BaoFeng UV-5R Series FAQs Page

1 Firmware

1-2 FCC Certification

2-5 Transmitter & Receiver

5-7 Programming

8 Scanning

8-10 Tone Access (CTCSS, DCS, DTMF)

10-11 Aftermarket Accessories and Parts

11-12 Software, Cable & Driver Issues

12-13 Microphone & Audio Issues

13-15 Antenna Questions

15-17 Display Questions

17-18 General Questions

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UV-5R/UV-5RA/UV-5RE/UV-5R+ User FAQs

FIRMWARE

1.
Q: How can I determine which firmware my UV5R Series
has?
A: Power the radio OFF. Press and Hold the 3 key. Power the
radio ON. The display will show BFB- - -. This is the
Firmware release.
2.
Q: Can the UV5R firmware be updated?
A: No. The firmware cannot be updated.
The microcontroller is an OTP (One Time Programmable)
Once 'flash' programmed at the factory, it cannot be changed.

FCC CERTIFICATION and TYPE ACCEPTANCE (U.S.)

3.
Q: Is this radio FCC Part 90 certified? (Commercial)
A: Yes. It is certified for Licensed Commercial operation.
FCC ID. ZP5BF-5R and ZVMUV-E5
4.

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 Q: Is this radio approved for Ham Radio use? (Ham

Radio)
A: Yes. It may be used legally by Licensed Hams on any
Part_97 allocation or service in the U.S.

TRANSMITTER and RECEIVER

5.
Q: I can't key or hear my local repeater.
A: Review the Tone Access section of this page. \
6.
Q: I can't hear my signal through the repeater, but I hear
the repeater tail.
A: The key here is that you can hear the repeater squelch tail.
You are too close to your receiver and over powering
(de-sensing) it.
When this happens, you are blocking everything from
your monitor.
1) Listen to your signal on simplex to verify your audio.
2) Call someone on the repeater to verify your signal
quality. If they can hear you, then all is fine.
7.
Q: Can this radio listen to Aircraft frequencies?
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 A: No. They are out of the radio's frequency range.
Also, the Aircraft Band is AM while the UV5R is FM only.
8.
Q. Can this radio listen to NOAA / NWS frequencies?
A. Yes. However, it cannot be put in a standby mode and
triggered by their 1050Hz alert tone.
9.
Q. Why does my FM Broadcast Radio keep cutting out?
A. The broadcast radio gives priority to an incoming
VHF/UHF signal.
It returns back to broadcast X seconds after the signal
clears.
X is determined by the ABR setting. 0-5 secs (0-24 secs
using CHIRP)
To prevent the radio from switching, set VHF/UHF to an
unused frequency.
10.
Q. Why is my audio 'chopping' when listening to a station?
A. The bandwidth settings (Menu 5) should to be set to
WIDE.
11.
Q. What range can I expect from these radios?
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 A. There are many factors to consider. Power, antenna,
antenna height,
HASL (height above sea level), terrain, obstruction, trees,
horizon, etc.
A good starting point for simplex operation would be
QSL.net/distance
Your Mileage may Vary.

PROGRAMMING

12.
Q: I programmed a channel, but it won't save.
A: There are three steps to the process:
1) You must be in the VFO/Frequency mode
2) Display A (top display) must be selected.
3) Channel must be empty before programming frequency
data.
(use menu 28 to delete a channel)
13.
Q: How can I store a 7th digit of a frequency? xxx.xxx5
A: Change Step (Menu 1) to 2.5 kHz. (6.25 / 12.5kHz)
Enter the first 6 digits of the desired frequency, then use
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 the Up/Down arrow for the last digit(s), depending on the
step selected.
- Example: 462.7125 would be: 462712 Up Arrow.
- A tiny .25/.5/.75 kHz will appear to the right of the
frequency display.

14.
Q. Can I store different frequencies in A and B?
A. No. There is only a single bank of 128 channels (0-127)
The same frequencies show in both displays A and B.
You can however change the way they appear.
(Menu 21 & 22)
The display options are Frequency, Channel Name or
Channel Number.
Note:
Manual programming of memory channels can Only be
done while
display A (top display) is selected.
15.
Q: What is the purpose of A and B if they are both the same?
A: Dual Receive. You can set each to a different
preprogrammed channel.
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 With TDR (Menu 7) turned on, your radio will sample
between the two frequencies and stop on whichever one has
activity.
16. Q. Can displays be synchronized to show Name in A and

Freq in B?
A. No. Display A and B operate independently. You can
set one display for Frequency and the other display for
Name, but you cannot synchronize them to track together.

17.
Q: Can I disable the transmitter for Receive Only
frequencies?
A: Yes. This can be done using the transmit inhibit
function of your software.
18.
Q. Can I store FM Radio 65-108MHz channels into

memory?
A. No. This is controlled by a separate receive only chip in
the radio.
You also cannot make this radio transmit on this band.

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SCANNING

19.
Q: My receiver skips over some channels when scanning.
A: There is a known 'quirk' with the UV5R receiver.
If a scanned channel has an R-CTCSS (PL) tone of 136.5
Hz or lower, the receiver will not stop on that channel.
R-CTCSS (PL) tones of 146.2 and higher work fine.

Note: It is recommended to Not use RX Tones unless

not all.
A: Power cycle your radio ON/OFF and the issue should
disappear.

TONE ACCESS (CTCSS, DCS, DTMF)

21.
Q: Why can't I key or hear my local repeater, fire dept, etc. ?
A: Some Repeaters and Services require a CTCSS (PL) tone
for access but DO NOT transmit one back. If your display

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 indicates there is an incoming signal but you hear no audio,
you may have an incorrect or unnecessary RX tone set.
This can be tested by pressing the [MON] button. When in
doubt, leave the CTCSS and DCS tones OFF.
22.
Q: What are these CTCSS (PL) tones I keep hearing
about?
A: A CTCSS is an 'Tone' sent along with your voice when
transmitting.
They are used to access a specific repeater and block
interference.
23.
Q: How do I send a 1750 Hz tone for repeater access?
A: Press the [PTT] button then [BAND] button to transmit a
1750 Hz tone.
If there is no [BAND] button, Press [PTT] then [A/B].
24.
Q: What are the DTMF keypad positions for A, B, C & D?
A: This varies by firmware release.
Early FW releases BFB231 and prior had a keypad
sequence error.
[Menu] = A [Up] = C [Down] = B [Exit] = D
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 This was later corrected in BRB238 to:
[Menu] = A [Up] = B [Down] = C [Exit] = D

Note:
When sending DTMF tone D [Exit], the speaker emits
the tones for 0 [zero]
but the tone sent over-the-air for D had been confirmed to
be correct.

AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES

25.
Q: Are cables, antennas, spkr/mic, etc interchangeable?
A: Many accessories are, such as Kenwood / Wouxun.

26.
Q: Is a radio case a good purchase?
A: It depends on your use. You can see on
http://www.radioddity.com/us/radio-accessories/soft-case.htm
l

27.
Q: Is there a Battery Eliminator for the car?

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 A: Yes. Here it is.
http://www.radioddity.com/us/radio-accessories/charger-adapt
er.html
It is not a battery charger. It replaces the battery for mobile
operation.

26.
Q: Is there a USB charger for the UV-5R/5RA/5RE/5R+?
A: No. The UV5R Series battery has a 7.4 volt battery. A
USB port is only 5.0 volt. The standard charger supplies 8.4 volt
during the charge cycle. At 5.9 volts, the UV5R announces a
'Low Voltage' warning.

27.
Q: Are optional batteries available?
A: Yes. AA / AAA cases are available. You can find it here.
http://www.radioddity.com/us/radio-accessories/batteries/baofen
g-battery-case-6-x-aa-battery-for-uv-5r.html

SOFTWARE, CABLES & DRIVERS

28.
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 Q: How can I be sure I order a USB cable with an authentic
chip?
A: Programming cables utilizing an FTDI chip will work
with no problems. Call your local dealer before ordering to
confirm chip set.

29.
Q: Is there software that can 'Open Up' the freq range of my
radio?
A: There is software available that will allow you to enter any
number you wish. However, even though the number shows in
the display, internal filtering of the UV5R Series prevents both
TX & RX operation on these frequencies and may cause
irreversible damage to your radio.

MICROPHONE & AUDIO ISSUES

30.
Q: Why is my microphone audio is low?
A: Here's are some suggestions:
1) Talk directly into the radio, within one inch.
2) Confirm the audio is set to Wide Band.5 kHz(Menu 5 = W)
3) Try an external spkr/mic to confirm problem is the mic.
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 4) Blow compressed air into the spkr/mic jack.
5) If you have an external spkr/mic, plug it in and out a few
times.The issue might be a dirty connector.

31.
Q: Why is the audio less sensitive than my Icom or

Kenwood?
A: The UV-5R series was designed as a commercial radio,
not ham. It was designed to block out background noise in an
industrial environment. Talk right into the face of the radio
cures most audio weakness.

32.
Q: Is the PTT switch disabled when a Spkr/Mic is plugged
in?
A: No. Even with a Spkr/Mic plugged in, the PTT switch is
still physically connected. This is true for most handhelds.

ANTENNA QUESTIONS

33.
Q: Which antenna is best?
A: It's all personal preference, but a good rule of thumb is:
13
 The longer the radiator, the better the range, especially on
transmit.
Short stubby antennas use a coil to match TX to 50 ohm,
not radiate.
The closer to 1/4 or 3/4 wavelength in the air, the better the
performance.
A very popular antenna for general use is the Nagoya
NA-701, NA-771.
http://www.radioddity.com/us/radio-accessories/antenna.htm
l
To mate with the UV5R Series, the antenna's connector must
be SMA Female.
Just remember, it's only 4 watts into a piece of wire.
There is no Magic Antenna out there.

34.
Q: Can I use an antenna with an SMA RP connector?
A: No. The RP stands for Reverse Polarity. The outer shell
looks the same, but the Male/Female pin sequence is reversed.
35.
Q: My antenna doesn't screw in all the way.
A: This is not uncommon on some aftermarket antennas.
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Purchase a thin 5/8" OD rubber O-Ring. Take your HT with you
to the hardware store to assure the proper fit. You may want to
superglue it to the bottom of the antenna ONLY.

DISPLAY QUESTIONS

36.
Q: Display goes dark if I talk too long on Hi power.
A: This is to be expected from a small radio. 4 watts creates a
lot of heat in a small unvented area. Give it time to cool down.
The LCD will return to normal. The same occurs if you leave
the unit in the car on a hot day. Run low power whenever
possible. This will also extend battery life.
37.
Q: Why does my display show + and - at the same time.
In Channel Mode this is normal when the TX / RX
frequencies differ,
In Frequency Mode + or - is displayed based on Menu 25
(SFT-D)
If TX and RX are the same (simplex) the + - indicator does
not display.
38.
Q: How accurate is the S-Meter?
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 A: The What? There's a signal indicator in the upper left. If
there's a signal, it appears. If not, it's gone.

39.
Q: How do I translate the Battery indicator in the upper

right?
A: Tests have shown the following:
Full charge (approx 8.32 volts) 3 bars
Battery drops to 7.09 volts, 2 bars
Battery drops to 6.73 volts, 1 bar
Battery drops to 6.29 volts, 0 bars
Battery drops to 5.91 volts,
The radio announces "low voltage" until the battery expires.
Note: Volume must be turned up to hear the battery warning.
Note: Measurements can vary based on temperature and load.

40.
Q: Why does my display disappear if I wear polarized

sunglasses?

16
 A: LCDs function by polarizing the liquid crystal elements in
the display.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

41.
Q: Why did my radio shut down when I took it out of my
pocket.
A: If you carry your radio and keys in the same pocket, a case
is recommended. If the charging contacts are shorted, the
battery goes into the protection mode. There will be no
damage to the battery or radio, but the radio will power off.
To reset the protection mode, the battery must be removed
and reinserted.
42.
Q: My radio doesn't speak English?
A: Press Menu, 14, Menu, Make selection, Menu.The
selection varies by firmware release. Older units display ON /
OFF, newer display CHI / ENG / OFF
43.
Q: How do I lock/unlock my keypad?
A: Hold the # key in for 3 seconds.

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Pressing it quickly alternates TX power level.

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