Retevis RA 79 / Quansheng UV-K5. Will it scan on AIRBAND ?

[@M7EUP]

Hey Fred. The airband allocation is 108-137 MHz… the allocation between 108 and 118 MHz is assigned to navigation and information services like VOR’s, NDB’s and ILS landing systems. 118-137 is dedicated to voice comms and the channel spacing across Europe is 8.33. Hope this helps.

[@alanslade2319]

Great that it'works for its price fred but I get what you are saying mate Alan from Luton 👍

[@sparky71a]

If you put the latest Egzumer firmware on with AM fix, it'll scan rapid,compared to what you have there. And the AM fix will mean you'll be able to hear the air transmissions properly,plus you'll be able to program your two different bands etc.

[@jamesangus9144]

Its when you flash the moded firmware where this radio comes int its own. Use the spectrum function and you listen to the full airband at once so any transmission on any frequency you hear instantly. No scanning required. You can also reduce increase the (rf) gain so you can hear the overpowering signals perfectly. Works brilliantly.

[@TheGrumpyEnglishman]

Which firmware do you recommend?

[@petercarter9034]

Using egzumer, each allocated memory channel can be set in to a List I, List II or no list, you can do this by using a long press of key 5 whilst the memory is on the screen as you press Roman numerals on the right of the screen cycle to I, I I or both etc. Put your air channels say in I then in the sets memory 19 you can set scan List 1, List 2 or All, set to List 1 only your chosen Air Band memories will be scanned set to All the radio will scan all 200 memories conversely you can put some of your memories say CB channels in List 2 and scan just that list determined by the sets memory 19 again

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Thanks for the info Peter.

[@alanslade2319]

Bit late but just got on and thanks for your input FRED, just love how you explain things, thanks again Alan from Luton 👍

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@johnemmons9087]

Love your videos Fred. Especially the QUANSHENG’s! It’s incredible what people are doing around the globe with these! The egzumer seems to be the best and most stable one right now out of the 3 we been looking at!

[@RosssRoyce]

Fred, here some help: first your sound on airband - your sound is distorted with the overhead close by planes (clearer on distant station), so pls INSTALL the Egzumer 0,21 mod firmware (it fixes AM saturation, my airband is now crystal clear, clearer than my flying radio actually). Second: don’t scan airband on “frequency scan”, you will miss 95% (or more, or all!) of the calls. Rather, make a list of the Approach, Tower, Ground, Airspace radar, SIV, etc frequencies of the airports near you and put them on memory channels (and alpha tag names, very neat on Egzumer). The SPEED of scan of memory channels is like a lightning! Very fast, you will practically listen non stop to airband calls. When you do this make a lgroup” of channels (on Egzumer you can have two scan groups) and make one let’s say “airband”, then you will scan only that very fast. In my case I have mixed airband with the 16 PMR channels, works just the same. You can make a group with any channel you’ve created. It is infinitely faster than frequency scan and besides the TWR, APP, GND frequencies are fixed, unlike CB conversations, so you can just find your local frequencies and chanalize them. Otherwise, to your curiosity the air frequencies are fitting 25khz step but since a few years already many airports and radios require the 8,33 kHz step (allows for more in between stations frequencies). Also, on the Egzumer you have a spectrum mode which lets you hear any peaking frequencies between two frequencies that you define (like 27,000 and 29,000mhz for example. You define from what squelch level (it’s a drawn “limbo” line that you descend or lift above the moving spectrum) the peaking frequencies will be heard. Note that other mods like “Fagci” also have spectrum mode but keep the airband distorted like on original radio. Hope you have fun with this fine firmware! I have one favor to ask but I do in a separate message. Cheers! Rosss

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Thanks for the information. Egzumer seems very popular.

[@K5NOV]

Hi Fred great review just an FYI the am broadcast for aircraft dramatically improves when the radio has been flashed. Check out the docking firmware for this little beast 73

[@nclflyer8197]

Spacing on airband is 8.33khz. But 25khz works. And what you’re listening to there is Heathrow Approach, that’s why it’s busy. Setting scan rate to 100khz you’ll miss 75% of stuff. Airband goes 118.000, 118.025, 118.050, 118.075, 118.100 etc (25khz step rate). Nowadays they use 8.33khz but you can still pick them up in 25khz spacings.

[@sulochanasatyan7228]

The stock radio picks up airband communication very well, but the audio is pretty poor. Once you do the hardware mod, the audio output is very good. It's 118 to 136 mhz AM mode.

[@FNUKSTER1366]

Great video, Egzumer 2.1 flash from browser

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Thanks for the info

[@josephdeery4931]

Hi Fred, love the videos the step for the air band is 8.33 thank you very much

[@annax5212]

Flash Egzumer 0.21 and you have 2 scanlists to use

[@PhillRobinson]

Actually, the priority channel is 121.500mhz

[@DinsDale-tx4br]

7:55 If you put your Air-band frequencies into memory you can the select Scan List 2 for only the Air-band channels and then when scanning scan list 2 you get quite a fast response to activity.

[@sparky71a]

Further to my last post, I use MMANA (web)or Dipole Calculator (play store) pop in 126.000mhz (London North Weather) and say 2mm for wire thickness. Make a home brew Dipole,with the results.I've walked around the garden with mine to find the best spot and and stuck it on the fence. Wired back to the shack,and attached to Quansheng K6. That length will scope you the whole Airband,and ain't bad on 2m!! I've now ordered some bits to make a dipole to fit directly to the Quansheng,using twin 60cm telescopics.Should be fun.

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Sounds great. The spirit of radio listening. Having a go. 😄

[@Greg-et2dp]

Frid in the shed your retevis r 79 is awesome my friend

[@Greg-et2dp]

Frid in the shed I learn lot from you about bying cb radios and antennas for cb radios my friend

[@Greg-et2dp]

Frid in the shed your utube videos are awesome my friend

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Hello Greg

[@nclflyer8197]

I’ve never in my 30 years in aviation heard a mayday on 121.5. They’re usually “pan pan” and on an ATC frequency.

[@TheJONNYSHADOW]

121.500 MHz shall be provided at all area control centres , aerodrome control towers and approach control units serving international aerodromes and international alternate aerodromes in order to facilitate the immediate reception of distress calls

[@tjrcuk]

Hi, I have a couple of uvk58 uvk6 radios, these are pretty hard to brick tbh and if you do they can be easily recovered. I have a couple of videos up on these two custom firmwares IJV & Egzumer which I am currently using-testing on both of my my radios but fagci reborn looks interesting just not at a stable release yet from what I can see.

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Thanks i will take a look.

[@RosssRoyce]

Fred, when/if you have time, pls could you check this for me: I have a new CRT SS6900 radio. It works fine. But I have (like you) the 9900 so I got the 6900 exclusively for the CW morse mode. There I detect a problem and what I ask is to see if only my radio has this problem or all 6900. To check you will need an ordinary stereo jack cable (same small headphone stereo style jack on both sides) that will fit perfectly in the CW input on the back of your radio. Then take two crocodile clip wires (or just one ordinary wire ..) and short the base ring and the tip ring of the stereo jack that is on the other side of the cable, leave the middle ring free, it does nothing. When you short them you will hear the CW beep (this is how you can make your own DIY morse key shorting these rings). So the problem is, when I type VERY quickly three (or more) dots … the first dot is omitted, like the CW mode kicks in with a fraction of a second retard. This prevents one to type words starting with dots… if you test this do the dots very quick, and three is good number because you hear only two, if they are more you may get the impression of loosing count. It’s a simple thing but can’t explain it in a short way so thanks enormously for kind attention! If you try this pls write as a reply here. See you

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Hi. Ok i will give it a go next time i have the radio out.

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

I found this on the CT forum but i have a feeling it might be your own post lol. charlietangodxgroup.forumotion.com/t4574-ss-6900n-and-cw-key

[@RosssRoyce]

@@CB-RADIO-UKmy post is the one in the end which shows comparison pictures between the N model board inside and mine V model. They are Sooo different! The gentleman before that very kindly sent me a video trying what I asked and his test don’t seem to me as delaying the CW like mine. I have a feeling that the N models did it right but his “dots” are too slow for me to tell: one has to do three VERY quick dots and the first gets eaten if the delay is there… I just bought a secondhand President Lincoln I and when I receive it I’ll test it’s CWWM as well, I’m pretty sure it will be good… thanks a lot Fred!

[@SimonBlandford]

The Yeisu FT4 (basically a Beofeng in a suit) has a cool memory feature where it is possible to organise the memories into "banks" so that you can group all the PMR channels together in one bank, all the local repeaters in another bank etc. I wonder if its possible to put this feature into one of the custom firmwares, although I fully understand there isn't much memory to cram more code into.

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Yes thats what they need. As it stands all channels go int one big bank.

[@Greg-et2dp]

Frid in the shed Iam thinking about getting my Grms license 🤔 my friend

[@SimonBlandford]

I wish we have GMRS over here! 50W legal power limit on UHF. Cool!

[@thyhaggis7139]

Air band is 8.33khz steps before that it was 25khz and long before that it was 50khz , it must of been the early 60s when it was a 100khz

[@19TC504]

like i say before,the scan is faster when you use egzumer fimware,it scans faster then my uniden bearcat,idk but there are scan list but i dont know if you have that with the orinial filmware

[@sprint955st]

Looks like you were listening in to Heathrow Approach, considering your location I’m quite surprised at that.

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Could have been but prob Luton

[@sprint955st]

You can lookup the service that uses any of the frequencies that broke the squelch on the web. It’s not secret information. Eg 118.825 (at 10:22) is Heathrow NW Approach. That’s why I said Heathrow Approach.

[@richardmillican7733]

Ive got 2 of these Fred.. but bugger me, i cannot get them to communicate with my PC. Ive noticed mine have NO BRANDING. No Quansheng No retrevis. Maybe mine are dodgy clones Ill get another couple and try again. As you say, if i brick em... at least I'll have spare antennas, chargers, and batteries!!

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

They should read in CHIRP with the generic cable ?

[@richardmillican7733]

@@CB-RADIO-UK it turned out to be a driver issue with the laptop. Reinstalling the latest driver from Dell cured it immediately. Worth mentioning in case anyone else is having similar issues.

[@bulldogbrower6732]

Sorry Freddy, the aircraft band should not sound distorted like that. Have someone allow you to listen to a dedicated air scanner.

[@simontemplar0468]

Hi Fred. It's been a long time. I hope all is well with you. Been good here on Mount Hood in Oregon. We have a nasty snow/freezing rain storm going through the state right now...great time to play radio. Thanks for the video. One of my crew at work bought one of the many versions of this radio. Thniking about buying one too. It does very well for the inexpensive price. My co-worker bought the Quansheng labeled UK5(8) version for $30 on Amazon US. Keep up the great work. 73 and cheers from this side of the pond.

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Hi buddy. Nice to hear from you again.

[@TonyLing]

4:30 Scan rate is relatively good for this type of radio. AM audio is shit with the older factory firmware.

[@KnugenMooMoo]

Ahhh good old Scanner day I had one of them use to listen to the police I mean the airplanes 😂, shame they isn't any decent scanners out there would love to get a more modern one to listen to planes

[@chriswilliams9976]

Uniden scanners are great for listening to planes there are more expensive digital scanners too. Make sure you upgrade the antenna though.

[@margaretstansfield3105]

Hi fred can you explain please what hi cut means and does also have you a time when on the 305😊

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Hi. Its a filter that reduces treble on the receive.

[@nickaxe771]

Airband freq spacing is now 8.33khz. AM Airband sound pretty much as it does on all these sort of radios....quite poor.....any signals with and strength are just distorted.

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Thanks for the spacing tip. I think they have got better each time they update the firmware.

[@grahamjones5947]

Airband vhf emergency channel i.e. Maday is 121.500 Mhz

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Thats the one. Thanks

[@Daverocks-zp3kh]

On my scanner i get marine chatter aircraft taxi 449 businesses radios plus ham radio at times.

[@-The-Darkside]

Do you have this or something else

[@Daverocks-zp3kh]

I have a scanner which is a radio scanner.But even on my radios I get marine vhf PMR 446 Business radio and taxi.Plus radio hams.Plenty to listen to.

[@lewigreener9378]

I just got my first radio retevis ra79 I do not yet have a license but I will get one in the future just starting off is there any channels I can transmit on without a license in the uk or am I only allowed to listen Untill I get my licence ?

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

If you want to stay 100 % legal with this radio there are no channels you can transmit. However most people use them on the public 446 MHz PMR band.

[@lewigreener9378]

⁠​⁠@@CB-RADIO-UKok thank you, so if I go onto frequency mode and type 446.000 I can transmit from 446.000 to 446.975 without risking the police at my door? I just want to give it ago as it’s a new toy and do not yet hold a licence and have a lot to learn Untill then hopefully your videos teach me everything I need 😊

[@lewigreener9378]

@@CB-RADIO-UKalso if I purchased another unit can I use them as walki talkies with a friend say we was out hiking ect without a licence or do I need a licence for that also? Sorry for all the questions

[@heikoplotner2636]

​@@lewigreener9378 In Deutschland machen es viele ebenso.

[@dutchbeef8920]

They really are all the same radio just rebadged for different brands. At the Aliexpress price point of £18 (inc tax and delivery) it makes total sense. At £35 personally I wouldn’t bother. Need to remember these aren’t scanners and dual watch is your friend with these. Scanning entire bands is pointless.

[@Stainless316L]

I get control tower both ways on 455.550 thats not airband?

[@mpol701]

No that's what was known ass CAA pmr band, Airport tower and gnd repeaters of vhf airband plus other channels near by for airport main users like fire trucks, though if course will be heard on the twr repeater as well if need to use or cross runway or gnd repeater if near taxi ways and stands

[@Stainless316L]

@@mpol701 I can listen to all the ground staff talking to the tower all the aircraft on approach and departure on that channel 👍

[@mpol701]

@@Stainless316L depends on how the airfield is set up if a larger airfield that has vhf gnd freqs like Heathrow u have several differant freqs re broadcast, u sure a it departure and app? As that means several freqs all going into one off, yes you will get clearance take off and landing but that's still tower, that's not ground controller or app and departure

[@Stainless316L]

@@mpol701 Ringway definitely sure. I get the refuellers the shunting emergency response de ice. Airlines getting clearance to depart and land etc etc all every com with the tower basically. Pity can hardly pick up anything else picked up hospital ward fire alarm recorded message on a similar channel the other day.

[@anthonypope8429]

Hi just got the quansheng uv-k6 for 10 pound will I need to use the steps as the receive is poor on the airband

[@davidhooper1767]

What is the connector for the whip antenna?

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Its a female to female SMA barrel connector

[@davidhooper1767]

@@CB-RADIO-UK Thanks Fred I will get one for my baofeng.

[@johnemmons9087]

Doesn’t have two scan lists built in?

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Has a few freq ranges.

[@ifell3]

You pronounced K5 wrong 😅

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

LOL dont start. :-)

[@ifell3]

@@CB-RADIO-UK 😁😁

[@stephenjones9153]

Johnny No5 He is Alive 😂😂😂

[@bulldogbrower6732]

You are impressed with this radio. I am not ! For the cost of producing this radio why doesn’t Quanshang just make an AM airband scanner with the proper channel spacing with a decent scan speed. They’d sell a bundle of them. No other manufacturer produces a airband scanner at a price anywhere near this. The current FM transceiver with airband really sounds bad. So bad it hurts my ears.

[@heikoplotner2636]

Kann kein Air Band schalten, 7.2024. Nach Gebrauchsanweisung vorgegangen. Bin nicht der einzige.

[@Sphyxx]

I saw a video from Retevis claiming its their radio from manufacturing to packaging and I commented that its literally a Quansheng radio and the video got deleted 😂

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Ive got the UV-K5 and it looks exactly the same but thats not a bad thing.

[@Sphyxx]

it's not a bad thing but the "manufacturer" of the Retevis radio deleting their video while making obvious claims of being the manufacturer when in fact they just rebrand the radio puts me against the company itself and not to forget the retevis is selling for more than the Quansheng radios.

[@guidelineuk4876]

Listening in 🗼🛫🛬🛩✈️😎nice one fred