UV-5R - Identifying the UV-5R GMRS versio

Modified on Thu, Dec 7, 2023 at 3:58 PM

August 2023 - Baofeng changed the UV-5R to be a GMRS radio and did not change the name.

This will help you identify the radio before you get started.

First: When you turn it on for the first time, you will see GMRS1 displayed when in Channel mode. On mine, NOAA1 is also displayed.

Second: Check the label under the battery... actually before you put the battery on the radio. GMRS is clearly displayed... TWICE. You might want to check that before you get started.

This radio programs with the programmer for the UV-5G. It cannot use the standard program for the UV-5R.

This is the original UV-5R that uses the standard UV-5R programmer. Just for reference, this is what the labels on our original UV-5R radios looks like. Notice... NO MENTION OF GMRS.

Any of you who program radios for a neighborhood group... a club... or some other organization that has the members buy their own radios and only tell them to get a Baofeng UV-5R, will see this problem very soon... depending on when the next person purchases a radio that you are asked to program. What fun!!