Summary of Part 1: I purchase a BTECH UV-2501 and Nagoya UT-72 antenna in hopes of creating an emergency field radio. I had to wait for a power source for a full test. I chose the UV-2501 for the price and claimed power output. I do not have the proper test equipment to test the claims, but other reviews say the claims are pretty accurate. I should note that I should have posted Part 1 of this article some time ago.

One of the goals of Amateur radio is to provide communications in an emergency. As a new amateur operator, I would like to be able to assist in that goal. Before I sign up for ARES or SKYWARN, however, I would like to have something substantial to offer. Thus my emergency radio project was conceived.

My project consists of the UV-2501 and Nagoya UT-72 antenna combination. I will first explore the antenna problem.

The UT-72 is designed to work with the UV-2501 and other Baofeng radios. They do seem to help extend the range of the Baofeng hand held radios, such as the UV-5r and UV-82. I was, however, disappointed in the performance with the UV-2501. It works, but from the signal reports I received, the antenna that a friend provided to me when I first started in Ham radio works better. I have been researching home brew antennas that I can mount on my roof for extended range.

The radio, itself, is quite nice. It is designed to operate as a mobile and does quite well. It is designed to plug into the cigarette lighter. It is quite compact and can fit anywhere in a vehicle. But it does have some problems.

1. Programming through the manual is easy. I am used to using the CHIRP programming software to program my handhelds, however. The problem with the UV-2501 is that you must manually set the transmit (Tx) and received (Rx) frequencies individually to connect with repeaters. Therefore a little mathematical skill is required. With the CHIRP software, you simply enter the offset and + or -. With the UV-2501 you must know the repeater offset and add or subtract, respectively, the offset from the repeater receive frequency to enter the repeater transmit frequency. In other words, if the repeater base frequency is 147.140 with a negative offset of 6 KHz—which is about standard—your Tx frequency would be 146.540. With a positive offset the Tx frequency would be 147.740. I know that sounds confusing, but it is not calculus and even I figured it out quite readily.

2. CHIRP does not work with the UV-2501. So if you choose to try to program it via computer, you have to use the software provided by Baofeng. The software is not as easy as CHIRP and many people abandon the software provided by Baofeng in favor of CHIRP.

While waiting for a power source, I plugged the UV-2501 into the car. I was able to figure out the programming easily enough and the unit works well. One thing you can do with this unit that you cannot do with Baofeng hand helds is enter a name for the channel.

I initially planned to experiment with programming and operating the UV-2501 using the 13.8-volt Radio Shack power supply. A consultation with Baofeng Tech indicated that would be sufficient. The problem is that is not a portable power supply and this project is for a portable emergency radio.

While shopping in Walmart, I found what I thought would be the answer. I spotted a Stanley FATMAX JUMPiT jump starter for about $60. A little less than the Radio Shack power supply. It had a plug-in for a cigarette lighter adapter. When I got it home, I found an isolation transformer and a cord to connect the cigarette lighter to the FATMAX to recharge the unit. While reading through the manual, I found that you could plug in an appliance, but it had a maximum limit of 5 amps.

I decided to try it. It was not an uneducated decision. After all, the FATMAX is designed to do just this. I plugged it in and it worked just fine. I ran the unit for about two hours on a test run and both the power source and the radio held up fine.

Now I have a radio and power source that I suspect can last three- to four-hours in an emergency. It has enough range to get most repeaters in my area. I suspect that using the higher power UV5001 would drain the power source quicker, as well. If I have a car available, I can recharge the power source as I drive. I am looking into other power solutions, such as solar.

My next step will be to test the unit in the field. The idea is to have the radio and power supply in a backpack. The backpack will also contain an extra hand held, or two. It will also contain food for three days and some first aid equipment. It will also contain a tent and sleeping bag. This would allow me to set up for emergencies, such as a lost person in the woods, or for special events around the area.

The next step is to set up the pack and put it to work. I’ll have to use the antennas I have until I can build a new one.