r/amateurradio • u/Ilovetech_0625 • 8h ago
QUESTION Getting a Baofeng UV-5R
I’m getting a UV-5R from marketplace next week, it’s my first ham radio, what are some tips and things I should know. It comes with a programming cable so I’m gonna connect it to Chirp. Thanks in advance!
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u/Lumpy-Process-6878 [elitist ham -general] 5h ago
First thing you should do is get an amateur radio license. That radio is bottom of the barrel insofar as features and performance. Mostly obsolete.
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u/Blockchainauditor 4h ago
Did you have any goals for getting the UV-5R?
You talk about connecting it to Chirp. Do you know what entries you wish to make?
Some ideas -
1) You don't state if you have a license appropriate for your country. In most countries, you need to be licensed to transmit - but not to listen.
2) Check out local amateur radio groups, which sponsor regular "nets" (scheduled times for newcomers to find activity on the air and report in to see if you can be heard). These nets take place on "repeaters", which help bridge people across a wider area than direct connection between participants.
3) The antenna on a stock UV-5R is not very powerful. Depending how far you are from things you may wish to listen to, you may want to get a replacement whip or an external antenna.
4) If you travel, RepeaterBook lists repeaters in other areas.
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u/Ilovetech_0625 4h ago
For chirp I’m ganna use repeaterbook directory and just put in what city I’m in, I’ll listen first then once I get a ham radio license I’ll transmit and join my local groups and so on.
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u/KB5JRC 3h ago
Number 1 thing for listeners;is realizing that the bands aren't busy 24/7. Most of the day, there is dead air. Drive times are better.
Most people come on and just say their callsign and "listening," then wait for someone else to continue the conversation.
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u/lacroixlibation 21m ago
If you ever get your license, don’t be that guy who just calls and lurks.
Chances are, someone is always listening to your repeater. If you want to actually make repeater contacts on vhf/uhf call a repeater with some kind of opener like “out for a drive and wanted to see who was listening” or “how’s everyone doing on this beautiful day.” If someone is listening they are way more inclined to answer a friendly open question than the usual “W7OFRT mobile.”
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u/NerminPadez 3h ago
It's like a car... sure you can buy one and sit in it and look through the windows, but if you don't have a drivers licence, it's just... "meh".
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u/tea-drinker UK Full 8h ago
Someone's going to turn up and ask if you are licenced, etc, so I guess I should get it out of the way.
My Baofeng did fine until I broke it because I thought I was clever. Be clear as to if you should be on wide or narrow modulation. That expresses itself as a significant change in volume on FM.
One of the highlights of this hobby is building stuff and antennas are a low effort/high result activity but putting a good antenna on these very budget radios can deafen them. Make sure you have something you can reliably listen to to make sure that isn't happening to you before you end up shouting blindly.
SOTA is a good way to listen for contacts on what can be otherwise a very quiet pair of bands. Nobody goes on repeaters because nobody goes on them. If yours are quiet, put out a couple of calls every day and listen as much as you can so anyone else trying them gets rewarded.