Radio Tech 2018
This page provides technical information about the Firefly radio setup. If you're just using a radio, you probably don't need it.
Radio Channels
Firefly Radio Channels 2018
See this sheet for the latest version of the 2018 radio channels. This version is current as of 2018-06-29:
| Channel | BF-888
Channel |
MD-390
Channel |
UV-82HP
UV5R Channel |
Rcv | Xmt
(if different) |
Tech | Tone/Isolation | Description |
| MURS1 | 0 | 151.82 | VHF Analog | None | ||||
| Safety1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 464.5 | 469.5 | UHF Analog | 127.3 | Primary Safety Core channel. Repeater-enabled |
| TAC1ICS | 2 | 2 | 2 | 469.55 | UHF Analog | 114.8 | For use when ICS is activated | |
| Sanctuary | 3 | 3 | 3 | 456.8 | UHF Analog | 100 | Sanctuary-only | |
| Board | 4 | 4 | 4 | 451.8125 | UHF Analog | 88.5 | ||
| DPW | 5 | 5 | 5 | 456.8125 | UHF Analog | 94.8 | ||
| LNT | 6 | 6 | 6 | 456.8 | UHF Analog | 203.5 | ||
| GGGP | 7 | 451.8 | UHF DMR | Group Call 1 | Gnome Gate Greeters Parking Security | |||
| GTFO | 8 | 451.8 | UHF DMR | Group Call 2 | Get The Freaks On/Off (the hill). Digital only. | |||
| Accessibility | 9 | 451.8 | UHF DMR | Group Call 3 | Digital radios only! | |||
| WAKE | 7 | 151.505 | VHF Analog | 123 | ||||
| TAC2 | 8 | 151.625 | VHF Analog | 114.8 | ||||
| TAC3 | 9 | 151.7 | VHF Analog | 100 | ||||
| WX W VT | 10 | 162.5 | --- | VHF AnalogWide | None | West Vermont NOAA weather broadcast. | ||
| WX E VT | 11 | 162.475 | --- | VHF AnalogWide | None | East Vermont NOAA weather broadcast. | ||
| WX W NH | 12 | 162.525 | --- | VHF AnalogWide | None | West NH NOAA weather broadcast. |
Radio Hardware
Firefly uses several variants of commercially-produced, commonly-available amateur handheld transceivers (HTs).
BF-888s
| Name | BF-888s |
| Channels | 16 |
| Bands | UHF only |
| Frequency Range | 400 - 470MHz |
| RF Power | ~3W |
| Operating Voltage | 3.7V |
| Users | Dirt Rangers, other Safety Cores, anyone who doesn't need a different radio |
Links
UV-5R
| Name | UV-5R (also UV-5Rv2, UV-5R+, etc.) |
| Channels | 128 |
| Bands | UHF/VHF |
| Frequency Range | 136-174MHz, 400-520MHz TX |
| RF Power | ~4W |
| Operating Voltage | 7.4V |
| Users | Khaki, anyone on a long shift |
The UV-5R has several ~identical-looking variants. When programming the radio, it's important to look at the model plate on the front and see what you have. If it's not "UV-5R", you likely have one of the custom variants -- see Baofengtech's compare chart for more info on the differences. They all have basically the same capability, with the exception of the RD-5R, which is a digital radio.
Links
- Annotated user manual -- extremely useful!
TYT MD-390
| Name | TYT MD-390 |
| Channels | lots |
| Bands | UHF |
| Frequency Range | 400-480MHz |
| RF Power | ~4W |
| Operating Voltage | 7.4V |
| Users | For 2018: GGGP, GTFO, Accessibility |
This is a DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) and its operation is different than you might be used to. It can be used on the analog UHF channels in a similar fashion to the other radios, but its primary use is on the digital channels.
Radio Docs
Radio Reference Card 2016-print version
Burning Man Radio Training:
- Video: https://vimeo.com/101945669
- Document: http://tinyurl.com/ArtOfRadio