and software involved. Steve, WB8GRS, details the limiting factors:
"There are two components (the DSP and MCU chips) in the UV-5R that determine the band limits.
 1. The RDA1846 DSP chip is the chip that generates all the transmit and receive functions and it specifies the band limit as follows.
134 MHz to 174 MHz200 MHz to 260 MHz400 MHz to 500 MHz
This information is provided in the RDA1846 documentation in the file area. Many have reported the UV-5R will operate outside of these band limit on the 134 to 174 and 400 to 500 MHz bands (no one has reported any success using the UV-5R on the 222 MHz band), so my guess is the above band limits are not "hard coded" in the DSP chip, but are just guaranteed band limits and in fact some chips may operate outside these band limits to some degree.
2. The MCU which I believe is a custom version of the EM78P568-44 microprocessor tells the DRA1846 DSP chip what frequency to tune. If the MCU does not send the correct commands to the DSP chip the right frequency will not be received or transmitted. If for example you load in a 222 MHz frequency, the DSP chip is capable of receiving and transmitting on 222 MHz, but only if the MCU provides the correct commands to the DSP chip. If the MCU does not provide the correct commands, the display may should the correct frequency, but the DSP chip is doing nothing. Even if the MCU send the correct commands to the DSP chip, the RF pre-amplifiers and RF amplifiers external to the DSP chip are not designed to operate on the 222 MHz band so even if the DSP chip was commands correctly by the MCU, the power output and receiver sensitivity would likely be very bad."
b1gslacker gives the details of how to make the change here. The usual warnings apply - do this at your own risk.
"For those of you who would like to attempt to destroy your brand new shiny UV-5R, here are the instructions for "slightly modifying" CHIRP to accept frequencies WAY outside of the manufacturers recommended operating boundaries. These instructions are for windows XP only (but will probably work for others also)
1) Download the UV5R.pyc file in the files section.
2) Using your favourite zip utility (I recommend winrar) open the library.zip file located in your C:\Program Files\CHRIP\ directory (location may slightly differ based on your flavour of windows, but you get the idea).3) Delete the UV5R.pyo file from the zip4) Add the UV5R.pyc file5) Save the modified library.zip
I know that your thinking, but if you don't understand the instructions, you should definitely not be trying this, so don't even ask.
Now that you have installed the "ever so slightly enhanced" version of the UV5R CHIRP module you should be able to program frequencies between 10MHz-999MHz in the CHIRP application.
NOTE: Even if the radio accepts the frequency and displays it on the LCD display, this does not mean that the radio will actually work on that frequency (in fact we do know that there are definitely limits)"