Group Buy: BAOFENG UV-5RA+ Dual Band "Ham" Radio

[NavyVet]

According to the information I have, the frequencies that are assigned for public service in Howard County (police, fire, EMA) all have corresponding talk groups in the Indiana SAFE-T trunking system.

I would suspect that they have migrated to digital, but the analog licenses have not expired yet and are still listed.

You should be able to find business frequencies (cabs, schools, radio stations, etc.) that can be monitored.

No way to modify the radio to pick then up. Not only do you have the receive the signal (outside the Baofeng parameters), you have to digitally decode the signal, talk groups, etc. To date, I've seen no conversion kits for non-digital scanners and radios.

 

[jedi]

--THREAD HIJACK---
So as the police/fire move to digital and the analog freq they had expire what becomes of those freq? The FCC takes them back and does what with them?

 

[NavyVet]

Most likely they will be put up for auction. The major telecom companies are looking for bandwidth to deploy more wireless internet/bandwidth.

There are several major FCC initiatives that are designed to free up and compress bandwidth:

Migration to digital television (completed) this freed up the 700-800 they are moving public safety into.

Narrow-banding is taking existing signals and making them narrower enabling more channels in the same spectrum.

Wireless microphone frequencies have all been moved around as well to clear spectrum.

--- In short the FCC stands to generate a fortune by auctioning off the spectrum it can free up.

 

[bronson3304]

Hum.. You try all the other freq in that area from the website you linked?
Since you are getting NOAA I don't think it's a radio issue (ie. the radio is working) more likely either the wronf freq and/or those folks are just real quiet.

Got anyone else near you to help test/talk to?

*cough* You can always come to the Meet & Shoots at Winamac and we have HAMMers that come as well. *cough*

all of em, they are all quiet. i have not tried any other frequencies yet. still on my learning curve. i will try some others. i dont have a license yet so talking is a no no i thought.

 

[jedi]

i dont have a license yet so talking is a no no i thought.

Correct. Study the online test and get one.

 

[UnionPmedic]

FWIW 800mghz sucks, at least for fire and EMS. 800 is great for the state trooper out on the road with no obstructions, but 800 in a building is dangerously bad.

 

[UnionPmedic]

AAA Battery container

I am having problems with the AAA battery container. I tried it for the first time today and I cannot get it to install into the radio. I have taken it apart and made sure the AAA batteries are seated correctly, the cover is on correctly, etc.

If I push on the bottom of the battery it will power the radio, but as soon as I let go it powers off. I even tried a little persuasion; no dice.

Help or advice is appreciated.

 

[jedi]

I am having problems with the AAA battery container. I tried it for the first time today and I cannot get it to install into the radio. I have taken it apart and made sure the AAA batteries are seated correctly, the cover is on correctly, etc.

If I push on the bottom of the battery it will power the radio, but as soon as I let go it powers off. I even tried a little persuasion; no dice.

Help or advice is appreciated.

I have been able to use the AAA battery container (AAABC) but have had no luck FULLY seating it like the normal li-ion (??sp??) battery. Instead what I have done it insert it at an angle from the top (having the radio on) until it makes contact with the radio (ie. turns it on) and pushing it in all the way. What I end up with is the AAABC 3/4 of the way connected to the radio. It will not pop out but the bottom portion is not fully seated with the radio.

It appears that the AAABC on the bottom of the container may be a bit too 'fat' to fit in properly? Or maybe I'm not pushing it hard enough (afraid to damage the radio).

 

[jedi]

In measuring the reg. battery it is 1/2" thick but the AAABC is 9/16" thick or 1/16 thicker so that may be the issue

 

[jedi]

& it appears some others on the Yahoo Group have the same issue until they do this.

Re: Battery Case
Posted By: bob_emerson2 bob_emerson2 Send Email
Wed Aug 29, 2012 3:47 pm |
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I ordered one of these AAA battery cases for the UV-5R and they arrived today.
The fit isn't perfect but after several attempts I got it to snap in at top and
bottom.
At first, it wanted to snap in at the top but kick-out at the bottom. With a
little practice and extra force, I can mount it consistently. I'll buy another
so I have one in each car.

This is what I'm talking about on how I got mine to work.

 

[UnionPmedic]

Thanks jedi, I will try that.

 

[bronson3304]

I was able to install mine. It did take quite a bit of pressure. But after taking it on and off a few times its starting to get easier. What I had to do is line it up like you would slide the regular battery in. Then wile holding down the lock button push up on the pack from the bottom wile holding it firmly down to the radio.

 

[jedi]

I was able to install mine. It did take quite a bit of pressure. But after taking it on and off a few times its starting to get easier. What I had to do is line it up like you would slide the regular battery in. Then wile holding down the lock button push up on the pack from the bottom wile holding it firmly down to the radio.

Ah so it does just need a bit of elbow grease then. for the info!

 

[UnionPmedic]

I was able to install mine. It did take quite a bit of pressure. But after taking it on and off a few times its starting to get easier. What I had to do is line it up like you would slide the regular battery in. Then wile holding down the lock button push up on the pack from the bottom wile holding it firmly down to the radio.

It sounds like you need 3 hands! I'll give it a try.

 

[dansgotguns]

Darkkevin dropped my radio off to my wife earlier this week I just got home from duty so im seeing it for thr first time now l. Thanks Jedi for putting this together, thanks Kevin for dropping it off.

 

[Bill B]

I was able to install mine. It did take quite a bit of pressure. But after taking it on and off a few times its starting to get easier. What I had to do is line it up like you would slide the regular battery in. Then wile holding down the lock button push up on the pack from the bottom wile holding it firmly down to the radio.

Ah so it does just need a bit of elbow grease then. for the info!

In other words, use man hands on it....Jedi is hosed.

 

[dansgotguns]

I am in dire need of assistance. I think I downloaded the drivers.

 

[jedi]

I am in dire need of assistance. I think I downloaded the drivers.

OK so what's the issue?
What OS are you running?
THE DRIVERS WILL NOT WORK ON WINDOWS XP PERIOD!!!

 

[dansgotguns]

Win 7. Wrong drivers. Dont know wherr the right ones are. Theres an assload of files here

 

[jedi]

All radios with buyers

All radios have been handed out to the members.
Will leave this group buy open for 1 more week in case anyone still has questions before having MODS close it.

Thank you all for making this possible, being patient while we got the radios from Hong Kong and making it work for everyone.