Some BaoFeng radios include a "6+Power-On Message" which can be displayed by holding down the 6 key while powering on the radio. These message strings are stored in "6+Power-On Message" lines 1 & 2 as displayed by CHIRP in "Settings" > "Other Settings".
Line 1 of the "6+Power-On Message" is apparently included (in parentheses) in the filenames of some of the CHIRP recovery images maintained at Jim's site, here:
http://kc9hi.dyndns.org/uv5r/programming/CHIRPrecovery/
For example, "N82-33 US2S35(150602N)(factory).img" includes "(150602N)" in the filename. I believe this image applies to the BaoFeng UV-82HP, and one of these units I own did include "150602N" in line 1 of the "6+Power-On Message". I say "did" because apparently this string is cleared by resetting the radio to factory defaults via MENU > 40 > RESET
ALL.
Anyway, these strings look suspiciously like manufacturing date codes. For example, 150602N would decode to 2015-06-02, which is just a few months before the "Last modified" file date of 12-Oct-2015 (as displayed in the CHIRP recovery image listing in the web browser).
As far as I can tell, for *all* of the files in the CHIRP recovery images directory which include such a string , that string decodes to a date that is a few days to a few months prior to the "Last modified" date. And in no case does any such string decode to a date that is later than the "Last modified" date.
Can anyone confirm that these strings do indeed represent manufacturing date codes?
Also, does anyone have a radio that still displays this "6+Power-On Message" after resetting the radio to factory defaults?
Thanks...
(Peter)