Latest cheap Chinese HT - Quansheng UV-K5 VHF/UHF Dual-Band

[CatSnoutSoup]

So to this point I have not owned, but have read about, the Baofeng 2m/70cm handhelds that loads of people have bought largely because they are cheap radios buyers.

I have as my main HT a Yaesu FT1DR and I also have in storage older Yaesu and Icom models. So, I really did not see the need for one of these cheap Chinese HTs especially when you add the fact that I hardly ever get on 2m/70cm other than special events or volunteer situations.

Well over the last few days I have been watching the series of videos below by an Australian op who has a focus on digital modes and VHF/UHF/SHF. Hayden VK7HH has been doing this series of videos on a new model Chinese HT where he examines the features and performs testing on a spectrum analyzer.

The radio is the Quansheng UV-K5 VHF/UHF Dual-Band 5W HT and I decided to order one to play with and ultimately use as a knock-around local public service scanner.
I ordered on Ebay shipping from China. The radio was $34.99, shipping $9.99, but there was also a current $5 discount from the seller "Windcamp.cn" so total with tax was $41.85 and the shipping estimate has it arriving by April 25th.

Ironically I have to go on Amazon and buy a $22 BTech programing cable for my $35 radio. There are cheaper cables but I want one with an FTDI chipset to make it less likely Windows 11 will squawk about it. And then VK7HH has a link to free programing software that he tested in one of his videos.

Here are the videos ordered oldest to newest release.

 

[ToddDubya]

skinflint

 

[ToddDubya]

I'm curious what it can do on Tx on those other frequencies. I know he showed some still don't transmit, but how about 220? Considering HTs that claim 220 Tx often have very little power, I'd be surprised if it has much power. Impressed, but surprised.

 

[SteelShooter]

I;ve never been able to get my Baofeng to work, so my brother bought one to show me how. Now we have 2 we can't get to work.

 

[CatSnoutSoup]

I'm curious what it can do on Tx on those other frequencies. I know he showed some still don't transmit, but how about 220? Considering HTs that claim 220 Tx often have very little power, I'd be surprised if it has much power. Impressed, but surprised.

Yeah I think it is on one of those VK7HH videos somewhere that after unlocking 1.2m (220MHz) the radio would transmit at just a 1/4 watt. I believe the term he used was, “Disappointing.”

There is a video out there by a UK op using the radio on their 4m band (70MHz) allocation and making contacts. Although I don’t remember specifically I am pretty sure it was connected to an antenna cut for the frequency.

 

[CatSnoutSoup]

Thought to myself how am I going to compare the Quansheng UV-K5 to a Baofeng UV-5R if I don't have a Baofeng?

So in the interest of science (or because I tend to buy things I don't need at 2AM) I ordered one.

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VCKZR3R/

 

[CatSnoutSoup]

Baofeng arrived yesterday. I just quickly checked it by programing in the local 2m repeater. Radio was able to bring the machine up from inside my house using the stock ~6 inch antenna (it also came with a ~15 inch antenna) so that is promising at least.

Also according to tracking the Quansheng has landed in the USA (NJ).

 

[CatSnoutSoup]

Got home from work yesterday and intended to try using CHIRP software to read memories off of my Yaesu FT1DR and transfer them to the Baofeng, but got distracted because apparently I hand not updated the firmware on the Yaesu when the last release came out in 2018. So that became the focus of my time, but a did get a minute to check and yes CHIRP can read the Yaesu so I will see about cloning to the Baofeng tonight.

The update on the journey of the Quansheng from China is that as of yesterday it was in Norton MA.
The USPS informed delivery tracking allows you to add a nickname to a tracking number, so to my package from China I added an appropriately whimsical, if however racist, name of Chopsticks Radio.

 

[Coyote33]

I;ve never been able to get my Baofeng to work, so my brother bought one to show me how. Now we have 2 we can't get to work.

I have a Baofeng cable, Chirp software, and a little knowledge about the basics of the software. I don't have a lot of knowledge about stations, channels, or settings, but could at a minimum get something loaded onto your radio to get you started, if it has the same cable connection as a UV5R.

Got home from work yesterday and intended to try using CHIRP software to read memories off of my Yaesu FT1DR and transfer them to the Baofeng, but got distracted because apparently I hand not updated the firmware on the Yaesu when the last release came out in 2018. So that became the focus of my time, but a did get a minute to check and yes CHIRP can read the Yaesu so I will see about cloning to the Baofeng tonight.

The update on the journey of the Quansheng from China is that as of yesterday it was in Norton MA.
The USPS informed delivery tracking allows you to add a nickname to a tracking number, so to my package from China I added an appropriately whimsical, if however racist, name of Chopsticks Radio.

Again, I could help you with moving stations onto your radio using a computer if you have the cable.

If you have a cable that works with a Yaesu FT-2800M, I might like to borrow that for a little while. Maybe we can work something out.


Where do both of you guys live? Feel free to PM/DM me.

 

[CatSnoutSoup]

Again, I could help you with moving stations onto your radio using a computer if you have the cable.

Already done, thanks.

If you have a cable that works with a Yaesu FT-2800M, I might like to borrow that for a little while. Maybe we can work something out.

Get one here (it will also work with the FT-1900).

USB-29F Programming Cable

www.rtsystemsinc.com

Or try an RT Systems cable and software bundle for $49. All their software is written radio specific and for Yaesu they are way to go.

 

[CatSnoutSoup]

Quansheng UV-K5 arrived from China today. Not bad, eight days since placing the order on Ebay.

 

[ToddDubya]

My guess is the new thing has a better user interface but uses the same radio-on-a-chip underneath as the old thing.

 

[Admin]

The good thing about having some cheap Baofengs is when the S does HTF you'll be able to sell them for good $$ to the guys who don't know anything about HAM and who have said for years that if the S does HTF they wont need a license to work their magic.

You'd be stupid to not have a handful of these pieces of shit to sell to your retarded neighbors that voted for FJB.

 

[ToddDubya]

The good thing about having some cheap Baofengs is when the S does HTF you'll be able to sell them for good $$ to the guys who don't know anything about HAM and who have said for years that if the S does HTF they wont need a license to work their magic.

You'd be stupid to not have a handful of these pieces of shit to sell to your retarded neighbors that voted for FJB.

With that classic microscopic Baofeng rubber duck. Program it to receive only for extra giggles.

 

[Admin]

With that classic microscopic Baofeng rubber duck. Program it to receive only for extra giggles.

Hand it to your neighbor with the "Hate has no home here" yard sign.

Here you go Marconi, do your magic...

 

[ToddDubya]

Hand it to your neighbor with the "Hate has no home here" yard sign.

Here you go Marconi, do your magic...

Don't forget to use lower sideband during the day and upper sideband after dark. FM stands for Fully Manual, so you have to change it yourself.

 

[CatSnoutSoup]

My guess is the new thing has a better user interface but uses the same radio-on-a-chip underneath as the old thing.

Same principle I'm sure and It may, or may not, be using the same chip but if so they are implementing it differently - not necessarily better just different.

I say this because the radio is as of now not compatible with CHIRP. While the software that VK7HH pointed to that is compatible, Portable Radio CPS, is very annoying in that you cannot import or export to .csv format. This means that easily bringing in a list of memory channels from another radio is out.

That annoyance is compounded by the software not making memory channel changes directly in a quickly accessibly spreadsheet table, but rather you must highlight a memory in a table then select "edit" and an individual popup dialog occurs to enter changes.

And finally when entering repeater frequencies you must precalculated the frequency for the transmit, rather than simply entering the receive freq and selecting a positive or negative offset for transmit in your region.

If you only have a handful of frequencies to program then OK, but otherwise I would give the Quansheng UV-K5 a miss until it is programable via CHIRP or the current programmer is improved.

As for the radio operation itself I have not spent any real time with it as it arrived yesterday and I was playing with programing this morning.

 

[CatSnoutSoup]

skinflint

You know I laughed again when I saw this today. Yesterday I won $500 on a scratch ticket and for the briefest of moments thought about spending it on one of these...

YAESU FT5DR

5W C4FM/FM 144/430MHz Dual Band Digital Transceiver includes SHB-26 black holster

www.hamradio.com

But then I came to my senses and said I will stick to my FT1DR and it $35 Chinese companions. So yeah I'm flinting

 

[ToddDubya]

Anyone who says they don't own a Baofeng is a boomer or a liar or both. The flinty nature of the ham cannot resist. I was going to say I only have one, but I forgot I also have a pair of the GMRS HTs I bought to try out. I think they were $0.05 cheaper than a real brand.

As for CHIRP, I bet it won't be long before it's supported.

 

[n1oty]

Anyone who says they don't own a Baofeng is a boomer or a liar or both. The flinty nature of the ham cannot resist. I was going to say I only have one, but I forgot I also have a pair of the GMRS HTs I bought to try out. I think they were $0.05 cheaper than a real brand.

As for CHIRP, I bet it won't be long before it's supported.

No Baofeng's here. I own some ham VHF/UHF radios, but most of mine are commercial radios that are capable of NXDN and/or P25. I do have an Alinco DMR handheld and that is probably my cheapest hamster radio.

 

[JDL]

Anyone who says they don't own a Baofeng is a boomer or a liar or both. The flinty nature of the ham cannot resist. I was going to say I only have one, but I forgot I also have a pair of the GMRS HTs I bought to try out. I think they were $0.05 cheaper than a real brand.

As for CHIRP, I bet it won't be long before it's supported.

Boomer here I own a Baofeng although it has never been unboxed. I also have a Yaesu VX5R that I do use when I am portable. I purchased the Baofeng when they first came out because they were inexpensive. I just didn't need it.
N1HM

 

[ToddDubya]

No Baofeng's here. I own some ham VHF/UHF radios, but most of mine are commercial radios that are capable of NXDN and/or P25. I do have an Alinco DMR handheld and that is probably my cheapest hamster radio.

Tell me you're a lying boomer without telling me you're a lying boomer.

 

[ToddDubya]

Boomer here I own a Baofeng although it has never been unboxed. I also have a Yaesu VX5R that I do use when I am portable. I purchased the Baofeng when they first came out because they were inexpensive. I just didn't need it.
N1HM

Mine is like the landline when you can't find your cell phone. If my Yaesu HT isn't doing something, I grab the 'feng to check it out. It's actually a fine radio, I don't hate them.

 

[Coyote33]

I got one NIB from someone here on NES. It has gotten me started with ham stuff. I've reprogrammed it like 25 times, as I learn my way around learning about this new to me technology. Easy enough to use, and has connectivity to what I need for now in order to learn this stuff. Eventually, I'll probably program a couple repeaters onto it and give it to my father in law to listen to. He can have it in his house or when he steps outside for a smoke. Don't understand the hate on these, unless it is just because it is Chinese and there are a lot of shortcuts in the design/implementation. Those are what made them affordable and allow people to get something they would not have otherwise. If you think of it as a learning tool and a stepping stone, it is a good thing. If you look at it as the end and not the means, then it is kind of crappy.

 

[JDL]

I got one NIB from someone here on NES. It has gotten me started with ham stuff. I've reprogrammed it like 25 times, as I learn my way around learning about this new to me technology. Easy enough to use, and has connectivity to what I need for now in order to learn this stuff. Eventually, I'll probably program a couple repeaters onto it and give it to my father in law to listen to. He can have it in his house or when he steps outside for a smoke. Don't understand the hate on these, unless it is just because it is Chinese and there are a lot of shortcuts in the design/implementation. Those are what made them affordable and allow people to get something they would not have otherwise. If you think of it as a learning tool and a stepping stone, it is a good thing. If you look at it as the end and not the means, then it is kind of crappy.

Yes it is a good inexpensive stepping stone device.