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Author Topic: Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design  (Read 842 times)

N6YFM

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Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design
« on: May 13, 2020, 09:41:07 PM »

FYI only.
I have tried a couple of the Baofeng UV-5X3 tri-band FM hand-helds.
The design is consistent, no one can hear you well.   It has nothing to do with the
setting for narrow band or wide band FM.  It is set correctly.  I sent it back for an
exchange.   The replacement is just as bad.  Baofeng "B-Tech" USA does not answer
the support emails also. The radio has improper low modulation, to the point where
people receiving you have to turn the volume way up.    The old adage holds true; 
You get what you pay for.    This stuff works, but is poorly designed and even more
poorly adjusted at the factory.    Buyer beware.    There is no such thing as a bargin. 
Stick with Icom/Kenwood/Yaesu/Alinco name brand radios.    China junk is very good
at being, well, um, er, ah, China junk.

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K0RDG

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Re: Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2020, 06:14:20 AM »

Did you purchase the BTech version or one of the other versions that are floating around..(like Radioddity for example)?
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N2AYM

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  • Posts: 375
Re: Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2020, 06:18:28 AM »

FYI only.
I have tried a couple of the Baofeng UV-5X3 tri-band FM hand-helds.
The design is consistent, no one can hear you well.   It has nothing to do with the
setting for narrow band or wide band FM.  It is set correctly.  I sent it back for an
exchange.   The replacement is just as bad.  Baofeng "B-Tech" USA does not answer
the support emails also. The radio has improper low modulation, to the point where
people receiving you have to turn the volume way up.    The old adage holds true; 
You get what you pay for.    This stuff works, but is poorly designed and even more
poorly adjusted at the factory.    Buyer beware.    There is no such thing as a bargin. 
Stick with Icom/Kenwood/Yaesu/Alinco name brand radios.    China junk is very good
at being, well, um, er, ah, China junk.

very well said - tnx.

I was gonna say virtually the same as you but i am sure you said it better than i was
gonna say. :)
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KD8DVR

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  • Posts: 9
Re: Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2021, 10:29:57 AM »

I own 2.  Neither one has low deviation.  both sound great.
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RADIOPHONE

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Re: Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2021, 01:05:40 PM »

What is the problem?

So some people have to turn up their volume.  So what?

Virtually all receivers have an easy to access volume control.

It is there so that the user can adjust volume level to the desired level.
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KA1VF

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Re: Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2021, 04:43:51 PM »

You could try comparing the built in HT mike audio level
against the PTT speaker/mike audio level.
           note: some folks recommend drilling out
                    that tiny mike audio inlet hole to
                    increase the output audio level.

                    73, and GL
                         Bob




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N6YFM

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  • Posts: 970
Re: Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design
« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2021, 10:33:19 PM »

You could try comparing the built in HT mike audio level
against the PTT speaker/mike audio level.
           note: some folks recommend drilling out
                    that tiny mike audio inlet hole to
                    increase the output audio level.

                    73, and GL
                         Bob

I did all three of those things.  No difference on either of two radios tried.   And to the ham who said "So what, they have to turn up the volume:   He just does not get it.  When you have a repeater net, and ALL other parties are at one consistent level, but people have to turn the volume WAY up to hear you, then the next person speaking almost blows the other peoples speakers out of the radio.

Baofeng ==  JUNK

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RADIOPHONE

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Re: Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2021, 10:42:56 PM »

After the "no traffic to report" from the Beofangfang the people on the silly "net" can turn their volume back down.
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N6YFM

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Re: Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2021, 07:08:39 PM »

OR, ... I could buy a properly designed radio, which I did.

You really do get what you pay for.
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K1KIM

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Re: Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2021, 12:56:46 PM »

A $25 radio is just that.....a $25 radio.

That said, I have 3 of them. Truck throw arounds. The UV5 series is notorious for your problems. Some people drill out the mic hole. Sometimes it helps.

I bought Commountain speaker mics for them (cost as much as the radios). Audio is superb in and out.

Don't expect the battery and output specs to be honest either. QC is awful. I've tested all of mine and none are to spec.

Did I mention it's a $25 radio?!  My base station at home is a Kenwood. I use the HT in my office with a rollup dipole from Ed Fong that work great.

All depends where you set the bar.
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So Many Toys.......So Little Time!

N1AUP

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Re: Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2021, 02:15:19 AM »

What is the problem?

So some people have to turn up their volume.  So what?

Virtually all receivers have an easy to access volume control.

It is there so that the user can adjust volume level to the desired level.

Here's the problem.

Many of us enjoy listening to someone else's QSOs, when we are doing something else.  I monitor DMR and Fusion while I'm mucking stalls in the barn, and feeding animals.

Someone will come on with very quiet audio.  That forces me to drop what I'm doing, and turn up the volume.

Then the next guy comes in with one of the Chinese radios that has the mic gain turned up to 11, sticks the radio down his throat, and yells into the mic.  I get blasted across the room, and I have to drop everything and turn it down.  Further, that audio is usually muffled, and thanks to the high  gain, I can hear every breath, lip movement, the dogs across the street, and his wife gabbing with her girlfriend in the upstairs bedroom.

In the case of digital, parrot can be a great tool to check your audio.  Or ask for a radio check.

I wholeheartedly agree that with radio, you get what you pay for.  The reason why Motorola, GE, Kenwood, and Vertex charge so much for their commercial radios is that the physical build quality is superior, the radio design is robust, and the units are designed to take a beating in public service.  Ham radios from the big 4 (plus maybe Anytone and similar brands), aren't as robust, but the electronics perform well.

The Baofengs, and similar economy radios are not robust, and are designed to be cheap.  Some of them work OK, but many don't .  They also have horrible specs.

You do get what you pay for.
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K6CPO

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Re: Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design
« Reply #11 on: January 24, 2021, 11:01:04 AM »

FYI only.
I have tried a couple of the Baofeng UV-5X3 tri-band FM hand-helds.
The design is consistent, no one can hear you well.   It has nothing to do with the
setting for narrow band or wide band FM.  It is set correctly.  I sent it back for an
exchange.   The replacement is just as bad.  Baofeng "B-Tech" USA does not answer
the support emails also. The radio has improper low modulation, to the point where
people receiving you have to turn the volume way up.    The old adage holds true; 
You get what you pay for.    This stuff works, but is poorly designed and even more
poorly adjusted at the factory.    Buyer beware.    There is no such thing as a bargin. 
Stick with Icom/Kenwood/Yaesu/Alinco name brand radios.    China junk is very good
at being, well, um, er, ah, China junk.

Did this really come as a surprise, given what you paid for them?  "You get what you pay for..."
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AE5NE

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Re: Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design
« Reply #12 on: February 26, 2021, 06:09:17 PM »

Very likely that they are set to produce 12.5kHz channel bandwidth instead of the usual Amateur 25khz.

In this case, it's the Amateur practice which is "behind the times" - the FCC forced other services to narrow channels quite some time ago.

I am not sure if the audio quality is significantly different, but for now it's a luxury we have. 

So most Amateur receivers are set for the wider standard Amateur deviation, and a 12.5kHz channel radio will sound quiet on them.
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KB7BBI

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Re: Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design
« Reply #13 on: March 31, 2021, 11:41:57 PM »

"China junk is very good at being, well, um, er, ah, China junk."

The Chinese AnyTone radios are not junk. They are in a different league than any of the CCRs I have experience with. They are also in a different price range.
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K6CPO

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Re: Baofeng UV-5X3 poor FM modulation design
« Reply #14 on: April 01, 2021, 01:16:37 PM »

Does no one do research before buying a radio or does the lure of a cheap price over-ride logic and common sense?  There's enough threads and forums out there about the poor quality of the Baofengs that it should scare anyone away from them.
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