Baofeng UV-82: Mastering Manual Programming Without a Cable

When it comes to programming the Baofeng UV-82 radio, there are various configurations that can be accomplished manually, while others require the assistance of a computer.

While using a computer for programming offers convenience and advanced features, it’s not always available or feasible in certain situations. That’s why knowing how to manually program your Baofeng UV-82 becomes invaluable, allowing you to make essential adjustments and changes without relying on a computer or cable connection.

In this blog post, we will delve into the world of Baofeng UV-82 manual programming, exploring the configurations that can be done without a computer and empowering you to take control of your radio’s settings for optimal performance.

Whether you find yourself in a remote location or simply prefer a hands-on approach, this guide will equip you with the knowledge you need to unlock the full potential of your Baofeng UV-82, all without the need for a computer. Let’s dive in and discover the possibilities of manual programming with the Baofeng UV-82!

In this specific post, we are going to focus only on the settings that can be done manually on the Baofeng UV-82. In an additional post, we will cover only what can be done via software.

Baofeng uv-82 programming without cable

Basically, what we can program manually in a Baofeng UV-82 is what can be done from the menu. For this particular topic, we wrote a complete post about the Baofeng UV-82 menu and each of its options.

We are going to cover the following points that we believe are the most important:

• Repeater operation
• Adjust transmit power
• Battery saving options
• Record memories
• Show channel names
• Adjust Squelch Levels
• Set up a roger beep

There are many more programming options that can be done manually but they are isolated parameters. If you want to explore more, you can read the post we wrote about the Baofeng UV-82 menu.

Baofeng uv-82 manual programming – Repeater operation

To operate on a repeater, some radio parameters need to be defined:

• Receive frequency
• The frequency offset that we are going to use
• Frequency offset direction
• The subtone that we are going to use if necessary

Adjust receive frequency:

To enter the reception frequency, with the radio in frequency mode, enter the frequency on which the repeater transmits.

Frequency offset:

Repeaters generally receive on one frequency and repeat on another. The difference between one frequency and the other is called offset.

To define the frequency offset we must:

• Press the Menu button
• Go to option 26 “OFFSET”
• Enter the required frequency offset
• Press the Menu button to confirm

Frequency offset direction:

Once we have defined the frequency offset, we have to define its direction.

For this, we must follow the following steps:

• Press the Menu button
• Go to option 25 “SFT-D”
• Use the “up” or “down” buttons to define the direction according to the repeater that needs to be used.
• Press the Menu button to confirm

CTCS tone in case required:

To avoid local interference, the repeaters have sub-audible tones for its activation. With few exceptions, most repeaters have these tones.

To define the tone to be used in the repeater, follow these steps:

• Press the Menu button
• Go to option 13 “T-CTCS”
• Press the Menu button
• Use the “UP” and “Down” buttons and select the subtone used by the repeater
• Press the Menu button to confirm

If we have all the repeater data correct and follow the steps indicated at this point, we can press the PTT to try to use the repeater.

As can be seen in the image when transmitting with the previously seen configurations we can see on the display:

CT – Indicates that when transmitting we are using a CTCS tone

The symbol “0”- Indicates that we are using a negative direction in the offset

Baofeng uv-82 manual programming – Adjust transmit power

As in the case of maintaining the battery charge level, adjusting the transmission power level helps a lot to be able to continue using our radio for longer.

As a basic rule, we should operate the radio with the lowest possible power to extend the hours of use.

To adjust the power level we use, follow these steps:

To adjust the transmission power, follow the steps below:

• Press the Menu button
• Press button “2” and verify that the display reads “TXP”
• Use the “up” or “down” buttons to select the required power level
• Press the Menu button to confirm

Baofeng uv-82 manual programming – Battery saving options

As the Baofeng UV-82 is a portable radio that depends on its battery to operate it, it is important to maintain its charge level.

For this there are several options that we can do that are covered in this post that we wrote about how to save the battery charge level.

The main battery saving option that can be manually programmed is SAVE.

To use it, the following steps must be followed:

Press the menu button

• Go to the SAVE option (Number 3)
• Press the menu button
• Use the buttons up or down, the higher the number the longer the battery will last
• Press the menu button to confirm the selection

What it does is “sleep” the radio receiver so it is likely that we can lose a bit of the start of reception.

It is not too serious and is usually unnoticeable.

Baofeng uv-82 manual programming – Record memories (repeaters)

Recording the frequencies that we use frequently helps us not to have to remember them and to be able to access them much faster.

In order to record a memory, the following steps must be followed:

These are the steps to record a channel with the necessary parameters to use a repeater. For this example, we will use channel 32.

• Put the radio in frequency mode
• Press the Menu button
• Go to option 28 “DEL-CH”
• Use the “Up” and “Down” buttons until you reach option CH-032
• Press the Menu button to confirm

Now, we will see that re-entering option 28 DEL-CH on channel 32 does not show up as CH-032 but instead as 032. This indicates that the content of the channel has been deleted.

Now, we have to define the tone that we are going to use. For this:

• Press the Menu button
• Go to option 13 “T-CTCS”
• Select the appropriate tone for the repeater
• Press the Menu button to confirm

To record the reception frequency:

• Enter the reception frequency
• Press the Menu button
• Go to option 27 “MEM-CH”
• Press the Menu button
• Go to channel 32
• Press the Menu button

To record the transmission frequency:

• Enter the transmission frequency
• Press the Menu button
• Go to option 27 “MEM-CH”
• Press the Menu button
• Go to channel 32
• Press the Menu button

If we did everything right, we should read CH-032 in the channel lineup again.

As you can see, the process is quite simple and straightforward if you have to record a couple of memories. Now, if you need to record a large number of memories, I recommend that you do it using software. These guides will help you do it:

• How to program a Baofeng UV-82 using Windows 10
• How to program a Baofeng UV-82 using Mac

Baofeng uv-82 manual programming – Show channel names

Along with recording the frequencies that we use the most in memories, one of the options that we can manually program is to show the name of the memory instead of the frequency in MHz.

We have a detailed guide on how to display channel names on a Baofeng UV-82 so it doesn’t make much sense to briefly explain it again here.

Baofeng uv-82 manual programming – Adjust Squelch Levels

Many times we need to make adjustments to pick up weak signals or to reduce static noise.

In the Baofeng UV-82 this is adjusted by selecting different levels of squelch according to what we need.

Regarding this, we have published a post on how to adjust the squelch levels on the Baofeng UV-82 so we are not going to explain it again here.

Baofeng uv-82 manual programming – Set up a roger beep

While the roger beep is more closely related to the Citizens Band, and most VHF and UHF radios do not have the option to add a tone at the end of the transmission, the Baofeng UV-82 can.

The reality is that not many people use it, but if you want to use a tone at the end of the transmission, you can enable it as follows:

• Press the menu button
• Go to option 39 “Roger” – If it is disabled it will read “OFF” on the display
• Press the menu button
• Use the buttons up or down until it reads “ON”
• Press the menu button to confirm the activation of the roger beep

I hope this post has helped you learn more about how to manually program a Baofeng UV-82. If you have any questions you can leave it in the comments.