Unofficial compilation note: this library is unofficial material compiled and rewritten by BG7BAG Radio from public sources, for study reference only, and is not affiliated with the equipment manufacturers. For takedown requests, contact contact@bg7bag.com.
Quansheng UV-K5 — Manual Overview
The budget HT you can reflash — specs and community-firmware guide in one place.
Overview
The Quansheng UV-K5 / UV-K5(8) exploded in popularity from 2023 as a budget dual-band HT (around €25). Its killer feature is a flashable BK4819 chip — the community turned an entry radio into one with mid/high-end behaviour.
UV-K5 button & keypad map
Key specifications
- Receive: dual-band VHF/UHF; stock ~136–174 / 400–520 MHz; custom firmware can extend receive to ~18–1300 MHz (receive only)
- Transmit: region-locked amateur bands
- Channels: UV-K5(8) has larger memory (~200+ channels)
- Ports: USB-C (programming/charge), airband AM 108–136 MHz, 10 NOAA channels
- Chip: BK4819 (flashable)
Community firmware
egzumer (most active, recommended — includes fagci spectrum analyser / AM fix / scrambler), fagci (SSB demod), IJV, OEFW, LOSEHU (Chinese UI) and more. The bootloader is preserved on every flash, so brick risk is minimal.
Regulations & safety
⚠
Extended receive “listen only” is legal in most places; but transmitting outside amateur bands requires a licence and compliance, and monitoring police/emergency may be restricted locally. Flashing and unlocking TX are at your own risk.
Biggest difference vs UV-5R?
The K5 uses a BK4819 chip with flashable firmware and rich community mods; the UV-5R chip cannot be flashed.
Buy UV-K5 or UV-K5(8)?
The community generally recommends the UV-K5(8): more memory and better firmware compatibility.
Will custom firmware brick it?
The bootloader is preserved each flash; a bricked unit can be recovered with stock firmware — very low risk.