You Got a UV5R for SHTF - How to USE! 

Wow, thank you. I’m glad that I could help. I really appreciate your words of encouragement.

This, exactly THIS!

Thank you for your comment. I was hiking in the woods at night with a friend and he was doing the same. We both nearly screamed! Ha! If you have a 3D printer then you can print a cage to protect the buttons from accidentally triggering. Here is a link to a video I created showing improvements that you can do to the Mighty UV5R. I hope it helps - have fun! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0eMEuRi5gUw.htmlsi=R5ryHnIbKlrjxzz-

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. There is a lot to do with this radio. You bought one, you’ll have another in a month. Ha ha Good Luck and Have Fun!

I have mine programmed for all GMRS channels, (same thing), so I can listen to them too. So how many Baofeng do you have?

That's awesome; 100 miles is incredible! You are right, they are a lot of fun. Thanks for your comment. - Billo

I’m very flattered thank you - not everyone gets my humor. You are obviously an extraordinarily intelligent person. Seriously though, thank you for your kind words. - Billo

@@thebillo313 Yep, You hit it right on the head. Yes, I am an extraordinarily intelligent person. Thank You For Noticing!!! " All We Are Is Dust in the Wind...... Dude.... " 73 to Ya...

Anyone who can so eloquently quote So Crates is an intellect to be respected. Thank you for the chuckle!

I hope that my video was able to help. Let me know if you have any questions and I would be happy to help.

Hi, thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. I’m glad you enjoyed.

Hi Chloe, it is absolutely possible. I live just outside of Philly and received a transmission from South Jersey. The best ways too get distance is through repeaters. While your radio might have about a 10 mile range, if you use a repeater it can take your message and repeater it with a stronger signal for 25 miles or so. To get even further, you might find a connected repeater, meaning that it is connected to the internet. There is one like that near by and I have used it to say hello to folks in Alaska and the UK. All very legal and legitimate. Finally as a Technician you do have access to a limited number of HF frequencies which have the ability to bounce around the world. Unfortunately I have not had much experience with these. Good Luck and let me know if you have good repeaters near by - Have Fun!

You might want to get into DMR or Wires-X for that. You can communicate through DMR or WIRES-X repeaters or through your own hotspot. You need more than a Baofeng UV5R for that.

@@dwightweidman1702 thanks for the recommendation. I think that you are correct. I will continue to diversify my emergency comms. 👍

Hi and thanks so much for your comment and questions. I'll see if I can answer them. First though, that's great about your uncle, he must have been a good guy. If your Ham license is still good then you should try getting on a local Ham repeater and meet up with some fine folks. As far as the S hitting the F I think a lot depends on the why of it. For example a storm, a flood, a terror attack, may or may not knock out a repeater. Some repeaters also use battery back ups. In any one of these examples the cell towers could still operate but be so overwhelmed that they are useless. In these cases taking to the airwaves is crucial. I'm not familiar with the Yeasu so I can't answer that question. I'm sure if you go to a website or even a Facebook page and give the model number then someone can help. One thing to keep in mind for your UV5Rs and especially for your Yeasu, (because its expensive), is that their antennas are probably tuned for Ham frequencies. That might damage your UV5R, but their cheap. The Yeasu on the other hand is more precious. - Thanks again and Have Fun. Oh, and I forgot to ask, you used, "prolly", are you from Philly?

I think that they might only let you download if you have an account and are signed into it. The account is free. Are you signed up?

That’s exactly what I did. But just to be safe it’s a good idea to download the img file for each radio first just in case. Firmware can change and all that. It’s probably overkill but you don’t want to accidentally brick your radio. Other than that, have at it my friend. All of my radios are identical except for the one I gave to my daughter in Florida. Have fun!

You are in luck my friend, the radio holds 124 channels in memory. You can have north, south East and West! I keep philadelphia, south Jersey, NOAA, GMRS, marine and anything else I can find. You can get them all in the csv format but remember to copy and paste the csv file into a copy of your saved img file. You always want to retain a copy of the original img file from your radio. Let me know how it works out or if you need any help. Have fun!

Hi Ross, I was trying to use a different phone in each video. I used that one, a desk phone, a French phone and a candlestick phone. Love the Bat Phone idea. I kinda miss using them. I wish someone would invent a way to use these phones while your cell was charging. Thanks for your comment!

According to the FCC, the UV5R can only be used as a Ham radio on the Ham frequencies. If you and your family members are licensed Ham operators, then you can transmit to each other all day long. Unfortunatley it is not approved for use as a GMRS walkie talkie. I suppose if the FCC has nothing better to do then they could find your five mile operating area, send out a team with directional antennas, have them stake out the area waiting for you to transmit, somehow determine whether or not you are using an approved radio, triangulate your transmission, then move in and issue you a fine. Again, if they have nothing better to do. If you are going to use any GMRS capable radio as a walkie talkie, then I strongly urge you to get a GMRS license. It only costs about $35 US and it covers your entire family. Good Luck and Have Fun! - Billo

They can’t stop you and it has never been enforced

@@colekillion5786 🤫 shhh… 😉

Do you mean the programming cable which is Kenwood to usb? Is so then you can use this link. Let me know if it works out. Have Fun! amzn.to/478Orw9

@@thebillo313 yes sir

@@thebillo313 just ordered it, thank you.

Ha ha, ok maybe you got me there. You can’t actually “transmit” around the world but you can connect to a node, connected to a computer, connected to the internet - that can connect you to the world. I sometimes use my Uv5r to connect to a repeater like that in south Jersey that puts me on the Alaskan morning net. Thanks for the input. Have fun!

Thanks for taking the time to comment. I think I have it in there I’m looking at 11:40 or am I missing something?

Ha ha - you had me there for a second! Thanks for the comment and the chuckle. Keep having fun!

The range will vary with terrain but 5 miles over flat earth should be achievable. If you are outdoors with clear line of sight, then you probably want VHF because you'll get more distance. But if you are in the woods, then use UHF because a UHF signal can go around obstacles better than VHF. Ultimately you will want to experiment. There are a few other things you can consider. Your mom could set herself up with a base station and put an antenna on the roof. The larger antenna and the height will help a lot. Your dad can get a better antenna as well. Look at the Nagoya 771. You can also make a portable repeater which will take the signal sent from one radio and resend it. So if you determine that the radio is only good to 3 miles then maybe at the 3 mile mark you set up a repeater which can give you another 3 miles. No matter what he gets you should look into getting a cage for the radio which will protect from unintended button presses and accidental volume changes. I don't think that they sell cages anywhere but you can 3D print them easily. Finally the legal stuff. To legally transmit on GMRS your dad will need a license. The cost is about $35 and there is no test. Its like getting a fishing license and this will cover the whole family. The uv5r is not approved for use on GMRS but Baofeng does make GMRS radios that are almost identical. If you want to go the Ham route then both of your parents will need to take the test to get a Ham license. This will allow them to legally transmit on Ham radio frequencies using higher wattages. I hope this helps. Let me know what you decide or if you have more questions. Have fun! - Billo

@@thebillo313 Thank you. I really appreciate the response. Being in upstate NY, lots of hills and trees so comm is always tough. We can test the UHF/VHF to see what's best and obtain the antenna you suggested as well. And look up local EMS freqs also. No base station or repeater as this will be for emergency use only not for chatting. Good idea on the switch guards, I'll investigate that, but he'll probably bury it in his pack switched off anyway. I completely understand the legalities, but I know they are legal to use in emergencies so that'll cover it. As for using it while testing, yep, laws will be broken briefly. Then again, who hasn't exceeded the speed limit by 5mph once in their life? Once again, thanks!

@@Dusdaddy Hey, I just though of something else, if you want to keep tabs on Dad. Have you ever used an Apple Tag? I have one in my car, backpack, etc. They work great. Good Luck.

@@thebillo313 Good idea but nobody has an Iphone...lol

I thought that the UV-17 is programmable in Chirp. I can see, UV-17, UV-17Pro, UV-17 ProGPS. Have you tried programming your radio using each of these? If you are still having trouble programming the radio then make certain that that cable is ALL the way in. Hold the radio in both hands and push with both thumbs. Now I’m curious about where you live. Can you share your zip code? In Chirp select: Radio > Query Source > RepeaterBook. Then in the window enter your information. Keep your distance about 15 miles, include your county in the filter and limit the bands to those that you are interested. You should find something. Next I would look up those repeaters and see if any have scheduled Nets. Then you will know where and when to listen. Let me know how it works out. And if it doesn’t then we can try something else. Have Fun! Billo

@@thebillo313 So very helpful. I managed all of this and I'm now listening to someone from NY talk about the weather, so I'm calling this a win! Thanks!

@@MS-1994 that’s fantastic! I’m so happy to hear. I hope you get more contacts. Have Fun!

Hey, thanks for the comment. VHF is Ham radio which could work but you’ll need to take a test to get a license. I’ve heard that GMRS is starting to replace CB. I’m not familiar with the laws in Canada but in the US you cannot use this radio for GMRS. 😉 I’ve never heard of anyone getting into trouble. Programming is easy, hopefully the video shows you how. Try the UV5R and if it works for you in the Transport then you will probably want to upgrade to a certified GMRS radio with an external antenna. Good luck and have fun!

Thanks 😊. I'll do a search for a test. I'd like have the Ham radio license anyhow. We have alot of power outages in our area this time of year, and the radio would come in handy in case of emergencies. Thanks again for your reply.

@@nicksrc908 I'd like to encourage you to get your license. If I can pass the test than anyone can. You can get the list of questions and make flash cards. Also google for Amateur Radio clubs in your area. You can usually attend meetings before you are a member and the folks there will offer advice and encouragement. Thanks again for your comment, have Fun!

​​@@thebillo313Fyi I believe gmrs in Canada doesn't allow over 2 watts or removable antennas/external antennas😢, but it's liscence free.

@@thisnthat2391 I’m glad to hear that it is license free. I wouldn’t want to encourage you to do anything nefarious - but how good are they at tracking down and punishing people who don’t follow the rules? I know that a lot of folks use them where they should not. It’s just something to think about.

Not that I know of. If you send me your zip code and bands I’ll email a file to you.

I sent you an email!@@thebillo313

I can see it, maybe they have restrictions for Romania. If you tell me what city, then I would be happy to get the list for you.

@@thebillo313 Curtea de Arges, 60km or 30mi radius. I will try a VPN with USA ip to see if they have regional restrictions. Thank you again!

@@BobtheDroid I found 3 within 50 miles of Curtea de Arges. I’m happy to email the export to you if you let me know your email.

@@thebillo313 Good morning, I sent you an email because I don’t want to post my personal address here. And I found out why i can’t see the Export tab on Repeterbook, it’s because you have to login with an account to access it.

Hold the star button it says scan just hold it down to scan

I think that @bbroken1 might have the right answer there. I only say, "might" because you specified ALL of the programmed channels. In CHIRP, one of the last columns is labeled, "Skip". The accepted values in the cells of this column are, "S", for skip, or NULL, for don't skip. It could be that whoever pre-programmed your radio might have intentionally put an, "S", on some of your channels. If you have the ability to look in CHIRP, then you will know for certain. - Thanks for your question!

I guess that you mean how will I charge my battery in a SHTF scenario. That’s a great question. Of course it depends on the cause of the scenario. You can charge in a car, off a generator, from a power bank or a solar panel. I’m working on a video now to show my, “travel radio bag”. I’m still working on the title. In it I have a power back about the size of two phones stacked on top of each other. The best part is that it has a solar panel on top. Here is one on Amazon: amzn.to/3uQpxUi

Ha ha! I’m hoping to pass information and let folks know the rules so that you can make informed decisions. Have fun!

Hi George, excellent point, yes, the mighty Uv5r is also a transmitter. For this video I assumed that folks might not have a ham license. Without a ham license, it is against FCC rules to transmit on any frequency. Also, although the radio can operate on GMRS channels, it is not approved for use on those channels by the FCC because the wattage is too high. With all that said, no one is watching. ;-). If you and your friend both program your radios to the same GMRS channel then, you should be able to communicate. Let me know how it works out - have fun!

What sort of questions do you have? I’m relatively new myself but I’m glad to help if I can.

Ha ha - they will repel out of a black helicopter and in to your roof within seconds! Ok so the fact of the matter is unless you make a post of yourself no one is probably going to care. Regardless, I still recommend 3D printing a cage for your radio to protect there PTT, CALL and MON buttons as well as your volume knob. I have one on all my radios. Thanks for taking the time to comment. - Billo

@@thebillo313 I will just have to have one !! But my 3D printer was taken in the divorce .. and it’s still not paid off ! So I been hit in the balls twice !! Now I am upset !! Thank you for reminding me of this tragedy I wallow in ..

Hi Dean, that’s a great idea, thanks! I’m going to start work on that. Thanks again - Billo

They will be reported to the FCC and fined.

@@nealbeach4947 thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. I think I made it clear that they need a license. Every time newbies ask questions 10 people tell them to get licensed. I figure I don’t need to be number 11.