Baofeng Sage

**covert** · 03-06-2018, 10:00 AM

Anybody super savvy on Baofeng programming?

I've got a weird problem where a radio can receive on a channel but can't transmit on that channel unless it first receives something. So, the radio can respond to comms but can't initiate them.

I'm using CHIRP for the programming.

**anotherVTskibum** · 03-06-2018, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by covert

Anybody super savvy on Baofeng programming?

I've got a weird problem where a radio can receive on a channel but can't transmit on that channel unless it first receives something. So, the radio can respond to comms but can't initiate them.

I'm using CHIRP for the programming.

Can you pull the programming from another radio that works on said channel and compare the programming in CHIRP?

(Also, a screen shot of the entire channel settings in CHIRP for that channel might help). I'm wondering if maybe you've got a DTCS issue and you are actually transmitting regardless of whether or not you receive first, but the other radio isn't detecting an open channel with the right DTCS code but is treating it as such immediately after transmitting.

**covert** · 03-06-2018, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by anotherVTskibum

Can you pull the programming from another radio that works on said channel and compare the programming in CHIRP?

(Also, a screen shot of the entire channel settings in CHIRP for that channel might help). I'm wondering if maybe you've got a DTCS issue and you are actually transmitting regardless of whether or not you receive first, but the other radio isn't detecting an open channel with the right DTCS code but is treating it as such immediately after transmitting.

I suspect that the other radios have the same problem and it just hasn't been detected yet; I'm working on confirming that. Channels 1 and 2 work fine.

Screenshot

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**gregorys** · 03-08-2018, 02:06 PM

What radio? [BF-888 or variant?] (Edit: I see in the CHIRP screen-shots it's a UV-82HP)

I assume you're in the US/Canada.

1) 152.45mhz is not licensed for private use, like you're doing.
I don't want to be that guy, but if you're really using 152.45 - STOP. NOW!
You apparently have no idea what you're doing. Trying to educate you here is really beyond the scope of the post. You need to do a lot of reading, understand the legal and practical implications of using a radio.

152.45 appears to be licensed to "Yellow Cab" in SF CA. [Quick google search.]
At MINIMUM,
A) Get a GMRS license and use the appropriate FRS/GMRS frequencies. [This isn't technically legal, even then, but the practical effects are negligile.]
B) Program in those frequencies and use them.

Better yet, go study and take your Amateur Tech license and use 2m frequencies.

---
However to address your initial question:
I can't imagine a situation where the radio is unable to transmit unless it receives a transmission first. [I suppose it's possible, but I can't think of any way that happens.

IMO, the best way to start is to remove all the DTCSS, tone etc.
Test without any DTCSS/PL tones and see what happens. If it works, add back in PL/CTCSS tones.
My guess is, if you do this, you'll figure out what is wrong.

But the fact that you're blindly using commercial radio spectrum [See: https://transition.fcc.gov/oet/spect.../fcctable.pdf] tells me that you really don't know enough to do what you're doing competently. And so taking much time working on your current problem seems pointless.

I'll also edit to add: I suppose it's possible, but unlikely you're actually using a UV-82 to communicate on commercial radio bands. This still, I think, would not technically be legal, as I don't think the UV-82 is commercial licensed. [I haven't checked that, but I think that's right.] Assuming you are a legal commercial licensed operator, this would likely be less of an issue - unless someone complains to the FCC. But I'm having a hard time seeing that as a real possibility.

**gregorys** · 03-08-2018, 02:27 PM

159.795 doesn't appear to be licensed anywhere. [159.790 is, apparently.]
159.81 appears to be licensed to Association of American Railroads [And there's evidence the FCC has taken enforcement action against non-licensed users of that frequency too.]
159.855 is licensed to Land mobile towers in Sandy OR.
159.87 appears to be licensed to the State of Tennessee for public safety use.
---
Like I said, I'm certainly not one of the curmudgeonly old HAM guys, but I simply can't imagine a situation where you're transmitting legally on those frequencies. I'm glad to point you in the general direction of information that will allow you to operate in a more-or-less legal fashion. But you'll have to spend the time to educate yourself.

But it certainly appears that what you're doing now, is ill-advised, may get you in hot water with the FCC, and is just rude. [Perhaps unintentionally so.]