This adapter meets the mechanical and electrical schematic required to work, but the quality of your USB-C cable (and 3.5mm cable, if one is in your signal path) will greatly impact performance due to the finicky design of the radio’s USB-C port.
Check This First: Is the 3.5mm Plug Pushed All the Way In?
This is the most common issue we hear about. The 3.5mm jack on the adapter is a very tight fit, especially when it’s new. A plug can feel like it’s fully seated when it’s actually stopped just short, and a partly inserted plug won’t work (or will act strangely).
- Hold the adapter firmly and push the 3.5mm plug in harder than you think you need to.
- You should feel and hear a final click as it seats. If you didn’t get that last click, it isn’t all the way in.
Several customers who were sure their adapter was faulty found it worked perfectly once the plug was pushed in that last bit, so please try this before anything else.
Experiencing Wonky Behavior? Your cable choice is important.
- Swap in a high-quality USB-C cable. Cheap or overly long cables are a common culprit.
- Try a shorter cable length.
- If a 3.5mm cable is also part of your setup, try swapping that with a higher quality & shorter option.
- Reseat both ends firmly.
WHY IS THIS AN ISSUE?
- The Quansheng USB-C input appears to be extra sensitive to capacitance present in certain USB & 3.5mm audio cables. A perfectly working cable in another application may not work with your Quansheng. It took a lot of troubleshooting and testing to make this determination. NR7Y is trying to solve for this with a software solution within his radio firmware.
Cables Known to Work
A customer (KE8YVH) worked through his issue on both a UV-K5 Ver 3 and a UV-K1, and confirmed these short cables cleared it up:
- 3.5mm cable: Elecan 3.5mm AUX Cable, 0.6 ft
- USB-C cable: 6″ USB-C to USB-C Cable
These cables have also been confirmed to work:
- 3.5mm cable: valonic Short 3.5mm AUX Cable, 0.6 ft
- USB-C cable: 6″ Braided USB-C to USB-C Cable (2 Pack)
These links are shared for reference, not an endorsement of a specific brand. Any similarly short, well-made cable should work just as well.
UV-K1 Compatibility
Because performance is sensitive to cable quality, compatibility with the UV-K1 radio is considered experimental at this time. Why? the UV-K1 radio has a floating ground on the USB-C connector, and is considered by many to be a design defect of the radio. Despite this, many users are having success with these adapters with the right cable combination. Results aren’t guaranteed.
Still stuck? Double check your radio version and wiring diagram, or contact us.