Baofeng uv5r Not Receiving?

[ljheidel]

I'm having the squelching problem.

I got the radio about a month ago, and almost immediately programmed it with Chirp. It would no longer receive unless you turned the squelch down to zero or held down the monitor button, but it was because I'd turned off the 'beep' while going through and playing with the options. I turned 'beep' back on (annoying, but I can live with it) and it started working again. This was the last time I attached it to my MacBook and programmed it with Chirp.

About a week ago, I noticed that the radio was strangely silent. I thought it was just because I'd been in locations with weak signals. But, today, I took it upstairs and hit the monitor button with it tuned to a popular local repeater. I heard a good, clean signal.

So, I ran through all of the restore to factory options (factory reset, imaging with a generic image and an older version of Chirp, etc.) and I'm still having that problem.

However, if I put tune to an empty spot on the 2m band, and transmit a radio check from my base station (5 watts with about 20 feet between the antennas), it works fine. It appears to me that the problem is in the squelch sensitivity. It's as if the radio's squelch is set to maximum (or beyond.)

 

[KC9HI]

I'm having the squelching problem.

I got the radio about a month ago, and almost immediately programmed it with Chirp. It would no longer receive unless you turned the squelch down to zero or held down the monitor button, but it was because I'd turned off the 'beep' while going through and playing with the options. I turned 'beep' back on (annoying, but I can live with it) and it started working again. This was the last time I attached it to my MacBook and programmed it with Chirp.

About a week ago, I noticed that the radio was strangely silent. I thought it was just because I'd been in locations with weak signals. But, today, I took it upstairs and hit the monitor button with it tuned to a popular local repeater. I heard a good, clean signal.

So, I ran through all of the restore to factory options (factory reset, imaging with a generic image and an older version of Chirp, etc.) and I'm still having that problem.

However, if I put tune to an empty spot on the 2m band, and transmit a radio check from my base station (5 watts with about 20 feet between the antennas), it works fine. It appears to me that the problem is in the squelch sensitivity. It's as if the radio's squelch is set to maximum (or beyond.)

Email your .img file for me to look at.

uv5r [at] kc9hi [dot] net

Jim KC9HI

 

[RandyHudson]

UV5R-V2+ mistake

You must not upload a CHIRP .img file into a radio with N5R-20 or N5R-30 firmware that came from a radio with a prior firmware version. If this has been done, you will experience the receive issue. You must follow the procedure on the miklor.com website to restore receive.

UV5R F8HP Recovery Baofeng Pofung UV5R

Jim KC9HI

This miklor process doesn't work for me. My comp asks for permissions to download, even though I am logged on as admin. This process asks me when I am ready to burn to dick D, even though it never asks where I want to download. I even manage to buy another UV5R-V2+ and attempt to clone the correct version back. My messed up radio says "Error- Image not compatible with radio" This recovery process seems to be full of .... holes as far as I can get with it. Is there another way to recover this radio, or am I just going to end up throwing it away? I have little patience for wasting my time or money, but know when to fish and know when to cut bait. I've contacted the seller, not like they want anything to do with me, or my radio. They only seem to like my money. Is there any other way to recover a corrupted UV5R-V2+ that was inadvertently (by a noob ......me) loaded with plain UV5R data?

 

[KC9HI]

This miklor process doesn't work for me. My comp asks for permissions to download, even though I am logged on as admin. This process asks me when I am ready to burn to dick D, even though it never asks where I want to download. I even manage to buy another UV5R-V2+ and attempt to clone the correct version back. My messed up radio says "Error- Image not compatible with radio" This recovery process seems to be full of .... holes as far as I can get with it. Is there another way to recover this radio, or am I just going to end up throwing it away? I have little patience for wasting my time or money, but know when to fish and know when to cut bait. I've contacted the seller, not like they want anything to do with me, or my radio. They only seem to like my money. Is there any other way to recover a corrupted UV5R-V2+ that was inadvertently (by a noob ......me) loaded with plain UV5R data?

This is a .img file to be loaded into CHIRP, not a .img file that is to be used to burn a CD or DVD.

Yes. You uploaded an incompatible .img file into your radio using an older CHIRP that doesn't protect you from doing so. Then you upgraded your CHIRP to a version that protects you from uploading an incompatible .img file. Unfortunately, since your radio has the "wrong" image in it, CHIRP thinks that is the correct image and won't let you upload the "correct" image to fix it.

This is a 2 minute fix. I have done it myself on radios that were sent to me. I have also instructed many individuals that have accidentally uploaded an incompatible image to their radio and that have successfully used these instructions to recover their radio.

If you would read _and_ follow the directions on the miklor website, it would tell you when what you have done happens, you must downgrade to an older CHIRP before this protection was added so the correct .img file can be uploaded.

Jim KC9HI

 

[zoofer]

If you would read _and_ follow the directions on the miklor website, it would tell you when what you have done happens, you must downgrade to an older CHIRP before this protection was added so the correct .img file can be uploaded.

Jim KC9HI

100% correct Jim. My brand new, right out of the Amazon box UV5R had the squelch issue (I'm not discounting the possibility that it was a radio that had been returned to Amazon and repackaged as new - it sure looked brand new). I had to wait until the following day to receive the programming cable, but reading and following the easy instructions had the squelch problem solved in about 20 minutes.

Maybe after I've done as many recoveries as you have I can get my time down to 2 minutes also :lol:

73,

KC, w0vp

 

[Josh380]

Just wanted to mention I've noticed when I save a file (img), close chirp, reopen chirp, open the img, then try to upload to radio, I get the message saying something like unable to upload to radio, or something to that affect. But then I copy (ctrl-C) all of the entries, then paste it into a new file then upload, it takes. Just thought that might be part of the solution to some extent.

 

[hhfd633]

HELP!!!!

I have two new 5R-2's broke my prev 5RA's... Having the same issue, tried the whole image recovery using older version of chirp and image file.. I have been at it for two days with no luck at all.. I thought I knew what I was doing, guess not any help is appreciated....Before the end up in the trash...lol

Thanks in advance,
Chris

 

[KC9HI]

I have two new 5R-2's broke my prev 5RA's... Having the same issue, tried the whole image recovery using older version of chirp and image file.. I have been at it for two days with no luck at all.. I thought I knew what I was doing, guess not any help is appreciated....Before the end up in the trash...lol

Thanks in advance,
Chris

Instead of throwing them in the trash, send them to me. I'll have the pair of them "fixed" in under 5 minutes after opening the package. ;-)

To fix radio 1 (assuming you are using Windows)...

1. Download the "chirp-daily-20140714-win32.zip" version of CHIRP from here to your computer

2. UnZIP the file that was downloaded in step 1 to somewhere convenient

3. Access the folder where the file was unZIPped to and double-click on chiprw.exe

4. Download from the radio

5. Look at the Settings -> Other Settings menu panel and find the "real" firmware version in Firmware Message 1 (if, but only if, firmware message 1 is " VER " then the "real" firmware version is in Firmware Message 2)

6. Download the matching "factory" CHIRP Radio Image (*.img) file from here

7. Load the .img file downloaded in step 6 into the CHIRP daily-20140714

8. Switch to the tab of CHIRP daily-20140714 that the .img file that was just loaded into

9. Upload the current tab into the radio

Done. Now repeat for radio 2 (Repeat all 9 steps. Don't assume that both radios have the same firmware version. Check to be absolutely sure).

Upgrade you main installation of CHIRP to the latest daily build from here. Now you can delete the folder with CHIRP daily-20140714 (you won't need it any longer).

Jim KC9HI

 

[hhfd633]

wow great intel jim. Thank you very much....Now I have one last question when I upgrade to the new chirp and upload to the new radio wont I end up with the same problem? And how to I transfer all the freq's from the old radio over without doing it on a old piece of data that will not work...Sorry for all the questions..

 

[SCPD]

Don't throw away send my way also lol

 

[KC9HI]

wow great intel jim. Thank you very much....Now I have one last question when I upgrade to the new chirp and upload to the new radio wont I end up with the same problem? And how to I transfer all the freq's from the old radio over without doing it on a old piece of data that will not work...Sorry for all the questions..

The latest CHIRP daily builds won't let you upload an incompatible image to your radio.

There are a few ways to safely transfer channel data from a "master" image to another radio.

The simplest method for everyone to understand is to load the "master" image into CHIRP. Then download from the radio (or load another image that was previously saved from that radio) to create a second tab. All that is left to do then is to copy-and-paste from the "master" tab to the target radio tab.

My personal preferred method, because it safely transfers more settings, is to "import" the "master" image into the current tab.

1. download from radio
2. click File -> Import
3. click the button that shows "CHIRP Files (*.chirp)" and choose "CHIRP Radio Images (*.img)" from the list that is presented.
4. select and load the "master" .img file
5. click the [OK] button to import the selected channels

Jim KC9HI

 

[hhfd633]

Wooohooo it worked

OMG JIM it worked.. >insert happy dance< thank you very much for the help, I have no idea what I was doing wrong but your simple directions worked like a charm..

Jim thank you again!!!

 

[canerods]

My UV-5RE plus has audio output on the FM band and when the Moni button is pushed. But it is deaf on the amateur bands. It keys up the local amateur repeater fine (I am a ham), so it is transmitting. It doesn't hear the repeater however. I have checked the Firmware and it is: BFB297 / N5R20
I tried to follow the steps in the thread and must be confused about what I'm doing, sure wish there were a 'dummies' version of the instructions.

 

[canerods]

My UV-5RE plus has audio output on the FM band and when the Moni button is pushed. But it is deaf on the amateur bands. It keys up the local amateur repeater fine (I am a ham), so it is transmitting. It doesn't hear the repeater however. I have checked the Firmware and it is: BFB297 / N5R20
I tried to follow the steps in the thread and must be confused about what I'm doing, sure wish there were a 'dummies' version of the instructions.

An update: I finally got the radio working by following the procedure described in this thread. I mistakenly was uploading the 'BFB297' img instead of the 'N5R20' img. Also I needed to turn 'OFF' the CTSS tones with the keypad menu &#8211; when I do that, it receives. Problem is the CTSS tones must be turn off each time the radio is cycled OFF and ON, despite having turned the tone mode 'OFF' in the CHIRP menu before uploading to the radio. Any ideas?

 

[kiwi_greg]

Baofeng Factory .img - N5R3409BFP3-25

Hi

Stuffed my factory download. Need a factory .img file for N5R3409BFP3-25

Thanks in advance

Greg

 

[UVJohn]

I have had a Baofeng UV-5RE Plus for over a year now and was very impressed by it. I just purchased a new UV-5RE off Amazon. I tried to program it with the same settings that I had in the RE Plus. Now it is doing the same thing as described here. Recieves only when the "MON" button is pressed. I have tried all that has been described here. I have re-set and entered everything by hand, etc. Still not receiving. Still looking for an answer. Note: someone said that it might have something to do with the software setting. Holding the 3 button down while turning the radio on, shows VER BFB297 on both radios

 

[khaytsus]

I have had a Baofeng UV-5RE Plus for over a year now and was very impressed by it. I just purchased a new UV-5RE off Amazon. I tried to program it with the same settings that I had in the RE Plus. Now it is doing the same thing as described here. Recieves only when the "MON" button is pressed. I have tried all that has been described here. I have re-set and entered everything by hand, etc. Still not receiving. Still looking for an answer. Note: someone said that it might have something to do with the software setting. Holding the 3 button down while turning the radio on, shows VER BFB297 on both radios

It's best to NEVER do this. Copy and paste. Don't just dump a radio file into another one.

Have you tried to reset it? If that works, download from the radio, paste your old settings into the new one, and then upload it.

If the reset doesn't work.... You might need a stock image to reflash. Sometimes people keep these around, you might get lucky. Remember these things dump a binary image to the radio. If a bit has changed, it's going to cause problems.

 

[dtgolder]

I have a UV-5RE build BFB297 exhibiting this same behavior.

I have yet to use CHIRP and have only manually programmed the radio, so I am confident CHIRP is not the issue.

The radio was working fine, but after watching some "how to program" videos on YouTube my radio started not receiving unless the MON button was pressed.

A reset (menu 40) fixed the issue, but after some more manual programming the issue returned. After reading this thread my hunch was R-CTCS (menu 11) was the problem.

What I discovered was the radio would receive properly (no MON button press required) when R-CTCS was set to OFF, but if it was set to any frequency, then the MON button needed to be pressed in order to receive.

So--was wondering if anyone else can confirm this is the issue and solves the problem for them.

However, my other question (being a newbie) is does this setting need to be on a frequency (or can it remain set to OFF)?

My guess is that by using menu 11 it sets R-CTCS globally for all stations--maybe that needs to be set on a station by station basis?

So...not sure what is going on, but would appreciate any confirmation or help from the experienced ham folks here.

Since I learned to turn this on by watching online videos, I fear the R-CTCS needs to be set, and perhaps my radio is defective?

Thanks for any help.

 

[k8ble]

k8bleguy

well i'v tried everything 5 time's reset and so on.think it's time to return.it. mine is the uv-5ru2+
i guess you get what you pay for.mine won't scan either. when i push scan the R shows up on the top of the display.

later guys good luck i'll be keeping my eyes and ears open and will let you know what i might find..73's

 

[KC9HI]

well i'v tried everything 5 time's reset and so on.think it's time to return.it. mine is the uv-5ru2+
i guess you get what you pay for.mine won't scan either. when i push scan the R shows up on the top of the display.

later guys good luck i'll be keeping my eyes and ears open and will let you know what i might find..73's

Tapping the [SCAN] button puts the radio into "reverse mode". When in this mode, an "R" is indicated in the upper status display. You have to press and hold the [SCAN] key for about 2 seconds to initiate a scan.

Jim KC9HI