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The following files have been uploaded to the Files area of the [email protected] group.

• /Baofeng UV-5R CHIRP Programming Guide IWillPrepare.pdf
• /Baofeng UV5R-UV82 - CHIRP.pdf
• /Beginners Guide - CHIRP.pdf
• /CHIRP Programming - Miklor.pdf
• /MemoryEditor-Understanding CHIRPs Columns - CHIRP.pdf

By: Donald Hellen

Description:
Miscellaneous guides and documents for CHIRP

MK . . .

On Sun, 25 Oct 2020 21:30:58 -0400, "M. K." <ka2mce@...> wrote:

And the BF-888's are NOT license-free.some sellers are programing them with GMRS/FRS stuff and calling them "license-free"The BF-888's are not type accepted under part 95, so no GMRS, and the FRS rules are even MORE restrictive.Also, the 888s are NOT 5 watts-2.5 to 3 at best.

When I bought them at Hamvention I thought they were FRS radios. I
quickly realized that these were not license free but could be
programmed to the 440 amateur band and would make cheap HTs.

I programmed the pair for the 440 band and have FRS frequencies in for
receive. I have some real FRS radios by Midland and another brand so I
don't really need the 888 for FRS, but I thought in a true emergency
anything goes. If I have it with me and can't raise anyone locally on
the 440 band, I can use FRS and maybe get some help.

The 888 package, though, did say "license free" on the outside in
prominent lettering.

Donald -- AD8DY
Formerly KJ3I


----------------------------------------------------
Some ham radio groups you may be interested in:
/g/ICOM /g/Ham-Antennas
/g/HamRadioHelp /g/Baofeng
/g/CHIRP

Most of the counterfeits are still able to transmit out of band.
They have dominated the market to an extent that it is not easy to find a real Baofeng.
Bob N5TX

I've read several articles and a YouTube video about Baofeng HT's that
were made before the US forced them to lock the transmit range to stay
within the amateur bands.

Many of us have older ones which can transmit well outside our bands.

Anyone know the latest on this? If I understand correctly, we can use
them inside the amateur bands just like our home built equipment which
COULD be used to transmit out of band signals. I know their BF-888
"license-free" radios once were able to transmit on the amateur bands
as well as GMRS and FRS frequencies at I think 5 watts.

Donald -- AD8DY
Formerly KJ3I


----------------------------------------------------
Some ham radio groups you may be interested in:
/g/ICOM /g/Ham-Antennas
/g/HamRadioHelp /g/Baofeng
/g/CHIRP

The memory channel name? is limited to 6 or 7 character depending on the radio.

So, I have dealt with this problem by using the airport code for a city, followed on the same line by a V for 2m or U for 70cm and then a number.

For example:

Charlotte North Carolina airport code is CLT.

MY HT channel's labels:
145.23 ? CLT V1
145.29?? CLT V2
146.94?? CLT V3
147.27?? CLT V4
442.65 ? CLT U1
444.175 CLT U2
444.60?? CLT U3

Nearby Concord NC's airport code is JQF.

146.655? JQF V1
442.525? JQF U1
442.250? JQF U2
444.775? JQF U3

In smaller cities, I just put in the airport code plus V or U.

Lexington NC airport code is EXX.

!46.91? EXX VHF
444.50 EXX UHF

This? it allows you to have a city indicator and individual channel label all in one memory name.
While this is not optimal, does work.

73
Dan
AI8O

Thank you Andy.

Just to follow up, I've now ordered and received a pair of BF888s' - just under ?20 on Ebay, inc? 4 batteries, two chargers, and a programming lead- not a Prolific copy either.

(We've been on an trip, hence the delay in ordering etc.- we normally travel a lot in our motorhome (RV) and this virus business has prevented that so we take any opportunity we can.)?

I've started the modification process,? essentially inhibiting the voice prompts, removal of the case (some people reuse it, I don't plan to), removing the torch LED, mic and disconnecting the speaker.?

Next comes reducing the power out to between 50 and 100mW (yes). There are several methods people use to do this but removing the PA device seems to be common. The variation is how the driver is then linked to the output.?

Then there are some wires to add- COS (Carrier Operated Squelch),? Audio In / Out,? PTT, plus GND and power of course.?

The construction of the BF888 is very neat. Quality is acceptable rather than high. (I was an Engineer in the defence industry before becoming a teacher).?
The remarkable thing is the price. The ?20 includes taxes (20% VAT alone) and shipping to me.?

?73
Brian
G8OSN

Brian . . .

On Fri, 31 Jul 2020 00:54:40 -0700, "Brian Reay via groups.io"
<g8osn@...> wrote:

As I mentioned, I looking for an 888 ideally to modify for use in an Allstar node. As you may know, this involves, as a minimum, picking up some internal points:
audio in/out, PTT, COS. I also plan to reduce the power to (about) 100mW (or less) to limit coverage. Obviously the battery will be replaced by a PSU.

I actually know nothing about what you're doing (Allstar nodes), but I
found the 888S on Amazon.co.uk:



You might look further but this is a 4-pack of them for 42 Pounds
British Sterling. If nothing else, if you only needed 2, you'd have
spares in case you mess one up.

You can probably find a pair of them for about half of that on ebay or
somewhere else.


Donald -- AD8DY
Formerly KJ3I


----------------------------------------------------
Some ham radio groups you may be interested in:
/g/ICOM /g/Ham-Antennas
/g/HamRadioHelp /g/Baofeng
/g/CHIRP

Thank you Donald, a most comprehensive reply.

I assume from your? "import" comment that you are in the USA, I'm UK based (although I have a USA licence, sorry license!- W8OSN?
used on, all too infrequent, visits). We, don't have issues with Baofengs being imported- which is, of course, a double edged sword but good?
for us amateurs.

You clearly know the Baofengs in detail, including their site. I have a few. I use Linux or Mac with Chirp (mainly Linux) for nearly all my programming
(save a few old bits of PMR kit which it doesn't cover).? As you almost certainly know, Linux copes with most? USB / 232 chips, even the clones.?

As I mentioned, I looking for an 888 ideally? to modify for use in an Allstar node. As you may know, this involves, as a minimum, picking up some internal points:
audio in/out, PTT, COS.? I also plan to reduce the power to (about) 100mW (or less) to limit coverage. Obviously the battery will be replaced by a PSU.?

Modifications for the 888 are well documented and, while I am confident I could probably work out the details for another version, why reinvent the wheel ;-)

We have a number of, what seem to be, badged Baofengs available here- too many to list. Many are sold for use on our (rough) equivalent of the FRS system - PMR446.
Technically, they don't meet the PMR446 spec but our equivalent of the FCC (OFCOM) are, to put it mildly, less than interested in enforcement.? Unless you are VERY naughty, the chances of getting into trouble are just about zero.? Not a good situation in my view.......



73
Brian

Brian . . .

On Thu, 30 Jul 2020 14:36:41 -0700, "Brian Reay via groups.io"
<g8osn@...> wrote:

I’ve noticed some advertisers on EBay etc mentioned BF888(s) in the title but the detail description mentions the BF88(E).

Is this just a manifestation of Baofeng’s habit not being exactly consistent with model numbers?

This web site says the 88E is an upgraded version of their 888:



But "upgraded" to me means they don't have the amateur band coverage
now, and I think they were forced to change by the US FCC so that they
didn't have so wide a coverage that they could interfere on other
licensed frequency spectrum.

I did see that the 88A and 888 are listed there as having 400 to 470
MHz coverage in the chart below comparing 4 models, but the E model
isn't listed there. Closer to the top where they mix the A and E
models together it says it has coverage from 462 to 467 MHz.

There is a contact us button/link at the top of the web page so you
can find out yourself from the seller. You can also download the
manual from that page.

If you only need 462 to 467 MHz, then it probably doesn't matter.

I can say that the 888 was programmable to put it in the 432-450 MHz
ham band because I did that, and programmed some channels for
FRS/GMRS. The 888, I believe, puts out 5W. The A or E model appears to
be limited to 2W. It also covers the PMR band is but it's limited to
0.5W. There are 8 FRS and 8 PMR channels pre-programmed for you. Page
22 of the user manual, however, seems to say that it may be illegal to
use on the FRG, GMRS, or MURS bands, though this doesn't cover the
151-154 MHz MURS frequencies in any case, so this may be boilerplate
text pasted into the document without editing.

That's about all I can tell you except the 888 has a wider bandwidth
if you need that. However, those can't be legally imported anymore as
far as I know but they're still available on Amazon for $21.99 per
pair.



And you can (not legally) run the full 5W on any frequency between 400
and 450 MHz. You'll probably need to get the cable if you're going to
program it, and the cable costs as much as the radio if you want one
that's practically guaranteed to work:



It has the REAL FDTI chip and it works. I can confirm that since I
used the same for my UV-5R with CHIRP. If you want to discuss CHIRP,
join that group:

/g/CHIRP

Though there are only 25 members so far.

As for cheaper cables, buy them at your own risk, knowing ahead of
time you may be wasting your money. Some will not work even though
Windows detects the counterfeit FDTI chip but the driver from FDTI
will fail once it detects that it is not the real thing. That's how it
was explained to me anyway.

If you go to buy one of those, read the reviews. One that costs $13.65
has mostly good reviews but there were some complaints that it didn't
work on their Baofeng UV-5R radios. Also, this one uses the Prolific
chipset, and that seems to be somewhat problematic, hit or miss. The
FDTI chips just seem to work out of the box if they are the true FDTI
chip and not a knockoff. There's another one for $9.99 and though it
has the Baofeng brand on the USB end, it could be a counterfeit.

The only issue I had was with the CHIRP software. The default chosen
COM port was 3 and that didn't work, so I chose the only other one
listed in the software, COM port 4, and it worked.

If you want a book on programming with CHIRP, you can get this one for
under $10:



However, the author deals with a cable using the Prolific chipset. It
was generally helpful but many pictures in the book had such tiny text
in the screen captures of CHIRP that you may need a magnifier to read
them clearly. The chipset aside, it gave me an idea of what to expect
and I had my UV-5R cloned in no time and transferred to a friends
radio quickly.

There's probably enough information online that you can skip the book,
or just have at it when you get your radio, the cable, and CHIRP
installed.

Donald


----------------------------------------------------
Some ham radio groups you may be interested in:
/g/ICOM /g/Ham-Antennas
/g/HamRadioHelp /g/Baofeng
/g/CHIRP

I’ve noticed some advertisers on EBay etc mentioned BF888(s) in the title but the detail description mentions the BF88(E).

Is this just a manifestation of Baofeng’s habit not being exactly consistent with model numbers??

(I looking to buy a couple of 888 radios to modify for Allstar nodes. Details for modifying the 888 are available. While I could probably figure out details for a variant, I’d rather not go down that route unless I need to. )

73
Brian

KJ7CLT . . .

On Mon, 27 Jul 2020 20:16:54 -0700, "-- Eugene KJ7CLT"
<Eugene.WeltzerII@...> wrote:

Where I'm stuck:
My windows 10 64bit laptop doesn't recognize the programming cable until powering up the radio. Then is failed because "Unknown USB Device (Device descriptor Request Failed" and looking at the VIDPID gives 0000/0002, in other words nothing. I need to find a driver for this radio to start going anywhere?with it.

KJ7CLT

Did you buy the radio that comes with software and the cable like
Baofeng sells on Amazon?

If you didn't get the cable in the package you might be using one of
the Prolific or FDTI chipset knockoff cables. Those with counterfeit
chips often won't work. However, if you are correct that the chipset
is in the radio instead of the cable, are you installing the correct
driver? It may be the FDTI chipset instead of Prolific, and if so, you
would need the correct driver for the FDTI chipset instead.

If you are using the official Baofeng cable, I wouldn't know what next
step to take. I have the UV-5R and bought the Baofeng cable sold by
Baofeng Tech on Amazon and it worked out of the box with CHIRP. I
didn't get the Baofeng software as I wanted to get some experience
with CHIRP. I think their software is free to download though.

Donald -- AD8DY
Formerly KJ3I


----------------------------------------------------
Some ham radio groups you may be interested in:
/g/ICOM /g/Ham-Antennas
/g/HamRadioHelp /g/Baofeng
/g/CHIRP

I just purchased my first DMR radio to start learning about more of the digital side of ham.?

While waiting for my shipping, I got my DMR Id, found local repeaters and started creating the plan for the code plug I wanted.?

However, the first thing I need to do before programming is to upgrade firmware to match CPS and then enter my DMR ID into the RadioID or I won't get acknowledged by the repeaters. I have to enter a configuration mode to upgrade by holding SK1(upper side button) & PTT while powering up radio. This is when the pc started to recognize the USB. This leads me to believe that the USB chip is inside the real itself and to use a straight no chip programming cable.

I tried using zadig to use winusb, manually installing Prolific, ST,,... drivers to no avail.

Where I'm stuck:
My windows 10 64bit laptop doesn't recognize the programming cable until powering up the radio. Then is failed because "Unknown USB Device (Device descriptor Request Failed" and looking at the VIDPID gives 0000/0002, in other words nothing. I need to find a driver for this radio to start going anywhere?with it.


It's going to take a few months to maybe afford a Anytone 878 if I need to as I'm very limited on a very tight budget this year.

Thank you for the help

KJ7CLT

I added city names in the column next to the repeater frequency in CHIRP and uploaded the revised list to my Baofeng HT. The city name of one showed but didn't change as I changed memory channels.

Is there some option on the Baofeng display that I need to choose so that only 1 memory channel shows at a time with the city (or whatever you name it) below that? There isn't room for both on one line.

I ended up just uploading my old list without the names and I'll have to remember where the repeaters are by frequency for now, at least.

Donald -- AD8DY