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After you shout out your call sign, does the repeater "light up"? If you are within range of the repeater and it doesn't turn on (your radio's receiver should turn on) after you release the PTT key, then there is likely something wrong in your settings. I have several Baofeng  BF-F8HPs. Great HT for the $$$ but easy to make a mistake when manually programming it. It was alot easier, quicker and error free after I bought the programming cable. (avoid the $6-$10 Polific cable, get the $15-$20 FTTI cable)

 

At the risk of stating the obvious, some vhf/uhf radio resources:

 

repeaterbook.com

miklor.com (great Baofeng resource page)

There is an "Unofficial Baofeng Programming page" that is much better then Baofeng's documentation, but I can't locate it at the moment.

Chirp software (use with programming cable)

Aha. The prolific cable was provided with the radio. I assumed it would work.

 

Can you provide the complete specs for that cable so I can locate it online? FTTI brought up a whole bunch of stuff. (thanks). Did you mean FTDI, not FTTI?

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See this page regarding the Prolific debacle:

 

http://www.miklor.com/COM/UV_Drivers.php

 

Working drivers are available there as well as good descriptions of what to expect.

I'm a little leery of their suggestion to disable driver updates to correct this problem.

From what I can determine, disabling driver updates is an "all or nothing" situation. You can't just tell Windows "don't update the Prolific Driver".

Their suggestion could leave you with a bunch of outdated drivers just to accommodate this programming cable.

 

The preferred chipset is FTDI (not FTTI as I originally typed, but corrected in 2nd post).

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Guys, I will continue to follow your advice as best I can. I appreciate your help.

 

But to be quite blunt this is bullshit. Baofeng would still be the lowest-cost product out there, by quite a bit, if they charged $10 or even $20 more but had decent support for common functions. Not providing accurate, step-by-step directions for programming in a repeater is to me the equivalent of knowingly selling a faulty product. I must have wasted five hours programming and reprogramming the transmit frequency for 147.300, only to have it disappear when I went back to channel mode. I'm sitting here like an idiot announcing my call sign and I'm not even on the repeater. I could just as well have been talking to my toaster oven.

 

 

Not having all the software and drivers and instructions and correct cable for software programming is equally bad. I've already wasted the time equivalent of a very, very pricey 2m transceiver, one that perhaps comes with actual directions. 

 

I can't think of any other product where the customers would put up with this sort of thing.

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I had read about these problems and braced myself for the worst and found that I had no issues with my old XP computer and my UV5RE.

 

Have you tried to watch any of the you tube videos of a person programming their baofeng without the software?

I have about 20 of them open in browser tabs :)

 

Chirp does not have a selection for my Baofeng, the new 8W version. The company says to select one of the older models but I keep getting an error message. Also tried downloading the CHIRP daily build. 

 

BTW I got my first contact yesterday! Two in fact! And I did it through manual programming, which I'll continue to do until I upgrade to a more user-friendly handheld. This was the best resource. If you watch towards the last 25% you'll see what my Baofeng problem has been for the last 7 weeks. It seems you have to enter the transmit frequency once when you program in the channel, and again, afterward. No mention of this in the manual but it works.

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Congratulations on two facts, one that you had a contact and two that you persevered through the programming.  Here's the irony, you may hardly ever need the higher wattage that the model you selected provides.  Most of the time I am able to hit the repeaters with the 4 or 5 watts that the standard Baofeng provides.  Granted, I don't have any "great" antennas, and that could be affecting me as well but generally am able to hit that which I can receive with fairly low power.

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E-Z Newtonian Method for Programming Baofeng Handhelds by hand:

 

1. Make sure you're in VFO (frequency mode)

2. Type in the receive frequency

3. Hit menu and either scroll (arrow keys) to Menu 2 (transmit power) or Menu-2 then menu again. You'll hear "Power". Make your selection using the arrow keys. Press menu again and you'll hear "confirmed."

4. Press menu, then 13 (T-CTSS) (or scroll using arrows), then Menu again. You'll hear "T-CTSS." This is the tone required to talk to the repeater. The value on the repeater website or directory will be given as "PL." Use arrow keys to scroll to the number provided by the repeater. Press Menu again. You'll hear "Confirm."

5. Press keys 2-5, which will bring you to offset direction. Hit menu again. Get the + or - from the repeater and scroll to the proper value, then hit Menu again ("Confirmed."

6. Hit the up-arrow key to bring you to the offset frequency menu, then hit confirm again. 2m usually uses 600 kHz or 0.6 MHz. 70 cm uses 5 MHz usually. Since the display has 6 characters you have to enter the zeros first, i.e. 005000 for 70 cm or 000600 for 2m. I believe some repeaters use different offsets.

7. Up arrow to menu 27, then hit Menu again. Scroll to the memory channel you want, then hit menu again. When you hear "Receiving memory" hit exit. You will not get a confirmation.

 

IMPORTANT AND NOT IN THE MANUAL:

 

8. You must program the Xmit channel separately. Hit exit, make sure you're still in frequency mode, and enter the transmit frequency. It will be the receiving memory plus or minus the offset. So for 147.300 (receiving) you'd type in 147.900. Hit menu until you hear "Transmitting memory" or some such. You will not hear a confirmation. EXIT.

 

9. Check in channel mode that your new repeater is programmed at 147.300 for receive and 147.900 for xmit.

 

That's the bare basics. You can play with the other stuff on your own.

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Instructions I saved from web for UV-5R, but they look similar to what you have:

 

So you just got a UV5R series BAOFENG and don't know what you're doing... just do the following...

 

TURN IT ON (duh)

 

RESET EVERYTHING (because you were probably messing with it) 
Menu, 40, Menu, Menu, Menu

 

SET LANGUAGE TO ENGLISH 
Menu, 14, Menu, Down arrow, Menu, Exit

 

SET STEP 
Menu, 1, Menu, Up arrow until 5.0K or 10.0K (personal preference), Menu, Exit

 

TURN TDR OFF (basically disables listening to both stations at the same time) 
Menu, 7, Menu, Up arrow, Menu, Exit

 

TURN OFF MENU ITEMS 35, 36, 37, AND 39 (turns off tones that will annoy others) 
turn these off similar to how you turned TDR off in the above step

 

FIND REPEATER INFORMATION AT REPEATERBOOK.COM 
LOOK AT THE 2M BAND INFO

 

EXAMPLE: 
FREQUENCY: 146.850 
OFFSET: -0.6 
TONE: 131.8

 

Make sure you are in FREQUENCY MODE... press the VFO/MR button and if it says (actually speaks) "channel mode" you want to press it again so that it says "FREQUENCY MODE"

 

THERE ARE 2 FREQUENCES LISTED ON THE SCREEN 
Press A/B button so that arrow on screen is at top frequency

 

NOTE: DO NOT BOTHER WITH THE BOTTOM FREQUENCY... YOU WILL NOT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IT UNTIL LATER IF/WHEN YOU DECIDE TO PLAY WITH THAT FEATURE

 

TYPE IN THE FREQUENCY (146.850 in this EXAMPLE)

 

SET THE OFFSET 
Menu, 26, (may already be set to 00.600) if so, Exit 

 

IF IT IS NOT SET TO 00.600, menu, up or down arrow to 00.600, Menu, Exit

SET THE + or - OF THE OFFSET 
Menu, 25, Menu, up/down arrow to +, -, or OFF (- in this EXAMPLE), Menu, Exit

 

SET THE TONE 
Menu, 13, Menu, Up arrow to 131.8HZ (in this EXAMPLE), Menu, Exit

 

STORE THE CHANNEL IN MEMORY (PAY CLOSE ATTENTION HERE!!!!!)

NOTE: Channels 000 and 127 are already in use by factory default!

NOTE: Any channels with CH in front of them are already used!

 

PART 1) Menu, 27, Menu, Up arrow to unused channel (001 in this case), Menu, Exit

 

PART 2) *SCAN, Menu, 27, Menu, select SAME channel (001 in this case), Menu, Exit, *SCAN

 

Make sure you did the above step correctly...

 

Now, when you go to channel mode (press the VFO/MR button until it says channel mode) then press the A/B button so that the arrow on the screen is at the top channel, then press the up and down arrows until you get to channel 1... and if you did everything correctly... that should be the channel for the example you programmed above.

 

Concerning the bottom frequency listed UNDER the channel in CHANNEL mode... don't be deceived into thinking that that is the frequency that corresponds with the current channel listed at the top of the screen. If you press the A/B button so that the arrow on the screen is at the bottom frequency on the screen, you can then press the up and down arrows and scroll through your programmed frequencies to see what channel corresponds with what frequency...

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First contacts as a ham this past weekend on 10 meters - Carlsbad, NM and Livermore, CO :music:   1,700 mile e-skips?

What are you using? I thought of getting a 10-6-2-.7 transceiver if one existed.

 

When did you get your license? I got my Tech in early December, will take the General later this month.

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First contacts as a ham this past weekend on 10 meters - Carlsbad, NM and Livermore, CO :music:   1,700 mile e-skips?

Propagation was pretty good on 10 meters this weekend (at least Saturday...Sunday was a shooting day for me). There was some contest going on and I picked up 3 new, unique European DX entities, 1 South American and a few US states that I didn't need for the ARRL WAS award. Not bad for a band that's supposed to be in a declining sunspot cycle.

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Newtonian,

Just a "heads-up"  regarding your search for a quad band radio. As djg0770 posted, TYT does make a quad bander. So does Wouxun and another second tier Chinese manufacturer (I think it's Anytone). But be advised...they may have the bands, but not the modes. These radios are FM only. FM mode is of little use on 10 & 6 meters. It's certainly not the operating mode most hams associate with these bands. Just look up the ARRL band plans for 10 & 6 and you will find very little bandwidth assigned to FM mode . I personally own a Wouxun quad band FM mobile radio. I bought it because it wasn't much more then their dual bander. But I only found 1 10 meter repeater (on the Empire State Building) to talk to.

For 10 meter, you want a radio the does USB, CW and digital data (FSK, etc) modes. Before you buy anything, do your homework. Ham Radio Outlet in Delaware is a good field trip destination.

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Newtonian,

Just a "heads-up"  regarding your search for a quad band radio. As djg0770 posted, TYT does make a quad bander. So does Wouxun and another second tier Chinese manufacturer (I think it's Anytone). But be advised...they may have the bands, but not the modes. These radios are FM only. FM mode is of little use on 10 & 6 meters. It's certainly not the operating mode most hams associate with these bands. Just look up the ARRL band plans for 10 & 6 and you will find very little bandwidth assigned to FM mode . I personally own a Wouxun quad band FM mobile radio. I bought it because it wasn't much more then their dual bander. But I only found 1 10 meter repeater (on the Empire State Building) to talk to.

For 10 meter, you want a radio the does USB, CW and digital data (FSK, etc) modes. Before you buy anything, do your homework. Ham Radio Outlet in Delaware is a good field trip destination.

Hey Grump,

 

I did a bit of research and discovered some of the same problems. Plus these rigs have the programming problem, I believe related to the cable. I'm going to steer clear of them. I don't read Chinese. Mandarin. Asian. Whatever I'm supposed to say.

 

What do you think of this bad boy: http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/1857.html. It's expensive and requires add-ons, for example for CW, but it satisfies most of what I'll need before I ... er... die. 

 

I really, really appreciate all the input from you guys. I took on two hobbies during the past five years (shooting and radio) and you've helped me with both. If only I could find someone who could help with my lingering chess and bridge addictions.

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Hey Grump,

 

I did a bit of research and discovered some of the same problems. Plus these rigs have the programming problem, I believe related to the cable. I'm going to steer clear of them. I don't read Chinese. Mandarin. Asian. Whatever I'm supposed to say.

 

What do you think of this bad boy: http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/1857.html. It's expensive and requires add-ons, for example for CW, but it satisfies most of what I'll need before I ... er... die. 

 

I really, really appreciate all the input from you guys. I took on two hobbies during the past five years (shooting and radio) and you've helped me with both. If only I could find someone who could help with my lingering chess and bridge addictions.

 

I have 2 of those radios, they are great :)

 

Something funny to point out...you can change the screen color on the FT857 if the orange bothers you...

 

Overall it's a great HF/VHF/UHF rig you really can't go wrong with

 

BTW You do not need add-on CW or SSB filters, I do CW, SSB, and data with mine (stock) and never encountered any issues.

 

Edit: Used they run about $400. I would recommend buying used from a reputable seller on forums like QRZ or ebay (buyer protection in case someone send a defective radio to you).

 

Yaesu support/service is excellent I have sent damaged equipment to them in the past and they fixed it for a very fair price

 

I think they have a office in California.

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Newtonian,

 

As I am a new ham myself (licensed in 9/2014), and by no means an expert, please take these observations as just my subjective opinions:

 

YEASU is definitely a top tier manufacturer. The ONLY negative I've seen about them is a number of complaints regarding their displays (this may not be a problem with this particular radio).

I've seen quite a few complaints regarding the way YEASU is handling a systemic "while line" display failure after the warranty period expires. Apparently, this is a common problem on some models, YEASU is well aware of the problem, but continues to charge big $$$ for the repair post warranty. If you look at postings for used radios for sale, you will find a few sellers disclose "has one line in display" or something to that effect. This is often followed by a complete display failure.

 

Personally, I prefer separate radios for uhf/vhf and HF/6M. My usage patterns are different for the two rigs I operate from my "shack".

 

I assume you are looking to use this radio as a base station.

 

As you observed, there will be additional purchases in your future. There is at least 1 purchase that MUST be made to get the radio operational. You need a decent quality (read: electrically quiet) DC power supply just to get the radio working. Additionally, if you are going to operate on HF, an antenna tuner is certainly desirable. A perfectly usable dipole can be made for very little money and you don't need super low-loss coax for HF.

 

Also, generally, the smaller the radio the more you have to descend into the (often complex) menu system to change settings (like splits, rf gain and various DSP adjustments) that you will constantly be fiddling with when operating on HF. I'm using a borrowed Kenwood TS-570D and I like being able to make most adjustments with a button push. Smaller rigs don't have room for alot of buttons.

 

Finally, regarding your concerns about the second tier mobile vhf/uhf rigs...I'm perfectly happy with my Wouxun KG-UV950P. The programming cable I bought with the radio has the FTDI chip and the programming software that came with the cable works perfectly with this radio (CHIRP DOES NOT work). I had none of the programming problems that I initially experienced with the Baufengs.

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Thanks all.  First international QSO this am on 10 meters - Pescara, Italy 5 x 9 +20db both ways (which was gratifying).   Running a Yaesu FTDX1200 (100W) into a AlphaDelta DX-CC 82' electrically lengthened wire dipole mounted about 60' above ground on a north-south axis with an antenna tensioner.   MFJ VersaTuner II antenna tuner.   All LMR 400 ultraflex cable.

 

Have heard good signals from the UK, Russia, Latvia, Germany, Mauritius and (distance winner so far) the Kerguelen Islands all on 10m.

 

Kerguelen Islands QTH - https://www.google.com/maps/place/Grande+Terre/@-51.7282788,93.3638767,4z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0xb36b481ca16fd0e7:0xb9964abcebd3657f

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Thanks all.  First international QSO this am on 10 meters - Pescara, Italy 5 x 9 +20db both ways (which was gratifying).   Running a Yaesu FTDX1200 (100W) into a AlphaDelta DX-CC 82' electrically lengthened wire dipole mounted about 60' above ground on a north-south axis with an antenna tensioner.   MFJ VersaTuner II antenna tuner.   All LMR 400 ultraflex cable.

 

Have heard good signals from the UK, Russia, Latvia, Germany, Mauritius and (distance winner so far) the Kerguelen Islands all on 10m.

 

Kerguelen Islands QTH - https://www.google.com/maps/place/Grande+Terre/@-51.7282788,93.3638767,4z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0xb36b481ca16fd0e7:0xb9964abcebd3657f

Congrats!

 

Go get the folks on Navassa Island - N1A - (in the Carribean)...its extremely rare, as its the first time in 20+ years there has been a ham operator on the island.

 

planned for the first two weeks of February.

 

http://navassadx.com/

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Newtonian,

 

Finally, regarding your concerns about the second tier mobile vhf/uhf rigs...I'm perfectly happy with my Wouxun KG-UV950P. The programming cable I bought with the radio has the FTDI chip and the programming software that came with the cable works perfectly with this radio (CHIRP DOES NOT work). I had none of the programming problems that I initially experienced with the Baufengs.

I was getting wary of the Chinese radios until I saw your post. I found one of these here. Less than $400 for the xceiver, power supply, and programming cable. Good deal?

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I was getting wary of the Chinese radios until I saw your post. I found one of these here. Less than $400 for the xceiver, power supply, and programming cable. Good deal?

One of the big review sites for ham radio is www.eham.net

 

Current commentaries on the 4-band Woxun are at http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/11587

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I was getting wary of the Chinese radios until I saw your post. I found one of these here. Less than $400 for the xceiver, power supply, and programming cable. Good deal?

That's where I bought mine. Also bought the Wouxun lcd readout 20A power supply and programming cable. Everything still working after 6 months.  As I posted previously, I'm happy with the purchase.

Contrary to some of the reviewers on eham.net, I had no problem programming it, though I vaguely recall downloading the latest software from Wouxun. The only change in the software that they noted was the addition of a 2.5K tuning step.instead of the previous lowest step of 5K.

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That's where I bought mine. Also bought the Wouxun lcd readout 20A power supply and programming cable. Everything still working after 6 months.  As I posted previously, I'm happy with the purchase.

Contrary to some of the reviewers on eham.net, I had no problem programming it, though I vaguely recall downloading the latest software from Wouxun. The only change in the software that they noted was the addition of a 2.5K tuning step.instead of the previous lowest step of 5K.

Silly question: do any of these mobile-type systems allow CW? I'm learning code and would like to have that mode.

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Silly question: do any of these mobile-type systems allow CW? I'm learning code and would like to have that mode.

Not that I have seen. Most (if not all) of the dedicated 2M, 1.25M  and 70cm radios that I have seen are pretty much FM only.

But, like the YEASU you pointed out previously, there are "All-band, all-mode" radios out there.

BTW, I forgot to mention in my previous posts: With that YEASU model you were looking at - did you notice that the 70cm band power output was only 20W?

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