Baofeng RD-5R DMR Radio User Manual

Product Overview

The Baofeng RD-5R is a professional FM transceiver with TDMA Dual Mode capability, compatible with DMR Tier I & II and Standard Motorola systems. It operates on VHF (136-174MHz) and UHF (400-470MHz) frequencies, supporting both 2-meter and 70-centimeter bands.

Multi-Function Features

• Analog and Digital Scan
• Manual Programming (VFO mode)
• Digital Monitor Mode
• FM Radio
• 1024 Channels with CTCSS and CDCSS support (memories)

Compatibility with Classic 5R Series

The Baofeng RD-5R is compatible with most accessories from the older UV-5R series, with the exception of the programming cable.

CPS & Firmware Updates

Continuous updates for CPS (Customer Programming Software) and Firmware are available. The CPS supports both channels and contact IDs, and allows importing and exporting data in CSV format.

Technical Specifications

• Power Output: 1W / 5W (High)
• Modes: Analog & Digital DMR Tier I & II
• Battery: 1800 mAh, 7.4V, 13.3Wh/hs (BL-5)
• Display: High-definition black and white LCD
• Contact IDs: 256

Capacity Overview

Key Features

1. Text message reception and transmission with a maximum of 64 characters (SMS).
2. Manual Programming: Supports VFO mode.
3. Frequency modification in Channel mode.
4. Digital Monitor Mode: Similar to Promiscuous Mode when frequency, slot, and color code are set in the same configuration, regardless of contact and RX Group.
5. Customize shortcut keys: Allows programming of the two side buttons via PC software.
6. LED Torch.
7. Supports both digital and analog repeaters.
8. Plug-and-play cable, no driver needed.
9. SMA-Male Connector, compatible with all SMA-Female antennas.
10. Dual-standby and dual display.

Understanding the Keys

Key Functions

• VFO/MR Key: Switches between VFO (Frequency) and Channel (Memory) modes.
• A/B Key: Moves the cursor to select the upper or lower VFO. In analog mode, a long press transmits a 1750 Hz tone.
• BAND Key: In VFO mode, switches between VHF and UHF bands. In SMS mode, moves the text cursor. In MENU, returns to VFO.
• Numeric Keys (0-9): Used for DTMF codes. In input mode, also selects letters or punctuation. Long press recalls shortcuts.
• MENU Key: Activates MENU mode. When scanning, moves up to change scan direction.
• Up Arrow Key (▲): Changes frequency in VFO mode. Moves up when in a menu. Used for SMS.
• Down Arrow Key (▼): Changes frequency in VFO mode. Moves down when in a menu. Used for SMS.
• EXIT Key: Clears entered data. In analog mode, activates/deactivates scrambling.
• STAR (*) Key: In digital mode, a long press enters Manual Input interface. In VFO mode, a long press activates SCAN. In analog channels, reverses repeater frequency (reverse). In CTCSS/DCS menu, starts tone search scan. Clears data in message input.
• HASH (#) Key: Switches TX power between Low (L) and High (H). A long press locks or unlocks the keypad (LOCK). Changes input method in the input interface.

To transmit the 1750 Hz tone, press PTT + A/B keys.

Menu Structure

The main menu categories are:

• Contacts
• Messages
• Call Logs
• DTMF Contacts
• SET (divided into Radio Set and Radio Cfg)
• Setting
• Zone (250 zones, each with 16 channels)
• SCAN

To navigate the menu, press the MENU key and use the Up/Down arrow keys (▲/▼) to select items. To enter sub-menus, always press the MENU key again.

Menu Tables (Overview)

Contact Menu

Message Menu

Call Logs Menu

Radio Set Menu

Radio Info Menu

Radio Cfg Menu

Programmable Buttons (SK1 and SK2)

To simplify operation, the two programmable buttons [SK1] and [SK2] can be programmed by your dealer as function shortcuts. For more information about each function, refer to the "Function and Operation" section.

Display Symbols

Display with Stored Contacts

When contacts are stored in the 250 memories in the CPS, the display shows:

• Only the TG (Talkgroup) used.
• Only the ID of the speaker and any CALL (if stored).

GD-77 vs. RD-5R Standby Mode

The main difference between the GD-77 and RD-5R is in STANDBY mode. With "Double Wait" set to "Off", the GD-77 shows the Zone on line A and the Channel on line B. This is more useful than the RD-5R, which shows channel A and channel B information on those lines.

It appears that the CCD and RD-5R firmware do not support the "Off" setting for Double Watch / Wait. This functionality should be corrected in the RD-5R firmware and software to work correctly, similar to the GD-77.

During DMR RX, it is necessary to see Talkgroup and ID information, not just the second line showing the channel/frequency not in use. This should be an easy fix as it already works in the GD-77 and partially in the RD-5R software.

Basic Operations

Zone Selection

A ZONE is a channel group where channels with the same attributes (e.g., call type, digital or analog mode) can be included. This radio supports 250 ZONES, each capable of containing 16 Channels.

Zones can be selected in two ways:

1. By entering the MENU, navigating to the "Zone" menu, and using the Up/Down arrow keys (▲/▼) to select the desired zone, then pressing MENU again.
2. By assigning the "Zone Switch" function to one of the programmable side buttons (SK1 or SK2).

Selecting Channels (MR), Used ID, and Call Group ID

Press the VFO/MR key to switch to MR (Channel) mode, then use the Up/Down arrow keys (▲/▼) to select the desired channel, user alias, ID, or Call Group ID.

Manual Frequency Setting

In standby mode, press the VFO/MR key to enter VFO (Frequency) mode. Here, you can directly input the frequency and then save it to a channel if desired. Alternatively, you can directly input the frequency using the numeric keypad.

VFO Mode

VFO Mode is the basic mode for operating by frequency. In standby mode, press VFO/MR and use the Up/Down arrow keys (▲/▼) to navigate frequencies.

Channels

The radio can store both digital and analog frequencies, with a maximum capacity of 1024 CHANNELS (memories).

Dual Mode Reception

Pressing the A/B key switches between the upper (A) and lower (B) VFO. The cursor on the display indicates which VFO is active.

To modify Dual Standby settings: press MENU → SET → Radio Set → Double Wait (ON/OFF).

• When Dual Standby is OFF, only the receiver where the arrow appears functions.
• When Dual Standby is ON, both receivers function, but when a signal is received on one, only that one will be active.

Keypad Lock

• To lock/unlock the keypad, press and hold the HASH (#) key.
• Alternatively, go to MENU → Set → Radio Set → Keypad Lock and select Manual, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or 15 seconds to set an auto-lock timer.

Manual Call

In digital mode, press the STAR (*) key to enter manual call mode, input a single call number, and then press the PTT to transmit.

You can also enter a single call number and press the MENU key for other selections.

Contacts

Contacts can be selected from the MENU → CONTACTS.

Contact List

The Contact List is used to store contact information. It can hold a maximum of 256 contacts. Access it by pressing MENU and selecting "Contacts".

You can MODIFY, VIEW, and DELETE each individual number and alias of a contact.

SMS (Text Messages)

The radio can send and receive messages with a maximum length of 144 characters (or 64 characters, as indicated in some places).

Creating and Sending Messages

1. Select SMS → Write SMS to enter writing mode.
2. After typing the text, press the MENU key.
3. Select SEND, SAVE, or Clear, then press the MENU key.
4. Select the contact or manually enter their number.
5. Press the MENU key to send the message. "Sending message..." will appear on the display. If sent successfully, "send successfully" will appear. If not sent, "message sending failed" will appear.

You can also use the 32 pre-defined messages stored in the CODEPLUG.

The ✉️ icon on the display indicates the message status: closed (unread) or open (read).

To delete received messages: select SMS → Inbox → Delete All.

Inbox and Outbox Management

Inbox: Stores received messages (up to 20). A read message is indicated by an open envelope ?, an unread message by a closed envelope ✉️. If full, the ☒ icon will be displayed. New messages overwrite the oldest. You can reply, forward, view details, and delete messages. To delete all inbox messages, select "SMS -> Inbox -> Delete All".

Outbox: Stores sent messages (up to 16). Sent messages are always at the top. If full, no icon is displayed. New messages overwrite the oldest. You can resend, forward, edit, and delete messages. To delete all outbox messages, select "SMS -> Outbox -> Delete All".

To delete outgoing messages: select SMS → Outbox → Delete All.

Call Log

The radio can store up to 10 recent CALLS, including answered and missed calls. When the log is full, it overwrites the oldest entry.

To access: press MENU and go to Call Log. From there, you can:

• Press PTT to initiate a call.
• Add a contact.
• Delete calls: Call Log → Dialed/Answer/Missed → Delete All.

Scanning

Scanning functions when DUAL WAITING is disabled.

To activate scanning, go to MENU and select SCAN, or press the STAR (*) key.

If "Auto Scan" is programmed, scanning activates automatically when you go to the designated channels.

When scanning is active, the LED flashes orange and the Z symbol appears on the display. Different versions of this symbol may appear depending on whether priority channels are active.

To listen to a conversation, press the MONI key.

To stop scanning, press the STAR (*) key again.

A SCAN LIST can be created for each CHANNEL via CPS. This radio supports up to 16 Scan Lists, and each scan list can contain up to 16 CHANNELS (both analog and digital).

To select scan lists, go to Scan → Scan List in the menu.

Promiscuous Mode (Digital Monitor Mode)

This is similar to Promiscuous Mode, where the radio monitors when the frequency, slot, and color code are set in the same configuration, regardless of the contact and RX Group.

It can be activated by setting the MONITOR button in the CPS.

Monitor Function

Use the Monitor function to adjust the reception signal.

Press and hold the "Monitor" shortcut to activate this function. The ? icon will appear on the display. Release the key to exit.

Priority Channel

You can designate whether the current channel (or any channel) is a priority channel. Each SCAN LIST can have up to 2 priority channels set.

Sub-Audio Tone Scan

In analog mode, press MENU → Set → Radio Set → CTCSS. Press the STAR (*) key to enable sub-tone CTCSS search.

TX Power

Pressing the HASH (#) key switches between low power (1 Watt) and high power (5 Watt). TX power can be defined for each individual channel.

In case of poor repeater coverage, you can switch to "direct" mode by pressing MENU → Set → Radio Set → Talkaround → ON.

Squelch Level

You can adjust the squelch level based on background noise. It is normally set to "NORMAL".

Push-to-Call

This function must be stored in the codeplug. In digital mode, you can directly initiate a call to contacts.

Press MENU → Contacts, use the Up/Down arrow keys (▲/▼) to select the contact, select "Call prompt", and press the MENU key to initiate the call. If successful, "Call prompt success full" will appear; otherwise, "failed".

Call Prompt Reception

After receiving a call prompt command, a call tone will be heard. Press EXIT to dismiss it.

Radio Information

To view radio model, serial number, CPS version, and hardware version:

• MENU → Set → Radio Info → Radio ID
• MENU → Set → Radio Info → Device Info

Radio Reset

To initialize the radio to its default conditions:

With the radio OFF, press and hold Side Button 1 and Numeric Key 1. Then power on the radio. "Memory Reset?" will appear. Press the MENU button to confirm initialization. The LCD will display "Memory Reset..." and initialization will complete after 10 seconds, with the radio turning on normally. Pressing other buttons will exit the initialization interface and boot normally.

CPS and Codeplug

Open the RD5-R program, also known as "Program Software" (identified by a black radio icon).

Connect the radio to the PC, power it on, and click "NEW..." in the top left.

Go to General Setting and enter your callsign and ID number in "Radio User" and "Radio ID" fields.

Managing Contacts in CPS

Now, you need to enter the various TGs (Talkgroups), regional groups, TACs (Tactical Channels), and your friends' contacts (with callsign and ID number) in the "Contacts" section.

Managing Channels in CPS

This is the most tedious part: go to CHANNELS (memories) and enter your analog and DMR repeaters one by one.

First, select whether it's an analog or digital repeater (DMR) from the top-left dropdown. Then, input the RX and TX frequencies, and optionally select the TX power and TOT.

Repeat this process for all radio repeaters you wish to store. For each ANALOG repeater, also remember to store the CTCSS sub-tone to open it!

And for each one, you need to correctly set these parameters on the right side:

Therefore, each time you must choose the CONTACT (TG, Regional, or TAC) and the SLOT (1 or 2). Except in rare cases, the Color Code is generally always 1.

Creating Zones in CPS

Now we need to create the various Zones. Click on the "Zone" option in the tree view.

From the list that appears in the LEFT window, click ADD to move the desired items to the RIGHT!

Example: By clicking on a DMR Repeater, we will move the TGs or regional/TAC channels we want to use for that single repeater from the left list to the right by pressing ADD.

And so on for all the others we have created, which are found in the far left list.

Creating RX Group Lists in CPS

If desired, we can create our own RX Group List.

Always use the same procedure: select from the left and press ADD to put them in the list!

Creating Scan Lists in CPS

And we create our SCAN list in the same way:

Firmware Update (FW)

Password for Advanced Mode

To access advanced mode: press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + 5, then type the password: DMR5R.

Firmware Update Process

1. Turn off the radio and connect the cable to the radio and the PC's USB port.
2. Press and hold Numeric Key 1 and Numeric Key 2 (located between PTT and the keypad) SIMULTANEOUSLY, then power on the radio. The radio will be in FW update mode when the indicator light is on.
3. Open the "Update.exe" software.
4. Click on "Browse" and select the FW file, for example: RD-5R_V2.0.9.sgl.
5. Click on "Download" to complete the upgrade.

6. Disconnect the CABLE, turn off the radio, or reboot it. DONE!

Download Software and Firmware

Download the UPGRADE Program and FW from:

• https://www.radioddity.com/radioddity_download/
• https://www.radioddity.com/baofeng_download/#

Latest FW Version: V1.0.3 Fixed (July 2018)

Fixes included:

1. TX & RX problem under DMR
2. TX problem under analog
3. Programming software fail to connect
4. Cannot add to 1024 CH
5. CTCSS problem of saving/entering frequency
6. Problem of saving color code
7. Channel, time slot, color code lost when import/export in bulk
8. New Function: Bandwidth (12.5/25K) and squelch level will follow the channel bulk operation.

Software Update: V1.0.0.4 (The latest Version)

• Fix VFO problem.

Installation Setup: Double click to run Setup. (Note: Some installation files might be flagged as viruses by security software, thus being isolated. Please restore it.)

Radioddity states that all software downloaded from www.radioddity.com is well tested and clean.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Does it have VFO?

Yes, you can input the frequency directly from the keypad and move up/down with the arrow keys. You can also save everything from the radio.

Does this radio have a TRUE VFO, and can everything be done in DMR from VFO?

Yes, it has a VFO for both analog and digital modes, like the GD-77.

Can both analog and DMR frequencies be stored in MEMORIES, or are they separate?

You can program memories as you wish; usually, a dedicated zone is created for analog ones.

Is it a typical dual-bander that has two frequencies in VFO but only receives one, or does it receive both?

It receives one VFO at a time. You can also set up dual watch, meaning it switches automatically depending on where it receives a signal, BUT IT IS NEVER SIMULTANEOUS DUAL LISTEN.

It is a dual-band radio but naturally does not have simultaneous reception.

Does this radio have Promiscuous Mode?

Yes, but here it is called Digital Monitor Mode.

Using RD-5R with Hotspot

Some users complain that they cannot get it to work with their hotspots:

The RD-5R functions well; it can receive and transmit, but it does not activate the user's hotspot. The radio transmits, as it can be heard on another DMR radio, but it cannot register on any of the user's hotspots. The codeplug has been checked many times, and everything is verified.

Timeslot and Colorcode are programmed correctly, and the DMR ID is the same on both the hotspot and the radio. All other DMR radios work fine, but the RD-5R does not.

It should work. Hundreds of radios and 6 different types of hotspots have been programmed. The conclusion is that the firmware update and reset damaged the main program. There is obviously a bug in that firmware area.

If you haven't updated or reset your device, it should work fine on DMR. Have you reset or updated your device?

The user updated the firmware, but it performed a reset before doing so. This is something done with all radios during firmware updates. At that point, the user was unaware that a reset would be harmful.

Under the channel settings, you should deselect "Dual Capacity Mode". This has resolved similar issues for others.

After this, it works great with a Bluestack DVmega.

The Baofeng RD-5R works with Jumbospot hotspots.

PI-Star mini MMDVM Hotspot DMR:

Version 1.1 (July 2018)

Translation into Italian by IW2BSF - Rodolfo

Web Support

For web support, visit: www.radioddity.com