MichaelLAX

I just posted this question on Amazon: "I see how to save a file in program & setting, but how do i reopen this file for later use, or send it to another user?"

That was probably my comment/question to Randy's video; currently unanswered. The Users Guide does not help much above what I already knew, unfortunately! What is really missing is the Open File button, it seems to me! The Save feature would be handy, but not indispensable; especially if there is no way to convert it to a Chirp file. I will inquire more deeply if/when TID updates the models to include the TD-H5 (Pofung P15UV).

It was an easy "impulse" buy for me at $22 and my desire to see the existing limits of this technology. The list of current models that it supports is woefully short; missing my two desired models: my Anytone AT-779UV in my car and my recently purchased for $28 Pofung P15UV (a/k/a Radioddity GM-30) for use in wargmrs'ing to detect repeater tones with its tone scanning feature. But it does support the Baofeng UV-5R for which I currently have 3 variants: UV-5RHP (8 watt), the UV-5x3 (tri-band) and RD-5R (DMR). So far I have only used it successfully with my UV-5RHP and unsuccessfully with my Pofung P15UV. I have yet to read the supporting User Sheet and it is relatively intuitive and easy to install (after first charging it with its included USB to USB Micro cable): Plug the device into the K-1 speaker/earphone jacks, turn on its power switch and turn on the UV-5R's power switch. Download the ODMaster App on my iPhone, click Program, then Connect Bluetooth, Turn on the Bluetooth connection to "TIDRADIO KIT, Select Model: BaoFeng UV-5R, click Read and as the transceiver blinks red, the BL-1 blinks green and the status bar moves from left to right on the ODMaster App. It then goes to Program & Setting with a choice of Channel or Function and all of the normal "Chirp-style" options are available as downloaded and easily modified and then click WRITE to upload the changes, with the blinking lights now both green as it uploads. I have not yet been able to get the SAVE feature to work: it presents me with a box that says Save to RX/TX List and I can give the file a name and then Confirm it. But I do not know where these files are stored and how to retrieve them. If I try to "experiment" with a model that is not the same as my HT, such as trying to experiment with my Pofung P15UV, it freezes up and I have to shut the dongle down and restart. I am somewhat optimistic that they will soon support the P15UV as TID Radio sells their clone, the TD-H5. I am not very optimistic about my RD-5R which is manufactured by Radioddity based upon their GD-77 DMR HT in the Baofeng format. Not even Chirp tends to support DMR radios which require more complicated database programming. And my Anytone has a R45 microphone/USB cable connector, so I am not too optimistic about this one either (although I would be willing to make a K-1 to R45 adapter if the ODMaster software ever supports it or one of its clones (Radioddity DB-20G)). Later today, I will pull out the User Sheet and see what I am missing. So next to confirm it works with my Baofeng Tri-bander, as well; which I suspect it easily will. All in all, it does what it claims to do but with a very limited list of supported radios at this time. And with new radios added to the list, presumably only the ODMaster software has to be Updated and still work with the BL-1 hardware.

How can I help you? Back and forth on a forum is not very productive for computer oriented problems Why don’t you write me at my screen name @AOLdotCom

Thank you both! there is your reason: you are so close to your repeater, it’s more powerful signal is received by the other HT and not washed out.

I have used the CPS software to change the Names of Channels 31-38 to: 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 And I can change the CTCSS or DCS tones using the keypad as I travel and find new repeaters that I want to use. AND I used the CPS to move my existing collection of "home" repeaters to Channels 39 and above.

Interestingly: I was not notified of your reply to me, since you did not quote me and I did not start this thread. But I caught your response by my habit of checking "Unread Content" which of course is not as fail-safe! I was trying to save a new memory channel. OK, I have figured it out: With the firmware upgrade to Radioddity 06.03.006 and using Radioddity CPS v2.06, I can now manually add a new Memory Channel from the keyboard BUT it must be Channel 55 or above and will be receive only. With the new changes, Memories 1-30 continue to be preprogrammed AND Channels 31-54 are ONLY allowed to be GMRS Repeater channels with different CTCSS/DCS tones; leaving Channels 55 to 250 for additional Receive only Channels, which can then be manually added on the keyboard. I had been trying to manually add a new Channel 31, but now I successfully added it as Channel 55, but again as receive only and I cannot transmit there. Note: empty channels are skipped when manually using the Up and Down keys to scroll through existing channels. See next message for a suitable "enter a new repeater by keyboard" workaround.

Sorry for the confusion. I avoid Windows in favor of my Mac, but some applications, like Chinese Codeplug Programming Software requires Windows (for which I use XP in Parallels successfully).

The Radioddity GM-30, for a few bucks more, satisfies most of your annoyances! I recently purchased a Pofung P15UV which is the "clone" of the Radioddity GM-30, and with the new Radioddity firmware installed (v06.003.006) many of my original complaints are rectified. Also check out this interesting little device from TIDRadio for $20: a bluetooth dongle for K-1 HTs that uses your Android or iOS smartphone to program the HT on the fly! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098SM9FVL/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2R3751X8604MX&psc=1

The key phrase here is "FTDI" which is a chip, manufactured by Prolific, inside the head of the USB portion of the cable, that converts serial signals from the HT to USB for the computer to use. Miklor describes the current situation of many "Baofeng" cables having counterfeit FTDI chips inside them and how to deal with this problem. Spoiler alert: buy a $22 cable with the genuine Prolific FTDI chip inside or be prepared to spend some time figuring out which driver will work on your cable with its counterfeit chip!

Exactly! There are also relatively inexpensive HTs from China that have water-resistant and even waterproof specifications. Check out OffRoaderX's detailed YouTube reviews of the various HTs available and he does focus on their water-resistant abilities: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=notarubicon

Those are good questions: The least expensive, usually from China, hand-held radios ("HT"), use what is known as SOC technology: System on a Chip - The whole radio is virtually built into one chip. Most of the more expensive radios (usually 3X the cost and more), have additional circuitry known as a superheterodyne circuit. This gives the receiver both more selectivity (the ability to differentiate between two powerful signals on two close frequencies) and sensitivity (the ability to pull in more distant and/or weaker signals). In simplex mode: one HT is transmitting on a frequency and the other HT is receiving on the same frequency. There is no second transmission to overwhelm the receiver of the second HT; only the one signal. In repeater mode, the first HT is transmitting on 467.abcd up to the repeater; and the second HT is receiving the retransmitted reception signal from the repeater on 462.abcd. The second HT must differentiate between two received signals: the signal you want to receive on 462.abcd from the repeater many miles away, and the HTs more powerful signal on 467.abcd. Hence the HTs signal washes out the reception of the repeater's signal on the second HT.* Superhetrodynes have that ability; SOC's do not. How much is far enough away? Differing factors are at play here: The power of the HT transmitter; the distance between the HTs and the distance and power from the repeater. Experimentation will help you determine the answer. *NOTE: this is why when two inexpensive HTs are bundled together with the appropriate cabling and settings to act like an inexpensive semi-portable repeater, they must be on the two separate Ham bands: 2 meters (144 MHz) and 70 cm (440 MHz) to avoid this washout effect.

They are still too close to each other.

Ham Radio Dude on YouTube has figured out how to hack the UV-5X/UV-5G to open transmission on the Ham bands: I don’t have one of these, so I cannot confirm his posted results.

That is (holding down only the LED button) only to read the firmware version installed Hold down both to update the firmware when reading/writing codeplug, do not hold down any buttons when turning on the radio so far SO glad you turned me on to this HT!

Lou: A box is going out to UPS today with the following: Baofeng UV-5R5 Baofeng BF-888S Baofeng BF-T1 and specialized programming cable (USB to USB-micro) All have been pre-programmed to your 4 repeater channels, two simplex channels and the remainder filled to the other GMRS/FRS channels as space remains. I did my due diligence and this is a tax deductible 501(c)(3) organization helping out the homeless of Atlantic City and I strongly encourage others here on myGMRS to donate their unused HTs to them (or a local homeless organization that is utilizing GMRS): https://www.havenstreets.org

Since using your tip to update my Pofung P15UV with the Radioditty Firmware (what a great tip!!!), I cannot save to any memory channels from the keypad (that is, I must use the programming software); is this your experience with the GM-30 as well? And indeed, when I have a CTCSS tone set for a memory channel, "CT" does appear during transmit.

For the USB cables, drivers are the problem. Check out this article: Miklor

The way eBay work, they always beat you by only a few bucks because it exceeds your maximum bid. You have no way of knowing how high the purchaser would have gone, if you had a higher maximum bidding against him.

If you’re willing to buy Parallels Desktop, I’d be willing to help set up Windows for you

I only have a Mac i have used the emulation program Parallels with a copy of Windows XP for all of my codeplug programming adventures so far what version of OS X do you have on your Mac? How much RAM?

Now where do I program the extra Repeater channels in the Radioddity v2.06 CPS software? It seems still blocked after Channel 30? UPDATE: Ok, it's not blocked, I just had to go ahead and enter the new Channel 31 and go from there! Terrific, Joe; thank you again! And now I am connected to my rooftop antenna, too...

Great tip! The Firmware instructions say to turn the radio off, then while holding the PTT + LED Key, turn the radio on. Which is the LED Key? I've checked all three instructions for firmware updates and they all say the same thing, and I cannot figure out which is the LED Key! UPDATE: I figured out it must be the button below the PTT (the flashlight button, duh!) and I have successfully updated the firmware to v6.03.006.

OK! My Pofung P15-UV arrived today and I have been playing with it for a few hours now. It does indeed scan CTCSS or DCS codes but slowly, but its better than nothing. Tomorrow, I will unscrew the hex and connect it to my rooftop antenna and see how it performs. I am a bit disappointed that we can only program the 8 Repeater Channels and cannot program a 2nd repeater on the same frequency with a different PL... but I did not really buy it for that reason. I might give it to my 10 year old grandson to use, too! I might go wargmrs'ing again tomorrow and try to hit this 550 Palomar repeater that another Newbie needs help with!

550 https://mygmrs.com/repeater/4492 700 does indeed have a large Spanish contingent