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AIOC – Der Wunderadapter für Handfunkgeräte – Teil 2 (Aufspielen der Firmware)
AIOC – Der Wunderadapter für Handfunkgeräte – Teil 1 (Einführung und Bestellung)
via HACKADAY: Hackable Ham Radio Gives Up Its Mechanical Secrets
Quansheng UV-K5
Another new toy, a Quansheng UK-K5(8). Size-wise it’s taller and heavier than the Baofeng UV5R and has a nicer display. The reason I got this, apart from the price is there is firmware available to enable a spectrum display among other things.
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I’ve loaded this version: https://github.com/egzumer/uv-k5-firmware-custom/wiki. Loading was simple enough. There have been mentions that one needs to insert the programming cable very firmly but I found that my aftermarket Baofeng USB cable went in quite easily with a click. Once I had remembered you need to turn the radio on in program mode the firmware went in via the Edge browser in just a few seconds.
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Other than that I have yet to use it on air and it has not yet been near a spectrum analyser so no idea how good or bad it is RF wise. There’s plenty of information out there already anyway. For me, like the UV5R it’s a handy little radio that won’t hurt too much if lost or damaged, but it is the available firmware that seals the deal.
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KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog
- Amateur radio in the news: Hackable ham radio, ham radio at the museum, club hosts Scouts
Amateur radio in the news: Hackable ham radio, ham radio at the museum, club hosts Scouts
The Most Hackable Handheld Ham Radio Yet
The [Quansheng] UV-K5, released last year, might be the most hackable handheld ever, with a small army of dedicated hams adding a raft of software-based improvements and new features. I had to have one, and $30 later, I did.
Like Baofeng’s 5R, Quansheng’s K5 as a radio transceiver is fine. (I’m using K5 here to refer to both the original K5 and the new K5(8) model.) The key technical distinction between the 5R and K5 is a seemingly minor design choice. With Baofeng’s 5R, the firmware resides in read-only memory. But Quansheng stores the K5’s firmware in flash memory and made it possible to rewrite that memory with the same USB programming cable used to assign frequencies to preset channels.
ICHMS collaborates with IRARC
CASPIAN, MI – The Iron County Historical & Museum Society (ICHMS) will have two new exhibits this summer thanks to a collaboration with the Iron Range Amateur Radio Club (IRARC) and a grant from the Crystal Falls/Dickinson Area Community Foundation. “We couldn’t be any more excited about this collaboration and the exhibits that will come from it”, states museum director Kathlene Long. The club members are in here helping build the exhibits and are bringing their expertise along with their own artifacts to build these exhibits in time for this coming summer season.
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The Club is building a working ham radio station in the museum. It will be fully functional. Museum visitors will be able to see the exhibit and signs will help visitors understand the importance ham radios – and amateur operators – have played in our county’s, and our country’s history. They will also learn why they continue to be so important. In addition, the Club is recreating a display of a vintage WIKB studio from pieces they have collected over the years. All of this is being paid for, in part, from a $500 grant from the Crystal Falls/Dickinson Area Community Foundation. “All in all, this is a lot of moving parts finally coming together to make this happen.” Long explains.
SIERA hosts Scout amateur radio merit badge day
METROPOLIS, IL — Boy Scouts talked to amateur radio operators as far away as Puerto Rico and Arizona during a radio merit badge class hosted by the Southernmost Illinois Emergency Radio Association (SIERA). Five scouts from Troop 2007, out of St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Paducah, attended the class on Saturday, March 23, at Trinity Church in Metropolis.
Scouts experimented with tuning forks and a wave generator and had the opportunity to talk on both handy-talkie and high-frequency base radios during the class. They also learned about the science and mechanics of radio as well as important safety measures.
About UV-K5 CEC Firmware Version 0.1X (from v0.1p)
About UV-K5 CEC Firmware Version 0.1X (from v0.1p)
1.About Version 0.1X
This version is the stable version of UV-K5 Version 0.1P
In Version 0.1P, many things were changed, including the internal variable structure, and we received feedback for about 8 days to check if there were any problems. The original plan was to just change the name from Version 0.1P to Version 0.1X, but several features were added as follows. Please read Version 0.1P for main features
2.SSB Filter (bandwidth)
The filter can select one of these : VFO, 3K, 2K, 1.7K, 3K+, 2K+,1.7K+
This filter operates only in SSB mode and is disabled in existing FM mode. If you select a filter with +, the + mode is also applied to CW mode
VFO : Previous firmware state. It is selected among WIDE/NARROW selected in VFO
3K ~ 1.7K : When actually measured, it is a little wider than stated.
3K+ ~ 1.7K+ : It improves the functionality of the existing filter. Based on SINAD, there is an improvement effect of about 1dB.
3.SSTV
3.1 Scottie 1 Mode
Scottie1 mode was added to the existing Martin1 mode. You can select it from STVEnc in the settings menu.
3.3 QSO TX Number
SSTV transmission sequence record. It is displayed at the top right when transmitting SSTV.
3.4 SSTV transmission resolution has been increased. If this causes problems, I plan to reduce the resolution again.
X-TAL is not connected to the MCU (CPU) used in UV-K5. (Internal LC res) So, there is a slight problem during precise transmission like SSTV.
4. Download
https://github.com/phdlee/uvk5cec/releases/tag/v_0.1x
Modification of SI4732-A10 for full HF band reception on UV-K5
Modification of SI4732-A10 for full HF band reception on UV-K5
- This version is different from the existing CEC series of UV-K5
- This version is a test version for devices in which the FM radio chip BK1080 of the UV-K5 radio has been removed and replaced with SI4732-A10.
- Do not upload to your radio if you have not modified the hardware
- When the source of UV-K5 CEC version is released (Release 1.0), you will be able to run SI4732-A10 through Makefile options
1. Parts
1.1 SI4732-A10 * 1
If you search SI4732-A10 on Google, you will find various shortwave receivers. It has been popular with many people for several years due to its pretty good performance.
You can buy it on aliexpress for about $2.xx
There are several versions of SI4732, but the one that supports SSB is the one with A10. You must purchase SI4732-A10
1.2 X-tal 32.768Khz * 1
1.3 Capacitor 15~35pF * 2 (When purchasing crystal, purchase it in the recommended dosage. Approximately 22pF works in most cases)
1.4 Capcitor 100uF * 1 (or 50uF ~ 200uF)
1.5 Registor 10~15K * 1
2.circuit diagram
The red numbers shown in the circuit diagram below are the pin numbers for the existing BK1080.
In the circuit below, the letters 3 and 4 mean to connect to both numbers 3 and 4
To use FM radio, you must connect a separate antenna. However, even if you only use AMI, you can hear a strong FM signal well. (If you want to improve FM radio performance, you must implement and connect a separate antenna or SPLITTER)
Introducing UV-K5 Version 0.1P (CW)
You can update it using cec_0.1p.packed.bin
Introducing UV-K5 Version 0.1M (SSTV, Text Configuration)
Introducing UV-K5 Version 0.1M (SSTV, Text Configuration)
In version 0.1M, items related to text settings and SSTV transmission function were added. As previously announced, only compiled binaries will be released from 0.1M until 1.0 is released.When the version is upgraded to 1.0, we will organize the source code and release it together. It probably won't take long.
1.Improved text input
Most of the contents are the same as the existing firmware. I only did something very small. Since you will be using text input frequently in the firmware (UV-K5 CEC version), changed it to make input more convenient. I only changed the function of the * button and the F button very slightly.
U.Info - > My Call : your call sign
U.Info - > My Name : your name
U.Info - > My Grid : your grid (using https://www.qrz.com/gridmapper)
You only need to enter 4 digits (Example : EM37)
U.Info - > DX Call : Call sign of the other party (This is used on SSTV and CW Eleckeyer)
U.Info - > DX Name : Name of the other party (This is used on SSTV and CW Eleckeyer)
And there are a few additional text items (CW message, GPS Location and etc). Enter whatever you want to enter.
3.SSTV transmission function
SSTV supports Martin v1. Due to limitations in flash memory space for writing firmware, various functions could not be included. However, I am also considering adding the ability for SSTV users to create their own templates if they wish.
(The implementation included scottie and PD90 protocols, but they were excluded when compiling due to lack of firmware space)
The text to be included in the picture must be entered in SSTV M1 (SSTV message 1) in the text input menu (U.Info).
Additional: I thought a lot about resolution when transmitting SSTV. If this is not a toy but a function that is actually used, I thought it should have a resolution that can be read when transmitted with a 5W radio rather than being flashy.
4.Download Link
https://github.com/phdlee/uvk5cec/releases/tag/v_0.1m
5. Video (How to)
DE KD8CEC