You got one too, i still haven’t had chance to look at mine and pulling it apart was one of the first things i had planned on doing, unsure why i even thought it would be any different. Cheers for the video ben
I'm not sure that firmware is factory. I don't know that it's not, but mine has that firmware and when i go to NOAA (f+5) i get a band scope. I've also found some differences in the menu. I bought a second radio and it has different firmware and the functions are as the manual says. If you know where i can get the firmware you're testing I'd like it as i prefer that version.
@@m7frs272 yes I have 2 uv-k5 (99) . I got the first one and it has the firmware you tested. That one gives me a band scope thing thing when I press F+5 and menu 49 isn't "noaa-s" like the menu says. I've also noticed it has "frequency, channel, name and name+f" modes (menu 23). Menu options stop at 49 (reset) The second radio I literally got yesterday. It shows no version number on startup. And all functions appear to coincide with the manual. Menu 23 is limited to freq, channel or name. Menu 49 is NOAA_S. The menu has 51 total options with reset being 51. As I stated before I prefer the version you tested because I am a ham operator and in my area we have several repeaters that have different locations and different frequencies but the same call sign so displaying a name and frequency is really cool.
It fails the 2nd condition of the vhf test in that the harmonic must must not exceed 25 µW below the fundamental frequency. My K5(99) flunks the test. At least on VHF.
I just stumbled on your channel. I’m new to this and I need a radio in this price range that can clearly listen to airband. I bought a UV-K5 but i’m disappointed with the sound quality I get when listening to airband…. ☹
The stock firmware is quite bad for airband. People might chime in and suggest other things beneath me because there’s a ton of options, but honestly the best all rounder for your use case is probably the IJV firmware for the radio. People love these radios primarily for the custom firmware, and it will help reception significantly.
Thanks for watching, as others have suggested, change the firmware to something like Egzumer for example. That should improve your airband reception. Hopefully this video may help you: ua-cam.com/video/kZ1i7YP05hQ/v-deo.htmlsi=-sIDakILtYjTJI8y
Received my UV-K5(99) yesterday from Amazon and I've spent 4 hours downloading the newest CHIRP and Quansheng CPS software. NEITHER WORKS! CHIRP says "firmware not supported" and CPS says LANGUAGE not supported. How in the world are people programming this radio? It took me 30 minutes to program one 2 meter frequency with all the offset, tones, etc. I can't imagine doing this with 200 channels. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I use Chirp for Egzumer: github.com/egzumer/uvk5-chirp-driver Hope that helps, thanks for watching. Good luck with programming, let us know if it works.
@@m7frs272 Thanks. I'm still a little leery of changing the firmware at this point. I just wanted to program the 100+ channels I had in my Baofeng UV5R and CHIRP just didn't work. I wound up using an older Quansheng software version for the UVK5 and it seems to work great. My radio arrived with no voice feature and the manual that came with it was for the 50Mhz-600Mhz version but I'm guessing the units ship with a newer firmware since mine receives lower than 50Mhz and accepts 900Mhz frequency entries. And the aircraft band on mine works great (loud and clear). When I get up enough courage, I'll try a firmware update...but I like some features of egzumer and some of the IJV so perhaps I'll wait until somebody makes one with all the features in one version. Thanks again for replying.
All these radios transmit in FM, NOT AM, that makes them unusable on airband except for rx only. It would only tx qrm there. I can't figure out why so many people are interested in txing on airband. If anyone read this and answers that it's because they are certfied pilot, then you are required to use a proper airband certified radio. Don't be cheap with security equipment, people.
You're right, but airband unlocked in hands of people who don't know bandplan is a threat. You know that these radio are mostly buyed without any knowledge about regulations.
It's clearly the firmware that's allowing TX on air band. I never install firmware that allows this. It's all too easy to accidentally hit PTT. Extremely dangerous
There is zero chance that the 99 can properly cover all of that frequency range. Bandpass and low-pass filters for all of those frequency ranges simply wouldn't fit in the HT. The laws of physics still apply, as well as the laws of economics. Those selling these radios will do whatever will sell radios. They are in China and they will never be arrested for selling dangerous radios. But the purchaser might.
You don't need filtering to receive. Sure you can make a better radio with filtering but it's not required. If you filter the transmitter so it forgets the unwanted harmonics you should be fine. However filters are nothing more than inductors and capacity which can be made on silicon. Not to mention DSP chips. I'm not saying these radios have filters or DSP but the size is not keeping it from having them. I have a Kenwood that's not much bigger than this radio that has DSP and all the filters. Yes it's slightly larger and more complex but it's also a 15 year older design. To be fair it was also $500+.
Most idiotic comment I've ever heard. There's dozens of radios out there that do airband, there's plenty of opportunities for people to cause harm in the world and this is what you're worried about? Don't you think someone's shooting at airplanes would be more of a threat to aviation safety than a radio? 😂 Should we block the import of automobiles too because some idiot decided to drive the wrong way down the highway?
I've done some testing. Although mine shows transmitting below 136, it actually transmits at 136mhz. It should also be mentioned that aviation uses AM not FM.
Thank you for the information, well done
Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching 👍
Do you know where can I download the stock OSFW-bd90ca3 firmware? thanks
You got one too, i still haven’t had chance to look at mine and pulling it apart was one of the first things i had planned on doing, unsure why i even thought it would be any different. Cheers for the video ben
Cheers Neil 👍
I have 4 of these. One is a retevis ra-79, I have k6 and a k5(99). Internally they are all the same board.
Was that our video you watched by any chance ? We have had problems making this firmware working with chirp.
Yes, yours was one of the ones I watched! I just use CHIRP for Egzumer for programming all my Quanshengs. Thanks for watching 👍
@UC3oo0y1ybBS1bYlbBLDiGfw thanks for viewing, yeah chirp doesnt support this current firmware, give us a plug would appreciate it.
Nice vid ben
Cheers Scott and thanks for gifting this radio 👍
I'm not sure that firmware is factory. I don't know that it's not, but mine has that firmware and when i go to NOAA (f+5) i get a band scope. I've also found some differences in the menu.
I bought a second radio and it has different firmware and the functions are as the manual says.
If you know where i can get the firmware you're testing I'd like it as i prefer that version.
That's interesting, are both radios UV-K5(99) models? This one came with this firmware as standard. Thanks for watching 👍
@@m7frs272 yes I have 2 uv-k5 (99) . I got the first one and it has the firmware you tested. That one gives me a band scope thing thing when I press F+5 and menu 49 isn't "noaa-s" like the menu says. I've also noticed it has "frequency, channel, name and name+f" modes (menu 23). Menu options stop at 49 (reset)
The second radio I literally got yesterday. It shows no version number on startup. And all functions appear to coincide with the manual.
Menu 23 is limited to freq, channel or name.
Menu 49 is NOAA_S.
The menu has 51 total options with reset being 51.
As I stated before I prefer the version you tested because I am a ham operator and in my area we have several repeaters that have different locations and different frequencies but the same call sign so displaying a name and frequency is really cool.
@@m7frs272 I forgot to add that both of the k5(99)s I have are as they come out of the box. I have not modified them in any way yet.
@@Michigan_Tactical Thanks again for all the info. Yeah that's certainly interesting 👍
It fails the 2nd condition of the vhf test in that the harmonic must must not exceed 25 µW below the fundamental frequency. My K5(99) flunks the test. At least on VHF.
You get what you pay for at the end of the day. Thanks for watching 👍
I just stumbled on your channel. I’m new to this and I need a radio in this price range that can clearly listen to airband. I bought a UV-K5 but i’m disappointed with the sound quality I get when listening to airband…. ☹
The stock firmware is quite bad for airband. People might chime in and suggest other things beneath me because there’s a ton of options, but honestly the best all rounder for your use case is probably the IJV firmware for the radio. People love these radios primarily for the custom firmware, and it will help reception significantly.
Yeah upload new firmware and activate the AM fix 👍 It works fantastically
Thanks for watching, as others have suggested, change the firmware to something like Egzumer for example. That should improve your airband reception. Hopefully this video may help you:
ua-cam.com/video/kZ1i7YP05hQ/v-deo.htmlsi=-sIDakILtYjTJI8y
Received my UV-K5(99) yesterday from Amazon and I've spent 4 hours downloading the newest CHIRP and Quansheng CPS software. NEITHER WORKS! CHIRP says "firmware not supported" and CPS says LANGUAGE not supported. How in the world are people programming this radio? It took me 30 minutes to program one 2 meter frequency with all the offset, tones, etc. I can't imagine doing this with 200 channels. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I use Chirp for Egzumer: github.com/egzumer/uvk5-chirp-driver
Hope that helps, thanks for watching. Good luck with programming, let us know if it works.
@@m7frs272 Thanks. I'm still a little leery of changing the firmware at this point. I just wanted to program the 100+ channels I had in my Baofeng UV5R and CHIRP just didn't work. I wound up using an older Quansheng software version for the UVK5 and it seems to work great. My radio arrived with no voice feature and the manual that came with it was for the 50Mhz-600Mhz version but I'm guessing the units ship with a newer firmware since mine receives lower than 50Mhz and accepts 900Mhz frequency entries. And the aircraft band on mine works great (loud and clear). When I get up enough courage, I'll try a firmware update...but I like some features of egzumer and some of the IJV so perhaps I'll wait until somebody makes one with all the features in one version. Thanks again for replying.
PCB number is usually year and week of manufacture (YYWW)
Thanks for the info, yeah I assumed it would be something like that 👍 Thanks for watching 👍
We didn't see the other side of PCBs :-(
Sorry, thanks for watching 👍
All these radios transmit in FM, NOT AM, that makes them unusable on airband except for rx only. It would only tx qrm there. I can't figure out why so many people are interested in txing on airband. If anyone read this and answers that it's because they are certfied pilot, then you are required to use a proper airband certified radio. Don't be cheap with security equipment, people.
Wise words, thanks for watching 👍
You're right, but airband unlocked in hands of people who don't know bandplan is a threat. You know that these radio are mostly buyed without any knowledge about regulations.
It's clearly the firmware that's allowing TX on air band. I never install firmware that allows this. It's all too easy to accidentally hit PTT. Extremely dangerous
Agreed 👍 Thanks for watching 👍
People tend to forget that this is esencially a toy! So do not get your panties on a bunch here!!
No audio... Where is UA-cam being a b****
Not sure why you have no audio on the video? It works for everyone else 🤷♂️
@@m7frs272UA-cam was still processing the video ii think... works now
Close down UA-cam, restart the app and play the video, sound should be fine.
@@user-dl6pn9kp8m or just wait for it to finish...yeah
There is zero chance that the 99 can properly cover all of that frequency range. Bandpass and low-pass filters for all of those frequency ranges simply wouldn't fit in the HT. The laws of physics still apply, as well as the laws of economics. Those selling these radios will do whatever will sell radios. They are in China and they will never be arrested for selling dangerous radios. But the purchaser might.
Wise words, thanks for watching 👍
It will receive, just not transmit on those
You don't need filtering to receive. Sure you can make a better radio with filtering but it's not required. If you filter the transmitter so it forgets the unwanted harmonics you should be fine. However filters are nothing more than inductors and capacity which can be made on silicon. Not to mention DSP chips. I'm not saying these radios have filters or DSP but the size is not keeping it from having them.
I have a Kenwood that's not much bigger than this radio that has DSP and all the filters. Yes it's slightly larger and more complex but it's also a 15 year older design. To be fair it was also $500+.
I hope that US customs blocks the import of this radio to the United States, this is a threat to aviation safety.
Very true, thanks for watching 👍
Most idiotic comment I've ever heard. There's dozens of radios out there that do airband, there's plenty of opportunities for people to cause harm in the world and this is what you're worried about? Don't you think someone's shooting at airplanes would be more of a threat to aviation safety than a radio? 😂 Should we block the import of automobiles too because some idiot decided to drive the wrong way down the highway?
I disagree. And if someone is dumb enough to TX they will be tracked down and in a TON of legal trouble.
I've done some testing. Although mine shows transmitting below 136, it actually transmits at 136mhz. It should also be mentioned that aviation uses AM not FM.
Why was my comment removed. The op is an idiot