mckero/uv-k1-k5v3-firmware-custom

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Table of Contents

Advanced features

On this page
Air Copy

Reliable transfers in v6.0.0

Multiboot, Multiconfig, and overlay apps
BEAM transfer mode
Fox Hunt / Beacon
RF log
RescueOps

Disclaimer
Overview
Usage

Game
UV Studio
Standalone K5Viewer and UVTools2

K5 Viewer
UVTools2

Resume Mode
TX on all bands

Warning
How to unlock TX on all bands

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Advanced features

This page covers specialized or optional features that are not needed for basic radio operation: Air Copy, BEAM, Fox Hunt / Beacon, RF log, RescueOps, UV Studio, the standalone K5Viewer and UVTools2 tools, Resume Mode, the built-in game, and the research-oriented TX unlock procedure. Multiboot and overlay apps now have their own detailed pages.

For day-to-day radio usage, see Radio operation. For scan-related features, see Scanning.

Note

Where this page mentions UP / DOWN, use the equivalent LEFT / RIGHT keys on UV-K1. The active navigation layout follows SetNav.

Air Copy

Air Copy is activated by holding PTT + SIDE BUTTON 2️⃣ while turning on the radio, then releasing all keys.

This feature allows you to copy part of the radio memory, or the radio settings, from one radio (source) to another (target) using FSK modulation. By default, transmission takes place on the LPD band (434.000 MHz) at very low power (a few milliwatts).

Use UP / DOWN to select one section:

MEM 001 - 128
MEM 129 - 256
MEM 257 - 384
MEM 385 - 512
MEM 513 - 640
MEM 641 - 768
MEM 769 - 896
MEM 897 - 1024
Settings
All (Mem+Set)

Then:

Decide which section you want to transfer, then select that same section on both radios.
On the target radio, press EXIT to start receiving first.
Only after that, on the source radio, press M to start sending.

The receiving radio must be placed in reception before the sending radio starts transmitting.

Each memory section transfers one bank of 128 memory channels, including the related channel data, names, and attributes. The Settings entry transfers radio settings, scan-list names, and the VFO area used by features such as ScnRng and Fox Hunt / Beacon. This means the source radio's scan-range boundary frequencies and saved Fox Hunt / Beacon preferences are also replicated when you copy Settings.

All (Mem+Set) copies all eight memory banks and Settings in one continuous transfer. During this mode, the title changes to show the memory bank or settings section currently being copied.

Reliable transfers in v6.0.0

Air Copy in v6.0.0 uses an acknowledged block protocol:

the source sends one 64-byte data block and waits for an ACK before advancing
the target checks the packet framing, offset, and CRC before writing it
the target requests RESEND after a damaged or unexpected block
the source automatically retries an unacknowledged or explicitly rejected block up to three times
duplicate packets are acknowledged again without being written twice, which also recovers from a lost ACK

This makes isolated RF errors recoverable during the same transfer instead of forcing an immediate restart of the complete section. Both radios should use v6.0.0 or another compatible ACK/RESEND Air Copy build.

Because the receiving radio now transmits ACK/RESEND control packets, both radios transmit briefly on the selected Air Copy frequency. Make sure that frequency and its use are permitted in your location.

The Air Copy screen shows a progress gauge and detailed status:

TX and RT while sending: transfer percentage and retry count
RX and ER while receiving: transfer percentage and receive-error count
AIR COPY OK when every selected block has been acknowledged
AIR COPY FAIL if the retry or receive timeout is exhausted

For a memory bank, the transfer is done in 68 Air Copy blocks of 64 bytes. For Settings, it now uses 12 blocks because the VFO area is included.

If the transfer still fails after automatic recovery, leave both radios on the same selection, start the target again with EXIT, and repeat from the source with M. Reducing the distance or moving away from interference may help.

Multiboot, Multiconfig, and overlay apps

v6.0.0 adds two larger platforms documented separately:

Multiboot and Multiconfig explains Main plus four firmware slots, the startup selector, independent configuration banks, SetCfg, and UV Studio slot management.
Overlay apps explains the experimental Labs-only .app platform, installation through UV Studio, the F + 7 launcher, compatibility checks, and app development.

BEAM transfer mode

BEAM is an optional direct transfer mode for one VFO or memory channel. Unlike Air Copy, which transfers memory banks or settings sections, BEAM is meant for quickly sharing the currently selected setup with another compatible radio.

Assign BEAM to one of the customizable shortcuts (F1Shrt, F1Long, F2Shrt, F2Long, or M Long), then trigger that shortcut to open BEAM mode.

In BEAM mode:

UP / DOWN toggles between BEAM TX and BEAM RX
M starts the selected operation
EXIT leaves BEAM mode

BEAM TX sends the current VFO or memory-channel configuration, including frequency, offset, tones, modulation, bandwidth, power, scan-list assignment, compander, DTMF-related settings when enabled, and channel name.

BEAM RX waits for a BEAM packet from another radio and saves it to the first free memory channel. If memory is full, the status shows MEM FULL.

See Button functions for the shortcut-level details.

Fox Hunt / Beacon

FOX HUNT / BEACON is an optional programmable action for radio-direction-finding activities. Fox Hunt provides a dedicated receive screen with calibrated dBm, S-meter and peak readings, signal trend, selectable attenuation, two gauge styles, and optional audio guidance. Beacon periodically transmits the configured identification message in Morse on the active TX VFO.

Beacon begins transmitting as soon as that sub-mode is selected, so the frequency, power, antenna, transmit permissions, and applicable regulations must be checked first.

See Fox Hunt and Beacon for setup, controls, transmission safeguards, saved settings, and the full safety notice.

RF log

Builds with RX/TX logging add an RF LOG shortcut action. Assign it to F1Shrt, F1Long, F2Shrt, F2Long, or M Long, then trigger that shortcut to open the history screen.

The RF log records receive, monitor, and transmit sessions to external flash. It is useful for checking recent activity after scanning, monitoring an unattended channel, or reviewing transmissions made during field use.

Each logged traffic entry stores:

frequency, or the memory channel reference when the session came from a saved channel
RX or TX direction
session duration
peak RX S-meter level for received sessions, or TX power level for transmitted sessions
lowest battery voltage measured during the session

The log view shows the latest entries first and exposes up to 512 traffic entries. When the ALL filter is selected, horizontal separator lines mark radio restarts.

Controls on the RF log screen:

UP / DOWN: scroll through entries
F + UP: jump to the newest entry
F + DOWN: jump to the oldest visible entry
M: cycle the filter between ALL, RX, and TX
* SCAN: cycle the right-side detail badge between duration, S-meter / TX power, and lowest battery voltage
long-press M: open the clear confirmation; long-press M again on CLEAR LOG / SURE? to erase the log
EXIT: leave the RF log screen, or cancel the clear confirmation

The log is stored in a reserved external-flash area, so it survives normal power cycles. Clearing the log erases that reserved area.

See Button functions for the shortcut-level details.

RescueOps

Disclaimer

I would like to clarify that I am not an expert in emergency services; however, this special feature has been developed with the intent to meet the communication needs of first responders as effectively as possible. I am open to improvement suggestions from professionals, within the limits of my abilities, the time available to me, and the technical capabilities of the transceiver.

Overview

The RescueOps feature has been specifically developed to integrate into a communication system designed for first responders (firefighters, etc.). It does not include the bandscope or FM broadcast reception, which are likely unnecessary in this context. However, it includes support for Air Copy (potentially useful in the field, away from a PC), NOAA weather broadcasts (for North America), and enhanced Flashlight functionality, which can be set to fixed, blinking, or SOS modes. Additionally, a new menu has been added: SetKey. This menu allows users to select which key activates RescueOps mode when the transceiver starts. By default the key is MENU, but it can also be UP, DOWN, EXIT, or * SCAN.

Usage

Note

Emanuele, a member of the “Corpo nazionale dei Vigili del fuoco”, has written documentation specifically dedicated to the use of the RescueOps feature. Many thanks to him.

By default, the transceiver functions like any other firmware version, allowing access to menus (and hidden menus), long presses, or F key combinations to activate various functions directly from the keyboard (for example, to start a scan or adjust transmission power), as well as shortcuts.

However, if the transceiver is turned on while pressing both the PTT and the key configured in the SetKey menu, it will switch to RescueOps mode, triggering the following changes:

the menu is locked
long presses and F key combinations are disabled (except A/B and keypad lock)
restart in hidden-menu mode is blocked
the keypad can only be used to change memory channels, just like the UP and DOWN keys

Short and long presses on F1 and F2, as well as long presses on M, remain available for shortcuts. This configuration is the responsibility of the person in charge of setting up the transceiver. If shortcuts are not desired, they can simply be set to the action NONE.

Note that the RescueOps feature offers 2 new actions:

POWER HIGH, which lets you quickly switch temporarily to the maximum power of 5 W if required
REMOVE OFFSET, to temporarily remove the offset of a memory channel if present

These 2 actions were added at the request of rescue professionals and correspond to needs in the field.

Once in RescueOps mode, each normal startup keeps the transceiver in this mode. To return to the default mode, with access to menus and hidden menus, simply repeat the startup operation while pressing both the PTT and the key configured in the SetKey menu.

Game

This firmware includes a small breakout game.

In builds without overlay apps, press F+7 to start the resident game.
In the Labs edition, F+7 opens the overlay-app launcher; install and select Breakout or another game there.
To exit, press EXIT
You can pause the game with M
Move the paddle using 4 or UP to go left, and 0 or DOWN to go right

This game has no ambition beyond fun. The idea was simply to explore what is possible on the Quansheng K5 alongside its radio features. Think of it as a playful nod to the Nokia 3310 era.

UV Studio

UV Studio is the unified browser-based companion for this firmware:

https://armel.github.io/uvstudio/

It combines the capabilities previously split between K5Viewer and UVTools2:

live 128x64 screen mirroring
virtual UV-K1 and UV-K5 keypads with supported short and long presses
compatible RF-log streaming, analytics, and CSV export
firmware flashing
calibration backup and restore
custom boot-logo upload and download

It uses Web Serial and runs locally in a compatible desktop browser without an installation, server, or account.

Important

Viewer key control does not provide remote TX. UV Studio cannot start a transmission, and its on-screen PTT does not transmit.

See UV Studio for requirements, radio modes, safety information, and the complete workflows.

Standalone K5Viewer and UVTools2

UV Studio is intended to become the main browser-based companion for the firmware. The standalone tools remain available during the transition and can still be used for existing workflows.

K5 Viewer

K5Viewer mirrors the live radio display and sends supported non-TX key presses from the computer keyboard or virtual keypad. It works through either the radio USB-C connection or a compatible Baofeng/Kenwood-style double-jack USB-to-Serial cable.

Current firmware builds keep K5Viewer synchronized with SetSav screen-saver frames. Builds that enable the optional RX/TX-log bridge can also stream recent RF-log rows to compatible viewer tooling.

Demo video

UVTools2

UVTools2 provides the original standalone firmware flashing, calibration backup/restore, and custom boot-logo tools.

See UVTools2 web tool for its existing documentation.

Resume Mode

Your transceiver will restart in the same state it was in before being turned off. So, if it was in Bandscope mode, listening to FM broadcast, or scanning, it will automatically resume that state upon the next startup.

TX on all bands

Warning

This modification is UNTESTED and is for RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY, to explore the capabilities of the device and its chipset. DO NOT transmit on illegal frequencies. DO use a dummy load. The author(s) and contributor(s) of this repository are NOT liable for any damages, litigation, or other consequences of the misuse of this research firmware and do not accept any culpability. By installing any firmware from this repository, you accept full responsibility for any consequences that may arise and waive the right to pursue legal action against the author(s).

This option will not allow you to transmit in any modulation other than FM; this is a hardware limitation. Switching to AM or SSB only changes the AF audio output mode of the RF IC. It does not switch the whole IC into AM / SSB mode. This is for listening only. This firmware is also built with an additional lock that blocks TX when AM or SSB is enabled.

As an example of why this should not be used for actual communications, consider the following chart for transmission power at 27.254 MHz:

27.254 MHz -> 228 microwatts
54 MHz -> 2.4 milliwatts
81 MHz -> 230 milliwatts
109 MHz -> 558 milliwatts
136 MHz -> 412 milliwatts
163 MHz -> 122 milliwatts
190 MHz -> 14.8 milliwatts
218 MHz -> 2 milliwatts
245 MHz -> 2.6 milliwatts

Credits: Tunas1337 / UV-K5-Modded-Firmwares

How to unlock TX on all bands

Go to the hidden menu
Enter menu F Lock
Choose option UNLOCK ALL
Repeat steps 2-3 3 times. Do it carefully. If you confirm any other option in the process, the counter is reset and you will have to repeat the procedure again.

Advanced features

On this page