BF888 BF888S User Manual

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Baofeng BF-888S

User Manual

aka BF-666S, BF-777S
Pofung T88, GT1    Retevis H-777

This is one man's attempt to have a readable
User Manual for the BF-888S transceiver.

A	LED Indicator Lights red during transmit, green when receiving a signal
B	Channel Switch Rotate to select a channel. No. 16 is the scanning channel
C	Power Switch / Volume Control Turn clockwise to switch ON the transceiver. Turn counterclockwise to switch OFF transceiver. Rotate to adjust volume.
D	PTT (Push-to-Talk) Button Push button to transmit. Release to receive.
E	MONI (Monitor) Button Press and Hold (Squelch OFF) to hear background noise; Release to return to normal operation.
F	FUNC (Function Button) Button Press to activate LED torch function.
G	Speaker Microphone / Programming Cable Jack

OPERATION

Switching Power ON/OFF
Turn the Power switch/Volume control (A) clockwise. You will hear a beep and speech indicating the transceiver is ON.

Adjusting the Volume
Hold Monitor button (E) own to listen to audio level while rotating the Power switch/Volume control (A). Rotate Volume Control to increase / decrease the volume.

Selecting the Channel
Turn the Channel Switch (B) to the desired channel. No. 16 is the Scanning Channel.

Transmitting
To transmit, Press and Hold PTT (D) and speak into the microphone in a normal tone of voice.
The LED indicator lights continuously red when transmitting.
For maximum sound clarity at the receiving station, hold the transceiver 2 to 3 inched from mouth and talk in a normal tone of voice.
Note: Yelling does not make your signal louder.

CHARGING the LI-ION BATTERY PACK

Charge the battery pack before using it. The new or stored (more than 2 months) battery pack cannot reach full capacity after the first charge. After 2 or 3 charges and discharges, it will reach full charge.

1. Plug adapter into electrical socket.
2. Insert transceiver or battery into the charging tray.
3. Ensure that the battery contacts connect with the drop-in charging tray. While charging is taking place, the LED will glow Red.
4. After 3 hours charging, the LED indicator will light Green.
5. Remove battery or transceiver from the charging tray.

Asterisk [ * ] designates function changed via software

* SQUELCH LEVEL
The purpose of the Squelch is to mute the speaker when no signals are present. With the squelch correctly set, you will only hear sound when a signal is present.

* TIME-OUT TIMER (TOT)
The TOT limits the length of a users transmission. The purpose of the TOT is to prevent transmitting for a long period of time, causing thermal damage to the radio. And alert will sound when the limit for that transmission has been reached.

* SCANNING
Scanning is used for hands off monitoring of your favorite frequencies. When the transceiver options are set to SCAN (via software), setting the channel selector to channel 16 directs the radio to scan the selected channels from 1-16.

1. Transceiver stops scanning when a signal is detected and continues when signal is gone.
2. If there are less than 2 channels, it cannot scan. (Go figure)
3. On channel 16, Press and Hold the PTT and MONI buttons while switching ON the transceiver to turn the Scanning ON or OFF.
4. If FM Radio function is activated via software, the radio will not scan. Note: There is no actual FM Radio function in this radio, so this option should always remain deactivated in software.

* BEAT SHIFT / SCRAMBLER (not available on some BF888S)
1. This option activates Voice Inversion.
2. When set, radios will no longer TX/RX normal audio on the selected channel.
3. All radios in the group must have the option set on the same channel to function properly between radios.

Baofeng Disclaimer: On the back of model BF888S aluminum case there is a “K” tag or an “UPDATE” tag. Any colored tags are just for the manufacturer’s internal use. They are only used as a distinguishing mark for different suppliers. There is no other practical significance and they are unrelated to the scrambler.

Check your country's regulations regarding the use of scrambled transmissions.


* VOICE PROMPT
1. VP can be set ON/OFF via software.
2. On channel 10, Press and Hold the PTT and MONI buttons while switching ON the transceiver to also Activate or Deactivate Voice Prompt.
3. On channel 15, Press and Hold the PTT and MONI buttons while switching ON the transceiver to change Voice Prompt Language (CHI / ENG)
4. Any channel 1-16, Press and Hold MONI only while switching ON the transceiver will Deactivate Voice Prompt for that session only.

* VOX (Voice Operated Transmit)
VOX eliminates the need for using the PTT key to transmit. The transmitter is keyed when the VOX circuit senses you are speaking into the microphone.

1. When operating the VOX function, set the VOX Gain level to recognize the desired sound level.
2. If level is too sensitive, transceiver will key with noise in the background.
3. If level is not sensitive enough, it will not pick up your voice. Set level for smooth transmission.
4. On channel 1-5, Press and Hold the PTT and MONI buttons while switching ON the transceiver to turn the VOX ON or OFF.

* EMERGENCY ALARM
On channel 11, Press and Hold the PTT and MONI buttons while switching ON the transceiver to turn the Alarm Function ON or OFF.
This is a function for your receiver only. You will Not transmit the alarm.

BATTERY SAVER
Reduces the battery power used when not receiving a signal. Battery saver turns on automatically 10 seconds after no signal is received and no operation is being performed.

BATTERY LOW ALERT
Reminds you that battery needs recharging. Alert tone will sound and Red LED will blink.

MONITOR
When no signal is being received, Press and Hold the MONI. This is helpful for adjusting volume level and receiving weak signals.

1750Hz Tone
Pressing the MONI button after pressing the PTT will send a 1750Hz tone over the air.

Note: This function has been eliminated in some newer models.

* BUSY CHANNEL LOCK-OUT (BCL)
BCL prevents you from transmitting on a channel if a signal is present. Pressing the PTT switch while a channel is in use will emit an alert tone and inhibit the transmitter.

* BEEP TONE
If turned on, radio will give short tone to indicate that there is nothing programmed for that channel.

* CTCSS / DCS
CTCSS (Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System) or
(Digital Coded Squelch). CTCSS / DCS Description

You may sometimes want to hear calls only from specific persons or groups. This option allows you to ignore unwanted calls from others on the same frequency. These tones are sub-audible (cannot be heard) and are selectable via software.

Note: These tones do NOT cause your conversation to be private or scrambled. It only relieves you from listening to unwanted conversations.

SUMMARY of FUNCTION ACTIVATION

Ch 1-5, Press / Hold both PTT and MONI, and Power ON
     VOX - ON / OFF.

Ch 10, Press / Hold both PTT and MONI, and Power ON
       Voice Prompt - ON / OFF

Ch 11, Press / Hold both PTT and MONI, and Power ON
       Alarm Function ON / OFF (if selected via SW)

Ch 12, Press / Hold both PTT and MONI, and Power ON
       Locks Transmitter ON (Power cycle to reset)

Ch 15, Press / Hold both PTT and MONI, and Power ON
       Change Language (CHI / ENG)

Ch 16, Press / Hold both PTT and MONI, and Power ON
       Scan ON / OFF (if option set via software)

Ch 1-16, Press / Hold MONI only and Power ON
       Deactivates Voice Prompt for that session only.

SPECIFICATIONS
Frequency Range	400 - 470MHz
RF Rated Power	< 5W (Closer to 3W)
Channel Capacity	16
Operating Voltage	3.7V
Dimensions	115mm x 60mm x 33mm 4.53" x 2.36" x 1.30"
Weight	150g (5.3oz)

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
No Power	Check Battery Installation and/or replace/charge battery.
Can't communicate with other members	Verify that the frequency and CTCSS tones are the same for all members. If all checks out okay, make sure you are all within range.
Hearing other stations	Change your CTCSS for that channel. Change to another channel.
I can clearly hear members of my group, but my voice is intermittent.	Check if microphone is blocked. If so, return radio to dealer for maintenance. Sometimes your frequency is the same as the frequency of other groups.
Can't turn on the radio, or it turns on and quickly shuts down.	Check the battery contacts on the radio. If they are broken or twisted, return your radio to an authorized dealer for maintenance.

Complete information on Cables, Drivers, Software, etc
is available at Miklor.com

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