AndyOnTheRadio

For sure Steve! I always want to encourage people and help where I can. I hope to hear you around more.

I did discover that there is a Lexington 550 Zello group. I'm the only one in it, but that's something...

I am in the 650 and 700 members only and there is not a whole lot of traffic. I hope that changes soon. I do think we need a working GMRS repeater in this area just to use in case of emergency if nothing else.

I see your point. I may return it and get something better.

Thanks Steve. I can say that the mic and headset are pushed all the way in with a solid connection. I have tried two different mics on both the AR-5RM and UV-5R and gotten the same problem on both radios. I will say the internal speaker does pop a little. I didn't notice it over the beep and key press. Do you think that's the same issue, just amplified on an external mic/speaker?

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I recently picked up the AR-5RM along with a waterproof Baofeng external mic/speaker. However, when I plug in the mic, I get a loud popping noise from the speaker. The pop happens when receiving a signal, pressing buttons on the handheld, and even when using a separate earpiece. I’ve noticed the same issue with this mic on my UV-5R with the same mic and headset. I know this is a common problem with Baofeng radios, and I understand they’re not built to NASA specs. I've read a few Reddit and blog posts about the issue but they are 5 -15 years old. Has anyone found a solution in the past few years? If you’ve dealt with this issue, how did you fix it? I appreciate any insights you can share!

What I did was return the unit to Amazon. I talked with their customer service and they sent me a new programming cable that changed nothing. With the second unit, I was able to get the Radioddity software to work... kinda. I would return the unit if it's not working with either software and see if the replacement works better.

Good idea. I may also swap out the operator.

This is the moment you've all be waiting for... After a long wait from Amazon, I received a replacement DB25G. The radio can't be read by Chirp at all, I still get the same error code (short read of the block 0x0000). The unit will shut down and stays off after Chirp tries to transfer from the radio to the computer, ergo the error code. (I have plenty of success with Baofeng radios and Chirp.) I was able to program the DB25G with my old Windows 10 laptop and the official Radioddity software.... after the unit crashed 3 times. The unit would shut off before the data transfer could happen. Only due to my cat-like reflexes and timing was I able to press the Write button at the correct time during crashes to get it to write the data. I feel superhuman. I like this radio. I like the quad monitoring and I sound really good on it. But if I can't even use the official software to program it, I feel like I am not getting my money's worth. I'll reach out to Radioddity one more time. And I do recognize that "some people" may think I'm making the same mistakes again... and I won't rule that out. But I get the same results with two different programs on two different platforms with two different radio units. Thank you to everyone who commented and offered assistance, you are good humans. @WSFB377 @OffRoaderX

I have decided to exchange it. Now we wait…

I think this one is going back and hopefully the replacement will not have this issue.

Radioddity has been responsive to my email requests for help. They asked me to send a few screen shots of the ports and then use a different USB port on my Windows 10 laptop. That worked some. The radio still resets, but I was able to send and receive data from the radio for the first time. But it crashed more than it worked. I'm still working with them on a permanent solution. It still does not work on Chirp.

So it sounds like my cable may work, but the radio may not. If I get a good answer from Radioddity, I'll post an update.

Thanks to everyone who has responded! Your input is very much appreciated. I did pull out an old Windows 10 laptop and downloaded the Radioddity software. I can get the radio to download to the software, but when I try to write it back the unit resets like @WSFB377 says. I will contact Radioddity and see what they say. If not, it's going back. @WSFB377: Have you ever gotten any of your units to successfully read and write on any software, even with the BTECH cable?

Thanks for the heads up. I'll look into that.