Boafeng uv-5r vs 888s

Good afternoon all,

A quick question,I've recently purchased a UV-5R and have found it to receive worse than my 888s, I'm using the same antennae and they're both located in the same place, just the uv-5r cannot pick up some of the weaker signals.

Has anyone got any ideas about what can be done about this?

Thanks,
Duncan
CT-3394

I would imagine it's a case of you get what you pay for to be honest Duncan.

73's Gary.

That's true, oh well id rather do it on the cheap, and have the worse gear for PMR. I'm doing my licence exam next month so I have the cheap stuff to see if I like it or not.

73 to you
CT-3394

I have a UV-5R and a UV-5S and they are both ever so slightly deaf compared to a proper PMR radio such as a Floureon. On a slightly smalller antenna the Floureon seems to pick weaker signals from the noise better. But for what they cost the Baofengs are hard to beat, and a larger antenna does help them pick up better.

Thanks, I have ordered a bandit pmr78 from eBay and I've seen some good reviews of it so I hope I can get out a bit further. Current DX distance is around 8 miles in a built up area, but the receiver is a massive antenna and it outputs more than 20 watts.

73
Duncan, CT-3394

That bandit thing looks like a PMR version of a T2LT.

I have messed around with a few including the Diamond/Nagoya longer whips, a home made dipole, and an MR700 mobile twig on a magmount and not found a whole lot of difference between them.

I was thinking of upgrading my radio to a Yaesu or Alinco and getting a Diamond X50

I mean if you're particularly interested your radio will work on amateur bands, if you spend £27 on a licence you can sue local repeaters. But yeah the antenna arrived today and is working well, I am currently working on building a Yagi.

73
Ct3394

Dunc4n601 wrote:

That's true, oh well id rather do it on the cheap, and have the worse gear for PMR. I'm doing my licence exam next month so I have the cheap stuff to see if I like it or not.

73 to you
CT-3394

Don't get me wrong the UV5R is unbeatable for the money but they are very compromised in many ways.

Good luck with the ticket next month. What's not to like? HF, VHF, UHF, Microwaves you'll love it!! I spend the majority of my limited radio time on 20 & 40 meters where despite being at the bottom of the solar cycle still offer really good DX opportunities.

73's Gary.

Thanks, I hope it goes well, and I don't have to take any practical assessment at the moment so all the better. I'm hoping to sit around the 70cm band because I know there are quite a few repeaters around here, and there's an echo link repeater not too far away so I'm hoping to play around with that at some point.

73
Duncan, ct3394

Nice one Duncan, you'll walk it the foundation exam is designed to attract people into the hobby.

If you have busy repeaters then that's great you should be able have some good chat's. I use a Inrico TM-7 network radio to access echolink repeaters all over the place it's a great system.

All the best of luck let us know how you get on.

73's Gary.

Thanks Gary, I am let you know, it's the 17th July, I couldn't get anything earlier but here's hoping it is alright

73
Duncan, CT3394

Also I mentioned earlier I was in the process of making a Yagi

Dunc4n601 wrote:

Also I mentioned earlier I was in the process of making a Yagi

Good luck for the 17th buddy.

The Yagi is looking good! My radio society B.D.A.R.S in Bromley do a yearly Fox hunt and most years the home brew yagi's put an appearance in. Last year someone had made one out of a metal tape measure, not an object of beauty but certainly got the job done!! Very unusually I won last year I normally give up without finding the Fox at all!!!

73's Gary.

I saw a tape measure one and thought I might have a crack at it in the future. We don't really have fix hunts round my way, further south maybe but best luck for your next one!

Thanks for the support, I'll try my best!
73
Duncan, CT3394

All good stuff Duncan, just for clarity I mean a radio Fox Hunt where a "transmitting beacon" is placed somewhere secret and you have to find it using direction finding techniques. Not as in chasing actual foxes that wouldn't be my thing at all.

73's Gary.

Ah I'm with you now Gary, sounds like a great idea, it's a shame that doesn't happen around here. I'm also in the process now of making an 11 element yagi, but unfortunately I don't have an swr meter so it will be used on my old 888s.

73,
Duncan, CT3394

Yes it's great fun Duncan, Yagi's come in to their own because of course they are directional.

You could always get a group of mates together and set up an event between yourselves.

Have a look on ebay for the Vector Network Analyzer for the money they are great and perfect for antenna building. Here's a link but do check out the supplier because it's ebay!!!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NanoVna-50KHz-900MHz-Vector-Network-Analyzer-UHF-VNA-UV-VHF-Antenna-Analyzer-UK/223981272461?epid=4038184980&hash=item342652fd8d:g:IuMAAOSwuytep8~Y

73's Gary.

Thanks Gary, these look great, I'd heard of them but being very cheap I thought they were just slightly too expensive but I might save up me pennies. Unfortunately none of my mates are into amateur radio, but I could always persuade them.

73
Duncan, CT3394

Dunc4n601 wrote:

Thanks Gary, these look great, I'd heard of them but being very cheap I thought they were just slightly too expensive but I might save up me pennies. Unfortunately none of my mates are into amateur radio, but I could always persuade them.

73
Duncan, CT3394

That link is for one that doesn't include HF so do a more comprehensive search on ebay/Amazon.

You'll have to get your mates involved or join a local club when they reopen after lock down. Yes mate everything radio costs you money!

73's Gary.

I'll have a dig through eBay soon to see if I can find a bargain. Unfortunately it does cost but if I join a club they might be able to lend me one.

73
Duncan, CT3394

Yes absolutely mate. Most of us have spare stuff knocking around the shack so definitely worth asking. Good luck Duncan.

73's Gary.

It's a shame I don't know anyone who can lend me one, and it's a shame I can't use a cheap CB swr meter.

73
Duncan, CT3394

Interesting conversation lads. Sorry i'm late to the party but i've only just programmed my uv5r for pmr.
Now to the meat of the post. Running the frequency through a Moxon calculator comes up with an antenna only 22x8cm. Time to adjourn to the shed methinks.

Now there's a plan, I've currently got a 10 el. Yagi, a 5 el Yagi, a t2lt, a Nagoya na771 and the original rubber duck, a few too many antennae, but a project for the future! I've gone a bit mad over lock down!

73
Duncan, CT3394