Experimental Baofeng RD-5R version

W1CY
Posts: 76
Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2020 6:57 pm

Re: Experimental Baofeng RD-5R version

Post by W1CY » Sun Jun 21, 2020 3:50 am

VK3KYY wrote:
Sat Jun 20, 2020 3:37 am
W1CY wrote:
Sat Jun 20, 2020 2:22 am
I could not upload the firmware at first using the OPENGD77 CPS, but it worked fine when I used the FIRMWAREUPLOADER.exe standalone exec.
OK.

Looks like the CPS needs to be updated.
You were right, I updated the CPS and everything is working now.
One unrelated question: Is there any recommended power settings for hotspot use? I am referring to the actual power being closer to the power readings? Thanks.

VK3KYY
Posts: 7588
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2019 3:25 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Experimental Baofeng RD-5R version

Post by VK3KYY » Sun Jun 21, 2020 6:46 am

Re: Hotspot

A lot of people have reported the radio is not stable in hotspot mode, because of RF injection into the USB cable and the RPi etc

If you have an external antenna, you should connect it when running any of these radios in hotspot mode, as even the GD-77 can cause RF injection into the USB cable unless you use an external antenna.

I don't know if anyone managed to get the RD-5R to work as a reliable hotspot. The hardware may not be good enough for this, as the RF stages in the radio are not well filtered, and it generates way more spurious RF than the GD-77 or the Baofeng DM-1801.

There is nothing that can be done in the firmware to fix this. Its a hardware problem, on what is quite cheap low quality hardware

YO3VTH
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 8:59 pm

Error CPS "Device not found"

Post by YO3VTH » Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:30 pm

Greetings ! My first post here... I own a RD-5R.

I flashed today the OpenGD77 in RD-5R.
Guys! If you get a error for CPS "Device not found" plug in your upload/flash/data cable in the back USB-hole of your PC :!: :geek:
Old contacts are gone, must all one by one rebuild and link to TG's, zones or RX-group-lists... A lot. :evil:
The hamdigital/radioid import method did not work for me.
A lot of missing menues in the CPS.
In radio analog-mode all channels started with squelch 0 (zero) - loud noise till i increase the squelch, won't be saved at all :x
Ok, was my first day with OpenGD77 on RD-5r...
Last edited by YO3VTH on Sat Dec 23, 2023 9:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

YO3VTH
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 8:59 pm

Re: Error CPS "Device not found"

Post by YO3VTH » Mon Jun 22, 2020 1:08 pm

YO3VTH wrote:
Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:30 pm
In radio analog-mode all channels started with squelch 0 (zero) - loud noise till i increase the squelch, won't be saved at all :x


Saved in "edit channels" (CPS-software) with "OpenGD77 Squelch Level".
Nice option: "Open/Closed/Disabled or user-defined"-levels 8-) :P

LU1AAX
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2020 5:27 am

WARNING: POWER OUPUT EXCESSIVELY HIGH IN LATEST FW

Post by LU1AAX » Mon Jun 22, 2020 1:56 pm

If you are using OpenRD5R beware of the power output setting because it is absolutely deceiving and you may blow your unit out. These are real outputs measured with my wattmeter at 146 MHz. My advice is to use the last two settings to be on the safe side (250 mW for 5W and 50 mw for 3W) util this sensitive issue is fixed.

Shows 5W++ but delivers 9W
Shows 5W but delivers 9W
Shows 4W but delivers 9W
Shows 3W but delivers 9W
Shows 2W but delivers 9W
Shows 1W but delivers 9W
Shows 750 mW but delivers 8W
Shows 500 mW but delivers 7W
Shows 250 mW but delivers 5W
Shows 50 mW but delivers 3W

Mauricio
LU1AAX

YO3VTH
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 8:59 pm

Re: WARNING: POWER OUPUT EXCESSIVELY HIGH IN LATEST FW

Post by YO3VTH » Mon Jun 22, 2020 7:44 pm

LU1AAX wrote:
Mon Jun 22, 2020 1:56 pm
(250 mW for 5W and 50 mw for 3W) util this sensitive issue is fixed.
Wow! Thanks! Good to know...

VK3KYY
Posts: 7588
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2019 3:25 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Experimental Baofeng RD-5R version

Post by VK3KYY » Mon Jun 22, 2020 10:56 pm

This was fixed ages ago.

What Fw version are you using.?

LU1AAX
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2020 5:27 am

Re: Experimental Baofeng RD-5R version

Post by LU1AAX » Wed Jun 24, 2020 3:56 am

Firmware info:

Built 15:10:12
Jun 12, 2020
[284c6e2]

12 days ago does not look like ages... when do you say this was fixed?

VK3KYY
Posts: 7588
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2019 3:25 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Experimental Baofeng RD-5R version

Post by VK3KYY » Wed Jun 24, 2020 7:19 am

If you originally loaded the experimental version a while ago, then the calibration data cache in the radio will have the wrong data in it

The only way to resolve the problem is to backup the Flash memory using the OpenGD77 CPS

Then use a hex editor e.g. HXD https://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd/ to erase the cached calibration at address 0000F000

The values at that address will look a bit like this

Offset(h) 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0A 0B 0C 0D 0E 0F

0000F000 A0 0F C0 12 A0 0F C0 12 EF 03 EF 3C BE 3C BD 3C
0000F010 BC 3C C0 3C C1 3C C1 3C C1 3C C0 3C BC 3C BC 3C
0000F020 BC 3C BD 3C BF 3C C2 3C C5 3C CB 3D 3B 3A 38 37


And if you change this to

0000F000 FF FF C0 12 A0 0F C0 12 EF 03 EF 3C BE 3C BD 3C

save the file and then restore it into the radio

Turn the radio off and one again, and it should load the manufacturers calibration data into the cache and the power levels should be more normal.

Note the Power levels are not going to be that accurate unless you actually calibrate them yourself, using a power meter and the Calibration screen in the CPS, because on these cheap radios they probably don't do individual power calibration in the factory as it takes too long

LU1AAX
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2020 5:27 am

Re: Experimental Baofeng RD-5R version

Post by LU1AAX » Wed Jun 24, 2020 8:24 am

Yes, that's what happened. I followed your instructions and now everything seems reasonably normal.

Power readings at 146MHz

5W++ yields a little bit more than 6W but less than 7W
5W yields 4W
4W yields 3.5W
3W yields 2.5W
2W yields 2W
1W yields 1.5W
750 mW yields 1.25W
500 mW yields 1W
250 mW yields 500mW
50 mW yields 200 mW

Can you please tell me how could I manually adjust calibration data so the settings matches the actual power?

BTW, is there a way to compensate a 800 hz tx frequency offset in a similar way?

Thanks!

Mauricio
LU1AAX

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