This seems like a good article to add.
https://survivalblog.com/use-baofeng-uv-5r-tunnel-rabbit/
https://survivalblog.com/use-baofeng-uv-5r-tunnel-rabbit/
How To Use a Baofeng UV-5R, by Tunnel Rabbit
SurvivalBlog Contributor October 4, 2019
The following is a piece intended to supplement three readily-available World Wide Web resources:
After punching in some frequencies, set the radio up for a ‘tactical’ operations by:
- How to manually program a Baofeng UV-5R
- Download the free programming software called Chirp
- How to program a Baofeng using a computer
1.) Turning off the lighting in the display, and all beeps and bells and whistles.
2.) Set the power level on low for all tactical frequencies.
3.) Select the narrow band option to reduce the range further.
4.) Use several coats of black nail polish to ‘black out’ the LED light, but better yet is to use JB Weld or another epoxy, to form a cap over two of the small buttons on the side. This in ensures the flashing light and siren are not inadvertently triggered. Be sure not to do this to the big button that is in between the two smaller ones. That one is the Push To Talk (PTT) button. (Unless you do not want that radio to transmit.
Note: Should one find the need to use one of these capped button to access the flashlight or FM radio, simply use your K-Bar to carefully pry the ‘cap’ off. One should always have fighting knife handy for these occasions.
Given the several antennas that usually come on these radios, I would test them, but if not, at least limit the range that the radio will transmit on in the ‘memories’ section in Chirp, to 144 to 153 Mhz, and 430 to 450 Mhz for the most common antenna. The shortest antenna that a UV-5r normally is supplied with is good for only 144 to 148 Mhz, and is no good for the 70 cm band. It is also no good for MURS or VHF business band (itinerants). If you have one of these short antennas on all, and any of your set of radios, then replace it! Standardize every aspect of your radios, so that they look and function the same.
We would not want to shorten the life of the radio by transmitting outside the antenna’s design range. So don’t do so, except in a pinch. The external antenna that can be used on a vehicle, that best matches the Baofeng UV5R’s useful transmit range, is the Tram 1181. This antenna–unlike most antennas offered–is pre-tuned, and could also be used as a base station antenna for either a mobile, or a handheld.
To make full make use of the Baofeng’s range, a discone antenna is necessary. This kind of antenna is suitable only for base stations, and is best as a antenna for scanners, however we are not necessarily interested communicating at the furthest range our equipment is capable of. Just the opposite. We should strive to limit the range, or have a range that is far enough to make reliable communications with those whom we would talk to, and no one else.
Use the correct antenna for the frequency, and the radio will have a longer service life. If it is necessary to transmit on an antenna not design for a frequency, always use the lowest power setting.
If you feel the radio getting warm, then you are talking on it too much. The ‘duty cycle’ or the amount of time one should transmit on high power of 4 watts, is only a few minutes. Set on the lower power setting, and the ‘talk’ time increases significantly, and so does the battery life. We will also limit how many people may listen in, if low power is used. If high power is necessary, let it cool off, lest it may over-heat, and fail.
If an older Baofeng no longer transmits, these make for good receivers to monitor a single channel, or to make slow scanner. I would limit it’s ‘scan’ list to no more than 27 frequencies, or to a list of frequencies that it can scroll though in less than 3 seconds. These 27 frequencies would be my first choice to scan, and are GMRS, FRS, and MURS. Using another Baofeng, I would also scan all the repeaters in the area, and especially the Amateur Radio, and GMRS repeaters, and the national calling frequency for the service, i.e. , 2 meter, and 70cm, and public emergency services frequencies.
Buy extra Baofengs to do service as scanners, and these can also be pressed into the rotation if necessary. Persons on ’look out’ dusty can carry an extra Baofeng, in addition one for monitoring the primary frequency, and for only the purpose of scanning GMRS, FRS, and MURS, and radio traffic that would most likely be used by attackers. Of course a standard scanner would do that job better, but it would cost more, and it will never transmit. All Baofengs used for security work can be set up to scan the same list, so that if necessary, any one on the ‘team’ can scan even when not on ‘watch’. Scanning for traffic will improve ‘situtational awareness’, and may alert to one to trouble in the area, or trouble at your doorstep.
A Uniden SR-30C scanner with a Close Call feature is the good for this work, but I’ll cover that in another article.
Or better yet, get a frequency counter. Adjust the sensitivity, or use an external antenna. Anything that puts out RF (radio frequency) will show up, including cell phone traffic or drones (2.4Ghz). Look for a pattern of RF signatures, or sets of different frequencies in use, that may be associated with different types of persons, or organizations. But this kind of thing is covered in another article. [JWR Adds: A frequency couter is also useful detecting bugs or “bumper beeper” car trackers.]
Give priority to learning how to program your radio, one way or another, even if you can get to talk on only one channel. If only on one channel, it’ll work. We’ve all been there. That is your starting point on the learning curve.
Study YouTube videos on the topic, learn how to program it manually, and via Chirp. And if it is simply too technical for you at this time, then approach a Ham, and offer them some radios, or cash in trade for their services. Give them a frequency list that you would prefer, and ask for their suggestions. The radio is of little use otherwise. If the programming is not complete, then the radio will not serve at all, or to it’s full capacity. So why did you buy it for? At least one person in a group should have a functional grasp of how to operate the radio if even only on one channel, so that they can train others. Without comms of some form, the ability to warn others of an attack, or danger, is a serious deficit that needs to be overcome and solved, now. I’d consider at least having one air horn, and whistles for all, as two back up means for that purpose. You need redundant means as part of a good commo plan any way. If the Baofeng is too much to handle, get and an FRS or MURS radio that are more simple to operate. We’ll look at pre-programmed, plug and play options that are somewhat of the beaten path as we can get with common radios. These can be another and inexpensive, or not so inexpensive layer of your commo plan.
MURS Band
Of course we know about MURS radios. Here is a high quality fully-compliant 2 watt, 11.5khz band width radio that has less range than a Baofeng, and it is only $189. But you gotta get 2 of them to talk to someone.
And then there is a hand-held radio that accompanies the Dakota Alert Sensors, that sells for only $85. Lower quality, no better than Baofeng, 2 watts, narrow band, 11.5 Khz as specified by the FCC. But it is caveman simple to use, and that could be for you, or someone else in the family, particularly older folk like myself. These are Low Power, Short Range Handheld FRS/GMRS, Their range is 1/4 mile to 2 miles if you are lucky. [JWR Adds: These can be set to teh same frequency as rou driveway alarm, so you can get intrusion alerts and push-to-talk in the same hand-helfd, that you carry on your belt.]
Here is a video of a Range Test.
