I'm trawling You tube videos for instructions on how to program it, the programming cable hasn't arrived yet. I'm lucky to have a repeater station about a half mile away, GB3Li. Any tips or advice would be much appreciated.Phil
New toy
New toy
I received my Baofeng UV5R today from Amazon; I only ordered it yesterday, fast service. I haven't got a clue what to do with it so I thought the least I can do is charge it up. I'm trawling You tube videos for instructions on how to program it, the programming cable hasn't arrived yet. I'm lucky to have a repeater station about a half mile away, GB3Li. Any tips or advice would be much appreciated.
Phil
I'm trawling You tube videos for instructions on how to program it, the programming cable hasn't arrived yet. I'm lucky to have a repeater station about a half mile away, GB3Li. Any tips or advice would be much appreciated.Phil
Re: New toy
Hi Phil
For the money they are brilliant, but the antenna while ok for handheld use is the limiting factor, get an adapter that allows you to connect an outside antenna & then put as big a colinear on the house as you can get away with, you will be amazed at how much better the reception & transmission distance you can get.
As far as learning to use it goes, I found you can't go wrong by doing a search on YouTube, loads of good instructional videos on there for the UV5R.
I see the repeater you mentioned is a 70cm repeater in Liverpool, you can find a complete list of repeaters on ukrepeaters.net
With my external antenna I can open GB3CR repeater which is north of Wrexham & I'm just East of Telford, now from what you say you should be closer to that repeater than I am & if you could open it with a bigger antenna you could easily reach down into the Midlands & you never know we may get a chance to chat via it.
The output is on 433.1500, Input is... 434.7500 with a CTCSS of 110.9
Enjoy the new toy.
Wf
For the money they are brilliant, but the antenna while ok for handheld use is the limiting factor, get an adapter that allows you to connect an outside antenna & then put as big a colinear on the house as you can get away with, you will be amazed at how much better the reception & transmission distance you can get.
As far as learning to use it goes, I found you can't go wrong by doing a search on YouTube, loads of good instructional videos on there for the UV5R.
I see the repeater you mentioned is a 70cm repeater in Liverpool, you can find a complete list of repeaters on ukrepeaters.net
With my external antenna I can open GB3CR repeater which is north of Wrexham & I'm just East of Telford, now from what you say you should be closer to that repeater than I am & if you could open it with a bigger antenna you could easily reach down into the Midlands & you never know we may get a chance to chat via it.
The output is on 433.1500, Input is... 434.7500 with a CTCSS of 110.9
Enjoy the new toy.
Wf
Si vis pacem, para bellum
Re: New toy
Thanks WF. Yes I'm going to put up the home made antenna and also put up a mast with a colinear. I've just checked gb3cr, it's about 55 miles away from me. In the meantime I've bought a HPA 771, which should help me listen further.
Phil
Phil
Re: New toy
55 miles may be asking a little too much from a built up area but you never know, with a bit of a lift like there's been the last few days it could work. 
On Friday the lift was brilliant, I could hear a guy from Manchester as clear as if he was down the street.
Also on Friday I heard a guy on a hilltop near Congleton speak with stations in Belgium Germany & Sweden all on 2M.
To see how far you can potentially transmit there is a good signal mapping website that will show your expected radiation pattern like the ones shown for the repeaters footprint, ill post the link below, just register & put in the details of your antenna & power/frequency & your location to get your map, you can save multiple locations & maps & it's all online, no need to download any program to your computer like other sites.... and it's free.
http://www.ve2dbe.com/rmonline.html
Wf
On Friday the lift was brilliant, I could hear a guy from Manchester as clear as if he was down the street.
Also on Friday I heard a guy on a hilltop near Congleton speak with stations in Belgium Germany & Sweden all on 2M.
To see how far you can potentially transmit there is a good signal mapping website that will show your expected radiation pattern like the ones shown for the repeaters footprint, ill post the link below, just register & put in the details of your antenna & power/frequency & your location to get your map, you can save multiple locations & maps & it's all online, no need to download any program to your computer like other sites.... and it's free.
http://www.ve2dbe.com/rmonline.html
Wf
Si vis pacem, para bellum
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The-Mendologist
- Posts: 110
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 7:03 pm
- Location: North Kent
Re: New toy
Good to hear you have a new toy, us hams like new toys. Going to pick up an Acom 1kw amp tonight.filsgreen wrote:I received my Baofeng UV5R today from Amazon; I only ordered it yesterday, fast service. I haven't got a clue what to do with it so I thought the least I can do is charge it up.
Phil
You will need to download CHIRP, this will help you program your radio.
Some of the other amateurs on here may be able to point you further, i dont use the software as my best mate programs my radio's, cheating really!
Re: New toy
Thanks Mendologist, as I've said I'm waiting on the lead.
I've just checked as the crow flies WF, it's only 35 miles across the Mersey to GB3CR. What height can I have the mast? They come in six foot lengths. I'm worried about them snapping if they're too high. My wallet is going to take a hiding though.
Phil
I've just checked as the crow flies WF, it's only 35 miles across the Mersey to GB3CR. What height can I have the mast? They come in six foot lengths. I'm worried about them snapping if they're too high. My wallet is going to take a hiding though.
Phil
Re: New toy
35 miles is certainly possible
Get your antenna up as high as you can for best results, I mounted my X50 vertical on a 4m pole secured to the gable end of my house with a good set of "K&T" brackets, so all together it puts the base of my antenna at 10m above the ground, im fortunate enough to live on ground that is a further 120m above sea level.
The mapping tool link in my earlier post calculates these figures for you & so you can use it to see the effect varying hight antennas will have on your signal range from your location.
Screwfix do a twin set of poles that together are 3m long, not the lightest as their steel, but they won't snap.
Wf
Get your antenna up as high as you can for best results, I mounted my X50 vertical on a 4m pole secured to the gable end of my house with a good set of "K&T" brackets, so all together it puts the base of my antenna at 10m above the ground, im fortunate enough to live on ground that is a further 120m above sea level.
The mapping tool link in my earlier post calculates these figures for you & so you can use it to see the effect varying hight antennas will have on your signal range from your location.
Screwfix do a twin set of poles that together are 3m long, not the lightest as their steel, but they won't snap.
Wf
Si vis pacem, para bellum
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The-Mendologist
- Posts: 110
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 7:03 pm
- Location: North Kent
Re: New toy
You can have your mast as high as your pocket allows.filsgreen wrote:Thanks Mendologist, as I've said I'm waiting on the lead.
I've just checked as the crow flies WF, it's only 35 miles across the Mersey to GB3CR. What height can I have the mast? They come in six foot lengths. I'm worried about them snapping if they're too high. My wallet is going to take a hiding though.
Phil
My colinear is on a 20ft steel pole on the side of the manor with a set of 24" t&k brackets.
Unfortunately i dont have a wall that go's up to the roof, otherwise it would have been put up higher, so i have to run what i brung.
There is a joiner you can get that will allow you to connect poles together.