BAOFENG BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio-Complete Features/Instruction

BAOFENG BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio

Specifications

• Dimensions
  10.5 x 2 x 2 inches

•   Weight
  10.1 ounce

• Number of Batteries
  1 Lithium ion batteries required

• Tuner Technology
  UHF, VHF

• Voltage
  7.4 Volts, 110 Volts

• Water Resistance Level
  Waterproof

• Brand
  BAOFENG

Introduction

The Bf-F8hp was designed in the United States, and because not everyone is a radio expert, we wanted to focus on making the user experience as simple as possible! That begins with the new in-depth manual, which walks you through the Bf-capabilities F8hp’s and customization options. In addition, the Bf-F8hp comes with exclusive concierge customer service and warranty support. Only select Baofeng models, such as the Bf-F8hp, UV-82Hp, and UV-5X3, are eligible for this concierge service. Btech Is Proud To Be Based In The United States, Enabling You To Get The Best Local Support For Any Issue That May Arise. Btech specialises in the design and development of radio products. Because of this brand focus, you may get the best available radios and accessories with the most features, as well as real-time updates.

 Getting started

Chapter 1. – Initial setup

Safety Information

The following safety precautions should always be observed during operation, service and repair of this equipment.

•  Qualified technicians shall service this equipment only.
•  Do not modify the radio for any reason.
•  Use only BAOFENG supplied or approved batteries and chargers.
•  Do not use any portable radio that has a damaged antenna. If a damaged antenna comes into contact with your skin, a minor burn can result.
•  Turn off your radio prior to entering any area with explosive and flammable materials.
•  Do not charge your battery in a location with explosive and flammable materials.
•  To avoid electromagnetic interference and/or compatibility conflicts, turn off your radio in any area where posted notices instruct you to do so.
•  Turn off your radio before boarding an aircraft; any use of a radio must be in accordance with airline regulations or crew instructions.
•  Turn off your radio before entering a blasting area.
•  For vehicles with an air bag, do not place a radio in the area over an air bag or in the air bag deployment area.

VISIT BAOFENGTECH.COM AND MIKLOR.COM FOR DOWNLOADS AND HELP.

•  Do not expose the radio to direct sunlight over a long time, nor place it close to heating source.
• When transmitting with a portable radio, hold the radio in a vertical position with the microphone 3 to 4 centimeters away from your lips. Keep antenna at least 2.5 centimeters away from your body when transmitting.
  If you wear a radio on your body, ensure the radio and its antenna are at least 2.5 centimeters away from your body when transmitting.

Features and Functions

•  Dual-band handheld transceiver
•  High Capacity Lithium-Ion battery
•  50 CTCSS tones and 105 DCS codes.
•  Alarm function.
•  High, mid, and low power, selectable.
•  Function beep on the keyboard.
•  Frequency step, selectable between 2.5K | 5.0K | 6.25K | 10.0K | 12.5K |20.0K | 25.0K | 50.0K
•  Battery saving function
•  Scan mode
•  Built in CTCSS/DCS tones
•  PC programmable.
•  Crossband reception.
•  ANI
•  DTMF encoder.
• Broadcast FM radio receiver 65-108 MHz
•  VOX (voice activated transmit).
•  Up to 128 named memory channels.
•  Display illumination programmable via keypad.
•  Dual watch / Dual reception.
• • Programmable repeater offset.
•  Transmission time-out timer.
•  Busy channel lock out
•  LED flashlight.
•  Ten (10) levels of Squelch adjustment.
•  End of transmission tone, aka “Roger Beep”.
•  Keypad lock

What’s in the box?

This transceiver comes shipped with the following items in the box:

•  Radio body
•  Lithium-Ion battery pack
•  Antenna
•  Desk charger (With wall-wart)
•  Optional belt clip
•  Optional wrist-strap

Assembly

Before the radio is ready for use we need to attach the antenna and battery pack, as well as charge the battery.

Antenna

This transceiver is fitted with a Male SMA connector. To mount your antenna (Female SMA connector), align the two connectors and turn clockwise until it stops.

•  Do not over-tighten your antenna to avoid damage to the connectors.
•  When installing the antenna, don’t grip it by the top. Grip by the base and turn.
•  If you use an external antenna, make sure the SWR is about 1.5:1 or lower to avoid damage to the transceiver.
•  Do not hold the antenna with your hand or wrap the outside of it to avoid bad operation of the transceiver.
•  Never transmit without an antenna.

Belt clip

At the back of the radio there are two parallel screws mounted above the battery, remove these and thread them through the holes on the belt clip as you screw them back into the radio body.

Do not use any form of glue to fix the screws on the battery clip.

Battery

Before attaching or removing the battery make sure your radio is turned off by turning the power/volume knob all the way counter-clockwise.

Installation

Make sure the battery is aligned in parallel with the radio body with the lower edge of the battery about 1-2cm below the edge of the radio. Once aligned with the guide-rails, slide the battery upward until you hear a click as the battery locks in place.

Removal

To remove the battery, press the battery release above the battery pack (see Figure 2.1, “BaoFeng BF-F8HP, overview”), as you slide the battery downward.

Charging and battery maintenance

Charging

Battery should be fully charged before initial use. Optimum battery efficiency will be achieved after the three full battery charge and discharge cycles.

Follow these steps to hook up and use the charger:

1.  Plug the DC connector of the power adaptor into the charger base.
2.  Plug the AC connector of the power adaptor into a main AC wall outlet.
3.  Place the radio in the charging slot on the charger.
4.  Make sure the radio is making contact with the charger. When the red LED comes on steady, your radio is charging.
5.  The radio is fully charged once the charger’s green status LED goes steady. Please remove the radio at that time to avoid over-charging your battery.

Table 1.1. Charger LED codes

The charger and battery are fitted with matching notches so that you can charge your battery on its own! Practical if you have two batteries. That way you can charge one battery while still using your radio. Radio should be turned OFF during charge cycle.

Battery Maintenance

The battery for your radio comes uncharged from the factory; please let it charge for at least four to five hours before you start using your radio.

•  Use only batteries approved by the original manufacturer.
•  Never attempt to disassemble your battery pack.
•  Do not expose your batteries to fire or intense heat
•  Dispose of batteries in accordance with local recycling regulations. Batteries do not belong in your trashcan!

Prolonging the life of your battery

•  Only charge batteries in normal room temperatures.
•  When charging a battery attached to the radio, turn the radio off for a faster charge.
•  Do not unplug the power to the charger or remove the battery and/or radio before it’s finished charging.
•  Never charge a wet battery.
•  Batteries wear out over time. If you notice a considerably shorter operating time with your radio, please consider purchasing a new battery.
•  Battery performance will be reduced in temperatures below freezing. When working in cold environments, keep a spare battery on you. Preferably inside your jacket or in a similar location in order to keep the battery warm.
•  Dust can interfere with the contacts on the battery. If necessary wipe the contacts with a clean cloth to ensure proper contact with radio and charger.
• If your battery has become wet, remove it from the radio, wipe it dry with a towel and put it in a plastic bag with a handful of dry rice. Tie the bag up and let it sit over night. The rice will absorb any remaining moisture in the battery.
• This method is only effective against minor splashes (light rain for instance). A soaked radio may very well be beyond repair.

Storage

Partially charge your battery before long-term storage in order to prevent damage from over- discharge. While lead acid must always be kept at full charge during storage, this radio uses a lithium-based battery and should be stored at around a 40 percent charge. This level minimizes age-related capacity loss while keeping the battery in operating condition and allowing self- discharge. To avoid severe capacity degradation of your battery while in long-term storage, please cycle the battery at least every six (6) months. Store your batteries in a cool and dry place, never above normal room temperatures.

Chapter 2. – Getting to know your radio

Figure 2.1. BaoFeng BF-F8HP, overview

1.  Antenna, see the section called “Assembly” for details.
2.  Power / Volume knob, usage discussed in the section called “Power and volume”.
3.  Two-line LCD
4.  Call key
5.  PTT key, usage discussed in the section called “Making a call”.
6.  Monitor key
7.  Keypad
8.  Speaker and microphone
9.  Accessory jack
10.  VFO/MR mode key
11.  Status LED
12.  A / B select key
13.  Battery pack; see the section called “Charging and battery maintenance” for details.
14.  Battery contacts
15.  Battery release latch
16.  Lanyard loop
17.  LED flashlight – See the section called “Side key 2 – MONI (Monitor and Flashlight)” for more information.

The main display

Figure 2.2. BaoFeng BF-F8HP, display

The transceiver is fitted with a seven character by two line dot matrix alphanumeric LCD, with auxiliary icons for miscellaneous features.

Table 2.1. LCD icon summary

Even though it is a seven character by two-line display, channel memories are only configurable to six character names.

Battery Level Indicator

When the battery level indicator reads the battery is depleted. At this point the radio will start beeping periodically as well as flash the backlight of the display and when voice prompts are enabled, a “Low Voltage” announcement will be heard, indicating that you need to change your battery or put your radio in the charger.

Status LED
The status LED has a very simple and traditional design. When you receive a signal it turns green, when you transmit it turns red, and it’s off in standby.

Side key 1 – CALL (Broadcast FM and Alarm)

Press momentarily to start the broadcast FM receiver. Another momentary press turns the broadcast FM receiver off. If a signal is received on the active frequency or channel while you are listening to the broadcast FM, the receiver will open squelch to that frequency (as if scanning) and remain there until the signal goes away; it will then switch back to broadcast FM. Press and hold CALL to activate the alarm function. Press  CALL (a short press) again to turn it off.

Side key 2 – MONI (Monitor and Flashlight)

• Press MONI momentarily to turn on the LED flashlight. Another momentary press will flash the LED. Another momentary press turns the flashlight off.
• Press and hold MONI to monitor the signal. This will open up the squelch so you can listen to the  unfiltered signal,

VFO / MR – mode key

Pressing switches between Frequency (VFO) Mode and Memory (MR) mode. Memory mode is sometimes also referred to as Channel mode. To save frequencies to channel memory you must be in Frequency (VFO) mode.

A / B select key

The A\B key switches between A (upper) and B (lower) displays. The frequency or channel on  the selected display becomes the active listening and transmit frequency or channel. To save frequencies to channel memory you must be on the A display.

• When listening to broadcast FM, the A/B key switches between 65-75 MHz and 76-108 MHz bands.

Numeric keypad

The BaoFeng BF-F8HP hand-held transceiver comes standard with a full numeric keypad.

Figure 2.3. BaoFeng BF-F8HP, keypad

The numeric keys have their secondary function printed on them (in reality it’s rather menu short-cuts, more on that in Chapter 4, Working the menu system). The SCAN and keys on the other hand have actual secondary functions, scan and keypad  ock respectively.

Pound # Key

In channel mode, also acts as a transmit power shift key. While in channel mode, momentarily press to change between High, Mid, and Low transmit power. Do note that this is does not alter the transmit power stored to memory for that channel; it only affects the current session. Switching to another channel or another operating mode (including broadcast FM) will reset transmit power to what’s stored in channel memory.

Keypad Lock

The BaoFeng BF-F8HP features a keypad lock that locks out all keys except for the three side keys.  To enable or disable the keypad lock, press and hold the KEY key for about two seconds.  You can also enable so that the radio automatically locks the keypad after ten seconds from the menu, see Chapter 4, Working the menu system

Star  Key
A short momentary press of the key enables the reverse function (see Chapter 11 Repeaters). When listening to broadcast FM a momentary press will start the scanning. Scanning in broadcast FM will stop as soon as an active station is found, regardless of scanner resume method. To enable the scanner, press and hold the key for about two seconds. See Chapter 5, Scanning for details.

Zero 0 Key
The BF-F8HP features a battery voltage meter that the current voltage of the battery on the display, To see the voltage displayed, press and hold the  key for about two seconds.

Menu and function keys

• The MENU key, used to enter the menu and confirm menu options.
• The UP and  DOWN keys are used to navigate through the menu as well as select channels and step  up or down in frequency (depending on operating mode).
• The EXIT key is used to exit menus and cancel menu options.
• For a more in-depth explanation on how to work the menu see Chapter 4, Working the menu system.

Accessory jack

The accessory jack on the BaoFeng BF-F8HP is a Kenwood compatible two (2)-pin design.

Figure 2.4. Typical 2 pin Kenwood headset configuration.

•  To attach accessories such as headsets, speaker-mics or programming cables, align the connectors and push in fully.
•  The fit isn’t always perfect on cheap or clone cables and connectors and may require a bit of force to wiggle them in completely.
•  Make sure the radio is off before attaching any accessories.

Chapter 3. – Basic Use

Power and volume
Before we turn the power on, make sure you have attached the battery and antenna as described in Chapter 1, Initial setup.

Turning the unit on
To turn the unit on, simply rotate the volume/power knob clockwise until you hear a “click”. If your radio powers on correctly there should be an audible double beep after about one second and the display will show a message or flash the LCD depending on settings for about one second (see “38 PONMSG – Power On Message” in Appendix B, Menu definitions). Then it will display a frequency or channel. If the Voice prompt is enabled, the voice will announce “frequency mode” or “channel mode”.

Figure 3.1. First power-on, display

You can get additional information about your radio when you turn it on by holding down miscellaneous keys as you turn it on.  Holding down the key while turning on the radio provides you with the firmware  version.

Turning the unit off
Turn the volume/power knob counter-clock wise all the way until you hear a “click”. The unit is now off.

Adjusting the volume

To turn up the volume, turn the volume/power knob clock-wise. To turn the volume down, turn the volume/power knob counter-clock-wise. Be careful not to turn it too far, as you may inadvertently turn your radio off. By using the monitor function, enabled from the key below the PTT, you can more  easily adjust your volume by adjusting it to the un-squelched static.

Making a call
Press and hold the PTT button on the side of the radio body to transmit. While transmitting, speak approximately 3-5cm from the microphone. When you release the PTT your transceiver will go back to receive mode.

Channel selection

There are two modes of operation: Frequency (VFO) mode, and Channel or Memory (MR) mode.
For everyday use, Channel (MR) mode is going to be a whole lot more practical than Frequency (VFO) mode. However, Frequency (VFO) mode is very handy for experimentation out in the field. Frequency (VFO) mode is also used for programming channels into memory. For details on how to program your transceiver see Chapter 10, Programming. Ultimately which mode you end up using will depend entirely on your use case.

Frequency (VFO) mode

In Frequency (VFO) mode you can navigate up and down the band by using the and keys. Each press will increment or decrement your frequency according to the frequency step you’ve set your transceiver to. For details on how to set the frequency step on your transceiver see Chapter 4, Working the menu system and the section called “1 STEP – Frequency Step” in Appendix B, Menu definitions. You can also input frequencies directly on your numeric keypad with kilohertz accuracy. However, the radio will floor to the nearest frequency that corresponds to your frequency step, in other words, when you input frequencies with greater than 1kHz resolution (such as 145.6875 MHz in the example below), always round your input up.

The following example assumes the use of a 12.5kHz frequency step.

1.  Use the key to switch to Frequency (VFO) mode
2.  Press until the appears next to the upper display (display A).
3.  Enter on the numeric keypad, it should look something like this.

Figure 3.2. Half-entered frequency input.

Now, for the final four digits. Note that you can only enter three decimals on the keypad, if you type 687 it wont work. So how do you get the fourth and final digit 5 in there? By rounding 145.6875 up to 145.6880 MHz, an alternative is entering 145.675, key once to move it up to 145.6875.

Enter 6 8 8 on the numeric keypad, if all went well the display should look something like this:

Figure 3.3. Successful frequency input

Just because you can program in a channel does not mean you’re automatically authorized to use that frequency. Transmitting on frequencies you’re not authorized to operate on is illegal, and in most jurisdictions a serious offence. If you get caught transmitting without a license you can and will get fined, and in worst case sent to jail. However, it is legal in most jurisdictions to listen. Contact your local regulatory body for further information on what laws, rules and regulations apply to your area.

Channel (MR) mode
The use of Channel (MR) mode is dependent on actually having programmed in some channels to use. To find out more on how to program channels see Chapter 10, Programming.  Once you have channels programmed and ready, you can use the between channels UP AND DOWN keys to navigate between channels .

If you have channels programmed with Transmit power set to Low, you can use the key to momentarily switch over to mid or high power if you’re having trouble getting through.\

Part II. Advanced topics

Part two covers the more advanced topics, such as setup of repeater offset and programming via computer link.

Chapter 4. – Working the menu system

For a complete reference on available menu items and parameters, see Appendix B, Menu definitions.

If your radio is set to Memory (MR) mode, the following menu items will not take any effect: STEP, TXP, W/N, CTCSS, DCS, S-CODE, PTT-ID, BCL, SFT-D, OFFSET, MEM-CH, BAND

Basic use

Procedure 4.1. Using the menu with arrow keys

1. Press the MENU key to enter the menu.

2. Use the UP AND DOWN keys to navigate between menu items.

3.  Once you find the desired menu item, press again to select that menu item.

4. Use the UP AND DOWN keys to select the desired parameter.

5.  When you’ve selected the parameter you want to set for a given menu item;
   To confirm your selection, press and it will save your setting and bring you back to the main menu.
   To cancel your changes, press EXIT and it will reset that menu item and bring you out of the menu entirely.

6. To exit out of the menu at any time, press the EXIT KEY.

Using short-cuts

As you may have noticed if you looked at Appendix B, Menu definitions, every menu item has a numerical value associated with it. These numbers can be used for direct access of any given menu item.
The menu is also organized in such a way that the ten most common functions are on top, and as can be seen in Figure 2.3, “BaoFeng BF-F8HP, keypad”, these are also printed on the keypad so you don’t have to remember them all. The parameters also have a number associated with them, see Appendix B, Menu definitions for details.

Procedure 4.2. Using the menu with short-cuts

1. Press the key to enter the menu.

2.  Use the numerical keypad to enter the number of the menu item.

3.  To enter the menu item, press the MENU  key.

4. For entering the desired parameter you have two options:
   Use the arrow keys as we did in the previous section; or
   Use the numerical keypad to enter the numerical short-cut code.

5. And just as in the previous section;
   To confirm your selection, press and it will save your setting and bring you
   To cancel your changes, press you out of the menu entirely. EXIT and it will reset that menu item and bring

6. To exit out of the menu at any time, press the EXIT KEY.

7. All further examples and procedures in this manual will use the numerical menu short- cuts.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What kind of range can I expect?
  With the included antenna, you will get about 10 kilometers on open area land. About 5 kilometers in suburban settings. In urban settings, aabout a kilometer or two. In a boat, a bit further than 10kilometers. With the Nagoya extended antenna, you can make 20 kilometers, more or less, on open ground. However, use an

• Is the battery the same as the UV-5R?
  It does use the BL-5 battery, and works with UV-5R batteries and accessories.

• Can you use this like a walkie talkie? As in me and someone else in the woods talking back and forth?
  YES. And don’t listen to those saying you’ll be fined by the FCC. Unless you get drunk and sing, whistle or burp the Star Spangled Banner, the FCC won’t come after you. Radio waves belong to the people. I live in a congested area and frequently scan the frequencies, and I very seldom, if ever, chance on other people using them. There’s a popular repeater in the Washington D.C., area and I’ve been listening to it all day. And the same few people use it most of the time and it’s rare that conversations go for more than twenty minutes. I use my radios to transmit rarely. And I have called out on various frequencies for radio checks. But only the repeater frequency has yielded any response, and the vast majority of the time others can barely hear me (I’m using a 10W Baofeng BF-H6 with a Nagoya 24j antenna or a TYT8000D radio with a Retevis 20W antenna.) Good luck in even getting the FCC to even hear you! Maybe the Russian Embassy could, but look, seriously, try to find the last time the FCC ever fined a poor schmuck for using a walkie-talkie without a license. Don’t listen to the Technition Class FCC-ham police. They’re the only ones who could track you down, and most have better things to do. Use your walkie-talkies responsibly and you won’t come to an ignomineous end. No one but your friend will even hear you.

• Has anyone used this for hunting and what can I expect outdoors in mountains and canyons?
  I have not gone hunting with it, but the range is pretty incredible. I can hit repeaters at least 30 miles from my home using the factory antenna. Simplex operation should enable you great range… and if you’re near a repeater then all the better. If you have a mobile that can do cross band repeating then you could extent your range a lot more.

• Has anyone else had a problem with turning off the button beep (menu 8), and then not being able to receive any sound?
  Yes I just got one today and never paid attention as I never turn off the beep but if I turn beep off there is NO receive at all. Must be a bug in the firmware.

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