Calling all AR-152 owners...

[RGB]

Greetings.

If you have programmed your AR-152 radio with Chirp or RT Systems BAO-152 programming software, it is possible that your radio is malfunctioning and you won’t know it because your AR-152 will continue to appear to function normally. I need your help if you (1) have programmed your AR-152 radio with third-party programming software and (2) you own or have access to a VHF-UHF Power Meter. I have purchased a number of these radios and I believe that I have discovered a fairly serious problem that probably affects all AR-152 radios because, as far as I know, Baofeng is still using its original hardware design and A152V01 firmware version. But, since your radio still appears to operate normally, the true problem will be hidden from you.

Here’s the problem: When you first receive your new AR-152 it functions correctly. However, as soon as you connect it to either Chirp or RT Systems’ BAO-152 programming software and program the radio, a Transmit Power malfunction is triggered and, after this happens, there appears to be no way to restore the radio to normal operation.

One of the problems with this malfunction is that your AR-152 radio still appears to function normally. It can still receive and make transmissions. There is zero hint that anything is wrong. When you set TXP=High/Mid/Low, the little “H”, “M”, “L” indicators appear in the LCD and so on. When you push the PTT button, the little transmit icon makes it look like your radio is transmitting the selected power. However, the truth is very different and the only way to determine if your AR-152 is working properly after it has been programmed, is to measure its Transmit Power. If it works properly, setting TXP=High should always produce the highest Transmit Power and setting TXP=Mid should always produce more power than TXP=Low.

If you have not yet programmed your AR-152, I strongly recommend that you NOT do so. Configure its Memory channels only via the built-in menus and avoid programming it with external software and you will not trigger the malfunction.

If you have programmed your AR-152 with external software, I’d like you to do a quick Transmit Power test and report your results here. Any Surecom Power/VSWR Meter with a 50-ohm test load will work for the test. Here’s the test procedure:

1. Fully charge your AR-152 battery.
2. Put your radio in VFO mode with a long press of the MENU key.
3. Enter a VHF frequency (such as 144.000 MHz) and test the Transmit Power at each of the radio’s three TXP settings (High, Mid, Low). Make a note of the frequency you used and the Watts at each TXP setting. (Hint: The keypad shortcut to change the TXP setting without using the menu is a short-tap of the #/lock-keypad key while the radio is in standby.)
4. Pick a UHF frequency (such as 462.600 MHz) and test the Transmit Power at each of the radio’s three TXP settings (High, Mid, Low). Make a note of the frequency you used and the Watts at each TXP setting.
5. Describe the kinds of programming changes you made when you programmed your AR-152.
6. Turn your radio off. Then press and hold the 3/SAVE key while you turn the radio back on. As soon as the LCD comes to life, release the #/SAVE key and the firmware version of your radio will momentarily appear. It happens so fast that you may need to do this several times so you can record your firmware version. Please include it in your post. (All of my radios have firmware “A152V01”, which I believe is version 1.)

If your radio has the Transmit Power malfunction, you’ll discover that the Watts you measure do not match the TXP settings. When TXP=High, the Watts will be too low. When TXP=Mid or TXP=Low, the Watts will be the same and they will be way too high. The dangerous aspect to this is: You think your radio is transmitting its lowest power when you set TXP=Low. But, in reality you’ll be transmitting at nearly full power.

To help you visualize the problem, I’ve attached five graphs which illustrate what is happening. Each data point on the plotlines was measured by me. The before measurements were made before the radio was programmed. The after measurements were made after the radio was programmed.

The first graph shows the AR-152 when it is working correctly. This is how our radios should work.

The second graph shows the AR-152 after the malfunction has been triggered by programming the radio.

The third graph combines the first two so you can view both in one graph.

The fourth graph focuses on TXP=High only and shows its dramatic drop in level after the malfunction sets in.

The fifth (last) graph focuses on TXP=Mid and TXP=Low. The reason TXP setting are shown in the same graph is because, after the malfunction is triggered, the radio thinks they are the same setting and regardless whether you select TXP=Mid or TXP=Low, you'll get the same power level and it will be way too high.

Thanks in advance for your help. Together, I hope we can demonstrate to Baofeng that this malfunction is not an isolated incident and this will prompt them to give its solution their highest priority. If you know other AR-152 radio owners who have programmed their radios, please ask them to join myGMRS and add their Transmit Power measurements to this thread. Again, thanks!

Kind regards, RGB

[gortex2]

First this is a CCR. Deal with it.

Second this is a HAM Radio. 

 

[RGB]

My Experience with the AR-152

I first learned about Baofeng’s AR-152 radio a few months ago from NotaRubicon Productions’ YouTube video (from 07-Nov-2023). I was immediately drawn to the radio because of its gigantic 12,000 mAH (12 AH) battery and its ability to operate over such a wide frequency range which included Ham, Business, MURS and NOAA NWR frequencies in the VHF band and Ham, GMRS and Business in the UHF band. Plus it can receive FM Radio. This makes it an ideal two-way radio for use during an Emergency or Disaster when FCC license requirements are temporarily suspended for people in life-or-death situations.

Since then I have purchased a number of these radios from different sellers like Brushbeater and Kong Tone. The first thing I do with a new radio is test it to make sure it is working as intended. This includes Transmit Power tests. Every one of my AR-152 radios tested great and I was very happy with them. Then I programmed my first one using Chirp and the BF-F8HP profile (this is the profile recommended by Brushbeater and it is the ONLY profile that supports all three of the TXP settings (High, Mid, Low)). Chirp enabled me to expand the VHF and UHF frequency limits (as shown in a YouTube video by Indrid Cold on Brushbeater’s website) and I configured some Memory channels to facilitate further testing. Next, I returned to my Transmit Power testing to see how well the expanded VHF and UHF limits worked. This is when I discovered the problem. From that moment on, the Transmit Power of my programmed radio malfunctioned.

My first thought was that I must have received a defective radio. So I tried programming a second AR-152 from a different vendor and the same thing happened again. My second thought was that Chirp must be defective or the BF-F8HP profile is an insufficient match for an AR-152. So I found RT Systems’ BAO-152 programming software that is specifically made for the AR-152 radio. I purchased a copy and used it to program a third AR-152. The same thing happened again.

All three of these radios were brand new and had never been programmed before. I measured the Transmit Power of each of them and all three measured great before they were programmed. I purchased one from Brushbeater and two from Kong Tone. The likelihood of all three radios being defective seems rare. And remember, all three measured great before they were programmed.

I took the usual safety precautions so I could restore a radio—before I programmed it: I downloaded and saved its original factory settings using the programming software. Then, after the Transmit Power malfunction was triggered during programming, I did a full factory reset (RESET ALL) and reinstalled the original factory settings. This never fixed a radio. Once the Transmit Power malfunction was triggered, I could find no way to restore the radio to normal operation.

Yesterday (08-Apr-2024), NotaRubicon Productions posted a new YouTube video about the AR-152. It stated that the AR-152 is Chirp-compatible. However, I think my tests have shown the opposite. In fact, the current iteration of the AR-152 should not be programmed with any third-party software less you trigger the Transmit Power malfunction.

With your help I hope to document the extent of the problem. I have been in contact with Baofeng. They were very nice, but it took three messages, three radios and my detailed graphs to finally convince them of the potential scale of the problem. The last thing they told me was that they had forwarded my data to their “technical team”. However, Baofeng provides zero official support for the AR-152. It is considered a specialty radio which is only sold through select sellers. And they say those sellers configure their AR-152 radios differently for their markets. Therefore, they defer all technical support and warranty service to their sellers (in this case Brushbeater and Kong Tone).

I understand their position, but I think this problem, if widespread, is beyond the scope of their sellers and should result in a repair (if possible) or a recall and replacement (if repair is not possible). These are still the early days of this issue and it may take some time before Baofeng responds. As for radio differences from one seller to the next, my radios from Brushbeater and Kong Tone appeared to be configured the same.

Kind regards, RGB

[OffRoaderX]

37 minutes ago, gortex2 said:

First this is a CCR. Deal with it.

Second this is a HAM Radio.

Sad-H.A.M.s are a myth and do not exi.......
 

I stand corrected...

[WRXP381]

Wow. This is a lot of words for a problem that I bet doesn’t affect most people.   

[Sshannon]

55 minutes ago, RGB said:

My Experience with the AR-152

I first learned about Baofeng’s AR-152 radio a few months ago from NotaRubicon Productions’ YouTube video (from 07-Nov-2023). I was immediately drawn to the radio because of its gigantic 12,000 mAH (12 AH) battery and its ability to operate over such a wide frequency range which included Ham, Business, MURS and NOAA NWR frequencies in the VHF band and Ham, GMRS and Business in the UHF band. Plus it can receive FM Radio. This makes it an ideal two-way radio for use during an Emergency or Disaster when FCC license requirements are temporarily suspended for people in life-or-death situations.

Since then I have purchased a number of these radios from different sellers like Brushbeater and Kong Tone. The first thing I do with a new radio is test it to make sure it is working as intended. This includes Transmit Power tests. Every one of my AR-152 radios tested great and I was very happy with them. Then I programmed my first one using Chirp and the BF-F8HP profile (this is the profile recommended by Brushbeater and it is the ONLY profile that supports all three of the TXP settings (High, Mid, Low)). Chirp enabled me to expand the VHF and UHF frequency limits (as shown in a YouTube video by Indrid Cold on Brushbeater’s website) and I configured some Memory channels to facilitate further testing. Next, I returned to my Transmit Power testing to see how well the expanded VHF and UHF limits worked. This is when I discovered the problem. From that moment on, the Transmit Power of my programmed radio malfunctioned.

My first thought was that I must have received a defective radio. So I tried programming a second AR-152 from a different vendor and the same thing happened again. My second thought was that Chirp must be defective or the BF-F8HP profile is an insufficient match for an AR-152. So I found RT Systems’ BAO-152 programming software that is specifically made for the AR-152 radio. I purchased a copy and used it to program a third AR-152. The same thing happened again.

All three of these radios were brand new and had never been programmed before. I measured the Transmit Power of each of them and all three measured great before they were programmed. I purchased one from Brushbeater and two from Kong Tone. The likelihood of all three radios being defective seems rare. And remember, all three measured great before they were programmed.

I took the usual safety precautions so I could restore a radio—before I programmed it: I downloaded and saved its original factory settings using the programming software. Then, after the Transmit Power malfunction was triggered during programming, I did a full factory reset (RESET ALL) and reinstalled the original factory settings. This never fixed a radio. Once the Transmit Power malfunction was triggered, I could find no way to restore the radio to normal operation.

Yesterday (08-Apr-2024), NotaRubicon Productions posted a new YouTube video about the AR-152. It stated that the AR-152 is Chirp-compatible. However, I think my tests have shown the opposite. In fact, the current iteration of the AR-152 should not be programmed with any third-party software less you trigger the Transmit Power malfunction.

With your help I hope to document the extent of the problem. I have been in contact with Baofeng. They were very nice, but it took three messages, three radios and my detailed graphs to finally convince them of the potential scale of the problem. The last thing they told me was that they had forwarded my data to their “technical team”. However, Baofeng provides zero official support for the AR-152. It is considered a specialty radio which is only sold through select sellers. And they say those sellers configure their AR-152 radios differently for their markets. Therefore, they defer all technical support and warranty service to their sellers (in this case Brushbeater and Kong Tone).

I understand their position, but I think this problem, if widespread, is beyond the scope of their sellers and should result in a repair (if possible) or a recall and replacement (if repair is not possible). These are still the early days of this issue and it may take some time before Baofeng responds. As for radio differences from one seller to the next, my radios from Brushbeater and Kong Tone appeared to be configured the same.

Kind regards, RGB

Nice job documenting the problem. Ignore the naysayers. They’re just upset because you’re smarter than they are. 

[gortex2]

11 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

Sad-H.A.M.s are a myth and do not exi.......
 

I stand corrected...

Sorry I thought we were on a GMRS website. We get spun up in arguments over ID'ing your repeaters and everything else but daily conversations over how to mod your ham radio to use with GMRS. This is a HAM radio. Go to a HAM radio site and talk about it. 

Its also a CCR in a box. If your annoyed call Baofeng and tell them. Most likely they dont give a rats a$$ about it. 

But then again if it fits your youtube stuff I guess its all your gospel. 

[Sshannon]

3 hours ago, gortex2 said:

Sorry I thought we were on a GMRS website. We get spun up in arguments over ID'ing your repeaters and everything else but daily conversations over how to mod your ham radio to use with GMRS. This is a HAM radio. Go to a HAM radio site and talk about it. 

Its also a CCR in a box. If your annoyed call Baofeng and tell them. Most likely they dont give a rats a$$ about it. 

But then again if it fits your youtube stuff I guess it’s all your gospel. 

Although GMRS is in the name of the site, the site also caters to ham radio interests. Radio is radio. If you’re so up-tight that the inclusion of helpful information about a radio triggers you, then you probably aren’t getting much enjoyment out of anything. Learn to ignore posts about non-GMRS radios. 

[SurfRat]

RGB,

Thanks for the heads-up...

I'm having the same issue with my AR-152. Just received it two weeks ago. I don't have a fancy watt meter, but I do have an ancient SWR meter with an analog watt meter incorporated within. It's not very accurate, but it is showing about 7 watts on Med and Low, and about half that on Hi. What a bummer.

I also have firmware version A152V01.

Field programming this radio is pretty simple; but, without the laptop programming software, I won't be able to give the channels labels. That's a huge loss for me, as I need to be able to identify and confirm channels quickly.

Thanks for including the detailed power output graphs. If the malfunctioning Low and Med settings were putting out at least close to what the normal Hi was, I might live with it and just adjust my settings accordingly. But since there is a significant difference, I can't justify keeping this radio.

It looks like this unit is going back to Amazon tomorrow. Now the question is, do I buy a new one all over again and keep it clean this time? The 12,000 AH battery is whispering "yes."

[WSCH851]

On 4/9/2024 at 6:42 PM, RGB said:

Greetings.

If you have programmed your AR-152 radio with Chirp or RT Systems BAO-152 programming software, it is possible that your radio is malfunctioning and you won’t know it because your AR-152 will continue to appear to function normally. I need your help if you (1) have programmed your AR-152 radio with third-party programming software and (2) you own or have access to a VHF-UHF Power Meter. I have purchased a number of these radios and I believe that I have discovered a fairly serious problem that probably affects all AR-152 radios because, as far as I know, Baofeng is still using its original hardware design and A152V01 firmware version. But, since your radio still appears to operate normally, the true problem will be hidden from you.

Here’s the problem: When you first receive your new AR-152 it functions correctly. However, as soon as you connect it to either Chirp or RT Systems’ BAO-152 programming software and program the radio, a Transmit Power malfunction is triggered and, after this happens, there appears to be no way to restore the radio to normal operation.

One of the problems with this malfunction is that your AR-152 radio still appears to function normally. It can still receive and make transmissions. There is zero hint that anything is wrong. When you set TXP=High/Mid/Low, the little “H”, “M”, “L” indicators appear in the LCD and so on. When you push the PTT button, the little transmit icon makes it look like your radio is transmitting the selected power. However, the truth is very different and the only way to determine if your AR-152 is working properly after it has been programmed, is to measure its Transmit Power. If it works properly, setting TXP=High should always produce the highest Transmit Power and setting TXP=Mid should always produce more power than TXP=Low.

If you have not yet programmed your AR-152, I strongly recommend that you NOT do so. Configure its Memory channels only via the built-in menus and avoid programming it with external software and you will not trigger the malfunction.

If you have programmed your AR-152 with external software, I’d like you to do a quick Transmit Power test and report your results here. Any Surecom Power/VSWR Meter with a 50-ohm test load will work for the test. Here’s the test procedure:

1. Fully charge your AR-152 battery.
2. Put your radio in VFO mode with a long press of the MENU key.
3. Enter a VHF frequency (such as 144.000 MHz) and test the Transmit Power at each of the radio’s three TXP settings (High, Mid, Low). Make a note of the frequency you used and the Watts at each TXP setting. (Hint: The keypad shortcut to change the TXP setting without using the menu is a short-tap of the #/lock-keypad key while the radio is in standby.)
4. Pick a UHF frequency (such as 462.600 MHz) and test the Transmit Power at each of the radio’s three TXP settings (High, Mid, Low). Make a note of the frequency you used and the Watts at each TXP setting.
5. Describe the kinds of programming changes you made when you programmed your AR-152.
6. Turn your radio off. Then press and hold the 3/SAVE key while you turn the radio back on. As soon as the LCD comes to life, release the #/SAVE key and the firmware version of your radio will momentarily appear. It happens so fast that you may need to do this several times so you can record your firmware version. Please include it in your post. (All of my radios have firmware “A152V01”, which I believe is version 1.)

If your radio has the Transmit Power malfunction, you’ll discover that the Watts you measure do not match the TXP settings. When TXP=High, the Watts will be too low. When TXP=Mid or TXP=Low, the Watts will be the same and they will be way too high. The dangerous aspect to this is: You think your radio is transmitting its lowest power when you set TXP=Low. But, in reality you’ll be transmitting at nearly full power.

To help you visualize the problem, I’ve attached five graphs which illustrate what is happening. Each data point on the plotlines was measured by me. The before measurements were made before the radio was programmed. The after measurements were made after the radio was programmed.

The first graph shows the AR-152 when it is working correctly. This is how our radios should work.

The second graph shows the AR-152 after the malfunction has been triggered by programming the radio.

The third graph combines the first two so you can view both in one graph.

The fourth graph focuses on TXP=High only and shows its dramatic drop in level after the malfunction sets in.

The fifth (last) graph focuses on TXP=Mid and TXP=Low. The reason TXP setting are shown in the same graph is because, after the malfunction is triggered, the radio thinks they are the same setting and regardless whether you select TXP=Mid or TXP=Low, you'll get the same power level and it will be way too high.

Thanks in advance for your help. Together, I hope we can demonstrate to Baofeng that this malfunction is not an isolated incident and this will prompt them to give its solution their highest priority. If you know other AR-152 radio owners who have programmed their radios, please ask them to join myGMRS and add their Transmit Power measurements to this thread. Again, thanks!

Kind regards, RGB

 

On 4/9/2024 at 7:05 PM, RGB said:

My Experience with the AR-152

I first learned about Baofeng’s AR-152 radio a few months ago from NotaRubicon Productions’ YouTube video (from 07-Nov-2023). I was immediately drawn to the radio because of its gigantic 12,000 mAH (12 AH) battery and its ability to operate over such a wide frequency range which included Ham, Business, MURS and NOAA NWR frequencies in the VHF band and Ham, GMRS and Business in the UHF band. Plus it can receive FM Radio. This makes it an ideal two-way radio for use during an Emergency or Disaster when FCC license requirements are temporarily suspended for people in life-or-death situations.

Since then I have purchased a number of these radios from different sellers like Brushbeater and Kong Tone. The first thing I do with a new radio is test it to make sure it is working as intended. This includes Transmit Power tests. Every one of my AR-152 radios tested great and I was very happy with them. Then I programmed my first one using Chirp and the BF-F8HP profile (this is the profile recommended by Brushbeater and it is the ONLY profile that supports all three of the TXP settings (High, Mid, Low)). Chirp enabled me to expand the VHF and UHF frequency limits (as shown in a YouTube video by Indrid Cold on Brushbeater’s website) and I configured some Memory channels to facilitate further testing. Next, I returned to my Transmit Power testing to see how well the expanded VHF and UHF limits worked. This is when I discovered the problem. From that moment on, the Transmit Power of my programmed radio malfunctioned.

My first thought was that I must have received a defective radio. So I tried programming a second AR-152 from a different vendor and the same thing happened again. My second thought was that Chirp must be defective or the BF-F8HP profile is an insufficient match for an AR-152. So I found RT Systems’ BAO-152 programming software that is specifically made for the AR-152 radio. I purchased a copy and used it to program a third AR-152. The same thing happened again.

All three of these radios were brand new and had never been programmed before. I measured the Transmit Power of each of them and all three measured great before they were programmed. I purchased one from Brushbeater and two from Kong Tone. The likelihood of all three radios being defective seems rare. And remember, all three measured great before they were programmed.

I took the usual safety precautions so I could restore a radio—before I programmed it: I downloaded and saved its original factory settings using the programming software. Then, after the Transmit Power malfunction was triggered during programming, I did a full factory reset (RESET ALL) and reinstalled the original factory settings. This never fixed a radio. Once the Transmit Power malfunction was triggered, I could find no way to restore the radio to normal operation.

Yesterday (08-Apr-2024), NotaRubicon Productions posted a new YouTube video about the AR-152. It stated that the AR-152 is Chirp-compatible. However, I think my tests have shown the opposite. In fact, the current iteration of the AR-152 should not be programmed with any third-party software less you trigger the Transmit Power malfunction.

With your help I hope to document the extent of the problem. I have been in contact with Baofeng. They were very nice, but it took three messages, three radios and my detailed graphs to finally convince them of the potential scale of the problem. The last thing they told me was that they had forwarded my data to their “technical team”. However, Baofeng provides zero official support for the AR-152. It is considered a specialty radio which is only sold through select sellers. And they say those sellers configure their AR-152 radios differently for their markets. Therefore, they defer all technical support and warranty service to their sellers (in this case Brushbeater and Kong Tone).

I understand their position, but I think this problem, if widespread, is beyond the scope of their sellers and should result in a repair (if possible) or a recall and replacement (if repair is not possible). These are still the early days of this issue and it may take some time before Baofeng responds. As for radio differences from one seller to the next, my radios from Brushbeater and Kong Tone appeared to be configured the same.

Kind regards, RGB

Nice writeup for HAMS, good information, I was thinking of buying one but now,,,,,,,,,.

[hfd376]

Honestly, if the software transforms the radio into the radio you want it to be, I wouldn't worry about the power. I would program everything for medium power and not look back. I doubt you'll notice a difference in range.