The Quansheng UV-K5 is a new handheld radio on the market that offers exciting hacks and mods for amateur radio enthusiasts. This pre-modified version comes with a replacement SI4732 chip, firmware change, antenna inductor change, and a fix to increase audio quality.
- Article by Stephen Cass for IEEE Spectrum
Introduction of Quansheng's UV-K5 handheld ham radio
- UV-K5's firmware stored in flash memory, allowing rewrites using USB programming cable
A growing community of hams adding software-based improvements and features
Examples of mods include graphical spectrum analyzer, text messaging between K5s, improved AM signal reception, and custom start-up messages
Web-based patcher/flasher allows easy installation of mods without exceeding memory limit
Potential risks of abuse and reliance on ham radio's honor system
Future possibilities of increased in-radio processing capabilities and app-like functions
Introduction of Quansheng's UV-K5 handheld ham radio
- UV-K5's firmware stored in flash memory, allowing rewrites using USB programming cable
A growing community of hams adding software-based improvements and features
Examples of mods include graphical spectrum analyzer, text messaging between K5s, improved AM signal reception, and custom start-up messages
Web-based patcher/flasher allows easy installation of mods without exceeding memory limit
Potential risks of abuse and reliance on ham radio's honor system
Future possibilities of increased in-radio processing capabilities and app-like functions
