Every key on a short press and a long press, the programmable key list, the menu, and the handful of things in this manual that will cost you an evening if you miss them.
Three things to know first
The keypad ships locked, as FCC rules require. Press the Menu key and the * key together to unlock it the first time you use it.
Read the radio before you write to it. Read the factory data out with the CPS and save it, then edit that file. Writing a codeplug built from scratch onto factory defaults is where errors come from.
There are two different baud rates. 256000 for reading and writing a codeplug, and 115200 for a firmware upgrade. Using the wrong one is a common cause of a failed update.
| Key | Short press | Long press |
|---|---|---|
| PTT | Hold to transmit, release to receive | |
| SK1 side key | Radio function, by default | Emergency alarm switch, by default |
| SK2 side key | Monitor, by default | Power switch, by default |
| P1 | VFO and channel mode, the V/M key | Cycle the display: frequency, channel name, channel number |
| P2 | A/B, switch main and sub screen | Dual frequency guard switching: dual guard dual standby, dual segment single guard, single segment same screen display |
| Menu | Enter the menu, and select an item | With a number key, one touch call, if the CPS has set it up |
| Back, the house key | Back one level, or leave the menu. Clears input while editing a name or SMS. | Switch channel mode and frequency mode |
| Up | Channel up in MR mode. Moves the cursor left in SMS. | |
| Down | Channel down in MR mode. Moves the cursor right in SMS. | |
| 0 to 9 | Digits, DTMF codes, letters and punctuation in text entry | Jump to the matching contact, if the numeric shortcut is set |
| * | DTMF star. Also switches input method. | Lock and unlock the keypad |
| # | Digital: manual dialling, then press again to switch individual and group call. Analog: DTMF dialling. In text entry, switches input method. | |
| Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ANA, DIG, A+D, D+A | Analog, digital, mixed with analog transmit, mixed with digital transmit |
| CH A, CH B | Which band is transmitting or receiving |
| H, M, L | High, middle or low transmit power |
| DW | Dual watch is on |
| Double slot symbol | Double slot mode is on |
| VFO | Frequency mode |
| 1 to 64 | Memory channel |
| Plus or minus | Frequency shift direction in MR |
| CT, DCS | CTCSS or DCS enabled |
| N | Narrowband, analog mode |
| V | VOX enabled |
| Lock, envelope, key, satellite | Encryption on, unread messages, positioning state, monitor on, record on, radio silent |
| LED | Status |
|---|---|
| Red | Transmitting |
| Green | Receiving |
| Orange, slow flash | Scanning |
Charger LED: green and red alternating means no battery, red is charging, green is charged, and a fast red blink means trouble, usually a warm battery or a short.
SK1, SK2, P1 and P2 each take a short press and a long press function. Set them at Menu > Settings > Radio Settings > Key Func, or in the CPS under Public, Key Function.
| Function | What it does |
|---|---|
| TX Power | High, middle, low |
| Battery Indicator | Speaks and shows the battery voltage |
| Talk Around | Direct mode and repeater mode |
| Digital Encrypt | Choose the encryption group for a digital channel |
| Call | Analog only. Sends the DTMF, 5TONE or 2TONE encode. |
| VOX | On and off |
| VFO / MR | Frequency and memory mode |
| Alarm | Long press starts it, short press exits |
| Hot Key 1 to 6 | Call a contact, send a preset message, or run an auxiliary function |
| Message | Digital only, straight into SMS |
| Contacts | Straight into the contact list |
| Zone Up, Zone Down | Previous and next zone |
| Scan | On and off |
| Record Switch | Enable and disable recording |
| Previous record, Next record | Play back recordings |
| FM Radio, FM Search | Broadcast receiver, and search for stations |
| GPS Info | Position information |
| Monitor | Open the squelch |
| A/B Switch | Choose channel A or B as the main channel |
| Work Alone | On and off |
| Keypad Lock | Lock, or unlock auto lock |
| Nuisance Temporary Delete | Drops the current channel from the scan list until the radio restarts |
| TBST Send | Sends the repeater wake tone: 1750, 1000, 1450 or 2100 Hz |
| APRS Send | Manually upload APRS information |
| Switch ChType | Analog, Digital, Ana+Dig, Dig+Ana |
| Wait Mode | Single mode, double wait, single wait |
| CTC/DCS Scan, CTC/DCS Set | Analog subtone scan and setting |
| Mute | Enable or disable all tones |
| Roaming | Search and lock to the strongest repeater. See the note below. |
| Sub PTT | Hold to transmit on the B band |
| Scramb | Analog scrambler on and off |
| Freq Search | Analog frequency sweep |
| Flashlight | On and off |
| Man Down | On and off |
Roaming has a prerequisite
After locking on a repeater, the radio returns to the last frequency only after a restart. The roaming frequency list must be programmed in the CPS first, or the function has nothing to search.
Hold Menu and press a number to jump straight to a menu item. Which number goes where is configured in the CPS.
Available targets: Analog Call, Digital Call, Message, New Message, Quick Text, Inbox, Outbox, Contact list, Manual dial, Call Log, Sent, Answered, Missed, Zone, Radio set.
| To do this | Do this |
|---|---|
| Power on | Turn the Power/Volume knob clockwise until it clicks. The start up message shows for about three seconds. |
| Switch main and sub band | The A/B key. The band with the marker is the main one. |
| Switch VFO and channel | Hold the Back key |
| Set a VFO frequency | Hold Back for VFO mode, then key the frequency straight in. With a 12.5 kHz step, 432.5625 MHz is keyed as 4 3 2 5 6 2 5. |
| Select a zone | Zone Up or Zone Down on a programmed key, or Menu > Zone, pick it, then Apply |
| Select a channel | The channel switch, or key the number. Channel 64 is keyed as 0 6 4, always three digits. |
| Create a channel | Menu > Setting > Channel Set > New Channel. Pick Analog, Digital, A+D or D+A, then the alias, the RX frequency and the TX frequency. |
| Put a channel in a zone | Menu > Zone, pick the zone, Add Channel, choose it from the list |
| Lock the keypad | Hold *. Automatic locking with a delay is at Menu > Settings > Radio Settings > Key Functions > Key Lock. |
| Check the battery | A key set to Battery Indicator. It speaks "Battery High", "Medium" or "Low". |
Hold the radio 2.5 to 5 cm from your mouth. On receive the screen shows the DMR ID, name, city, state and country from the contact list, and the green LED lights.
If a call will not go out
Channel transmit power set to Low can be the reason. A key programmed as TX Power raises it temporarily without editing the channel.
Reach these through Talk Group > Contacts list, pick a contact, then View Contacts and the application function. Manual Dial and the # CSV contact list work too.
| Function | What it does |
|---|---|
| Radio Check | Reports whether the target radio is available and on the network, without alerting its user |
| Call Alert | Makes the target beep or vibrate, and reports success or failure back to you |
| Remote Monitor | Turns on the target's microphone and transmits, so you hear what is around it |
| Radio Disable | Disables the target radio: no display, no operation |
| Radio Enable | Returns a disabled radio to standby |
| Measure Period | With GPS positioned on both radios and both in range, shows distance and direction at a fixed interval |
Up to 32 scan lists, programmed in the CPS under Public, Scan List. Scan lists only work in channel mode.
| Task | How |
|---|---|
| Start and stop | A key set to Scan, or Menu > Scan > Scan switch. A channel with Auto Scan set starts by itself when you land on it. |
| Edit a list on the radio | Menu > Scan > Scan List. Apply, Edit or View, Add Channels, Edit Name, Delete. |
| Priority channels | Up to two per list, P1 and P2, scanned more often than the rest |
| Frequency scan range | Menu > Scan > VFO Scan Range, one range for VHF and one for UHF |
| Find an unknown tone | Menu > Scan > Scan CTCSS or Scan DCS. When it finds one the speaker opens. |
| Keep a found tone | Menu > Scan > Scan Memory, then choose whether it becomes the TX tone, the RX tone, or both |
| Drop a nuisance channel | A key set to Nuisance Temporary Delete. It comes back at the next restart. |
| Recovery mode | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| TO, time | Stops on a signal, resumes after 5 seconds whether or not the signal is still there |
| CO, carrier | Stops until the signal disappears, then resumes 2 seconds later |
| SE, search | Stops on a signal and ends the scan |
Zones: 250 zones, up to 64 channels each, analog or digital in any mix. Menu > Zone to select, add, rename or edit members.
SMS: Inbox, New Msg, OutBox, Quick Text and DraftBox. A message can be 128 characters, or 64 Chinese characters. Format is selectable as H-SMS for Hytera, M-SMS for Motorola, or D-SMS for the DMR Alliance standard, so it has to match whoever you are messaging.
Call log: Missed, Answered and Sent. From any entry you can hold PTT to call back, send a message, or delete. Delete all from Call Log > Delete.
Radio Silent mutes everything. Then individual switches for key tone, battery low, SMS prompt, group call, private call, call end, talk permit, start up sound, voice prompt, and Analog Roger which can be off, a tone, or 1200.
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Back Light | Six levels, 1 darkest, 6 brightest |
| Back Time | Always on, or 5 seconds to 5 minutes |
| Start Display | Char String from the CPS, a Picture in BMP, or the battery Voltage |
| Font and zone colors | Channel font, CH color A, CH color B, Zone color A, Zone color B, each from white, black, orange, red, yellow, green, cyan or blue |
| CH Mode Display | CH Name, or Frequency. With CH Name selected, a programmed VFO/MR key stops working. |
| Display DIR | Forward, or Reverse for a shoulder or waist mounted radio |
| LED Indicator | On, or Off for covert mode. Off kills both the transmit and receive indicators. |
| Menu Exit Time | Off for no limit, or 5 to 60 seconds |
| Time Set | Time, date, whether the clock shows in standby, and the format yyyy/mm/dd or dd/mm/yyyy |
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Auto Power off | Off, 30, 60, 120, 240 or 480 minutes |
| TX Timer | 15 to 495 seconds, or Off for no limit |
| TOT Predict | Warns before the timer cuts you off, 1 to 10 seconds. Not available when the timer is Off. |
| VOX | Nine gain levels. The higher the value, the lower the sensitivity. |
| VOX Delay | 0.3 to 5 seconds, 48 steps |
| Talk Around | On makes the radio transmit on the receive frequency, and the analog RX CTCSS or DCS decode becomes the TX encode |
| Ana MIC Gain, Digi MIC Gain | Levels 1 to 5, 1 lowest |
| Freq Step | 2.5, 5, 6.25, 10, 12.5, 25, 50, 100 kHz |
| Power Save | Off, or 1:1, 1:2 and 1:4 working 30 ms and sleeping 30, 60 or 120 ms. You may miss the start of a message. |
| FM Radio, FM Radio Moni | The broadcast receiver, and whether the radio still receives and transmits while it is playing |
| Weather Alarm | North America. Detects the 1050 Hz alert signal and guards the channel and the weather channel together. |
| TBST Sel | 1000, 1450, 1750 or 2100 Hz repeater wake tone |
| Tail, squelch tail eliminate | Off, 55 Hz, 120 or 180 degrees. For simplex between Baofeng handhelds. |
| Ana SQ Level | 0 always open, 1 to 9. Default 3. Analog only. |
| SMS Format | H-SMS Hytera, M-SMS Motorola, D-SMS DMR Alliance |
| PrivateCall Match | On requires the private call ID to match. Off receives any private call on the same frequency, color code and slot. |
| GroupCall Match | On requires the group ID to match. Off receives any group call on the same frequency, color code and slot. |
The two Match settings are the promiscuous switches
Turning PrivateCall Match and GroupCall Match off is what lets this radio hear traffic addressed to other IDs and other talk groups on the same frequency, color code and time slot.
| Setting | Notes |
|---|---|
| RX and TX Frequency | Keyed in directly |
| TX Power | High shows H and the meter at 100 percent, Middle M at 60 percent, Low L at 30 percent |
| TX Contact | None blocks a call from standby, or a group contact, a private contact, or All Call. Answering a group call and pressing PTT within the hang time talks back to the group regardless. |
| Color Code | 0 to 15, must match the repeater |
| Time Slot | 1 or 2 |
| Radio ID | Which of your DMR IDs this channel uses. The radio holds several, so one radio can carry a commercial ID and an amateur ID at once. |
| Channel Type | Analog shows ANA, Digital shows DIG, A+D receives both and transmits analog, D+A receives both and transmits digital |
| Double Slot | Uses both slots on one frequency. Everyone in the group must be on the same slot or they will interfere. |
| Rx Group List | Which group calls this channel hears. None means only the transmitting contact. |
| Digital Encryption | Up to 32 keys. Custom 14 bits, ARC4 10 bits, AES128 32 bits, AES256 64 bits. Key ID 1 to 255 and it must be unique. |
| Tx and Rx CTCSS/DCS | CTCSS 67.0 to 254.1, DCS D023N to D754I, with reverse variants |
| Band Width | Narrow 12.5 kHz, Wide 25 kHz |
| Optional Signal | Off, DTMF, 2 Tone, 5 Tone or BDC1200 |
| PTT ID | Disable, Uplink code sent at PTT press, Downlink code at release, or Both |
| RX Squelch Mode | Carrier opens on any signal, or require the matching CTCSS, DCS or optional signal |
| SFT-D and Frequency Offset | Off means TX equals RX. Plus adds the offset, minus subtracts it. Example: RX 448.250000 with an offset of minus 5.000000 gives TX 443.250000. |
Record: 10 hours, digital mode only, each call saved separately with its DMR ID and timestamp. Turn it on at Menu > Record > Record Switch or with a key. Record Sel chooses RX only, TX only, or both. Record List plays, shows details, or deletes. Recordings can be pulled off with the CPS under Tools, Record, and saved as WAV.
Roaming: One Time Roam runs a single search. Auto Roaming searches on a timed interval when the repeater cannot be found. Both need a roaming zone with channels in it.
GPS is optional and only present if the hardware is fitted.
GPS: On and off, position information showing latitude, longitude, speed, altitude, satellites, date and time, a time zone from UTC minus 12 to plus 13 with a default of UTC plus 8 that you will want to change, position format in degrees or degrees minutes seconds, and a mode of GPS, BeiDou, or both.
APRS: Digital mode only. On and off, the upload ID, upload type private or group call, the report channel, and an interval from 60 to 7650 seconds or none. GPS Beacon needs a satellite lock. Fixed Beacon transmits a position set in the CPS with no lock needed.
Most APRS setup happens in the CPS under Public, APRS, and the APRS box must be ticked there before the menu appears on the radio.
Press * in standby to turn on NOAA reception, then up and down to pick a channel. Menu > Scan > Scan Switch > On scans them. With the weather alert feature on, the radio listens for the 1050 Hz alert signal and switches to Weather Broadcast automatically.
| 1 | 162.55000 | 6 | 162.50000 |
| 2 | 162.40000 | 7 | 162.52500 |
| 3 | 162.47500 | 8 | 161.65000 |
| 4 | 162.42500 | 9 | 161.77500 |
| 5 | 162.45000 | 10 | 163.27500 |
Channels 8, 9 and 10
These are Canadian maritime frequencies. You cannot transmit on them.
The manual's own example, useful because it shows which way round the frequencies go.
A repeater whose output is 422.96250 MHz and whose input is 412.96250 MHz, color code 1, time slot 1, contact 1. From the radio's point of view the repeater output is the RX frequency and the repeater input is the TX frequency.
The manual adds one recommendation: set the radio to high power for repeater work.
| Task | Baud rate |
|---|---|
| Read and write a codeplug | 256000 |
| Firmware upgrade | 115200 |
CPS, Tools, Firmware Upgrade, open the .bin file, click Upgrade. When prompted, hold PTT and SK1 and power the radio on. The indicator goes green. Click Upgrade again, then release PTT and SK1. The red light flashes until it finishes.
Reset only works if Allow Reset is ticked in the CPS. Save your codeplug first.
Three separate passwords, all set in the CPS under Public, Optional Functions, Password: a read password of up to 8 characters, a write password of up to 8 numbers, and a power on password of up to 8 digits.
| What | Where |
|---|---|
| CPS and firmware | baofengradio.com |
| A DMR ID | radioid.net |
| Repeaters and verified talk groups | repeaterbook.com |
| Talk group activity | brandmeister.network |
| Contact database, csv | ham-digital.org |
Condensed from the Baofeng DM-32UV User Manual, revision 20250210, Baofeng Radio. This sheet is a summary and does not replace the manual, and the safety, RF exposure and battery sections there should be read before use.