• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

Use CHIRP To Pick Up Air Band On UV-5R?

Status
Not open for further replies.

sefrischling

Public Information Officer
Joined
Sep 18, 2003
Messages
1,825
Location
New London, CT
Has anyone successfully used CHIRP to program AirBand into their UV-5 radios? I have seen YouTube of it, seen it discussed, but never seen anyone say how they do it.

The Radio picks up FM radio, then from 136 upwards, logically it should be able to be programmed to receive Airband.

Thanks
 

jaspence

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
3,042
Location
Michigan
UV-5R airband

Not quite as logical as it might seem since airband is AM, not FM. I have not seen ay of the Chinese cheaper radios with that ability, and I have several.
 

jaspence

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
3,042
Location
Michigan
Since I own neither brand, my comment is accurate. I was referring to the Baofeng and Wouxun, which are the more popular brands. I have a couple of older radios that do airband, but they are Icom and Yaesu and in a different price category. A good scanner is better than any of the amateur radios due to higher scanning speed and the ability to pick up milair.
 

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,228
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
You didn't specify popular, you said Chinese and cheap. AnyTone is Chinese and low cost like TYT and others. I have lots of Baofeng and Wouxun radios and in my limited time spent with Anytone I can say they are a cut above Baofeng and Wouxun. I think you will be hearing more about them as people catch on.
prcguy

Since I own neither brand, my comment is accurate. I was referring to the Baofeng and Wouxun, which are the more popular brands. I have a couple of older radios that do airband, but they are Icom and Yaesu and in a different price category. A good scanner is better than any of the amateur radios due to higher scanning speed and the ability to pick up milair.
 

sefrischling

Public Information Officer
Joined
Sep 18, 2003
Messages
1,825
Location
New London, CT
I have multiple scanners I use for work, and an Icom airband radio, however my kids like to listen along the fence line, and I am not handing them an ICom which they can transmit with.

I figure the UV-5R radios make sense as I can inhibit transmit on certain channels. They are far cheaper than handing the kids 396xt and 536hp scanners.

The videos showing the UV-5R picking up airband don't explain how they are doing it. I see things online about CHIRP allowing them to be programmed for airband, but my CHIRP won't allow it.
 

jaspence

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
3,042
Location
Michigan
Chinese

You didn't specify popular, you said Chinese and cheap. AnyTone is Chinese and low cost like TYT and others. I have lots of Baofeng and Wouxun radios and in my limited time spent with Anytone I can say they are a cut above Baofeng and Wouxun. I think you will be hearing more about them as people catch on.
prcguy

I have Chinese radios that cost over $600. The Baofeng and Wouxun tend to be the low end price wise with a few exceptions. I am familiar with the Anytone, but they have not made anything that has enticed me to purchase one. Most of my choices are based on what makes them different. My last Baofeng was purchased because it does 2 meters and 1.25 meter bands, not the common 2 meter/440 split. My last purchase was from Hytera to replace an older DMR UHF radio, hardly in the inexpensive class.
 

KC9HI

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 13, 2013
Messages
269
Has anyone successfully used CHIRP to program AirBand into their UV-5 radios? I have seen YouTube of it, seen it discussed, but never seen anyone say how they do it.

The Radio picks up FM radio, then from 136 upwards, logically it should be able to be programmed to receive Airband.

Thanks

You can successfully program and display nearly any frequency from 1 MHz to nearly 1000 MHz into the UV-5R and its many variants. I currently have an 80, 60, 40, 20 and 10 meter ham frequency, a hand full of 11 meter CB channels, a low VHF frequency and an air band frequency programmed into mine.

This is a CHIRP image of the first several channels as downloaded from my UV-5R.

But none of these channels are useful for anything except starting a (non-radio) conversation. The UV-5R and its many variants will barely operate outside of the manufacturers specified frequency ranges. This page on the Miklor website shows the bench tested frequency ranges that appear to be within the capability of the UV-5R. Program a frequency out side of these ranges and don't expect to hear anything.

Jim KC9HI
 

Attachments

  • BFB231 DC to Light.jpg
    BFB231 DC to Light.jpg
    63.6 KB · Views: 21,694

sefrischling

Public Information Officer
Joined
Sep 18, 2003
Messages
1,825
Location
New London, CT
Thanks Jim,

What do you have to change in CHIRP? I have gone into Settings and lowered the bottom number, but no matter what I do I get an error saying I am outside the maximum range.
 

KC9HI

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 13, 2013
Messages
269
Thanks Jim,

What do you have to change in CHIRP? I have gone into Settings and lowered the bottom number, but no matter what I do I get an error saying I am outside the maximum range.

CHIRP won't let you key in frequencies outside of the manufacturers specified frequency ranges, because like I tried to explain above, anything outside of those ranges won't work.

If you insist on entering non-working frequencies into your radio as I have, you must change the band limits in CHIRP far enough to allow the frequencies that you want to enter into your radio and upload them to your radio.

Once the band limits of the radio have been expanded, you then enter an out-of-band frequency into the top VFO. Once you have the desired frequency entered into the top VFO, you manually program it into any empty memory channel using menu 27 (MEM-CH).

Frequencies below 100 MHz require you to key in [1][0][0][0][0][0] and then use the [down arrow] to get to the frequency that you want. So be sure to program the largest STEP that is compatible with your frequency so you can get to it quicker.

Jim KC9HI
 

sefrischling

Public Information Officer
Joined
Sep 18, 2003
Messages
1,825
Location
New London, CT
I have CHIRP allowing the frequencies, but it will only save as a CSV, not an IMG now ... and removes the option to upload to the radio.
 

KC9HI

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 13, 2013
Messages
269
I have CHIRP allowing the frequencies, but it will only save as a CSV, not an IMG now ... and removes the option to upload to the radio.

All as I can guess is that you are doing something wrong or missing a step.

Just for the fun of it, I RESET my radio. That leaves it with only the firmware default channel 0 and channel 127 programmed. I also have the VHF low and high band limits set at 100 and 199 respectively and the UHF low and high band limits set to 200 and 999 respectively.

At the radio I have selected VFO mode and the top (A) display (required for manually programming memory channels).

I key in [1][2][1][5][0][0] for 121.500 MHz. This frequency is well below the factory VHF low limit of 136.000 MHz and out-of-range for entering into the CHIRP spreadsheet memory editor. It is displayed in the VFO as 121.500.

I then key [MENU][2][7][MENU][0][0][1][MENU] to save the VFO frequency into memory channel 1.

Next I switch to MR (channel) mode and select channel 1. There is my newly programmed memory channel.

Back at my computer using CHIRP, I download from my radio and see my newly added channel 1 with a frequency of 121.500 MHz showing in the spreadsheet memory editor. I then save the "tab" to a file called "BFB231 121.500.img".

Then for the fun of it, I RESET my radio again and uploaded my saved .img file to it. Memory channel 1 with a frequency of 121.500 MHz was restored as expected.

I am using CHIRP daily-20140913 and a very old UV-5R with BFB231 firmware.

Jim KC9HI
 

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,228
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
Does it actually receive 121.5? What about AM mode selection?
prcguy

All as I can guess is that you are doing something wrong or missing a step.

Just for the fun of it, I RESET my radio. That leaves it with only the firmware default channel 0 and channel 127 programmed. I also have the VHF low and high band limits set at 100 and 199 respectively and the UHF low and high band limits set to 200 and 999 respectively.

At the radio I have selected VFO mode and the top (A) display (required for manually programming memory channels).

I key in [1][2][1][5][0][0] for 121.500 MHz. This frequency is well below the factory VHF low limit of 136.000 MHz and out-of-range for entering into the CHIRP spreadsheet memory editor. It is displayed in the VFO as 121.500.

I then key [MENU][2][7][MENU][0][0][1][MENU] to save the VFO frequency into memory channel 1.

Next I switch to MR (channel) mode and select channel 1. There is my newly programmed memory channel.

Back at my computer using CHIRP, I download from my radio and see my newly added channel 1 with a frequency of 121.500 MHz showing in the spreadsheet memory editor. I then save the "tab" to a file called "BFB231 121.500.img".

Then for the fun of it, I RESET my radio again and uploaded my saved .img file to it. Memory channel 1 with a frequency of 121.500 MHz was restored as expected.

I am using CHIRP daily-20140913 and a very old UV-5R with BFB231 firmware.

Jim KC9HI
 

sefrischling

Public Information Officer
Joined
Sep 18, 2003
Messages
1,825
Location
New London, CT
I'll try a different radio later. I have four UV-5R/UV-5R+ radios, all with different firmwares. Maybe one of them will work.
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
Yes

Yes this will work,I have done it,but Airband is AM
and the radio is FM ,so you will hear massive distortion,so not worth it.
The radio is cheap,enjoy it for what it does best 136-174,400-480MHZ
transmit and receive.
Get a nice Alinco DJv-5 this is great on airband!it also does FM radio too.
You put in the upper and lower limits and write to the radio,its easy as that....125-173 is what I had in mine and it kinda worked..not very impressive and I live near 4 airports,teterboro,newark,caldwell,laguardia and Ny sorta.I was hearing 128.550 when they were over my house.so you do the math.


http://www.brickolore.com/2012/05/baofeng-uv-5r-extreme-receive.html <<<<See here
 
Last edited:

KC9HI

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 13, 2013
Messages
269
Does it actually receive 121.5? What about AM mode selection?
prcguy

No. This does not receive anything on 121.500 MHz. So it doesn't matter if it is AM, USB, LSB or CW.

The point I have been trying to make (and apparently have been failing at) is... even though the radio will let you display virtually any frequency between 1 MHz and 1 GHz, unless the frequencies are between VHF 127.8-176.0 MHz and UHF 383.5-524.3 MHz, you are wasting your time because the radio will not RX or TX outside of these ranges.

Jim KC9HI
 

DisasterGuy

Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2013
Messages
1,249
Location
Maryland Shore
Why not use an old (ie BC-100XLT) scanner that would be dirt cheap and actually do exactly what you want?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

jk77

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2013
Messages
184
Location
Ohio
Bottom line,you get what you pay for.

The AnyTone AT-3318UV-D will be a better choice Wouxun is history | Buy a better radio, buy Anytone

People like to use the phrase "you get what you pay for" as a way to disparage the Baofengs. The fact is that no Baofeng radio ever claimed the ability to receive airband. Not all Yaesu, Icom or Kenwood radios receive airband either.

The linked Anytone radio is nice, but if I had $150 to spend on a handheld for ham use, I'd get the Yaesu FT-60.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top