Hey R, you don't "need" a cable for the Baofeng, it just makes it easier to program. I have one (somewhere) if you need it. Not sure about Yaesu but I'm sure it can be programmed manually if push comes to shove....
what BaoFeng should i be looking for now ??
- Thread starter Acer-m14
- Start date
masterswimmer
.450/400 Nitro Ex
So the Yaesu does require it to be programmed as well?
Unfortunately not having my license puts me at a distinct disadvantage knowledge wise. My prep plan fell short on this front. Bad me!
Thanks for the offer C.
Pretty sure any radio will need to be programmed for known stations you will want to monitor or communicate with. For example local club has repeater that transmits on one frequency but receives on another. You need to transmit on the receive frequency and receive on the transmit frequency in order to participate in any communication. Radio needs to be programmed with correct parameters at that frequency. Local fire/ambulance/police have dedicated frequencies (if analog) with certain parameters that need to be configured these are published and need to be programmed for radio to receive properly. If you just want to talk to someone on same band no programming needed. Hope that makes sense...
Marine Cpl
.577 Tyrannosaur.
If you don’t use your programming cable and software, you cannot name a channel. It will just be the frequency number instead of saying NYSP T K for example.
masterswimmer
.450/400 Nitro Ex
Is there any reason you wouldn't want to go with the Yaesu FT-60R?
Marine Cpl
.577 Tyrannosaur.
I may be wrong but you cannot program MURS and FRS frequencies into it like you can do with a Baofeng.
You would only be able to program channels that are for licensed Amateur radio. So that means that you cannot communicate with the radios everyone buys at Cabela’s and gander mountain or Walmart.
You would only be able to program channels that are for licensed Amateur radio. So that means that you cannot communicate with the radios everyone buys at Cabela’s and gander mountain or Walmart.
Yeah, 5w... if you're set on handheld excellent choice. If you want more power go with a mobile rig such as this... Icom IC-2300H
13x the power same bands. I think its $160 after rebate does UHF/VHF and monitors emergency/aviation bands. Will need antenna and power supply (if not mounted in vehicle).
masterswimmer
.450/400 Nitro Ex
Yaesu FT-60R ordered
Thanks for all your help.
Thanks for all your help.
FrankenCub
.338 Win Mag
Generally with the higher end radios it's as simple as desoldering a small resistor. And I mean fuckin small! My Yaesu mobile was done, but of course voids warentee and illegal if you get caught. I have an Icom ID5100a now but haven't modded it. Yet lol.
Acer-m14
.950 JDJ
-.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.-
Acer-m14
.950 JDJ
some older units its just cutting a wire to open it up for all
just don't transmit on the freqs your not allowed to .. with out permission ..
masterswimmer
.450/400 Nitro Ex
88
Geez haven't you got memo for social distancing...
masterswimmer
.450/400 Nitro Ex
Hey, we're renegades here!
Acer-m14
.950 JDJ
69
LMAO
LMAO
Hey, what's the square root of 69?
Acer-m14
.950 JDJ
Dude, 8... 8 something?i suck at math .. will have to consult
the same as PI .. its never ending
Lol...
Acer-m14
.950 JDJ
Ugh... ate something? Better? Lol...
Marine Cpl
.577 Tyrannosaur.
My 2 cents from a Baofeng user that uses one daily.
If you are looking to become an amateur radio operator looking to hit repeaters 3 towns and 30 miles away in wooded and mountainous terrains, then the Baofeng handheld isn’t probably the best for you. You’ll need a lot more than 5 watts and a short antenna. Most higher end handheld radios will also struggle with that. Terrain is a big variable that comes into play.
If you are looking to become an amateur radio operator looking to hit your local town repeater or the next one over 10 or so miles away to use that repeater to increase your range to about 30 or so miles, than the Baofeng will work for you.
If you are just looking for simplex operations which is radio to radio without a repeater intercepting your signal and repeating it just to talk to someone about a mile and change away in wooded areas, then the Baofeng will work for you. Another more expensive handheld isn’t going to give you more significant range in simplex.
If you are looking to talk car to car in a convoy than the Baofeng will work for you.
For most people that aren’t power users, it fits the bill. The cons are ...
The Baofeng speaker will not be as water resistant as a 200 to 500 dollar model. It’ll get water logged in the rain if exposed too long and sound like it’s underwater. Once dried it’ll sound normal. The radio itself is a cheaper grade plastic. Think Glock vs Keltec plastic.
The Baofeng is more susceptible to outside interference. Things like microwaves, routers, ect may cause a loud interference sound from the speaker. This only happens to me when on a frequency without a PL or DCS filter on the frequency. When those are used it doesn’t happen anymore on that frequency. When I go to another frequency with those codes not enabled it may happen again. If I move a few feet it goes away. If I don’t move but enable those filters than it disappears.
DCS and PL filters are codes that only open your radio’s speaker when another transmitting radio transmits those codes. You would want to use those filters anyway because if you are talking to your hunting buddy, only he will hear you and you will hear him. It’ll filter out other people on that frequency.
So for most people it works well. That’s why it’s the most popular handheld radio. I use it to talk to my Yard Dispatcher at work in a train yard on the official frequency and my partner on our own frequency so that we can get the job done. I use it in the heat, snow, rain, inside a train car talking to my partner in another train car. I have dropped it a few times and it has held up. Only once did it break from a tall fall onto ballast rocks and it was only the clip and knob. The radio itself worked fine. But because they are so cheap, I just bought another one.
If all you want is to buy a few radios for basic communications than it will work very well for you as long as you use the filters. Every major agency with high end radios use filters anyway. I do not know why HAM operators in amateur radios don’t like using them.
You are looking at only 100 or so dollars for 4 Baofeng UV5R radios compared to up to thousands of dollars for 4 radios from another manufacturer.
It’s a no brainer.
If you are looking to become an amateur radio operator looking to hit repeaters 3 towns and 30 miles away in wooded and mountainous terrains, then the Baofeng handheld isn’t probably the best for you. You’ll need a lot more than 5 watts and a short antenna. Most higher end handheld radios will also struggle with that. Terrain is a big variable that comes into play.
If you are looking to become an amateur radio operator looking to hit your local town repeater or the next one over 10 or so miles away to use that repeater to increase your range to about 30 or so miles, than the Baofeng will work for you.
If you are just looking for simplex operations which is radio to radio without a repeater intercepting your signal and repeating it just to talk to someone about a mile and change away in wooded areas, then the Baofeng will work for you. Another more expensive handheld isn’t going to give you more significant range in simplex.
If you are looking to talk car to car in a convoy than the Baofeng will work for you.
For most people that aren’t power users, it fits the bill. The cons are ...
The Baofeng speaker will not be as water resistant as a 200 to 500 dollar model. It’ll get water logged in the rain if exposed too long and sound like it’s underwater. Once dried it’ll sound normal. The radio itself is a cheaper grade plastic. Think Glock vs Keltec plastic.
The Baofeng is more susceptible to outside interference. Things like microwaves, routers, ect may cause a loud interference sound from the speaker. This only happens to me when on a frequency without a PL or DCS filter on the frequency. When those are used it doesn’t happen anymore on that frequency. When I go to another frequency with those codes not enabled it may happen again. If I move a few feet it goes away. If I don’t move but enable those filters than it disappears.
DCS and PL filters are codes that only open your radio’s speaker when another transmitting radio transmits those codes. You would want to use those filters anyway because if you are talking to your hunting buddy, only he will hear you and you will hear him. It’ll filter out other people on that frequency.
So for most people it works well. That’s why it’s the most popular handheld radio. I use it to talk to my Yard Dispatcher at work in a train yard on the official frequency and my partner on our own frequency so that we can get the job done. I use it in the heat, snow, rain, inside a train car talking to my partner in another train car. I have dropped it a few times and it has held up. Only once did it break from a tall fall onto ballast rocks and it was only the clip and knob. The radio itself worked fine. But because they are so cheap, I just bought another one.
If all you want is to buy a few radios for basic communications than it will work very well for you as long as you use the filters. Every major agency with high end radios use filters anyway. I do not know why HAM operators in amateur radios don’t like using them.
You are looking at only 100 or so dollars for 4 Baofeng UV5R radios compared to up to thousands of dollars for 4 radios from another manufacturer.
It’s a no brainer.
fnfalguy
.308 Win
@cgrutt is correct, all radios need programming if you want to be able to transmit, or set frequencies into the memories. With the Yaesu-60, that’s easily done on the radio itself versus the baofengs, which are much, much more painful to program directly on the radio. Both can be programmed without the cable, I just don’t think most people want to program the baofengs that way.
Great thread revival.
I bought a baofeng a while back but not sure if I ever programed it to be useful. I need to find some time to figure this out.
I'm sure I will be asking questions
fnfalguy
.308 Win
Here’s a relatively simple guide for the baofengs. It does make the assumption that you have a working knowledge of radio type terms.
An idiots guide to programming your Baofeng UV-5R radio by W7DTG
Learn how to program your Baofeng UV-5R hand held radio for the ham bands!
www.hamuniverse.com
BDinPutnam
.475 A&M Magnum
whauburger
6.5 Creedmoor
My radio and cable should be delivered today....I feel like I opened a can of worms.
masterswimmer
.450/400 Nitro Ex
I believe the FCC term is "pirates."
I thought for sure you were going to say deplorable
Marine Cpl
.577 Tyrannosaur.
The hardest part of programming a Baofeng radio is downloading the software and getting your computer to recognize the cable. Once downloaded and running with the cable, all it is is entering numbers under the input frequency column, entering a number under the output frequency column, naming the frequency under the name column, and selecting a frequency under the PL code column to enable a filter. That’s it.
You can save that and plug in other radios to clone them to what you just saved. Doing it manually is actually harder and more work and your have less options. With manual programming, you cannot name a channel and you cannot do other things like naming the radio, setting presets for scanning, change other values to just one frequency instead of it applying to all frequencies. Lots of things. It’s easy.
YouTube and google will answer your questions and posting screenshots of the cpu screen and asking us what number goes where into what column will also help us help you program it and understand it.
You can save that and plug in other radios to clone them to what you just saved. Doing it manually is actually harder and more work and your have less options. With manual programming, you cannot name a channel and you cannot do other things like naming the radio, setting presets for scanning, change other values to just one frequency instead of it applying to all frequencies. Lots of things. It’s easy.
YouTube and google will answer your questions and posting screenshots of the cpu screen and asking us what number goes where into what column will also help us help you program it and understand it.
HIghlander
.223 Rem
Before programming the Baofeng make sure you copy what is already setup in case you mess up. Just copy back the original settings and start over again. I have 2 Baofeng BF-F8HP that have 1, 5, and 8 watts output. It also has FM frequencies.