hack UV-5nn Hacked... oh crap!!

[WROZ250]

Well, after watching a couple of videos on the subject, it turns out the 'hack' for the UV-5R (actually any of the UV-5nn series) actually works and unlocks the frequency restriction on the radio.

Now granted, it's only a $30 radio, so no huge loss, but it would be nice to be able to re-lock/restrict/undo the frequency hack. 

My personal dilemma is the radio belongs to my other half and was purchased specifically to avoid their operating out of band, especially when their primary use of the radio is as a scanner.  Worse case scenario I sell it to somebody who wants a hacked radio and I buy another to replace it (FWIW, I'm not big on hacks, just curious).

It would be nice to be able to, as noted above, put it back the way it was. 

It would also be nice if people putting up the unlock videos might also tell you how to revert the radio back, or at least provide a warning that the hack is a one way trip (If that is the case). 

That said, this was my fault for not asking myself that question before I decided to see if the hack actually worked (stupid stupid stupid).

Live and learn!

 

[OffRoaderX]

Its not really a 'hack' as much as it is putting the radio back to its natural state - the way Xenu intended.

The video that I watched has a warning about not being able to UNdo it, in the info/description.

[WROZ250]

45 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

Its not really a 'hack' as much as it is putting the radio back to its natural state.

The video that I watched has a warning about not being able to UNdo it, in the info/description.

Yeah, I wish I had seen that video (with the warning).  FWIW, it wasn't your video I watched before doing the mod. In fact, I watched your video (after I found it) hoping maybe you knew how.  Either way, the failure is ultimately on me for not considering the possibility of a one way mod.  Could be worse, could have been an expensive radio!

Thanks for the response in any event.

[MichaelLAX]

Do the same steps while standing on your head! 

[WROZ250]

17 minutes ago, MichaelLAX said:

Do the same steps while standing on your head! 

Not really but...
 

 

[PACNWComms]

This thread just made my week. You see, I, like OP here have done the exact same thing to a few radios over the years. Then, to make it even more interesting, I paused the movie I was watching, and took this picture. I watch this movie at times, as I began my professional career working on ICBM's and now have worked in radio for a long time. Just an interesting coincidence, but made me laugh. 

Easy solution for the other/better half, buy her another radio, now you have two that are freebanded, enjoy.

[WROZ250]

Be Warned - UPDATE!

Hey all, just wanted to throw out an additional warning on this mod, especially after hearing some of the Las Vegas guys this morning talking about it on a GT5R.

The original mod as depicted on YouTube is using a UV5R.  However, like the Vegas guys were discussing, I did the mod on a GT5R, which is the 'legal' ham version in the GT5nn series radio.  So after unwittingly doing the mod on said GT5R, I noticed some unstable behavior. 

BTW, Chirp now supports the GT5R under Baofeng (as appose to Radioddity where it once was.  Anyway...

I would best describe the current behavior as unpredictable. 

On GMRS, it works fine on Simplex, but when you try and put in a repeater split (which BTW does not seem to actually program even when set), upon key-up, the radio displays 999.9999 and locks up on TX.  You have to cycle power to get it to stop.

On the upside... if you are a ham, the radio now transmits on 220 band and, it is (very much) to my surprise, clean on the second and third harmonics as measured on my spectrum analyzer.  Likewise, it still works at VHF in general and receives fine on UHF.  That said, (only) above ~465 MHz transmitting is hit or miss.

While I have no doubt the mod is fine on the UV5R, I would advise one not to do this on the GT5R.

Just an observation...