Baofeng UV-5R Wont Trip Repeaters

[SLFD127]

Sorry if this is in the wrong spot, but Ive been having some problems with my UV-5R. When I originally bought it, I programmed in all of the channels I needed it to transmit on, and it worked like a dream. I use this radio for volunteer fire dept use (Yes, it has the FCC Part 90 ID sticker (ZP5BF-5R) I made sure I was legal), I dont abuse it either, never been exposed to extreme heat/fire, dropped, jostled, its been wet a few times, but always worked afterwards. now it will not transmit on our main fire repeater. nothing in the frequencies has changed, nor the menu settings or anything like that. Ive done hard resets and full memory wipes of the radio multiple times, and reprogrammed it several times as well. It just all of a sudden stopped transmitting on any repeater i store into it. Any ideas on how to fix this?
Thanks.

 

[mikewazowski]

Thread moved to Budget and Entry Level Transceivers.

I hate to say it but you got what you paid for.

I'd toss it and invest in a decent radio that will take some abuse and is more suitable in fire service use.

 

[WB4CS]

I found your problem: Expecting a $30 radio to perform like a Motorola.

In all honesty, if you've reprogrammed the radio and it still doesn't work, it sounds like a faulty radio. The only thing I can think of is try a different antenna, just to be sure you don't have an issue with the antenna. Other possibilities could be, has the repeater changed PL tones? Or went digital? Might not hurt to have whoever is the admin for the repeater take a look at the radio programming to verify that nothing has changed.

Sending it in for repair is going to cost more than what you paid for the radio, so I'd say just buy another one. When that one goes bad, buy another one. Eventually you'll spend as much in replacement radios as you would just buying a "real" radio.

Sorry to be blunt, but "them's the brakes." There's a reason that Motorola, Kenwood, Vertex, Icom, etc, radios cost a lot more than $30.

Best of luck to ya.

 

[jk77]

Does it transmit ok on simplex? Are you sure you have the correct CTCSS, etc. codes programmed correctly? Did your repeater recently change its codes?

 

[teufler]

do you have a scanner that you can monitor the radio output? If you can't hear a thing, expect that the radio has failed. A normal service call on a motorola , kenwood is going to be $75.00 plus parts so a new radio would be less than a repair bill.Do you get a light output on transmission?

 

[SLFD127]

thanks for the replies guys, my chief works in county dispatch and he says that nothing on the repeater has changed, I compared my radio to another uv-5r that I also programmed (just cloned mine to his) and his works fine. starting to think I need a new radio

 

[K5MPH]

sorry to say,get a real radio the uv-5r are not made for that kind of work they are a powder puff radio..............

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Motorola, Bendix King, Harris…they all make proper radios for fire duty.

A bunch of local volunteer departments around me have UV-5R's. Great for keeping an ear open for when they aren't on duty but they do break them quite often (they aren't as well built as their pagers).

 

[KC9HI]

Sorry if this is in the wrong spot, but Ive been having some problems with my UV-5R. When I originally bought it, I programmed in all of the channels I needed it to transmit on, and it worked like a dream. I use this radio for volunteer fire dept use (Yes, it has the FCC Part 90 ID sticker (ZP5BF-5R) I made sure I was legal), I dont abuse it either, never been exposed to extreme heat/fire, dropped, jostled, its been wet a few times, but always worked afterwards. now it will not transmit on our main fire repeater. nothing in the frequencies has changed, nor the menu settings or anything like that. Ive done hard resets and full memory wipes of the radio multiple times, and reprogrammed it several times as well. It just all of a sudden stopped transmitting on any repeater i store into it. Any ideas on how to fix this?
Thanks.

What do you mean stopped transmitting. Do you get the "TX inhibited" beep? Does the red LED still light up? With MDF-A and/or MDF-B set to FREQ, does the radio switch the TX frequency when the PTT button is keyed? How are you programming the radio (keypad or software)? If software, would you download from the radio and supply the OEM .dat file or CHIRP .img file?

Jim KC9HI

 

[Larrykarp]

UV-5R not transmitting

I have the same issue. Bought a new UV-5R and programmed it with my saved file. It worked fine for 3 weeks then turned it on one day and it powered up in Chinese. so I reprogrammed with a good file and everything works simplex and repeater channels except for my fire main repeater frequency. No, nothing has changed with our radio or repeater system.

My other Uv-5R radios work fine. This one will work for all freq except fire main repeated on any channel. Other repeater channels still work. I've saved a new file from a working radio and tried to D/L to this radio and still the same repeater not working. The car to car on that frequency works fine on said radio. Yes, all numbers are correct because I was using a clone of a working radio.

 

[KC8ESL]

Is your part 90 repeater on vhf? Also, are you using the stock antenna?

Swap antennas for a minute with your chief and see if the problems follow the antenna, not the radio.

 

[Larrykarp]

Yep, the problem seems to be the antenna. I swapped antennas and it's fine now. which I find strange because the other frequencies including the repeater frequencies on the radio were working just fine.

 

[KC8ESL]

Inside the stock baofeng antennas (dual band for uv5r) is a component under a piece of Heatshrink that connects via a soldered joint about 2" up the helically wound metal. If that component is subject to stress (bending) it is fragile and breaks apart. UHF works fine but VHF is nonexistent, electrically speaking.

A simple repair can be made using a heatgun, channel locks, soldering pencil, and hot glue. Using the channel locks, rotate in a fast motion over the heatgun the length of the antenna for about 15 to 20 seconds. This loosens the glue and the helical element/reverse sma base slide out the bottom. Re-tack the broken solder joint and test it before you hot glue it back in place. If you break it worse, just remember, it was already broken anyways.

 

[SLFD127]

When I key up on a repeater, the background of the screen turns red, as it does when transmitting, only I get nothing back. Ive keyed up in the station before, and no other radios pick it up. it will transmit and receive fine on simplex channels, but repeaters do not work. I own a few seperate antennas, tried them all, still having the same problem. My dept does not use uv-5rs, this is my personal radio, antennas are not interchangable between the two. Ive reprogrammed this radio a few times when this has happened in the past, but this time nothing is working. Im going to test antennas and such one more time from the fire station, and if it doesnt work, Im most likely just going to write it off. I was planning on upgrading to a better radio anyway, not necessarily a motorola or a kenwood, but something a few steps up from a UV-5R. Ill post the results of the antenna test at a later date.

 

[chekoz77]

If your having to reprogram to get it to work again it sounds like a radio issue. Save yourself the hassle and just spring 34 bucks for the UV-82. For the price of the Baofengs they are pretty much disposable.

 

[SLFD127]

Im either upgrading to a UV-82C or a Wouxun UV8D, leaning more towards the 8D, not quite sure yet though

 

[SCPD]

chinese radio

Im either upgrading to a UV-82C or a Wouxun UV8D, leaning more towards the 8D, not quite sure yet though

Out of all the Chinese so called dual bands out there the KG-uv8D is one of the nicest looking dual bands out there,I had a chance to play with one and for $119 you cant beat it,not that I dont think you should spend a bit more and get a Yaesu or kenwood but its good for the price.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Add $15 and you're at dealer cost for an Icom F-3021T.

 

[SLFD127]

Just tested with 2 more antennas, did not solve the problem