The Baofeng DM-5R is one of the cheapest DMR handies at around £49 or £29 badged as PoFung or Retevis both bare more than a passing resemblance to its step sister (i will explain) the UV-5R. The added bonus is this radio comes with an extended 2800 mAh battery.
Pofung https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324562554907?hash=item4b916f901b:g:LVAAAOSwKWxhdmoF.
Baofeng https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l2632&_nkw=dm-5r&_sacat=1500&LH_TitleDesc=0&_odkw=pofung&_osacat=1500
I bought one of the Baofeng DM-5R’s in 2020 thinking it would be nice to have a backup radio to my trusty AnyTone 878. When it arrived the first thing I noticed, there was no programming cable included and it was only Tier 1, ie. no good for repearer work. Tier 2 means it can descriminate 2 sub channels called timeslots, TS1 and TS2 allowing 2 QSO’s to happen on 1 digital frequency. These “time slots” are needed for DMR repeaters that use both timeslots. As a Tier 1 radio it would transmit and recoeve on both at the same time meaning its no good for repeaters. Never mind I had a Baofenfg cable and i can update it but try as i might, I could not get it to connect at all.
Thinking I had been scammed and bought a duff radio. The seller was in China and after some complaining got a refund through Amazon and told no need to return it. Still at that point a pretty useless radio. The bin was in sight. Without a cable I couldn’t do the firmware update to make it a Tier 2 DMR required for repeater work or even program the codeplug. So there it sat for over 6 months waiting for the day it fell in to the bin.
By chance I was lending a HF radio to a friend and I popped the DM-5R in along with it and said see if you can get it to connect to anything. Weeks passed and I reminded the friend who replied, “oh I got it to connect, not with the baofeng cable though, but with the AnyTone cable”.
I quickly sent him the firmware and he managed to update the firmware making it a Tier 2 radio. Brilliant, if I can connect to it I can find a Code Plug and it might be useful.
I was happy with this and after some searching found a code plug and at the same time I came across a site called Open GM-77. It listed the DM-5R as compatible with this open firmware. I was puzzled but learnt that this radio is not a Baofeng at all, but made my Radioddity for Baofeng and uses the same chipset as its own GM-77. Its also available as a Retevis RT5R
I downloaded their own programming OpenGD-77-CPS software and the latest open firmware along with the UK code plug. The installation was easy even downloading all the UK DMR callsigns into the radio. the code plug contained nearly every DMR and Analogue gateway / repeater in the UK, including some addions of Marine channels and PMR
After the update the radio interface was completely transformed and just better. The code plug had put this radio up with the top flight DMR radios even better in some cases.
The menu system made more sense and by the use of the Moni button as a shift key, navigation of “zones” was simple. Zones are colelctions of channels a bit like a folder system and when you find your “zones” in my case North West region then release the Moni button to scroll through the repeaters, DMR and Analogue.
the also Open Firmware adds some pretty spiffy features.
- Variable Power from 50mw – 5w
- Variable Squelch from 0-100%
- Band Scope YES BANDSCOPE !
- Easy to navigate user interface
- Wide Banding including Marine and PMR
- 2 Tier Support (Dual Slots in DMR)
- Full DMR callsign listings for the world can be downloaded to the radio
Download the upgrade pack here https://drive.google.com/file/d/18RrgWzr2j3ymhAneBE9GEt68EwDlDgCj/view?usp=sharing
Good Points
- Cost, It’s under £28 for the identical Pofung badged version
- Small and light enough to fit in your pocket
- True 5w output
- 2800mw extended life battery as standard
- Sound quality is more than good enough
- Can use the GD777 Open Firmware
- Enough memory for every DMR ID issued so far worldwide
Not so good
- No Programming cable included. It uses the Retevis/Anytone cable
- Doesnt take the usual Baofeng Battery
- Small Display, but good enough given the price
So you ask how does it perform. If I am honest I have always been impressed with Baofeng radios, but given that this radio isn’t a “real” Beaofeng i had to re-evaluate.
Obviously we have to give it some allowances as the cost is by far the cheapest 2m/70cm with DMR handheld in the market by a long way. but the performance with this Open GD-77 Firmware is truly transformed in to a radio that compares very close to the big players costing £200 or more. The Open GD777 Firmware is excellent, easy to navigate and how many other handhelds do you know that now have a Band Scope ?
If you are looking for a DMR radio and tempted to pay Hundreds thinking you are getting more for your money and if you can live with the basic B&W display of the DM-5R, then buy this you will certainly be glad you did.
The code plug and openfirmware zip file can be downloaded from this link provided by us.
Download the upgrade pack here https://drive.google.com/file/d/18RrgWzr2j3ymhAneBE9GEt68EwDlDgCj/view?usp=sharing