Quansheng UV-K5 PMR446 "like" setup

 ...or how to setup your walkie talkie from china to be the most compatible as technically** possible with Polish law (or European in fact  https://docdb.cept.org/download/1491 ).

Intro

Out of curiosity (or perhaps boredom), I recently purchased an incredibly affordable walkie talkie from AliExpress. However, since I don't currently possess a radio license, the safest option for me to operate it would be to use PMR frequencies.

In summary - In Poland, when using PMR, it is required that your device has a maximum transmission power of 0.5W with a fixed antenna. While the Qs UV-K5 may not fully comply with PMR regulations, we can make some adjustments to ensure it is more PMR-friendly and does not interfere with the communication of those using radios with only 0.5W power.

According to this youtuber L(Low) setting is approx.  1W of power in 430 MHz band so we are outside the specs but not by much.

Easy guide

Here is step-by-step simple procedure to setup your UV-K5 to use PMR:

- F* key + 3 (to switch to VFO mode)

- go to menu (M button, then up down button to navigate)

- STEP set to: 6.25 kHz

- TXP - LOW (lowest transmission setting ~1W )

- W/N - NARROW

        - press EXIT

- Enter first channel frequency using keypad:

- 446006

Confirm looking at display - you should see:

        446.00625

- go to menu

- MEM-CH

- scroll to desired number like 001

- press menu again

Congratulations on successfully storing your first PMR channel! 

Now you can continue with the rest of PMR446 bands.

Channel	Frequency	Width	Notes
1	446,00625 MHz	12,5 kHz	CTCSS:12 - Emergency communication
2	446,01875 MHz	12,5 kHz
3	446,03125 MHz	12,5 kHz
4	446,04375 MHz	12,5 kHz	Recommended for drone operators
5	446,05625 MHz	12,5 kHz
6	446,06875 MHz	12,5 kHz
7	446,08125 MHz	12,5 kHz
8	446,09375 MHz	12,5 kHz
9	446,10625 MHz	12,5 kHz	Skip - this is DMR / Digital
10	446,11875 MHz	12,5 kHz	Skip - this is DMR / Digital
11	446,13125 MHz	12,5 kHz	Analog in Poland / DMR in rest of EU
12	446,14375 MHz	12,5 kHz	Analog in Poland / DMR in rest of EU
13	446,15625 MHz	12,5 kHz	Analog in Poland / DMR in rest of EU
14	446,16875 MHz	12,5 kHz	Analog in Poland / DMR in rest of EU
15	446,18125 MHz	12,5 kHz	Analog in Poland / DMR in rest of EU
16	446,19375 MHz	12,5 kHz	Analog in Poland / DMR in rest of EU

After you finish, exit VFO mode by pressing

F* key and 3 (VFO/MR) - you will hear that it is "channel mode". 

Now you can use UP/DOWN keys to select desired channel.

Extra recommended options to set:

SQL: 1   (this is just level on which MUTE happens, if 0 - then you will hear noise all the time)

TDR: OFF (this can be confusing for novice users, its used to monitor 2 channels at the same time)

CTCSS: this one is for creating topics in the same channel. For example if you set R_CTCS to 1 (67Hz) then you will hear only incoming messages transmitted with this signal inside (another radio have T_CTCS set to same value as tour R_CTCS). Certain PMR-only radios offer an extensive range of channels by duplicating standard PMR channels with distinct CTCSS codes, thereby creating virtual separate channels - in our case if we set R_CTCS to OFF then we will hear everything.

I would recommend doing the same for all the "analog channels" (excluding DMR) since this radio operates only in analog mode. By doing so, you'll be able to avoid hearing static when there is digital transmission occurring nearby while monitoring digital channels.

Be aware that this configuration does not comply with the current legal regulations in Poland as of 2023. Therefore, if you choose to proceed, please do so at your own discretion and consider utilizing only LOW power for transmission. It's important to remember that there are other users present, and transmitting at a power level exceeding 0.5W (ERP) may potentially cause interference with their transmissions. Let's be considerate and respectful towards one another. To increase (not legally) compatibility I recommend flashing firmware with adjustable power - of course at your own risk.

If you happen to spot any errors or discrepancies in this configuration, please feel free to reach out to me, and I will gladly assist you in updating it (most likely).

** - maybe replacing antena with something low-gain would make it on par with officialy available PMR solutions.