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80 ‐ Tips & Tricks and Known Issues

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ErikS-web edited this page Mar 16, 2024 · 17 revisions

What if Spectrum Scan Freezes

This is caused by a strong signal. The only way to fix this is to lower your gain settings in spectrum (while antenna is disconnected).

  • Disconnect the antenna and check if the freezing will stop.
  • Press M twice
  • Then reduce the LNA$ and/or LNA parameter.
  • Connect the antenna again and see if the value can be slightly higher.

What if AM reception is distorted/overloaded

  • lower the gain in spectrum. Just like with Spectrum scan freeze?

Detect the tail tone of other radio with CTCSS scanner

  • the CTCSS scanner can be used to detect the tail tone other radios are using (it might take a while and take multiple transmissions as the tail transmission is very short)
    • once found set the SqTone to found value and enjoy no squelch sound 😄
  • SqTone sets the squelch tail tone used for RX/TX when no DCS/CTCSS is used to make radio compatible with more expensive radios
    • default value is 55Hz - compatible with other Quansheng and Baofeng radios
  • when CTCSS is used 180* phase shift tail is enabled for RX/TX to be compatible with more expensive radios

Note

Tail tones below 65Hz are not reliably detected by the CTCSS scanner - likely by the design of the chip and to be fair these are not standard CTCSS tones. they work perfectly when used as SqTone or TxCTCSS/RxCTCSS though

Menu - Recommended settings

Numbering of menu-items is based on release 20.5

  • 1 Step - step of the frequency. Set this to 12.50 kHz
  • 2 Bandw- bandwidth. Set this to 12.50 kHz
  • 14 Demodu - demodulator mode. Put it on FM
  • 22 F1Shrt - side button 1 short press function. Put it on MONITOR
  • 23 F1Long - side button 1 long press function. Put it on LONG SPECTRUM
  • 24 F2Shrt - side button 2 short press function. Put it on SPECTRUM
  • 25 F2Long - side button 2 long press function. Put it on SPECTRUM
  • 26 M Long - menu button long press function. Put it on SWITCH VFO
  • 30 Mic - microphone sensitivity. Set it +15.1dB
  • 31 CHDISP - Channel display style (name + frequency or number). Set this to Name + Freq
  • 32 POmMsg - power on message. Set this to Message
  • 33 BatTxt - Additional battery value. Set this to Voltage
  • 34 BackkLt - Backlight duration. Set this to 2 minutes
  • 46 RXMode - Set it to Main TX Dual RX - always transmits on the primary channel (marked ►), listens to both.

And as an option in the hidden menu

  • 60 BATCAL - Battery calibration. Measure the battery voltage with a voltmeter (on the metal loops on the back of the radio) and adjust the value in the menu accordingly.

           For my radios this value was 1889 to 1950 and 1896 -> 2021.

  • 61 Battyp - battery type. The UVK5 (8) is 1600 mAh and the UV5R-Plus often 2200 mAh.


Suggest to use an external antenna

Use and SMA-female to BNC-female connector/adapter

  • so you can easily connect the external antenna cable to the radio

  • extra option is to extend that to PL256 with is adapter

Converter cable

An other suggestion is this converter cable


Chirp incompatibility

Note

This project does NOT work with actual version CHIRP

There is a cause and reason for the Chirp-mismatch

But that's not up to this project

There are 2 workarounds

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