PROJECT HT HF

What is this?

The hackability of the Quansheng has been discussed since 2023.
https://hackaday.com/2023/08/13/update-your-chinese-radio-without-the-pain/

Replacing the Si4732 chip opens up a bunch of new options.
https://hackaday.com/2024/03/22/open-ht-surgery-gives-cheap-transceiver-all-band-capabilities/

Take a few minutes, read the description from Hackaday, and now you are thinking "That's a project I can easily afford and I'd love to try surface mount soldering for myself!"

This has been around for a over a year and has gone through a few revisions.  We're going to do this too.
Hackaday had an update in June 2024.
https://hackaday.com/2024/06/20/uv-k5-all-band-mod-part-2-easier-install-better-audio-and-two-antennas/

Super cool HAM modder Paul OM0ET from Slovakia, has several youtube videos on this radio.   https://www.youtube.com/@OM0ET
He makes it all look easy, so it probably is easy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ9-2296r1Y 

The channel "TAKEAPART" demonstrates the version 5 mod on the UV-K5 radio, with an improved chip and extra memory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1FgAvzdJxg
Takeapart has a bunch of links to Aliexpress pages.  If you order with his links, I think he gets credit.  We don't get anything.
Read the description for each item and make sure you order your preferred number of radios and a mod kit for each.  

First Steps.

The Quansheng UV-K5! and UV-K6!
* NOTE * most of the videos we researched and linked seem to focus on the Quansheng UV-K5 radio, and some also mention the UV-K6.  There is plenty of evidence the K5 will work as described.  I'm not seeing the same about the K6.  The safe bet would be the K5

1.  Order as many radios and mod kits as you like in case you want to build more than one, or keep one of them in the stock config.  These radios can be firmware modded without adding the HF chip.   You can still get the previous mod chips versions, but I think you'll want to focus on the latest v5 for all the cool features.
   * NOTE * these radios can be purchased with mods already completed.  Read the description carefully.
   Amazon - around $32 each for the K6 - might work, not as much documentation.
   Amazon - around $30 each for the K5 - well documented in the videos.
   Aliexpress - $25 for the K5  https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806181840016.html 

 
Mod kits for the K5. 

Aliexpress kit for v5, includes SMA connector and memory chip  $10.  Some discounts for buying multiples.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807359976996.html 

2. Bring your items to our designated hands-on solder and firmware event.  

* We can do this more than once.
* You can do all the work yourself using your tools or the tools we provide.
* You can do as much as you know how then get some coaching from others.
* You can admit this is way beyond anything you've tried before and we'll help you finish the kit while learning as much as possible.

3. Hopefully, you will go home with a finished product and some new electronics and firmware skills for the next task!

In April 2025, we're hearing all kinds of tariff stories that will likely affect supplies and prices when ordering from overseas.  If you hurry, maybe your order will make it through without any price changes.  If you wait, maybe things will calm down and the pricing will be predictable.  I can't see the future and don't like paying extra for stuff, so choose what works best for your budget.  

Ordering Information - April 2025

I placed my order with Aliexpress using the links in the comments on the TAKEAPART video.  The links were very convenient and if you are just joining Aliexpress, expect to see some kind of first time buyer discount.  The linked items say "one per customer" which prevented me from adding multiples of the radio and the mod kit to my cart, but when I got ready to checkout, I clicked to increase the quantity of each and then checked out.  I got the price shown for each item.  Not too difficult.  

Placed the order on April 14, got a ship confirmation on April 15, and tracking says it should deliver by April 27.

What do you get?

Well, you get to try your hand at surface mount soldering with flexible PCB's. Life Skills!
You get an HT that can receive on the HF bands.
You get an inexpensive HT that still works on the 2m and 70cm bands, charges with a USB-C plug, and can be upgraded with custom firmware.
Your cost for modding a single radio is about $35.  When you are done, you might want a better 2m/70cm antenna, and a SMA pigtail to connect your HT to a larger HF antenna, so this whole project might be a $60 investment unless you have those upgrade parts already.

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Quinn sent me this link, a Radtel brand of HT that comes from the factory capable of receiving 18-620MHZ and 840-1000MHz, and transmitting 18-32MHz, 136-174MHz, and 400-452MHz.  Read the specs for yourself and see if it looks real.  Don't buy this radio as part of our modding project.  I'm just putting it out there for you to see.  It looks kind of cool.