Hi y'all,

Inspiration struck last night. It may save you a step or two when programming channels into the UV-5R from the keypad.

Briefly, instead of typing in the transmit frequency each time, just hit the "Reverse" button (momentary press of "Scan", the * on the DTMF pad), then program the channel again.

More specifically:

1) Select the band you want, i.e. VHF or UHF.

2) Type in your repeater frequency.

3) Set the appropriate offset amount:
Press "Menu", "2, 6", "Menu", "0, 0, 6, 0, 0", "Menu" for VHF or "Menu", "2, 6", "0, 5, 0, 0, 0" "Menu" for UHF. 

(Unfortunately, since you can only program from the A VFO, and offsets are not remembered on a per band basis, you'd best get into the habit of setting it explicitly each time, in case you forget what you had it at last time. The light dependent can, of course, just look at menu 26 to see what the offset is and, perhaps, may skip this step some of the time.)

4) Set receive CTCSS or DCS codes (menu 11 or menu 12), and transmit DCS and CTCSS codes (menu 13 or 14). Remember that you can enter a CTCSS code in directly, i.e. 1862 for a 186.2 hz tone.

5) At this point, you should be able to access the repeater, assuming you're in range.

6) Press "Menu", "2, 7", "Menu", a three digit channel number, then "Menu" again. You'll hear "Receiving memory".

7) Press "Cancel" to exit the menu. Remember that the menu will stay up for around 8 seconds, so you can do multiple menu operations if you need to. However, you will need out of the menu to get the reverse frequency.

8) Press the "Scan" key. (Is it labeled something like REV/Scan"? I wonder.) Anyway, press that. The receive and transmit frequencies will swap.

9) Press "Menu", "2, 7", "Menu", your three digit channel number (same as in step 6, then "Menu" again. The radio will say "Transmitting memory". 

You're done, and you didn't have to add or subtract any numbers in your head.
--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY