Baofeng Baofeng UV-5R programming help

[W9TAC]

I am just getting back into ham radio, and I resurrected my first radio purchase, the Baofeng UV-5R. I remember it was a pain to figure out how to program repeaters, but after watching a dozen YT videos, I still can't get back to where I was. I thought I was successful programming and hitting a local repeater, but I just tried to talk with a couple of folks and it seemed like I was invisible to them.

When I say I thought I was successful, I could key the mic and get a repeater response, but when I stored the information to a memory slot, and switched to channel mode, I could not. Does anyone out there have a good handle on programming and storing information with the Baofeng?

Thanks,
Tc

 

[n0xvz]

You might try this: Baofeng Cheat Sheet - W7APK

But there's always this: UV5R, UV6R, GT3 Info - Miklor

 

[nd5y]

Menu 25 SFT-D (+/- shift direction) and Menu 26 OFFSET only work in VFO mode. You cannot store them to a memory channel. To program a repeater you have to first store the receive frequency in a memory channel then you store the transmit frequency and tone in the same memory channel.

On Japanese ham rigs doing that would overwrite the memory channel but that's not how Baofengs work and for some reason many hams are incapable of understanding it.

 

[VA4JOE]

Menu 25 SFT-D (+/- shift direction) and Menu 26 OFFSET only work in VFO mode. You cannot store them to a memory channel. To program a repeater you have to first store the receive frequency in a memory channel then you store the transmit frequency and tone in the same memory channel.

On Japanese ham rigs doing that would overwrite the memory channel but that's not how Baofengs work and for some reason many hams are incapable of understanding it.

Menu 25 and menu 26 can be stored to a channel when in VFO mode. You have to set these as well as any tones [menu 10,11,12, and 13] as applicable, before you write to channel memory[menu 27]. The channel may have to be deleted[menu 28] before you store that stuff.

 

[nd5y]

Menu 25 and menu 26 can be stored to a channel when in VFO mode.

You sure about that? Which radio model does that work on?
It doesn't work like that on my UV-5R and UV-82.

 

[VA4JOE]

You sure about that? Which radio model does that work on?
It doesn't work like that on my UV-5R and UV-82.

When you are setting up the channel to be put into memory, not after it is already written to memory. Works on my UV-5R and UV-5RIC.

 

[nd5y]

You cannot write a repeater channel with an offset from VFO to an empty memory channel in one step unless they changed the firmware recently. How old are your radios? Mine are around 10 years old.

 

[VA4JOE]

You cannot write a repeater channel with an offset from VFO to an empty memory channel in one step unless they changed the firmware recently. How old are your radios? Mine are around 10 years old.

Mine are bought this year so may be newer. I follow this guide: Howto

 

[nd5y]

I follow this guide: Howto

Did you read steps 11 - 13?

Step 11. Assign the receive frequency entered in Step 7 to the channel.
[MENU] 27 [MENU] [enter channel number XXX] [MENU] [EXIT]
Step 12. Press the [*Scan] button to activate Reverse Mode and display the transmit frequency.
Step 13. Assign the transmit frequency to the channel.
Press [MENU] 27 [MENU] [enter the same memory channel entered in step 12] [MENU] [EXIT]

Step 11 doesn't save the offset (transmit frequency). You have to program the transmit frequency separately in the same memory channel. That's why it has step 13.

Instead of using the reverse function (step 12) you can enter the transmit frequency on the keypad (and change the tone and other channel specific transmit settings) before saving it to the same memory channel as the receive frequency.

 

[nd5y]

Then you have to be aware that if you go to VFO mode and enter a random frequency, tone and power level and then save that to an existing memory channel (even if it's simplex memory channel), it will change the transmit frequency and settings to whatever is in the VFO and not change the receive frequency or settings.

 

[VA4JOE]

Did you read steps 11 - 13?

Step 11. Assign the receive frequency entered in Step 7 to the channel.
[MENU] 27 [MENU] [enter channel number XXX] [MENU] [EXIT]
Step 12. Press the [*Scan] button to activate Reverse Mode and display the transmit frequency.
Step 13. Assign the transmit frequency to the channel.
Press [MENU] 27 [MENU] [enter the same memory channel entered in step 12] [MENU] [EXIT]

Step 11 doesn't save the offset (transmit frequency). You have to program the transmit frequency separately in the same memory channel. That's why it has step 13.

Instead of using the reverse function (step 12) you can enter the transmit frequency on the keypad (and change the tone and other channel specific transmit settings) before saving it to the same memory channel as the receive frequency.

I find that I can enter the offset and shift and finish with step 11 and use the repeater channel because it knows what the offset frequency is by the offset and shift entered previously. I just tried it and it works.

 

[nd5y]

I find that I can enter the offset and shift and finish with step 11 and use the repeater channel because it knows what the offset frequency is by the offset and shift entered previously. I just tried it and it works.

That doesn't make sense. I have never heard of anybody being able to do that on UV-5R and UV-82 type radios. Either they changed the firmware in recent years or you don't understand exactly what you are doing.

 

[VA4JOE]

If you want to do crossband repeater stuff like the space station you have to omit that offset and shift(or turn them off) and do steps 12 and 13.

 

[mjdewey]

When I purchased my Baofeng it included a PC programming cable. I downloaded the software. Much easier and quicker.