Baofeng Baofeng UV82, weather channel choppy but clear under "menu"

[changgong123]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the wide radio world.

I just got my UV82 and keyed in all the weather channels. It received the channels very good when I'm still under the "menu". Once it resumed to regular TX/RX mode, the weather channels became really choppy, regardless which channel it received. If I click "menu" again, it will get back to good reception again.

For the reference, it receives FM stations without any problem. I'd assume there is something I didn't do right with setting?

Thanks.

 

[changgong123]

I don't know if I describe the "choppy" correctly. It sounds like interference from some Morse code transmissions. BTY, I tested my bubble pack walkie-talkies; they receive the weather channels no problem at same location.

 

[nd5y]

First time I've heard of that problem. Maybe you got a defective one.

 

[changgong123]

First time I've heard of that problem. Maybe you got a defective one.

Thanks for reply. I played with it for a bit and I think I found the problem.

By pressing down the side key "m" or changing the squelch to "0", it'll receive the weather channels perfectly. Though I don't know if I can set squelch level for individual stored channel.

 

[alcahuete]

Thanks for reply. I played with it for a bit and I think I found the problem.

By pressing down the side key "m" or changing the squelch to "0", it'll receive the weather channels perfectly. Though I don't know if I can set squelch level for individual stored channel.

I don't recall specifically on that radio...I believe you can just change it for the entire radio, not individual channels.

But that explains it, the signal is likely too weak, and was only breaking the squelch intermittently.

 

[nd5y]

Squelch is global not per channel.

 

[mm]

If you program the radio using CHIRP then in SETTINGS, UNDER SERVICE SETTINGS you will see 10 squelch points for vhf and 10 for the uhf or 220 side depending on your uv82. These squelch settings are labeled VHF SQUELCH 0 TO VHF SQUELCH 9, OR UHF SQUELCH.

Because the uv82 had such poor squelch default values from the factory, the programmers of CHIRP added this feature to the software.

THE NUMBER FOR SQUELCH 0 SHOULD BE 0, SQUELCH 1 a value of 2 to 3 works and for each higher squelch # just increase the number by 2 times ie if sq 1= 2, then sq2= 4, sq 3=8 and so on.

This gives much better resolution on the squelch adjustment for the uv82 models than the factory programmed values.

you may have to initially set your radios squelch to always use setting 1 by the front panel menu and then play around with the squelch number for vhf/uhf squelch 1 in chirps service setting menu and then write the new sq =1 number to the radio to find the best value for your actual radio.

 

[changgong123]

I have the Baofeng for a while now. I found that if I unscrew the antenna out almost to the last thread, I can receive the weather channel very good, no cut off. Considering I'm in a city, my new diagnostics is that the radio is overloaded.

Still, I don't understand why the reception is good under the "menu", but not in regular TX/RX mode. Also, when I press down the side key "m" or set squelch to 0, wouldn't the overload problem become worse?

 

[nd5y]

Still, I don't understand why the reception is good under the "menu", but not in regular TX/RX mode.

Mine doesn't do that. Maybe sometime between 2014 and now they changed the firmware an the version in your radio has a bug.

Maybe it's just a glitch and the firmware needs to be reloaded. If that's the case then you are SOL with a defective unit that can't be fixed because you can't reload the firmware and do the factory alignment procedure, if one even exists.

Also, when I press down the side key "m" or set squelch to 0, wouldn't the overload problem become worse?

No. That can't affect signal strength. Neither can adjusting the squelch.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Priority scan or overloaded by a paying system nearby.

 

[nd5y]

Priority scan or overloaded by a paying system nearby.

The UV-82, UV-5R and similar CCRs don't have any kind of priority scan.

 

[WA0CBW]

Is the bandwidth set correctly in both modes? Is it wide in the "menu" but narrow in the "TX/RX"?

 

[nd5y]

Is the bandwidth set correctly in both modes? Is it wide in the "menu" but narrow in the "TX/RX"?

Those radios don't work like that.
Settings don't change just by pressing Menu. There are no separate bandwidth settings for Menu mode.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

The UV-82, UV-5R and similar CCRs don't have any kind of priority scan.

Then it is PAGING system overload. Oops a typo on the OP

 

[dispatch235]

I have the Baofeng for a while now. I found that if I unscrew the antenna out almost to the last thread, I can receive the weather channel very good, no cut off. Considering I'm in a city, my new diagnostics is that the radio is overloaded.

I'm not sure what the inside of the antenna for a UV-82 consists of, but his problem sounds like what would happen when the stock antenna on a UV-5r would develop a break on one leg of the capacitor inside the antenna due to being flexed. Never had a problem with any the UV-82's. I don't believe it's overload, more likely an internal antenna or connector problem, especially if he has to turn the squelch to 0 or key the monitor button

 

[nd5y]

The OP is unscrewing the antenna so the center pins in the connectors aren't making contact.