If you download a codeplug from an American ham radio forum, you will find frequencies for the 70cm band (420-450 MHz) that are illegal to transmit on in the UK. American amateur bands include segments for satellite and ATV that fall outside the UK’s 430-440 MHz allocation. Worse, US DMR repeaters use different Colour Codes and Time Slots than their UK counterparts.
Similarly, a European codeplug from Germany or France will include analogue frequencies for maritime or aeronautical bands repurposed for amateur use, which the UK licence strictly prohibits.
The golden rule: Only use a codeplug explicitly labelled for the UK.
Simply put, a codeplug is the configuration file for your radio. It contains all the frequencies, repeater offsets, colour codes, and contact lists (the "Digital Contact List") required to communicate. While you can build one from scratch, downloading a pre-made UK codeplug saves you hours of data entry.
Go to the official Anytone website or a reputable UK dealer (like Nevada Radio or Moonraker). Download the CPS that matches your radio's firmware version. Using the wrong CPS can brick your codeplug. anytone 868 codeplug uk
Before you download a file, you must understand a critical piece of information regarding the AnyTone AT-D868UV (and the newer 878):
The 868 does not natively support "Zone" linking. Unlike the TYT MD-380 or MD-390, where you can organize channels into Zones freely, the AnyTone 868 has a strict memory structure. It organizes contacts by "Channel Groups." Many users find this interface significantly more clunky than other radios. If you download a codeplug made for a TYT or a Baofeng and try to convert it for the AnyTone 868, the zone structure will often break or require hours of manual fixing in the CPS (Computer Programming Software).
Review Verdict: Do not expect to download a codeplug and have it work perfectly immediately. You will almost certainly need to use the AnyTone CPS software to rearrange the channels into "Groups" to make the radio usable.
For the UK amateur, the AnyTone AT-D868UV is a paradox. It’s a ferociously capable DMR handheld, but out of the box? It’s about as user-friendly as a spreadsheet written in Klingon. The secret sauce isn’t the radio—it’s the codeplug. A well-structured codeplug transforms this "blinky-box of menus" into a seamless extension of your arm. If you download a codeplug from an American
Here’s how to build a UK-specific codeplug that doesn’t just work—it sings.
No essay on the D868UV codeplug is complete without addressing the Customer Programming Software (CPS) . The official AnyTone CPS (version 1.35 or later) is non-negotiable; third-party tools often corrupt the codeplug structure. Furthermore, UK operators must update the radio’s firmware to at least v3.40 (or later) to resolve the infamous "DMR audio lag" and to enable proper display of talkgroup aliases.
When building, the operator should follow the "Import from CSV" method: create a master spreadsheet containing channel number, name, frequency, colour code (for DMR), timeslot, and TX/RX tones. This allows version control and easy sharing—provided the operator redacts their private DMR ID. A solid codeplug is never static; it requires a review every six months to prune dead repeaters and add new hotspots.
You cannot simply download a random codeplug from a US Facebook group and use it in London. Here is why the "UK" modifier is critical for your Anytone 868: Similarly, a European codeplug from Germany or France
Resist the urge to load all 50,000 BrandMeister TGs. Start with these UK essentials:
| Talkgroup | Name | Use Case | |-----------|------|-----------| | 2350 | UK Wide | General rag-chew (busy) | | 2351 | UK Local | Intra-repeater chat | | 2352 | UK North | Scotland/North England | | 2353 | UK South | London/South Coast | | 2354 | UK Weekend | Casual nets | | 9 | Local (Worldwide) | For hotspots only | | 13 | English (Worldwide) | For hotspots only |
Add TG 9990 (echo test) to every zone. It’s your sanity check for hotspot configuration.