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October 8, 2025 Wednesday 3:18 AM
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Yaesu FT-70D HT
![]() Yaesu offers a free download to program the FT-70D. It's called ADMS-10 and it a reasonable software package. I installed it and used it to (eventually) download the data from the HT. It has some interesting features, some like Chirp, some like RT Systems. Selecting the 'Home' tab alo offers a list of the bands the HT can receive, their function, and the operating mode.
The FT-70D uses a mini-USB programming cable. You may also want to download the CHIRP software to use the programming cable. If you didn't get the programming cable, get back online right now and order it. It makes setting up the radio much simpler. The manual method of opening a channel, setting the offset, tone, tonesquelch, power level, scan skip, then saving it to the right memory location is tedious, made especially so with the tiny keyboard. Chirp makes it more like a spreadsheet, and it's trivial to keep a backup copy on your computer just in case. Chirp makes it easy to replicate all the settings from one radio into another. Many of the Chirp-accessible settings can't be performed from the keypad. So get Chirp. Make sure your progamming cable is recognized by the computer's operating system as a COM port in Windows (or TTYUSBxx in Linux). Remember the port number, you may need it when using Chirp for the first time. Conventions used on this page
When describing a particular button I will enclose it in brackets like so: [MENU]
I may add my own commentary in italics The MENU system for radio settings
You've got the battery installed and charged, and the antenna connected, so let's make sure it all works. Turn it on to a reasonable volume. You should hear a greeting right off the bat. If not you can hear the volume level by pressing the [VFO/MR] button a few times. The radio will toggle between the two modes and will tell you which mode it is in. Then adjust the knob on the top of the radio to get the right volume.
If the voice is not in english, press the Menu button once, then '1', then '4'. This puts you into the Voice Prompt menu. The arrow should be on the first row of the radio display which reads VOICE. Press [MENU] again to move the arrow to the bottom row. Then use the Up and Down arrows to select English, Chinese or Off. Press [MENU] again to preserve the selection, then [EXIT] to leave the menu. Now when you turn the radio on it will speak to you in your desired language, as long as you desire English or Chinese.All of the menus work the same way, press [MENU], then the desired menu number via the keypad (or walk through them using the up and down arrows), then [MENU] again to get into the specific values for the selected menu, up/down to select the desired value, [MENU] to save the value, followed by [EXIT] to leave the menu. By the way, the radio's language defaults to Chinese. If you ever reset the radio to all the default values (Menu 40 RESET => ALL), it will revert to Chinese. Let's preserve the default settings using the programming cable and get ready to programmmmmmmmm
You've got Chirp installed and the cable configured, so let's read all of the factory settings into chirp and make a backup copy. Attach the programming cable to your computer and call up Chirp. After the LED blinking stops and the radio resets, Chirp will display all of the information it found on the radio In the Advanced Settings tab we'll find the all-important Voice setting. I prefer English so I have a chance of understanding. In the Other Settings tab we find the labeling information that will let you know which program you are using just by turning the radio on. Make sure you set the Power-On Message field to "Message" to show Power-On Message 1 and Power-On Message 2. Once I pass the technician exam I will change Message-1 to my new callsign to prevent confusion down the road. If there's room I'll add a radio number to the end, or it might get merged into Message-2. All the other settings are good to go for now unless you really want to change the FM Frequency default on the FM Radio Preset tab. Go to File => Save and save the image. We'll build on that right away.It would be good to go ahead and save that to the radio, so pull down Radio => Upload To Radio and let it fly. Manually Entering Frequencies and Storing Them into Memory Locations
The radio needs to be in frequency mode to directly enter frequencies. Press the [VFO/MR] button to toggle between channel mode and frequency mode until you're in frequency mode. At this point you can directly enter a frequency. For WX1, enter the numbers 162550 directly from the keypad. No enter or exit is required. If NOAA is broacasting on WX1 you should see the LED backlight change color and you'll hear the signal. If nothing happens, enter subsequent WX channels from the table.When you find an active WX station save it into a memory location. Press [MENU], '2', '7', [MENU], (then use the up or down arrows to select memory location 2), [MENU] (to save the value into MEM-02), and finally [EXIT] (to get out of the menu). Now this frequency will appear in your channel list. Now add a second frequency by pressing the [A/B] button to modify the other display line frequency and typing another NOAA WX frequency on the keypad. Save it to MEM-03Both will remain active and you can switch between them using the [A/B] button. If you return the radio to channel mode [VFO/MR] you can step up or down through (both) channels using the up and down arrows, and they will remain available until cleared or overwritten.Even better, if you perform the "Download from the Radio" operation in Chirp you'll see these two channels in Memory locations 2 and 3! Finding Channels / Stations to Remember and Scan; Importing and Exporting Groups
Chirp offers several methods to find useful over-the-air resources. File=>"Open Stock Config" offers a list of NOAA weather frequencies, the FRS and GMRS frequencies, US Marine VHF, etc. If you know what you're looking for, try File=>"Query data source" to open a connection to radioReference.com, RepeaterBook and other popular websites. Try RepeaterBook to find local area bands based on politically defined areas (Kittitas County, etc) or proximity (Jolly Mountain, Washington).
What do CTCSS and PL mean?
An FRS radio applied a "Privacy Code" by adding a specific (standardized) low frequency tone to the outgoing signal. A receiver listening to the same channel would only let you hear the "private" transmission if it detected the low frequency tone it expected. When working properly it seemed like a private conversation because the receiving radio simply ignored everything else. That's why sometimes User-A could hear User-B, but User-B couldn't hear User-A. User-B used a privacy code and could only hear matching transmissions. User-A received everything because the privacy code was not set, and since the privacy code was not set it did not include the low frequency tone expected by User-B's radio, so User-B's radio ignored User-A's transmissions. In the amateur radio world those "privacy codes" are called CTCSS, or the Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System Semi-private, point-to-point networks can use this technology just like a grown-up version of FRS. On the UV-5R, Receive-CTCSS is set in menu 11, Transmit-CTCSS is menu 13. The radio can be manually programmed, with each setting for a channel defined through the menu system, than saving the values into a memory location. That is how to do it in the field, but if a computer is available all of this can be done easier using Chirp. With backup copies. And internet resources. NOTE: DO NOT USE THE UV-5R TO BROADCAST ON ANY FRS/GMRS/MURS FREQUENCY. This table is only presented as an example of how the CTCSS/PL work in a familiar platform. It is illegal to broadcast on FRS/GMRS/MURS frequencies using an amateur radio. Link Chirp Shortcuts and Definitions as used in the UV-5R
Memories
[(none)]: the frequencies are the same; [off] means transmissions on this channel are disabled (ie NOAA Weather channels); [split]: The offset column will contain the absolute transmit frequency to use for this repeater; [+]: the Offset column value will automatically be added to the Frequency column value when transmitting; [-]: the Offset column value will automatically be subtracted from the Frequency column value when transmitting. See What is a repeater and how/why do I use it below. Settings=>Basic Settings
Settings=>Advanced Settings
Settings=>Other Settings
Settings=>Work Mode Settings
Settings=>FM Radio Preset
Settings=>DTMF Settings
Settings=>Service Settings
What is a repeater and how/why do I use it
Specific Reference Materials
High Level UV-5R Menu Descriptions from miklor.com
Very descriptive UV-5R Menu Descriptions from miklor.com How do I use the UV-5R as a scanner? Baofeng UV-5R Radio Add-Ons
Turn your Baofeng UV-5R into a Police Scanner! Boafeng UV-5R Accessories That YOU Need! BTECH, BaoFeng BL-5 AA Battery Pack for for BF-F8HP, UV-5X3, and UV-5R Radios ExpertPower Baofeng UV-5R Extended True Capacity Battery (Model: BL-5L, 3800 mAh, Black) DM-5R Baofeng UV-5R Radio Information
Miklor: Everything about the Baofeng UV-5R Series, UV5R / BFF8 / GT3 and all variants of the UV5R Manually-Programming-BaoFeng-HT-Radio-Channels ===>>> Baofeng For Dummies UV5R+ HAM Radio Tutorial <<<=== Baofeng UV 5R How To Manually Program Repeaters. Repeater Book 5 on iPhone App?? Baofeng UV-8HX Emergency set up HAM Radio Crash Course - Baofeng UV5R Family Radio Programming and Settings Part 1 BaoFeng BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio (136-174Mhz VHF & 400-520Mhz UHF) Includes Full Kit Baofeng For Dummies UV5R+ HAM Radio Tutorial
I bought two UV-5R radio packages from Amazon to get some key features:
[Kit 1] has a radio, 2 basic batteries, 12V adapter, AC adapter, antenna, VOX, programming cable, charging base, lanyard, bet clip, and a small CD with some software and drivers that I haven't used. [Kit 2] shipped with a radio, 3800mAH battery, A/C adapter, antenna, VOX, charging base, lanyard and belt clip. I wanted both AC and DC charging capability and wanted to try out both the convenience of a small battery and the capacity of a large battery. |
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