[chirp_users] Decoding BaoFeng 6+Power-On Message ?
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)
Are you sure about that? I have a UV-5R from 2012 (BFS311) and a UV-82 from 2014 (B82S25) and doing a full reset does NOT clear the power-on+6 text. Maybe it does on later firmware.
Tom ND5Y
On 09/23/2018 03:24 PM, Peter wrote:
I say "did" because apparently this string is cleared by resetting the radio to factory defaults via MENU > 40 > RESET
ALL.
On Sun, Sep 23, 2018 at 4:24 PM, Peter ptlambert@sbcglobal.net wrote:
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 started including this "date" in the file name when I realized that in some cases there were different "dates" associated to the same firmware version. I always recommend using the matching "date" when both are available.
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.
I don't think this is true. The [6] key + power-on messages are stored in "aux" memory. I have never seen a "RESET" affect anything "aux" memory (welcome message, 6+power-on message, band limits, etc.).
They will only be blank if they came from the factory that way or someone uploaded a CHIRP image where they were set to be blank.
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).
Yes they do. I've always considered them as being some sort of date code ever since I got my first UV-5R back in early 2012.
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?
Yes. BaoFeng (the radio manufacturer in China) could.
Also, does anyone have a radio that still displays this "6+Power-On Message" after resetting the radio to factory defaults?
Every one of mine. Just to be sure, I just performed firmware RESET my UV-82 and the 6+Power-On message was not affected.
Thanks...
(Peter)
Jim KC9HI
Thanks Jim and Tom for your input regarding this string not disappearing after doing a factory reset.
So I'm not really sure how I managed to wipe out that string, but it's no longer present on either of my BaoFeng UV-82HP radios. My notes show that one originally had a "date code" of 150602N and the other had a code of 170104N.
I do know that with this string cleared from both units, if I do a factory reset and then save the resulting settings from CHIRP, then the resulting images have the exact same bytecode.
Some time ago I started using CHIRP to configure both units identically. It's possible that I decided it didn't make sense to carry that string from one unit to the other, and so I just elected to clear the string from both radios. But unfortunately my notes don't tell me if that's actually what I did...
Regarding the significance of the string, rather than being a manufacture date, it might be a datestamp for a specific baseline of settings. For instance, CHIRP shows that there a quite a few differences between these two files, even though they share the same base firmware:
N82-33 US2S35(140902N)(factory).img 14-May-2015 16:47 6.3K N82-33 US2S35(150602N)(factory).img 12-Oct-2015 19:41 6.3K
I'm leaning towards this second interpretation, that the date represents a specific settings baseline. And "N" might represent North American Band Plan or something similar? But if anyone has a set of radios with unique strings that only vary by a few calendar days, then I believe that would invalidate this theory.
(Peter)
On 9/23/2018 3:46 PM, Jim Unroe wrote:
On Sun, Sep 23, 2018 at 4:24 PM, Peter ptlambert@sbcglobal.net wrote: [...]
Also, does anyone have a radio that still displays this "6+Power-On Message" after resetting the radio to factory defaults?
Every one of mine. Just to be sure, I just performed firmware RESET my UV-82 and the 6+Power-On message was not affected.
Thanks...
(Peter)
Jim KC9HI
The two different date codes I mentioned for the same base firmware:
N82-33 US2S35(140902N)(factory).img 14-May-2015 16:47 6.3K N82-33 US2S35(150602N)(factory).img 12-Oct-2015 19:41 6.3K
... do default to different frequency settings. Open the images in CHIRP, and under "Settings" compare "Other Settings", "Work Mode Settings", and "FM Radio Preset".
So that's what I meant by "Band Plan" in this context, i.e. different default frequency settings.
Apologies for sloppy use of terminology.
(Peter)
On 9/24/2018 5:40 AM, Tom Consodine ND5Y via chirp_users wrote:
The radios don't have any kind of band plan that I know of.
Tom ND5Y
On 09/24/2018 02:16 AM, Peter wrote:
And "N" might represent North American Band Plan or something similar?
participants (3)
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Jim Unroe -
Peter -
Tom Consodine ND5Y