9 August 2013, 23:37
It is possible to program the UV5r on in the field to completely inhibit the radio’s transmitter, thus making it 100% compliant with legislation. In effect this process will render the UV5R a programmable receiver.
This is possible because the inscrutable Baofeng programmers haven’t been as thorough as their Japanese counterparts, and have not sorted a few wee glitches in the UV5r’s coding. We are going to exploit two of these glitches /oddities
Glitch / Oddity #1
The UV5r treats the first stored frequency as both the receive and the transmit frequency. Further, the receive frequency is then permanently protected from being overwritten. If we attempt to overwrite a previously saved memory with a new frequency, that second frequency s only written to the unprotected Transmit memory. We can overwrite the transmit frequency as often as we wish, but if the receive frequency is wished to be changed the whole memory channel must be deleted and completely reprogrammed.
Glitch #2
The UV5r also allows the VFO mode to receive frequency instruction from the keypad that is beyond the operational output capability of the transmitter. My radio will accept a Frequency instruction for 500.000 Mhz and display that value on its screen, but pressing the transmit button does not result in any transmission whatsoever. This is because the units transmit cut-off is 479.999Mhz. There is a small window at the top of the band that can receive but not transmit
First we will disable transmit capability on all or selected memory channels :
Program in the frequencies you want to listen to in the way described on the earlier UV5r programming thread.
Next, in Frequency mode enter the value 500000 into the upper frequency register. Program this frequency sequentially into the each of the memory channel that you want to protect.
Test
Switch to Memory mode and select a channel that you have protected. Press the PTT button briefly.
The screen should show the value of 500.000Mhz that we just programmed in. The little signal strength icon on the top row left hand side will be displayed but the Transmit Indicator LED on the front of the radio above the Mic will not be illuminated. The radio is not transmitting.
When you stop pressing the PTT button the receive frequency that was originally programmed into the channel will be displayed.
How to re-enable transmit on saved channels:
Simply overwrite the same frequency as is displayed against the channel when in receive mode.
Secondly we will disable transmit in frequency mode:
Enter frequency mode using the orange VFO/MR button
Using the Blue A/B button select the upper frequency register
Press menu button once
Use up /down arrows to select sub menu 25 OFFSET
Press menu button once
Using the keypad enter the value 69980
Press Menu button once
Press down arrow once to select sub menu 24 SFT-D
Press menu button once Press UP arrow to select - (Minus sign)
Press menu button once
Press Exit button once
Press Blue A/B button and select the lower frequency register
Press menu button once
Use up /down arrows to select sub menu 25 OFFSET
Press menu button once
Using the keypad enter the value 69980
Press Menu button once
Press down arrow once to select sub menu 24 SFT-D
Press menu button once Press UP arrow to select - (Minus sign)
Press menu button once
Press Exit button once
Test
Press the PTT button and the radio should emit a short warble tone and the Transmit LED should not illuminate
Press the Blue A/B button
Press the PTT button and the radio should emit a short warble tone and the Transmit LED should not illuminate
To re- enable transmit
we turn off the frequency shift control off without changing the offset values. In this way we can toggle the transmit inhibit on an off by engaging and disengaging menu 24 SFT-D
Press the menu button once
Use the up or down arrows to select t sub menu 24 SFT-D
Press Menu button once
Use down arrow to select OFF
Press the Menu button once
Press Exit button once
Press the Blue A/B button once
Use the up or down arrows to select t sub menu 24 SFT-D
Press Menu button once
Use down arrow to select OFF
Press the Menu button once
Press Exit button once
Test
With indicator on upper frequency register press PTT
Transmit indicate=or LED should now illuminate RED confirming that transmitter is operating
Press blue A/B button and repeat for lower frequency register.
end
This is possible because the inscrutable Baofeng programmers haven’t been as thorough as their Japanese counterparts, and have not sorted a few wee glitches in the UV5r’s coding. We are going to exploit two of these glitches /oddities
Glitch / Oddity #1
The UV5r treats the first stored frequency as both the receive and the transmit frequency. Further, the receive frequency is then permanently protected from being overwritten. If we attempt to overwrite a previously saved memory with a new frequency, that second frequency s only written to the unprotected Transmit memory. We can overwrite the transmit frequency as often as we wish, but if the receive frequency is wished to be changed the whole memory channel must be deleted and completely reprogrammed.
Glitch #2
The UV5r also allows the VFO mode to receive frequency instruction from the keypad that is beyond the operational output capability of the transmitter. My radio will accept a Frequency instruction for 500.000 Mhz and display that value on its screen, but pressing the transmit button does not result in any transmission whatsoever. This is because the units transmit cut-off is 479.999Mhz. There is a small window at the top of the band that can receive but not transmit
First we will disable transmit capability on all or selected memory channels :
Program in the frequencies you want to listen to in the way described on the earlier UV5r programming thread.
Next, in Frequency mode enter the value 500000 into the upper frequency register. Program this frequency sequentially into the each of the memory channel that you want to protect.
Test
Switch to Memory mode and select a channel that you have protected. Press the PTT button briefly.
The screen should show the value of 500.000Mhz that we just programmed in. The little signal strength icon on the top row left hand side will be displayed but the Transmit Indicator LED on the front of the radio above the Mic will not be illuminated. The radio is not transmitting.
When you stop pressing the PTT button the receive frequency that was originally programmed into the channel will be displayed.
How to re-enable transmit on saved channels:
Simply overwrite the same frequency as is displayed against the channel when in receive mode.
Secondly we will disable transmit in frequency mode:
Enter frequency mode using the orange VFO/MR button
Using the Blue A/B button select the upper frequency register
Press menu button once
Use up /down arrows to select sub menu 25 OFFSET
Press menu button once
Using the keypad enter the value 69980
Press Menu button once
Press down arrow once to select sub menu 24 SFT-D
Press menu button once Press UP arrow to select - (Minus sign)
Press menu button once
Press Exit button once
Press Blue A/B button and select the lower frequency register
Press menu button once
Use up /down arrows to select sub menu 25 OFFSET
Press menu button once
Using the keypad enter the value 69980
Press Menu button once
Press down arrow once to select sub menu 24 SFT-D
Press menu button once Press UP arrow to select - (Minus sign)
Press menu button once
Press Exit button once
Test
Press the PTT button and the radio should emit a short warble tone and the Transmit LED should not illuminate
Press the Blue A/B button
Press the PTT button and the radio should emit a short warble tone and the Transmit LED should not illuminate
To re- enable transmit
we turn off the frequency shift control off without changing the offset values. In this way we can toggle the transmit inhibit on an off by engaging and disengaging menu 24 SFT-D
Press the menu button once
Use the up or down arrows to select t sub menu 24 SFT-D
Press Menu button once
Use down arrow to select OFF
Press the Menu button once
Press Exit button once
Press the Blue A/B button once
Use the up or down arrows to select t sub menu 24 SFT-D
Press Menu button once
Use down arrow to select OFF
Press the Menu button once
Press Exit button once
Test
With indicator on upper frequency register press PTT
Transmit indicate=or LED should now illuminate RED confirming that transmitter is operating
Press blue A/B button and repeat for lower frequency register.
end