For the last couple of months I have been testing the BTECH UV-2501 by Baofeng as a possible transportable emergency radio. The project is coming along and I have conducted some tests. I have used it as a mobile as it was intended. I use it as a base, but because of my particular location it does not perform well. This is primarily because I have yet to set up an antenna in a good location. I am working on that.

THE BAD

There are some poor things about this particular model. The main thing is the programming software for the UV-2501/5001. Programming with the microphone keyboard is easier than with the typical Baofeng HTs. The downloadable Baofeng software, however, is horrible. I will try to put a video together comparing the CHIRP and Baofeng programs in the near future. The Baofeng program writes to and read from the UV-2501 well. It is very weak in editing.

Another problem is the channel dial. You can easily select a channel from the microphone keypad, but when you use the dial it does not change channels smoothly. It dances around the channels and is difficult to settle on the channel you are seeking. Another problem is that if I have the power level programmed for high, it seems to override the menus setting. That is when I set the power to low and key the microphone, it changes to high. To overcome this I program each repeater or frequency into the radio twice; one with a low and one with a high level setting. If you are in VFO mode it may not override the menu settings. I have not experimented with this.

Another thing that I noticed is that I am getting what appears to be cross-talk. I am trying to narrow that down.

Of course these technical problems could be peculiar to my radio. Others may not have a problem with this.

THE GOOD

The good thing is that this radio works. It works well with the Nagoya antenna that I purchased with the radio in my vehicle and out in the open. As I indicated, my home location prevents this from being a great base station.

Another feature is the scramble mode. You can set it up so that you can scramble your communications with another radio, ie BTECH UV-2501/5001, that has the same feature. A radio monitoring on the same frequency will not be able to understand your conversation. I do not have another unit to test this feature. Of course if the third party has a BTECH, they can go into scramble mode and monitor your conversation. I do not understand this mode fully, but when I do I will report on it.

This feature is only useful in certain circumstances. A Sheriff’s posse conducting a search in which the perpetrator might have a radio might be one instance.

THE PACKAGE

As shown in Figure 1, above, the idea was to fit the whole package in a military Alice pack. The Stanley FatMax and UV-2501 fits well into the Alice pack and it is not too heavy. There is room to add another unit and some food for an extended station. You could probably fit enough food for two or three-days stay.

The pouches can be used to carry emergency medical supplies, the manuals for your radio and so-forth.

To carry the antenna, I had to disassemble it. The base I placed in the Alice pack and the antenna I placed in a piece of PVC pipe I had laying around. I had some elbow pieces because I do not have end caps. You can find end caps at any hardware store. There is room to add a couple of antennas and some SMA adapters in case you carry a hand held unit. This will let you carry the antenna without bending and damaging it. You should be aware, however, that when you extract the pipe, the end cap might come off. You might want to glue the end cap on one end and mark it. This is the end that you will put down in the Alice Pack.

Another thing that I intend to try is to design and build an antenna that will tower over the head of the carrier of the pack. This will place the antenna high enough to prevent injury from RF energy. In addition, if you set up at a temporary station, you can extend the antenna up in a tree for extended range. In theory. You must remember that in certain emergencies, repeaters may not be operating or there may be some other reason that you desire to operate in SIMPLEX. Setting up an antenna so that one can operate the unit while carrying the pack or set up quickly at a temporary station can both be convenient situations.

If you intend to use this as a simple hikers or campers pack, you could also add a QRP unit for CW. You could use smaller, well-sealed lead-acid batteries for that purpose.

I have tested the configuration in one wooded area nearby and in a clear area. In both I got good reports for the audio. Reception was very good. This was tested through repeaters 40+ miles away. I have not tested the distance for SIMPLEX operation. I will set up for a full test in the future.

The other piece of equipment I included was a hand held. This was mainly to monitor my transmission. You should probably carry one as an extra means of communication should your power pack expire. The Stanley FatMax unit can be recharged through the cigarette lighter socket in your car. I have not tested the unit to see how long it takes to deplete it. I have operated it for about an hour-and-a-half without depleting the unit too much.

SUMMARY

This configuration of equipment seems to work as I had hoped. Bear in mind, however, this is not all of the equipment I intend to carry. Whether you are carrying this for a weather emergency, search or a simple camping trip, you will need other equipment.

I intend to carry a water filtration system for a single carrier. You will need water, after all. Another idea is a buddy system of two or three persons; one carrying enough water for the group. Remember that water is about eight-pounds a gallon.

I also plan to carry a tent, a tarp for use over it, sleeping bag and such. If you are out, it could rain or snow so you will want to have a shelter for the electronic equipment. Make sure you test it well for leaks.

I also intend to use EMP bags in which to store the equipment in the event of that form of attack.

Of course the ultimate condition would be to be able to get your vehicle into your emergency location. Therefore you could carry other supplies that you require. It would also be better if you could set up an emergency station as a group for security. This project presumes the worse case scenario in which one person has to get to a station to set up.

For more tips you can search YouTube for videos on emergency radios. I did.