Quansheng UV-K5 Review: A very interesting & unique CCR
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- Опубліковано 1 лип 2024
- My review of the interesting & unique Quansheng UV-K5.
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UV-K5 programming software & firmware:
(Scroll to the bottom of the page)
qsfj.com/products/3002 - Наука та технологія
Quansheng is a company that makes radios for Icom and Yeasu and several commercial companies, they also produce quite an extensive line of circuit boards for the cell phone industry. They know what they are doing. They are miles better than the rest of the Chinese garage shops.
Excellent Review! Very well done! Just got mine a week ago & haven't had the chance to play with it yet!! Thanks!!!
The UV5-R has always been recommended as an emergency radio. This Quansheng HT has the advantage of have a USB charging socket, a definite advantage in an emergency.
I agree. I don't see anything wrong with using a UV-5R in emergencies as long as it was tested and used prior (to confirm it functions as expected). Companies can save money on the quality control portion of the manufacturing process and still produce good quality products. The only issue here would be the % of radios that are DOA or break very shortly after purchase is higher than higher priced radios with the same quality. As long as you used it and tested the functionality you are interested in and cycle the batteries at least once (drain it down to 0 and fully charge back up) you should be ok.
Great walk around. Ive just got mine,and looking forward to getting it up and running. Cheers. Subscribed.
Thanks for the review. I'm sure there are better radios out there, but I regularly hit repeaters at 20 miles with my 10 watt baeofeng using my moblie antenna in my car. For less than a $100 for the radio coax and antenna it's a pretty good back up to the cell phone for those of us on a tight budget. It's also just fun to make contacts as you drive along. I'm sure if you dumped it in the mud though it would have a hard time, but I think it's a pretty good solution for the traveler out there that might find themselves in a situation where they need to get help and the cell phone isn't an option. Just throwing this out there for those of us who can't afford the high end, I found them to be pretty good radios if you understand what they are.
My wife happened to pick this up from Temu for Christmas for me and apparently they ship them with the F lock already off lol! I appreciate this guide, it’s really helpful for someone like me that has absolutely no idea what I’m doing 😂
Oops😂
My understanding is the USB-c is for charging only, and it creates a bunch of noise in the 446 MHz zone. I have 2 and like them a lot. CHIRP is already better and mostly working. I agree about the speaker. Good to hear your thoughts on this, it pretty much aligns with my my experiences so far.
You are correct, the USB-C is for charge only. Firmware is done via the programming cable.
Unfortunately, you can't use the Tidradio BL1 Bluetooth programmer with this radio.... Yet.
just to say firmware updates are done on the speaker mike connectoin, there is also a lot of 3rd party firmware updates available, transmit from 18 to 13000MHz and a spectrum analyser, and a pong game if you want
You are correct, the USB-C is for charge only. Firmware is done via the programming cable.
It's an inexpensive hobbyist radio alright...funny thing is on many tests it outperforms similar small H/H radio's the like of Yaesu etc.
In an emergency I would sooner have this little rig in my hand than my Icom's that cost the earth !
Excellent review …. I have a uv 5r pro … basically the same radio different looking front end like a baofeng … Chirp does support it now … my antenna is better than my stock abbree antenna … i have purchased a few nagoya 771 online … wating for it
This is not Quansheng's first radio (you make it sound like they're start up). I bought their TG-UV2 in *2010* and found it to pretty good at the time.
Another top video with heaps of info Scott. I really like them but airband is not great. I will have to order in some Nagoya's or similar to try. In my opinion, it's leagues ahead of the UV-5R. 🍻🤠
The modded firmware Egzumer fixes the AM sound issue with airband.
A very good helpful review. K5 (8) has a speaker upgrade ?
Howdy. ... Nice overview. I have a couple of additions and a question.
First, menus. Aside from scrolling through menus, submenus, and options, you can use the numeric keypad to access the settings directly. For example, to access the option to program a memory channel, you'd press Menu, 13, menu, type the channel number, then menu twice. Similarly, when changing the offset direction with menu 8, (or is it 9? I have to check), 0 is simplex, 1 is plus, 2 is minus. CTCSS tones are numbered 0 for off through 50. This will save someone a lot of scrolling, and it's great for blind ops.
Second, the "hiddoen" menus, numbered from 53 up, when you power on with PTT+top programmable side key. Those menus stay active until you next power the radio off. No need to put it back into secret mode every time you exit the menu, only if you turn it off and back on again, which hides the secret menus.
Now to the question. I haven't tried connecting to a computer yet with mine. Are you certain the USB-C connector will program same as the speaker/mic jack? My impression from other reviews is that it's charge only.
In my copious spare time, I'll put together an eyes-free guide for this one, similar to the one I put together for the UV5R, Wouxun KG-UVD1P, and Puxing UV973.
Vy 73, de KB5ELV
Good tips. And you are correct, the USB-C is for charge only. Firmware is done via the programming cable.
baofeng uv 17 pro can also do airband,but that one dont have the other bands like this one,also the old Alinco dj 580 can also receive airband,i order this radio so i hope its good,i m only use pmr band as i m not alout to transmit bc no licenes
I sure hope you read old comments, But I think I found a flaw as couldn't see a way to change this in software. But while using frequency with the arrow on screen showing I was on Channel B and in simplex mode I heard the guys on the repeater on Channel A tell me I was interfering with their conversation. I did a check and sure enough both bands A&B are transmitting at the same time with two different frequencies on each. Can you help with this?
So should we get a NAGOYA NA-24J dual band or get a Nagoya NA-320A Triband.
Hi, thanks for the review. Anyone know if theres a silicone or plastic cover available on the market for these radios? Thanks.
Thank you for the awesome video 👍🇺🇸
23:25 I've not yet found single line display. I much prefer it that way.
is this a good option to use as a receiver. specially if unlocked for hf with a better antena?
My Yaesu ft-65r is a Chinese radio. I ordered one of these to play with firmware.
Had one, it lasted less than 4 weeks - it was sitting upright on my desk, got knocked over (not even knocked off the desk, just knocked from vertical to horizontal) and stopped working. Picked up a Radtel RT-470 as a replacement as I wanted air band - will see if that is built a bit better when it arrives
Must be a fluke...Mine falls about 7 times a day...from hip to shoulder height, and works flawless....have mine for at least 6 mnths
Yeah it's hit or miss with these things I've got uv-5r that fell and it's all jacked up now but my other ones have fell and still work fine😮
I just got two of these and only about 5-hours in playing with them.
At time of my comment video is 7-months old.
The USB-C port is only for charging the battery.
Any firmware/software/programming is done through the speaker mic connector not the USBc.
I installed alternate firmware - (latest EGZUMER).
At least with this firmware Chirp "works" but is weird.
It will autopopulate your channel slots with a number of options you don't want.
These options Are:
1. "R" mode (repeater reverse).
2. Busy Channel lockout (you can't transmit if there is a carrier present)
3. DTMF squelch on (you can't hear anything) unless you turn it off in the menu for the channel.
4. Wideband/NBFM it changes it to one of the other and does not follow what you set it to in chirp.
I had to manually build the channel options on the radio itself then upload them into Chirp and copy/paste the working channels
into new channels and then just change the frequency fields.
It was a real head-scratcher for the first hour or so.
-Steve N8LBV Michigan
There is a custom firmware for it, with am/fm/ssb modes and more band coverage. I think that for the Price, it's really a great handheld
The speaker sucks, but overal this is s very good radio. You can load MOD's into it and get it to receive from 18Mhz to 1300Mhz, and other nice mods like a way better S-meter and you also can change the backlight timer to 10 sec or higher.
Once you power on the radio and open the full menu features, you do not need to turn the radio back off to still have the full menu. The full menu will remain accessible until the radio is powered off.
10:30 if the menu times out in unlock mode, it stays in unlock mode...So you can just open the menu again, without restarting the thing, so no need to fiddle about in this menu.
I have one I like it for what it is
Me too.
My feelings exactly!
Hi there, I am completely new to this radio. Can you tell me where I can get the antenna that you mentioned in your video? Thanks I greatly appreciate it.
Model number and maybe a website to go to thanks for your help
Just got one of these and I think Chirp is working now
its a knob shield to keep you from inadvertently turning the volume down or turning the radio off
Hey there! I wanna this radio, could you give some advice to me, is it good for paraglider pilots? Thank you!
Bye for now
I love this radio. Being able to transmit on 6 meter is awesome!
Just got one this week...it was totally deaf. It would not even pick up local FM stations.
So how do you get the voltage to show when the radio starts up?
use Portable Radio CPS software from quansheng to adjust boot screen display.
you'll need the baofeng 2 pin to usb connector cable.
CE means European Comunity! (CE) is not China/Europa ! It' like the (CE)-sighn, that showes, the radio will be confirm, with European regulatories. Nearly the same as FCC.
73 de Markus - db9pz (JN39fq - 3miles/5km east of LX)
Does it have the same problems as the uv 5r? Spurious emissions and going deaf close to other transmissions.
Tx spurii are borderline and seem to vary between tests.
Rx blocking is typically as poor as you would expect in this market segment, and particularly troublesome on VHF with an outdoor antenna. Images don't seem to be a problem.
This is also sold as the Retevis RA79, isn't it?
Same radio, different clothes
Hi, I am new on this . Just get one of that , where or what antena I can use thanks.
Google "771 antenna" for a start
What kind of life saving work do you do that you use radio communications?
Nothing other than whatever life saving work is necessary to keep my old ass above ground every day.
@@KS6DAY I thought by the way you were talking you did rescue work of some kind. My mistake oops.
@@kj5fns I used public safety radio gear for most of my life. Not so much Search & Rescue but rather Search & Capture. But I've been out of that for a while now. I am, however, active with ARES, SkyWarn and have extended that into GMRS by developing a GMRS based emergency communications network here in Tulare County and the greater San Joaquin valley area. I don't consider any of it to be life saving work, but it certainly has the potential to be. Hope that answers your question better.
Seldom do I see people explaining what happened with Baofeng in China versus Baofeng in in the USA . Baofeng in China built a number of radios. Baofeng , a seperate company in the USA which I believe eventually had to chang their name to BTECH began selling those radios. The USA guys bought a bunch of radios from companies other than Baofeng (Woofong ect) and put the Baofeng name on them. This confused the USA hams.
Now Quansheng shows up on the scene. They have a choice, sell in the USA under their own name with their own agents or sub company ,trying to keep control, or go with a BTECH type company with the latitude of being able to introduce inferior products. They need to be careful because it is true, they are quite exceptional.
i was going to buy baofeng till i saw this ,im in ,at this time 10 29 i have the high bid of 5 bucks ,i will win one soon
Mine were 17 euros a pop.
CCR??
Cheap Chinese Radio
Uv-k5 a multi band tri band
Mod it :-)
Your distrust of inexpensive radios is unfounded. What is there, exactly, that you don't trust? I've been using these cheap radios for the last two years and functionally they are perfect. The batteries are the weak link, yet they aren't a problem. They function perfectly! So what's not to trust?