Common Questions & Troubleshooting

Summary: Quick fixes for the questions that come up most often with the UV-K1 and UV-K5 V3 on F4HWN firmware.

I Can Receive but Not Transmit

Check that Mode is FM (AM and USB are listen-only), that the frequency is inside your F Lock band plan, and if not that TXLock is OFF for that channel. Look for a padlock beside the name. See the article on transmit rules.

My Custom Settings Disappeared

The radio’s original factory programming software overwrites custom firmware settings. Program channels with Squawker PC’s Quansheng programmer instead, and re-enter anything that was lost.

A Channel Change Did Not Stay Saved

Per-channel changes such as Step or Power may only apply to a temporary copy. Save again with ChSave.

Memory Scan Finds Nothing

Make sure you are in channel mode, the channels are assigned to a scan list (ScList, or long-press 5 NOAA), and the active list is not empty. There are 24 lists plus ALL.

The Arrow Keys Move the Wrong Way

Change SetNav in the hidden menu. UP/DOWN is the UV-K5 style; LEFT/RIGHT is the UV-K1 style.

Buttons Are Not Doing What I Expect

The keypad lock may be on, and SetLck may also be locking the shortcut actions or PTT. RescueOps mode disables most long presses. Some keys act differently with F+ than with a long press.

AM Sounds Harsh or Muffled

Change SetRxA while in AM. Sharp is narrower and more selective, Stock is closest to the original firmware, and Open is wider and often better on weak signals.

I Can Only Hear Some Airband Channels

Aviation sources often publish an 8.33 kHz channel designator that looks like a frequency but is not the operating frequency. For example, a published 126.505 is really 126.500 MHz. The radio corrects a designator typed at its keypad, but a frequency loaded from a computer is stored exactly as entered. If a channel only comes through when you open monitor in AM, try the operating frequency instead.

The Radio Sleeps Unexpectedly

Check SetOff and BatSav. Sleep still occurs while scanning if nothing is received.

The Battery Percentage Looks Wrong

Check BatTyp matches your battery, and recalibrate BatCal with a multimeter. See the battery article.

The Radio Will Not Connect to Squawker PC

That is covered in the Quansheng UV-K1/K5 Complete Guide, including the firmware requirement (F4HWN 5.8.0 or newer) and which cable each radio needs – older radios use the two-pin programming cable, while the UV-K1 and UV-K5 V3 use USB-C.