SOME NOTES ON PROGRAMMING THE BAOFENG UV-5R & STORING FREQUENCIES IN
MEMORY
Menu System Basics
All of the UV-5R’s operating parameters are set via a menu system, which can take a little getting used to
if your experience has been mainly with older rigs that have a separate button for each function.
In brief, this is how the menu system works:
Press the menu button once, and you will see the first of the 41 menu options displayed (no. 0 – Squelch).
You scroll through the options using the up/down buttons above the numeric keypad; if you know the
number of the menu option you want, you can go straight to it by pressing the appropriate numeric keys,
eg. 2 for transmit power.
When you reach the menu option you want, press menu again, and you will see that the up arrow
alongside the menu item name at the top left of the display disappears, and a down arrow appears at
bottom left of the display alongside the current setting for that particular option. If you have voice
prompts enabled, the radio will say the name of the option selected, eg. “squelch”.
Using the up/down buttons you can now scroll through the available settings for that option. When you
get to the one you want, press the menu button again to store it (if you have voice prompts enabled, the
radio will say “confirm”). You can then continue scrolling through the other menu options using the
up/down buttons, or press the exit button to leave the menu mode.
You do need to be reasonably quick in making your selections, as the radio will automatically exit the
menu function after a few seconds if no selections are made.
Jim Unroe, KC9HI, has compiled a very comprehensive guide to the UV-5R memory system which he has
kindly allowed us to make available for download – you can find it on the Downloads page on our website
under the UV-5R heading.
Setting Channel Spacing/Steps
This needs to be set twice – once for VHF & once for UHF, so select the appropriate band using the band
key before making each setting.
•
Select Menu 1 (Step, channel spacing).
•
Options: 2.5KHz, 5KHz, 6.25KHz, 10KHz, 12.5KHz, 25KHz.
•
Set as explained above
For European amateur use it would be most appropriate to set this to 12.5 kHz for VHF & 25 kHz for UHF.
Storing Simplex Frequencies in Memory
•
Select Frequency Mode using orange VFO/MR button.
•
Switch to VFO A using the A/B button (up arrow to left of display showing alongside top row of
display).
•
Select VHF or UHF by using the band button.
•
Select the frequency you want to store, either by inputting it directly using the numeric keys or
the up/down buttons.
•
Press menu, key in 2 & 7, press menu again.
•
Select an empty memory position (000 – 127) using the up/down buttons.
•
Press menu again to store the frequency.
Repeat as many times as required.
Storing Duplex (Repeater) Frequencies in Memory
