Baofeng BF-5RH GMRS

[Renfro]

Hello and thanks in advance for reading a newbies post.

I am new to this so please be gentle lol.

I bought a Baofeng BF-5RH handheld off Temu and have a question about using it to communicate with a friends Motorola T7450 on GMRS-1 462.5625 MHz.

1) I set my Baofeng to 462.5625 MHz.
2) When the Motorola transmits it comes through the Baofeng loud and clear.
3) When the Baofeng PTT key is pressed I get nothing on the Motorola.

Volume is up and when I use a second Motorola T7450 to transmit it comes through loud and clear on both the Baofeng and other Motorola.

I have not changed any menu options on the Baofeng. It's straight out of the box and fully charged before use. The antenna is fully screwed onto the radio.

When pressing the PTT on the Baofeng I see fully lit "bar" below the "A" frequency of 462.5625 MHz, it's pegged with all the "squares" including the right most red ones lit. I assume that means I am transmitting?



Am I doing something wrong or could my new radio be malfunctioning?

Also, am I correct in assuming that it's OK to transmit on the GMRS frequencies because they are on my Motorola radios?

 

[jeepsandradios]

Buy a GMRS radio. The Baofeng is a HAM Radio.

 

[nd5y]

Am I doing something wrong or could my new radio be malfunctioning?

It could be because of tone squelch or a repeater offset. It could be because the radio is defective.

Also, am I correct in assuming that it's OK to transmit on the GMRS frequencies because they are on my Motorola radios?

The Motorola T7450 is a FCC Part 95 certified FRS radio. They are perfectly legal to use.

The Baofeng is not. It is probably only legal to use in the US on amateur rafio frequencies if you are a licensed amateur radio operator.
Your picture looks like a 5RM Review 5RM - Miklor.
Maybe the info on that site will help you if what you bought is the same radio. Your picture shows it is missing the small name plate below the 8 & 9 keys. That's probably not a good sign. If you bought it on Temu it probably came straight from China and there is no telling what you got.

 

[tomk62]

Pro tip #1: do not ever buy anything from Temu. Send it back, we have no idea what this is, and it may be a HAM radio (as best I can tell).

If you want an entry level GMRS HT and you are on a tight budget, have a look at this. Being new to GMRS, I would also recommend you watch more of notarubicon's videos. While is sense of humor is not suitable for "some people", the info he provides is practical. If you have a bigger budget, look at the Midland or Motorola options.

 

[rescuecomm]

You need to set PL tone 67.0 in the Baofeng or send it back. Set PL 67.0 on whatever radio you end up with.

 

[Renfro]

Your picture shows it is missing the small name plate below the 8 & 9 keys. That's probably not a good sign. If you bought it on Temu it probably came straight

It actually does have a name plate there, just didnt show in the image due to angle and lighting but it says "UV-5R MAX"

It is probably only legal to use in the US on amateur rafio frequencies if you are a licensed amateur radio operator

Agreed, it is my intention to only TEST it by using it on the GMRS frequency that is listed as used for GMRS 1 on the channels of the Motorola T7450 talkabout until I have obtained my license. I figured I would be ok simply testing the new radio in this fashion. I got it on a sale on Temu and only wanted to see if it works. I have not and will NOT be using the radio to transmit other than this GMRS test and definitely not on any HAM frequencies so please don't assume that I am "that guy" lol. I do understand the concern. My journey started with a SDR reciever made with a RTL-SDR V4 R828D RTL2832U USB dongle on a Arduino / Raspbian setup. It is my intention to obtain my HAM license and setup a similar 433 transciever on an ESP32 for sh1ts and grins.

You need to set PL tone 67.0 in the Baofeng or send it back. Set PL 67.0 on whatever radio you end up with.

Thanks for a helpful reply. I will search for this setting.

Pro tip #1: do not ever buy anything from Temu

I wouldn't be so harsh on Temu. I have purchased plenty of items there, mostly microcontrollers, ESP32 and the like. I made my own device to monitor my windmill RPM versus voltage and amperage on all 3 phases of my PM alternator as well as wind speed. It logs the data, provides email and SMS alerts when certain conditions are met such as excessive RPM. It also hosts a LAN webpage that shows the current readings and via port forwarding on my router I can view this info via the internet when traveling. Next is a planned upgrade to incorporate electric braking that will keep the speed from becoming excessive but still allow for generation of some power for my charge controller. I have bought many other things and the only complaint I have is the time it takes for first class mail from China lol but hey, shipping is CHEAP or free depending on order total.

It could be because of tone squelch or a repeater offset

Thanks for the helpful information. I will check into this.