[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)
On Sun, Sep 23, 2018 at 4:24 PM, Peter ptlambert@sbcglobal.net wrote:
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 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.
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.
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:
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:
participants (3)
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Jim Unroe
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Peter
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Tom Consodine ND5Y