A comment on the UV-5R Mini review asked if the radio will receive and transmit on marine frequencies. He does not use that band. He says it is still radio, so he can test it.
He reads the band as mostly VHF, typically 156 to 163 MHz, split into channels. Channel 16, 156.800, international distress, safety, and calling. Channel 9, 156.450, hailing marinas and bridges. Channel 13, 156.650, navigation safety, ship to ship and bridge to bridge. Channel 12, 156.600, vessel traffic service. The rest of the chart in front of him is NOAA weather or AIS. He is not testing that whole list.
Both minis on. B VFO on each. One of them already has 156.600, and the radio allowed it. He enters the others. 156.800 is accepted. The graph and the light say it is transmitting. 156.450: something comes in on receive, and it will transmit. 156.650 is accepted. He says if the radio cannot tune a frequency, it tells you. The indications say this one transmitted.
The part he wants on tape is one radio hearing the other. He was not watching the record monitor. The test killed the recording. He thinks the two radios, that close, put enough RF into the capture to stop it. He sets both to 156.600 and keys one. The other hears it. The recording stays up. That is the answer he gives. Yes.
He asks for more questions in the comments. Then the subscribe pitch, which has a rule attached. Drawings at subscriber milestones. Be subscribed. Be on the live when they give the radio away. Live in the United States. The radios they have are approved for operation in the United States. They are talking to the sponsors about shipping to other countries, with the sponsor handling that. He closes it like a park ranger telling him the playground is shut.
Transcript
A viewer on the UV-5R Mini review asked if it will receive and transmit on marine frequencies. He does not work that band. He looks it up. Mostly VHF, typically 156 to 163 MHz, in channels. Channel 16, 156.800, international distress, safety, and calling. Channel 9, 156.450, hailing marinas and bridges. Channel 13, 156.650, navigation safety, ship to ship and bridge to bridge. Channel 12, 156.600, vessel traffic service. The rest of what he is reading is NOAA weather or AIS.
Both radios on, B VFO. 156.600 is already in one of them and the radio accepted it. 156.800 is accepted and the bar and the light say transmit. 156.450 receives something and will transmit. 156.650 is accepted. He says the radio tells you if a frequency will not tune. The indications say it transmitted.
The receive test stopped the recording. He was not watching the monitor. He thinks the radios were close enough for the RF to upset the capture. He does it again. Both on 156.600. He keys one. The other hears it. He is still recording. Yes, it will receive and transmit on the marine frequencies he tried. Comments if you have another question. The giveaway needs a subscription, attendance on the live, and a United States address, because these radios are approved for the US. Sponsors may later ship elsewhere and handle that part. He signs off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which marine frequencies did he enter?
156.600 was already on the B VFO and the radio took it. He then entered 156.800, which he calls channel 16, distress, safety, and calling. 156.450, channel 9, hailing marinas and bridges. Something was received on that one, and it would transmit. 156.650, channel 13, ship to ship and bridge to bridge. The radio accepted it and the transmit indications came on. He says a frequency the radio cannot tune will say so.
Did one radio actually hear the other?
Yes, on 156.600, after he did it twice. The first transmit-and-receive test stopped the recording. He was not watching the monitor. He thinks RF between two radios that close upset the recorder. Both radios on 156.600, he keyed one, the other heard it, and the recording kept going. That is the test he trusts on camera.
What is the giveaway rule he added?
Subscriber, and present on the live when they draw. The radios they have are approved for the United States, so the winner has to live in the United States. He says they are talking to the sponsors about international shipping, with the sponsor handling that part. Milestones are when the drawings happen.