On top we find a rotary encoder which can be used to change frequency, channel, or menus and underlying parameters.
Baofeng uv 5b software software#
The UV-B5 / UV-B6 software ( download here) worked right out of the box, but don’t forget to click the red button to change the language from Chinese to English.
At the right we have the standard Kenwood compatible 3.5mm and 2.5mm jacks for speaker/microphones and programming cables. Baofeng could have used this key on the UV-B5 to activate the LCD backlight, but they didn’t. The third key has no function on the UV-B5, on the UV-B6 this key acts as a switch for the flashlight. When both keys are pressed simultaneously a 1750Hz burst tone is transmitted. Fortunately I had a few longer ones in stock.Īt the left we find three keys, but only two of them are functional: PTT and Monitor. The M2 screws which come with the radio are way too short, making it impossible to attach the belt clip to the body of the HT. The batteries are not interchangeable though, and the belt clip has a little problem. They’re identical in size, the batteries have a similar shape and both radios share the same great belt clip. It reminded me of the comfort associated with the Baofeng BF-666S/777S/888S series, and both models certainly share some design features. While the UV-5R never feels comfortable in my hand due to its square shape and sharp edges, the UV-B5’s rounded shape makes the radio fit like a glove. Most receivers are overloaded immediately here, making it impossible to listen into any 70cm signal below S9+20. My QTH is known as ‘Intermod Alley’ and for good reasons. That’s not something I can take for granted here. Secondly, I never lost signal outside either. Only my Yaesu VX-177 and Icom IC-U82, both expensive mono band HTs, are capable of doing that. First of all I never lost the signal of our regional 70cm repeater while walking through my house, a trick not even the Wouxun or Quansheng can pull off. From the moment I switched on the Baofeng UV-B5 it was clear that engineers in China heard our cries and did something about these crappy front ends.
The Wouxun KG-UVD1P and the Quansheng TG-UV2 are well known exceptions to the rule, but their price reflects this. As a result these radios are overloaded in a heartbeat. Most of these radios lack a decent front end or produce a lot of phase noise. SDR is considered cutting edge technology and cheap to produce, but so far the implementation was flawed. One of the cons – one I slowly started to accept as something inevitable – is a design based on SDR and DSP. The choice is yours.įor the rest I expected the UV-B5 and UV-B6 to be more of the same: never perfect but value for money, with all the pros and cons we got used to. Its sibling, the UV-B6, is technically identical but features a flashlight instead of the alarm button and rotary encoder. I never got used to the system of pressing Up and Down buttons for changing frequencies or channels, and this model promised to address this issue. I kinda liked the ‘no frills’ design with the rotary encoder on top. When I first spotted the Baofeng UV-B5 I was slightly more interested than normal.
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