Baofeng BF-888S Walkie Talkies Long Range Instruction Guide
- June 4, 2024
- BAOFENG
Table of Contents
Baofeng BF-888S Walkie Talkies Long Range
Specifications
- DIMENSIONS: 2.55 x 1.18 x 4.92 inches
- WEIGHT: 54 pounds
- FREQUENCY RANGE: UHF 400-470MHz (RX/TX)
- RF RATED POWER: 5-2W
- CHANNEL CAPACITY: 16
- OPERATED VOLTAGE: 7V
- BATTERY: 1500MAh Li-ion
- FREQUENCY STABILITY : ±2.5ppm
- ANTENNA IMPEDANCE: 50Ω
- COMMUNICATION RANGE: about 0.5-3 miles
Introduction
In order to keep the walkie talkies operational while driving, all you need to bring is a charging wire. It is not necessary to pack an additional walkie talkie charging base whether going camping, bicycling, or trekking; simply your walkie talkies will do. The walkie-talkie can be charged using a power bank and the USB charging cord for a smartphone. When you’re at home, you can charge and utilize devices that have a USB charger thanks to the practical USB charging technique.
- LED Indicator Lights red during transmit, green when receiving a signal
- Channel Switch Rotate to select a channel. No. 16 is the scanning channel
- Power Switch / Volume Control Turn clockwise to switch ON the transceiver. Turn counterclockwise to switch OFF transceiver. Rotate to adjust volume.
- PTT (Push-to-Talk) Button Push button to transmit. Release to receive.
- MONI (Monitor) Button Press and Hold (Squelch OFF) to hear background noise; Release to return to normal operation.
- FUNC (Function Button) Button Press to activate LED torch function.
Speaker Microphone / Programming Cable Jack
OPERATION
- Switching Power ON/OFF Turn the Power switch/Volume control (A) clockwise. You will hear a beep and speech indicating the transceiver is ON.
- Adjusting the Volume Hold Monitor button (E) own to listen to audio level while rotating the Power switch/Volume control (A). Rotate Volume Control to increase / decrease the volume.
- Selecting the Channel Turn the Channel Switch (B) to the desired channel. No. 16 is the Scanning Channel.
- Transmitting To transmit, Press and Hold PTT (D) and speak into the microphone in a normal tone of voice. The LED indicator lights continuously red when transmitting. For maximum sound clarity at the receiving station, hold the transceiver 2 to 3 inched from mouth and talk in a normal tone of voice. Note: Yelling does not make your signal louder.
CHARGING the LI-ION BATTERY PACK
Charge the battery pack before using it. The new or stored (more than 2 months) battery pack cannot reach full capacity after the first charge. After 2 or 3 charges and discharges, it will reach full charge.
- Plug adapter into electrical socket.
- Insert transceiver or battery into the charging tray.
- Ensure that the battery contacts connect with the drop-in charging tray. While charging is taking place, the LED will glow Red.
- After 3 hours charging, the LED indicator will light Green.
- Remove battery or transceiver from the charging tray.
*Asterisk [ ] designates function changed via software**
* SQUELCH LEVEL
The purpose of the Squelch is to mute the speaker when no signals are present. With the squelch correctly set, you will only hear sound when a signal is present.
*TIME-OUT TIMER (TOT)
The TOT limits the length of a users transmission. The purpose of the TOT is to prevent transmitting for a long period of time, causing thermal damage to the radio. And alert will sound when the limit for that transmission has been reached.
*SCANNING
Scanning is used for hands off monitoring of your favorite frequencies. When the transceiver options are set to SCAN (via software), setting the channel selector to channel 16 directs the radio to scan the selected channels from 1-15.
- Transceiver stops scanning when a signal is detected and continues when signal is gone.
- If there are less than 2 channels, it cannot scan. (Go figure)
- On channel 16, Press and Hold the PTT and MONI buttons while switching ON the transceiver to turn the Scanning ON or OFF.
- If FM radio function is activated, Radio cannot scan.
* VOICE PROMPT
- VP can be set ON/OFF via software.
- On channel 10, Press and Hold the PTT and MONI buttons while switching ON the transceiver to also Activate or Deactivate Voice Prompt.
- On channel 15, Press and Hold the PTT and MONI buttons while switching ON the transceiver to change Voice Prompt Language (CHI / ENG)
- Any channel 1-16, Press and Hold MONI only while switching ON the transceiver will Deactivate Voice Prompt for that session only.
* VOX (Voice Operated Transmit)
VOX eliminates the need for using the PTT key to transmit. The transmitter is keyed when the VOX circuit senses you are speaking into the microphone.
- When operating the VOX function, set the VOX Gain level to recognize the desired sound level.
- If level is too sensitive, transceiver will key with noise in the background.
- If level is not sensitive enough, it will not pick up your voice. Set level for smooth transmission.
- On channel 1-5, Press and Hold the PTT and MONI buttons while switching ON the transceiver to turn the VOX ON or OFF.
* EMERGENCY ALARM
On channel 11, Press and Hold the PTT and MONI buttons while switching ON the transceiver to turn the Alarm Function ON or OFF. This is a function for your receiver only. You will Not transmit the alarm.
BATTERY SAVER
Reduces the battery power used when not receiving a signal. Battery saver turns on automatically 10 seconds after no signal is received and no operation is being performed.
BATTERY LOW ALERT
Reminds you that battery needs recharging. Alert tone will sound and Red LED will blink.
MONITOR
When no signal is being received, Press and Hold the MONI. This is helpful for adjusting volume level and receiving weak signals.
* BUSY CHANNEL LOCK-OUT (BCL)
BCL prevents you from transmitting on a channel if a signal is present. Pressing the PTT switch while a channel is in use will emit an alert tone and inhibit the transmitter.
* BEEP TONE
If turned on, radio will give short tone to indicate that there is nothing programmed for that channel.
* CTCSS / DCS
CTCSS (Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System) or (Digital Coded Squelch).
You may sometimes want to hear calls only from specific persons or groups. This option allows you to ignore unwanted calls from others on the same frequency. These tones are sub-audible (cannot be heard) and are selectable via software.
Note: These tones do NOT cause your conversation to be private or scrambled. It only relieves you from listening to unwanted conversations.
SUMMARY of FUNCTION ACTIVATION
- Ch 1-5, Press / Hold both PTT and MONI, and Power ON
- VOX – ON / OFF.
- Ch 10, Press / Hold both PTT and MONI, and Power ON
- Voice Prompt – ON / OFF
- Ch 11, Press / Hold both PTT and MONI, and Power ON
- Alarm Function ON / OFF (if selected via SW)
- Ch 15, Press / Hold both PTT and MONI, and Power ON
- Change Language (CHI / ENG)
- Ch 16, Press / Hold both PTT and MONI, and Power ON
- Scan ON / OFF (if option set via software)
- Ch 1-16, Press / Hold MONI only and Power ON
- Deactivates Voice Prompt for that session only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it come with programming cable?
No, it doesn’t come with a program cable.
Do I have to download in order to listen to emergency Channels?
There are no emergency channels.
Do you need a license to use this? Can you use them out of the box?
They cannot be used in the USA or Canada “out of the box” (for the remainder of this notice, “use” means to transmit). They are only permitted to be used in Canada’s ham bands by licensed hams. It’s a good thing that none of the preset frequencies are in the ham bands. They can only be used legally by anyone with a license for the Public Land Mobile Radio Services in the USA and only after being reprogrammed to the frequency(ies) specified by the license since they are certified for part 90. They cannot be used in GMRS or FRS.
I have a set of these radios, if I get another set would they work together as 4 units?
Yes, they will.
Is this USB Type C charging?
No, it isn’t.
Can this use a push-to-talk devise like the Baofeng ham radios?
Yes.
Are these water resistant?
No.
Is this antenna detachable?
Yes.
Are these compatible with Motorola RDM2070D?
As long as the channels are same, the walkie talkies are compatible.
What kind of headset adaptor will this use?
Baofeng universal version of the headset.
How far can a Baofeng Bf-888S transmit?
It has a range of about 3 km.
Does Baofeng Bf-888S need a license?
The majority of Baofeng 888s have predetermined frequencies that you cannot use without a license.
Can you use a Baofeng as a police scanner?
No.
Is Baofeng 888S VHF or UHF?
UHF
How long does Baofeng battery last?
Light users may go a week without needing to charge their battery, compared to average users who can go two days without a charge. The BL-5L adds 1.5″ to the length and 3 extra ounces to the weight of your radio in addition to extending battery life. When compared to the UV-5R with a stock BL-5 battery.