Baofeng Programming Notes, by Teacher
The majority of these notes come from my friend Teacher, who graciously decided to share them with me and authorize them to be shared with the readership here after seeing someone ask a question about programming yesterday. I supplemented it with a few additional changes I make as well under “Other Programming Changes”.
Program the Baofeng UV-5R Manually
Notes
- This radio is reasonably priced and works well for most applications.
- Consider buying two. You can’t practice with just one.
- It may be wise for at least one person in each family to be licensed.
- Get licensed so you can feel free to practice using the radio before there is an emergency.
- COVID may be a useful emergency in that it may allow you to use the radio without a license.
Click the link for a video explaining the basics: how to use the buttons and more. Please watch this first and the programming notes will be much easier to understand. The presenter is excellent.
Program for a Repeater
A repeater, crudely put, is the ham radio version of a cell tower.
It allows communication over greater distances.
- Turn the radio on using the top knob.
- Confirm you are in frequency mode (use the orange button on the front).
- Confirm you are in VFO-A (use blue button) – the little arrow (chevron) on screen will be next to “Top Frequency.”
Program Procedure
- Enter a frequency using the keypad.
- Enter “Menu,” “11,” “Menu” (confirm R-CTCS is set to off; use up/down arrows to adjust), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit,”.
- Enter “Menu,” “13,” “Menu” (use up/down arrows to go to desired frequency), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
- Enter “Menu,” “25,” “Menu” (use up/down arrow to choose + or – ), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
- Enter “Menu,” “26,” “Menu” (enter offset +/- 000.600 MHz or other), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
- Enter “Menu,” “27,” “Menu” (choose memory channel), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
NOTE: The memory channel must be available. To delete a channel, use “Menu” “28”, and then you can enter a new frequency on that channel.
When manually entering a frequency on this radio, you cannot alpha tag (name) the channel.
Transmit by pressing the PTT (push-to-talk) button on the left side of the radio.
Release the PTT button to receive.
Example
Repeater location: Newton, NJ
Frequency 147.21
Enter “Menu,” “11,” “Menu” (off), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
Enter “Menu,” “13,” “Menu” (151.4), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
Enter “Menu,” “25,” “Menu” (+), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
Enter “Menu,” “26,” “Menu” (enter “000.600”), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
Enter “Menu,” “27,” “Menu” (choose memory channel #), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
Program for Simplex – Communicate Radio to Radio
- Turn the radio on using the top knob.
- Confirm you are in frequency mode (use the orange button on the front).
- Confirm you are in VFO-A (use blue button) – the little arrow (chevron) on screen will be next to “Top Frequency.”
Program Procedure
- Enter a frequency using the keypad.
- Enter “Menu,” “11,” “Menu” (off), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
- Enter “Menu,” “25,” “Menu” (SFT-D – off), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
- Enter “Menu,” “26,” “Menu” (offset – 0), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
- Enter “Menu,” “27,” “Menu” (select memory channel), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
NOTE: In times of need, everyone should agree on a repeater to monitor and/or a simplex frequency to monitor. If I had a family member out and about, we would keep our radios on an agreed-upon repeater or on frequency 146.52.
Other Important Programming Notes
Enter “Menu,” “8,” “Beep” (off), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
Enter “Menu,” “14,” “Voice” (off), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
Enter “Menu,” “29,” “RT-LED” (off), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
Enter “Menu,” “30,” “RX-LED” (off), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
Enter “Menu,” “31,” “TX-LED” (off), “Menu” to confirm, “Exit.”
Resources
2 Meter National Simplex Calling Frequency – 146.52 – Monitor and use for emergencies.
Simplex frequencies – 20 kHz channels
146.400, 146.420, 146.440, 146.460, 146.480, 146.500, 146.520, 146.540, 146.560, 146.580, 146.600, 147.400, 147.420, 147.440, 147.460, 147.480, 147.500, 147.520, 147.540, 147.560, 147.580
Entering FRS and GMRS frequencies for use in emergencies
Is transmitting on FTS, GMRS and MURS with ham radios (Baofeng) legal?
Highly recommended book and method to prepare for the technician class license
Purchase a Baofeng UV-5R latest model
Article on low power digital communication with possibly a baofeng uv-5r radio
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18 Comments
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Thanks for this, I wish it had been out when I got my first UV5R, it is concise and to the point.
I highly recommend using hamstudy.org for studying for Technician, General and Extra licenses. It is the best. Use the study mode; it’s the digital version of using study cards but on steroids.
The QRZ practice tests are a useful tool as well.
And it is worth going on repeaterbook and saving the pages of the repeater frequencies and information for all of the repeaters in your state (and surrounding states) It only takes a few minutes to save an HTML version of the repeater info for ALL repeaters in an entire state.
+100. The cool thing about that site is that if you fail certain topics it reintroduces those flash cards more frequently until you start getting them correct. That and it mixes up the equations for certain things.
I know the quickest way is to memorize the practice tests so you can get on air for real-world experience, but it’s also handy to refresh the basics at regular intervals. Particularly the electronics stuff that I don’t use day to day.
HamStudy.org app on Android is what I used…very good rote memorization tool. My son used it during down time at work and passed the exam after two days.
We both took our exam online which was very convenient although a bit weird having four proctors on the Zoom call monitoring you individually during the test.
This is awesome,am looking at 2 of the little 8 watt buggers on me table as type,using the set(4)for local comms. with neighbor at moment,as the snow is shoveled/blown ect. have a free afternoon to get a little more used to this item.
Storm,are they even running exams at moment due to beer virus and all?
Yeah they’re still running license exams. There were some being run online as well.
Thanks,will check out me area and see what might be available after some serious ram studying.
Yeah bro!
Yes, I’m taking my tech class exam tonight in NJ.
Another good study site: https://arrlexamreview.appspot.com/
I used it for my General.
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This is great, working on my HAM license now. Also the Newton, NJ repeater happens to be in my AO…weird, haha.
Another interesting option is the Anytone KT8900R triband mobile radio. About 95 bucks on Ebay. Advertised output is 25 watts and weighs about 1 pound. VHF is 136-174 Mhz, 220 Mhz is 240 to 260 Mhz, UHF 400-480 Mhz. Other than a few repeaters there is virtually no one on 220 Mhz. So OPSEC is increased on 220 Mhz..
Baofeng makes Tri-Band HTs and several companies make Tri-Band antennas. I got the RT Programing software and it is very simple to use. There is never anyone on 220 Mhz in our area except the one repeater system.
Gotta say I have always found manual programming of Baofengs to be a bit flakey; not impossible, but relatively complicated and easy to mess up compared to Icom or Yaesu HT’s I have owned. While the ability to program manually on-the-fly is important, don’t get me wrong here, I really like the free open-source tool called CHIRP (chirp.danplanet.com ) for setting up a standard set of simplex frequencies & repeater pairs on Baofeng radios. A cheap and easily obtained USB-to-radio cable is all that is needed. Pretty easy to enter frequency data into a grid that can be saved as an .xls file and reused any time you get a new radio or user in a group. Allows you to give each memory channel a short alphanumeric name as well which can be very handy.
My basic setup has all the ham repeaters in a 50 mile or so circle, the standard FRS / GMRS channels, the NOAA weatherband channels, the invaluable 146.52 and 446.00 calling frequencies, and others.
One other thing:
the short “rubber duck” antenna that comes with the radio is a compromise, not particularly effective over distance.
I have equipped my Baofeng radios with the Nagoya NA-771, a 1/4 wave antenna about 15 inches long, which will give a really noticeable improvement in useful communication range. The thin, highly flexible 1/4 wave whips are good too, and have a lower visual profile.
Very helpful article.
It’s been many years since I’ve done radio stuff. When I was young (60’s) my dad, a veterinarian, used Motorola radios for communications (hard to imagine those days…without cell phones). He had a 300′ tower at his clinic.
I can see how these would be helpful for in the field comms.
What we need now is a tool to alert the “alarm list” by area or county. Any ideas? I’m thinking maybe the Signal app (secure SMS). It supports groups. I am currently setting up a test group. Looks promising.
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