Using the Baofeng® Radio Your Guide to Handheld Ham Radio

Get the Most out of Your Handheld Ham Radio

Prep…
Using the Baofeng® Radio gives you everything you need to start using your handheld ham radio on the air legally, safely, and effectively. Get ready to use your radio to stay in touch with family and friends whether you are off the road, off the grid, or you want access to a reliable backup communication device. Discover uses for your ham radio including how to relay your signal through a mountaintop repeater so you are heard far away, and a step-by-step guide to digital operations. This book is a comprehensive gateway to the world of ham radio using Baofengs.

Ready…
The book details operating with the popular UV-5R, the rugged UV-82, and the DMR-enabled DR-1801UV. Using the Baofeng® Radio covers how to program and use your radio with only the front panel and built-in settings. It then elaborates on using the free programming software CHIRP to program 128 contacts using a laptop or home computer. Finally, it describes how to program your radio to communicate around the world using Digital Mobile Radio (DMR), which you can access through repeaters or mobile hotspots.

Connect…
In no time, you’ll be talking across a car caravan, reaching other hams on repeaters in your region or state, and making new friends in Europe, Australia, Japan, and elsewhere.

To prepare you for new activities and adventures, Using the Baofeng® Radio provides detailed information on your radio’s settings screens. It also includes cheat sheets with the most frequently used settings and helpful tips from longtime Baofeng user and ham radio enthusiast John Leonardelli, VE3IPS.

Includes:

An Introduction to Ham Radio

What Hams Can Do with Simplex Transmissions

Repeaters

Bug-Out Bags and Go-Kits

Emergency Preparedness and Satellites

Navigating and Programming Baofeng Radios

Programming the UV-82 with CHIRP

The DR-1801UV: A Digital Mobile Radio

Accessories for Baofeng Radios

Glossary

Your handheld radio is your gateway to communications via the Amateur Radio Service, also known as ham radio. Amateur radio is a federally regulated and licensed radio service for people of all ages. Ham radio provides the broadest and most powerful wireless communications capability available to any private citizen anywhere in the world.

John Leonardelli, VE3IPS, has been a licensed amateur radio operator since 1975. His early interest in shortwave listening (SWL) and high school ham radio activities inspired him to pursue a career in electrical engineering, earning degrees in Communications and Telecommunications Technology. John’s primary interests include building ham-related gadgets and antennas, operating QRP, contesting, and portable/mobile HF operation, with a particular focus on Parks on the Air (POTA) and Summits on the Air (SOTA). He currently manages the Ontario SOTA section and leads both the Toronto Baofeng Users Group and the Toronto QRP Society. In addition to teaching amateur radio classes, he serves as a Volunteer Examiner. In recent years, John has focused on growing the hobby among youth, helping Boy Scouts and Venturer Scouts earn their licenses and participate in events such as Jamboree on the Air (JOTA).