Travis Olander 12.21.22
The UV-5R has loads of options, however it may be troublesome to arrange. This information covers all 40 capabilities of the UV-5R Menu in depth, educating you easy methods to configure channels and superior capabilities.
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Accessing The UV-5R Menu
Power on the radio. The antenna doesn’t must be related. Press the MENU button on the keypad. While programming, place your radio on LOW energy. To do that, press the # button. You will see an “H”, “M”, or “L” within the top-left nook of the display screen, indicating HIGH, MEDIUM, and LOW energy. If your keypad is just not functioning, it is perhaps locked. A small key icon subsequent to the display screen’s battery indicator shall be current. Press and maintain the # button to unlock the keypad.
How the Menu Works
The UP and DOWN arrows mean you can navigate by means of all menu choices. You can soar to particular choices by typing in that choice’s menu quantity. For instance, urgent MENU and keying in “14” will carry you to choice 14, which controls the radio’s voice prompts. The MENU button additionally acts because the ENTER and SAVE/CONFIRM button. Once you navigate to the choice you want to modify, press the MENU button a second time to entry the choice’s out there decisions.
Select the selection you need to use with the UP/DOWN arrows, or by typing within the obligatory worth with the keypad. Then press the MENU button a 3rd time to SAVE/CONFIRM the selection. The EXIT button brings you again to the principle display screen.
(The Important Settings, First)
If you simply need to get your UV-5R up and working, deal with these settings. To be taught extra about what each does, reference the record of choices additional down within the information.
- Squelch (Option 0). We advocate setting your squelch to 1 to five. One is minimal sensitivity, 5 is reasonable. Anything greater, and also you may not hear incoming transmissions.
- TXP (Option 2). To make sure you get good vary, set transmit energy (TXP) to HIGH. While programming and utilizing your radio at shut vary, set it to LOW.
- SAVE (Option 3). Turn off “Battery Saver”. Having this on could end in missed transmissions.
- TDR (Option 7). The UV-5R can monitor two frequencies directly. With TDR on, the radio will change to whichever frequency is receiving a sign (A or B). We’re not suggesting you flip this on or off — it’s private desire. But maintain it in thoughts.
- Voice (Option 14). Tired of the UV-5R providing you with annoying voice prompts? Turn this feature off.
- AL-MOD (Option 32). Ensure the Alarm Mode is ready to “SITE”. Holding down the orange CALL button will journey an annoying alarm. The “SITE” mode solely journeys the alarm on the radio’s speaker. The different choices will transmit that alarm over the air, annoying anybody who’s listening.
Option 0: Squelch
Squelch acts like a noise gate, or filter. It ranges from 0 to 10. When set to 0, the chosen frequency or channel shall be energetic always. You will hear static if nobody is transmitting. Setting Squelch to 1 supplies essentially the most sensitivity with out listening to static always. This permits you to obtain weak or damaged transmissions. Higher Squelch decreases sensitivity, permitting solely robust or close by transmission to come back by means of.
Option 1: Step
Frequency stepping. This determines how a lot the frequency goes up or down when urgent the UP/DOWN arrows, or whenever you’re scanning. This is simply relevant in VFO (Frequency) Mode. By default, the UV-5R steps up or down in 25 KHz increments.
Option 2: TXP
Transmit energy. Its perform is redundant to the # key. Some UV-5Rs have “HIGH” and “LOW” choices, for minimal and most energy. Newer fashions embody a “MEDIUM” choice, which operates at half energy. The base UV-5R can transmit at 1 or 4 watts. Some variants can function at 5, 8, or 10 watts.
Option 3: Save
Battery saver. Enabling it reduces how typically the radio listens for transmissions. Its values vary between OFF, and 1 to 4. The greater the worth, the much less typically the radio listens. We don’t advocate utilizing this perform. When enabled, chances are you’ll not choose up transmission from those that are trying to contact you. This is undesirable in an emergency state of affairs.
Option 4: VOX
With VOX enabled, the radio will routinely transmit when it hears your voice. The out there ranges (1 to 10) dictate how delicate the VOX is. This perform is beneficial when you could use the radio hands-free, or whenever you’re utilizing a headset.
Option 5: WN
Narrowband or Wideband. The latter choice supplies higher protection and vary. Narrowband is beneficial for decreasing interference between customers transmitting and receiving on related frequencies.
Option 6: ABR
Automatic Backlight. Values vary from 0 (at all times off) to 10 (seconds till the backlight turns off).
Option 7: TDR
Dual Receive Function. When enabled, the radio will concurrently monitor and obtain transmissions on each A and B channels or frequencies you’ve chosen on the principle display screen. Turning off TDR permits you to power the radio to solely monitor the road you’ve chosen with the A/B button.
Option 8: Beep
This perform turns the important thing press beeps on or off.
Option 10: TOT
Transmit over time. This perform’s values vary from 0 (off) to 600 seconds. This governs the size of time till transmission ceases, even when the PTT button is held. Turning this perform off permits for steady transmission so long as PTT is held.
Options 10-13: R-DCS / R-CTCS / T-DCS / T-CTCS
DCS and CTCS are inaudible tones that your radio transmits (“T-“) or receives (R-“), in addition to regular voice communication. In lay terms, these tones allow users to share a single frequency without interfering with others. When you and another radio operator use the same DCS or CTCS tone, you can talk to each other privately. Think of it like a one-on-one chatroom inside a larger server.
Of course, anyone else also using the same tone can listen in or transmit. DCS and CTCS tones are required for accessing repeaters, which function as range extenders. There are 50 available CTCSS tones, and 105 available DCS tones.
Option 14: Voice
Like we mentioned, this function dictates what language the radio’s onboard voice prompt uses. The prompts can be turned off, too.
Option 15: ANI-ID
Automatic Number Identification. This function allows your radio to broad to other radios a particular ID or callsign in alphanumeric text. This can only be programmed with CHIRP software. This is not applicable to general use, and should be disregarded.
Option 16: DTMFST
Dual Tone Multi-Frequency. This function allows the radio to broadcast button-pressed tones. This is similar to pressing buttons on a phone’s keypad while on a call. The receiver can hear those tones.
Option 17: S-CODE
Signal Code. This function works in tandem with DTMF codes. CHIRP is required to program this function. This is not applicable to general use, and should be disregarded.
Option 18: SC-REV
Scan Resume Method. Selecting TO, CO, or SE tells the radio what to do when it stops scanning to listen to a transmission on the frequency it found.
- TO: The scan stops when a signal is detected, but resumes after 5 seconds.
- CO: The scan stops when a signal is detected, but resumes when it disappears.
- SE: The scan stops permanently when a signal is detected. The radio remains on that frequency.
Option 19: PTT-ID
Push-to-Talk ID. This function works in tandem with Option 17. It determines when an ID is transmitted via the PTT button. Options allow the ID to be sent at the beginning (BOT) or end of a transmission (EOT), or both. This function is not applicable to general use, and should be disregarded.
Option 20: PTT-LT
Push-to-Talk Lag Time. It works in tandem with Options 17 and 19. This function is not applicable to general use, and should be disregarded.
Option 21: MDF-A
This option governs how the top line on the main screen is displayed. “FREQ” shows the programmed frequency, “CHAN” shows the channel quantity, and “NAME” shows the channel identify if one was entered by the consumer utilizing CHIRP.
Option 22: MDF-B
This choices governs how the underside line on the principle display screen is displayed. Again, choices embody “FREQ,” “CHAN,” or “NAME.”
Option 23: BCL
Busy Channel Lockout. Enabling this perform prevents you from transmitting on a busy frequency. It is beneficial for guaranteeing you don’t interrupt or overpower one other consumer.
Option 24: AUTOLK
Automatic Keypad Lock. When this perform is enabled, the keypad will lock after 8 seconds.
Option 25: SFT-D
Frequency Shift Direction. This allows the radio to entry repeaters in VFO (Frequency) Mode. Setting up a repeater in Freq Mod shall be lined in a standalone information.
Option 26: OFFSET
Channel Shift Direction. This allows the radio to entry repeaters in MR (Channel) Mode. This can even be lined in a standalone information.
Option 27: MEM-CH
Store Channel in Memory. This permits you to assign a frequency to a channel within the radio’s reminiscence, saving it for later use. You can save as much as 128 channels (0 to 127).
Option 28: DEL-CH
Delete Channel in Memory. Self-explanatory; chances are you’ll choose a saved frequency and delete it from the radio’s channel reminiscence.
Option 29: WT-LED
Display Color in Standby Mode. This permits you to choose the colour of the backlit display screen when urgent buttons or interacting with the radio.
Option 30: RX-LED
Display Color When Receiving. This permits you to choose a distinct backlit coloration when the radio is receiving a transmission. This is beneficial for monitoring for a transmission whenever you need the audio muted.
Option 31: TX-LED
Display Color When Transmitting. Self-explanatory; choose the backlit coloration that illuminates when the PTT button is pressed to transmit.
Option 32: AL-MOD
Alarm Mode. Holding down the CALL button on the radio will provoke an audible alarm. This perform determines how that alarm capabilities. “SITE” mode means the alarm solely bursts by means of the radio itself, with out transmitting over a channel or frequency. “TONE” mode will transmit the alarm sound, too. “CODE” mode means the alarm transmits a collection of numbers as keypad presses. This perform is mostly irrelevant and must be disregarded.
Option 33: BAND
Band Selection. In VFO (Frequency) Mode, this determines whether or not the A or B line is ready to VHF or UHF bands. Like the “BAND” button on older fashions, this perform is irrelevant and must be disregarded.
Option 34: TDR-AB
With TDR, or “Dual Receive Function” (choice 7) enabled, this perform determines which line, A or B (high or backside) the radio returns to after receiving a sign, or when urgent the PTT button. If OFF, the radio will keep on the final frequency whereby it acquired a sign. If set to B, the radio will change to the B line by default. If set to A, the radio will change to the A line by default.
Option 35: STE
Squelch Tail Eliminator. This makes an attempt to remove the standard “pop” or burst of static noise on the finish of a transmission or sign. The radio you’re speaking with should additionally help this perform for it work in your radio.
Option 36: RP-STE
Squelch Tail Eliminator for Repeaters. This capabilities like Option 35. The repeater in query should additionally help this perform for it work in your radio.
Option 37: RPT-RL
Repeater Lag Time. This dictates how lengthy, after releasing the PTT button, the Repeater Squelch Tail Eliminator waits to kick in. This perform is mostly irrelevant and must be disregarded.
Option 38: PONMSG
Power-On Menu Message. “FULL” shows your entire LCD display screen when powering on. “MSG” shows a easy 2-line Power On Message.
Option 39: ROGER
Roger Beep. When enabled, the radio bursts a easy beep tone when the PTT button is launched. This lets customers know you’re completed transmitting. It’s helpful for guaranteeing listeners perceive your transmission was despatched in full, and didn’t minimize out or break.
Option 40: RESET
WARNING: This is equal to a manufacturing facility reset. The “ALL” perform deletes all saved channels, frequencies, menu choices, and different programming. The “VFO” perform resets all menus choices, nevertheless it retains saved channels. Now that you understand how all 40 menu capabilities work, proceed to Part 4: Basic Radio Programming (Frequencies and Channels).
