Baofeng Programming Instructions

[Bradley]

Directions and links to program Baofeng radios with the programming cables that we're offering. 73
Bradley W4BVB
-------- Original Message --------
On May 11, 2021, 9:46 AM, Andrew Jezioro < ajez...@comcast.net> wrote:

To program your new Baofeng do the following:

You will need to download the latest copy of CHIRP.  It can be found here:
https://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home

It is recommended that you download it to the Downloads directory on
your computer.  Then install it as you would any other software package.

You will also need to install a USB driver.  If you ordered the
programming cable, although it comes with a CDROM, it is recommended
that you DO NOT use the CDROM.  Instead go to this web site:
https://www.miklor.com/COM/UV_Drivers.php

Download the WCH chipset driver and install if it does not install
automatically.

PLEASE NOTE:  If you obtained a programming cable elsewhere you may have
to install a different driver from the same web site.  There is good
documentation on the page to help you get the right software driver
installed.

Plug the programming cable into the computer and into the radio. The
radio end plugs into the mike/earphone/ptt jack in the right side.
Please make sure you firmly seat the connector.  A common mistake
happens when the plug is not inserted all the way.

You MUST download from the radio before you can upload new data. When
you choose Download from Radio, you will need to enter the manufacturer
model number and com port.  Com port may be automatic or you may have to
choose depending on what devices are installed on your PC.

Enter your new data, be sure to save the file and upload it to the
radio.  You are done!!!

[Butch Washer]

I bought my 3x UV-5r’s so long ago, I don’t remember when 5 or 6 years maybe. Once I went to the Miklor site and got the Prolific driver, read over the site some, it was SO easy to program them compared to programming them manually. 

I have CHIRP on multiple computers including my laptop so o can update them as needed. BUT, I keep a cheap card for doing it manually just in case. I also have had 2x IC-24at handies for ages, that are a piece of cake to manually program. The only radio I have that I can’t program myself at all is a Vertex VX-800, I believe, VHF version commercial handie that a ham friend has programmed. I have a USB cable and a couple of pieces of software for it. I can read the programming, but can’t get it to take changes. I’ve been hoping that CHIRP will add it to their list. 

73 Butch N5SMQ 

Sent from my iPhone

On May 11, 2021, at 8:14 PM, 'Bradley' via Valley Hams <valle...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

 Directions and links to program Baofeng radios with the programming cables that we're offering. 73

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[Andrew Jezioro]

One of the challenges today is thee are so many programming cables.  In fact there are a bunch of fake Prolific cables with cloned chips.  If you use the latest Prolific drivers with those cables, they will turn on transmit when you plug in the radio.  Prolific did this to prevent users from using the cables with cloned chips.

It's still a piece of cake to use Chirp.  Once you have the right drivers installed it goes smoothly.  I did 30 radios yesterday in a couple of hours (all used the same code plug)

Andy
WA2ONG

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/valleyhams/576EBDBA-2B07-4BFA-86A0-F317F158972D%40gmail.com.

[Norm Dallura]

I’m not sure about the PC version, but the new Mac version of CHIRP no longer requires you to download/import your settings from your radio each time before making edits.  If you have saved the image (.img) from a previous session, you can instead open the saved image and CHIRP recognizes it, you can made edits and then upload to your radio.  Big improvement.

Norm

KN4YFI

On May 11, 2021, at 8:14 PM, 'Bradley' via Valley Hams <valle...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

[Andrew Jezioro]

Yes, the PC version no longer requires a download from the radio.  I discovered this when programming some radios for the club.  That really speeds up the process.

Andy
WA2ONG

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/valleyhams/92F892B1-AE42-46A8-87FF-4B272D97F14D%40gmail.com.

[Mark Whitis]

Be careful about not downloading from the radio before you make changes.  The program will let you do it but very bad things can happen if you don't do things exactly right.   And some model radios will be much less forgiving than others.  With a UV-5R you might get away with it; with some other models it could be a $300 repair because those memory files you are playing around with may contain the only copy of the factory calibration data for a specific radio.  And there is nothing new about letting you skip the download step if you load an img file, that has been that way as long as I can remember (at least on linux and windoze) and it has always been a potentially dangerous thing to do unless you are very careful.  This is why most instructions tell you to download from the radio first; not because there weren't always ways around it using IMG files.  This problem is not unique to chirp, either. 

Contents:

• why you shouldn't just load an img file instead of downloading from radio, except as specifically noted, and other ways to stay out of trouble.
  
• Driver issues apply to some cables and operating systems and not others and why they will break again in the future (and fix below)
  
• What to do with your radio when you first get it to maximize your chances of recovery
• chirp file naming suggestions
  
• programming a batch of radios.
• problems with RT systems cables and how to turn them into standard cables and back.  Also, how to get linux to use them without repairing the cables.
  
• linux serial permissions issues
  
• How to prevent windows driver updates of just a single driver
• alternative software: baoclonef
• Manual programming instructions (link to  previous post)
  
• Using chirp (link to previous post)
• sample data files (UV-5R+)
• some suggested settings
• legality
  

Not necessarily in that order.  And yes, there is some dangerous information in this message, if misused.   This post, and the previous ones I linked to, contain some rare and hard to find information as well as some more common info.   You will probably want to skim over some sections that you don't need right now and refer back to them later.  I have used chirp and baofengs since at least 2011, before the UV-5R existed.

Dangers of not downloading from radio (continued)

It is ok if you load a .IMG file if, and only if, that file was loaded not only from the same brand and model radio, with the same firmware vrersion, but also that exact (serial number) radio.   Otherwise, you could corrupt your radio.   Some radios have calibration parameters that are set at the factory that may be lost if you overwrite them with data from another radio.  In some cases (including Yeasu FT-857/FT-897) this may even result in spurious emissions and may even require the radio to be sent back to the factory/service depot for an expensive RF alignment.   So even if this doesn't necessarily happen to baofengs, you still want to be in the habit of practicing good codeplug hygene so it doesn't bite you later.  And baofengs do appear to contain some parameters that may be specific to a certain radio even if the firmwares match; like the squelch thresholds (settings -> service settings) and some unknown settings that live in the memory between the VHF and UHF squelch settings.  Also, baofeng is notorious for changing the layout of the settings in memory with different firmware versions.  In the case of the UV-5R.  The squelch settings may not be specific to the radio serial number and may have been set poorly from the factory so there may be better, but generic, settings to use anyway.   It isn't that those settings are right for your specific radio, just less wrong than the ones that come from the factory; you might still need to use a different setting on the virtual squelch knob on two otherwise identical radios because you are using the same settings on different radios. It isn't unusual for service settings like this to be highly specific to one radio as manufactures use digital settings to compensate for variation in analog parts, including compensating for the non-linearity in the RF amplifier power transistors, RF alignment, etc.

If you only want to clone the memory channels and not the other settings, your should import the IMG file rather than loading it.   If you want to clone the memory channels and the settings to a different radio, load the img file, screenshot the settings, then download from the radio and import the memory channels and manually reproduce the settings changes.   Note that you may be able to have the IMG file and the download from the radio open in two separate tabs instead of screenshotting.

If you need to setup a bunch of UV-5R radios purchased at the same time, if you have verified both firmware version numbers are the same, and have downloaded and saved the ...as_received.img from each, you might be able to get away with uploading the same file to each radio to set both the channels and settings.  But be careful about applying that to other brands, baofeng digital radios, etc.

Things to do when your receive your radio (any radio):

• Install chirp
  
• Install the old drivers from miklor if necssary  https://www.miklor.com/COM/UV_Drivers.php
• Use chirp and download the memory image.   Save it as a filename that contains your name (since you will probably program other peoples radios at some point), radio model, number of radio since you may have more than one, date, and "as_received".  Myname_UV5R_No1_20210517_as_received.img
• Perform a factory reset all on the radio  [Menu] [4][0] -> Menu -> MENU -> Down until it says All -> Menu.  Press [MENU] to confirm; press [EXIT] to abort.   Remember that [EXIT] is your way out; you will probably someday find yourself at the factory reset by accident.   After resetting, go to MENU 14 and set the language to english.   youtube
  
• Use chirp and download the memory image.   Save it as a filename like Myname_UV5R_No1_20210517_Factory_Reset.img
• Program your channels and settings the way you want
• Upload to radio and save a suitably named file.
• When I make changes, I download from the radio and save as something "myname_UV5R_No1_20210517_beforechanges.img" and then after making changes save as "myname_UV5R_No1_20210517_afterchanges.img".   The before changes might match a file you already have, or it might not.
• Number your radio or use the serial number (under the battery) or at least the last digits of it as the radio number.
  

This way, if the radio isn't so corrupted that you can't upload the file to the radio, reset it back to the way it actually came from the factory, not just a "factory reset" that may leave; factory reset likely won't restore corrupted device specific parameters.  And you can use those a template.  

You can import (but not load) memories from an img file corresponding to a different model or even brand of radio.  Some details like channel specific  power settings may need to be tweaked.

Driver issues for counterfeit/clones

If you run chirp on linux, you do not need to worry about the drivers.  The linux drivers doesn't contain the hostile code.    If you use Windows, windows will upgrade your driver back to the latest version so you will need to downgrade the driver repeatedly.  Keep the installer handy.  This applies if your cable uses a prolific chipset.

It isn't just prolific.  Some versions of the FTDI driver actually bricked the chip.  They changed the vendor id from the FTDI id to "0000" but left the product id intact.  You have to download the FTDI utility program that allows developers to set the vendor id/product id on FTDI chips (more on this below).  I think it also works on the clones/counterfeit that are vulnerable to this attack; the linux alternative does.   Not having learned from the public outcry at their first malicious act, they came out with another malicous version of the driver that sent garbage data down the serial wires if they encounter clone/counterfeit chips.  As far as I know, the current FTDI drivers work ok.  The reprogramming utility is mprog (ftdi, windoze, missing in action on FTDI site), ftdi-eeprom (open source, freebsd/linux).

Note that it is only a counterfeit if it is labeled with the prolific/FTDI barnd name.  Just using the vendor ID and Product ID, technically would be a clone emulating the device and not a counterfeit.  

  

CH340/CH341 chips should not have these problems.

USB communication device class (CDC) devices should not have these problems

RT Systems cables and unbricking cables

By the way, if you purchased an RT systems cable/software, you may need to use those same FTDI utilities mentioned above to change the vendor number to turn the RT brand cable back into an FTDI cable (not detailed instructions)so you can use chirp or other software. I have actually done this.  I suspect the target VID/PID is 0403 6001.    In FTDI mode, however, the copy protection on the RT software will refuse to let the software run with what appears to be a non RT brand cable.  So make note of the RT vendor id and label the cable with the original VID/PID . It is also possible on linux to tell the ftdi driver, when you load it with modprobe, or later after loaded, to treat a specific unknown usb vendor/device id as an FTDI chip, assuming it actually is one.   This only works once the driver is already loaded.   Messing with the drivers may crash a running system (though it usually doesn't).

Linux commands (change VID/PID as necessary).   Ugly because of gmail editor bugs.

# list usb devices
lsusb
# unload driver
rmmod ftdi_sio 

# load driver with unknown VID/PID
modprobe ftdi_sio vendor=0x2100 product=0x9e5f

# tell already loaded driver to recognize unknown VID/PID 

sudu 'bash -c echo "2100 9e5f"     >/sys/bus/usb-serial/drivers/ftdi_sio/new_id' 

# Reprogram chip/cable

    sudo apt-get install ftdi-eeprom

rmmod ftdi_sio

ftdi_eeprom --read-eprom rt_systems_eeprom_orig

cp rt_systems_eeprom_orig rt_systems_eprom_new

gedit rt_systems_eprom_new &

ftdi_eeprom --write-eprom rt_systems_eprom_new

Excerpts from linux  /var/lib/usbutils/usb.ids.   VID is the unindented number and PID is the indented one.

0403  Future Technology Devices International, Ltd
        0000  H4SMK 7 Port Hub / Bricked Counterfeit FT232 Serial (UART) IC

        [...]

        6001  FT232 USB-Serial (UART) IC

        [...]

        6010  FT2232C Dual USB-UART/FIFO IC
        6011  FT4232H Quad HS USB-UART/FIFO IC
        6014  FT232H Single HS USB-UART/FIFO IC
        6015  Bridge(I2C/SPI/UART/FIFO)

        [...]

2100  RT Systems
        9e52  Yaesu VX-7
        9e54  CT29B Radio Cable
        9e57  RTS01 Radio Cable
        9e5d  K4Y Radio Cable
        9e5f  FT232RL [RTS05 Serial Cable]

Linux serial port permissions

On linux, you may have an issue with serial port permissions.  You can run chirp as root with sudo, use chown or chmod, edit the udev rules to make the device accessible to everyone every time it loads, or just make yourself a member of the dialout group who generally has permission to use serial ports.  Do not capitalize your username when replacing it: 

Use only one of the following commanads:

sudo chown MY_USER_NAME /dev/ttyUSB0

sudo chmod 0666 /dev/ttyUSB0


sudo usermod -a -G dialout MY_USER_NAME
sudo adduser MY_USER_NAME dialout

Freeze updates to a particular driver in windows

There is apparently a way to prevent one specific driver from being updated:

https://www.howtogeek.com/263851/how-to-prevent-windows-from-automatically-updating-specific-drivers/

These instructions weren't written specifically for the prolific chips and the example uses a PCI device not USB.    It requires you get the hardware ID strings, which includes the USB vendor id and product ids, from the device manager and copy and paste those into the group policy editor.

Start -> type "control panel" -> System and security -> System -> Device Manager -> other -> something resembling USB serial

Start -> type "gpedit.msc" -> system -> device installation -> device installation restrictions -> Prevent installatio of devices that match any of these devices IDs.

Baoclone

Another open source program, but with a better license (MIT), that can program the radios is baoclone (linux,mac,windows).    It uploads and download memory files and can convert them to/from an editable text format that you can edit with a text editor or modify using scripts.  It only supports baofeng radios (many models).  There is a similar program, yeasutool for the FT-60 and FT-2R.   The author also has a collection of transistor curve trace data files.  He also has a program that appears to convert captured analog floppy signals back into digital data (GPL license).

Manual Programming

I have posted some very detailed MANUAL programming instructions to this list in the past.  Includes the steps that other instructions leave out.   Includes the ability to disable transmit.

https://groups.google.com/g/valleyhams/c/4BEy1FZYl98/m/DP5PKOWCDwAJ

Using Chirp

I have posted some more information on using chirp here:

https://groups.google.com/g/valleyhams/c/4f_xHPS5cGg/m/fYR4WwmCAAAJ

A handy cross reference between chirp menu names and radio menu numbers

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Baofeng_UV-5R

Attached data files

I have attached the memory channels I put in W4JQT's radio.
I didn't include my radio because I can legally transmit on some non-ham frequencies.  I also deleted a few non-ham channels that werent deleted from his radio and did a little cleanup.
These were orginially setup in charlottesville, then all the valley channels were included.
Main channels sorted by frequency.
Includes simplex channels.
Includes weather channels (RX only, WX400-WX550).
Includes some more distant channels (richmond, lynchburg, rustburg, farmville, wintergreen)
You can sort and delete as you see fit.

127 makes a good scratch channel for manual programming exercises.  I set it to name "TEST" and 146.520.

Some suggested settings

Start with factory reset configuration, download from radio

Left sidebar -> Settings -> Advance settings -> Voice: english

Left sidebar -> Settings -> Other settings -> Power on message 1 =  your call sign

Left sidebar -> Settings -> Advance settings -> Dual watch enabled= off  (turn it on when you want it)

Left sidebar -> settings -> Basic settings -> Timeout timer -> 120 seconds or so.  Limit the length of your stuck mike transmissions.

Left sidebar -> settings -> basic settings -> Display Mode (A) = Frequency

Left sidebar -> settings -> basic settings -> Display Mode (B) = Name

  If you tune both to the SAME channel, you can see both the name and frequency.  By switching between top and bottom lines (A/B), you can select channels by name or frequency.

Left sidebar -> settings -> Advance -> Alarm mode = Site   - Don't transmit when you accidentally activate alarm mode

Left sidebar -> Settings ->work mode settings

   VFO/MR mode: channel

   keypad lock: disabled

   MR A channel: 0

    MR B channel: 0

    VFO A Frequency: 146.520

    VFO A Frequency: 146:520

    VFO A Shift: off    (for simplex)

     VFO B Shift: off

     VFO A Offset: 0.600

     VFO B offset: 0.600

     VFO A Power: High

      VFO A Power: High

      VFO A Bandwidth: wide

    VFO B Bandwidth: wide

      VFO A PTT-ID: 1   (disabled below under ANI: ID off)

      VFO B PTT-ID: 1

      VFO A Tuning step: 5.0   simplex chanels are 15kHz steps in this area but that isn't an option.  15 divisable by 3.  You need 5KHz steps to hit many repeater frequencies as well.

      VFO B Tuning step: 5.0

... -> DTMF settings -> ANI ID: off

... -> DTMF settings -> PTT ID Code 1: off

You may want to consider the alternative squelch thresholds I stumbled across above so you squelch menu actually gives you some control.

Programming cables and antennas

Antenna: get a NA701BNC (long) or NA771BNC (longer, quarter wave) antenna with BNC and get a BNC to SMA adapter (with shoulder) and pretend your radio never came with a SMA.  Note that there are lots of counterfeits that vary in quality.  Or get a supposedly original diamond a RH77CA for $25 amazon or $23 + ship from DX engineering

I have used  mostly multiple radio 6/8 in 1 cables.  With a few sets, you can program roughly 100  radio models including about a dozen different connectors/pinouts.  If you go to 409shop you can order the 8-in-1, 6-in-1, and 4-in-1 (YEASU RS-232) programming cables together for $44.43 total.  You can shave about 7 bucks off that by replacing the 6-in-1 with a $5 USB to RS-232 adapter.   The 4-in-1 covers a lot of important yeasu radios that have more expensive connectors that aren't included in the 8-in-1.  The 6-in-1 is mostly redundant (unless you have motorola/hytera gear and software) except it replaces the RS-232 interface dongle of the 4-in-1 with a USB interface dongle with a jack the 4 yeasu adapters plug into.

8in1 USB Programming Cable for Motorola YAESU,iCOM, Kenwood FDC Baofeng

6 in 1 Adaptor USB cable with 6 adaptor

4 in1 RS-232 Prog.Cable for YAESU

you probably don't want the 4-in-1 USB cable for motorla and TM271.

Skip the driver CDs that come with the cables and download drivers from miklor.com.

You can have two separate programming kits (car and home) with some overlap in capabilities (the overlap includes Kenwood/Baofeng/Wouxon handhelds), icom handhelds, and some yeasu handhelds (not the VX-7R which is only supported by the 4-in-1 but you can get a $5 waterproof to non-waterproof adatper to upgrade the 8in1 kit).

409shop also have ribless (no RIB box needed) 3/4/5/6-in-1 interfaces for motrola radios if you have access to the motorola proprietary software.  Otherwise, not as tempting as the look.  For maxtrac, there is some low level data transfer software and some third party documentation of the codeplug format.

Legaility

You can tune/progam a bunch of frequencies you can't legally transmit on; set Duplex to "Off" in chirp to disable transmit on those channels to prevent transmit if you include them.  Technically, you can not legally use a baofeng to transmit on FRS/GMRS (except the GMRS only models) or MURS except on a Part 95 certified radio which ham radios can never be (can tune outside Part 95, detachable radio). You can't transmit on weather channels.  In my linked articles above, I describe how (manually or with chirp) to disable transmit on a memory channel.    Some Baofeng models are certificated [sic] under Part 90 for  use on Land Mobile Radio (Fire/Rescue/Search/Police/Business bands):  Btech UV-82C, Baofeng UV-82, UV-5R first generation only, UV-3R Mk II, UV-B5/B6,  BF-F9 V2+ (8watt). BF-888S. The UV-82C is the only one that could legally be certified if it were introduced to the market today as Part 90 radios must ship inoperable until programmed by computer/technician.  The pofung BF-F8HP is a relabeled BF-F9 V2+.  It appears that a few more were registered under the newer Pofung company name (may still say baofeng on radio); most are just repeats of the ones registered under baofeng label.  There does appear to be at least one digital radio.   To be sold/advertised as a Part 90 radio, the radio must have a sticker on it that says Part 90.   For a ham to operate it as one, it appears that it only needs to have been certified (not necessarily labeled); however, you need to know that the radio hasn't changed significantly since it was certified (or wasn't made before it was certified) which can be a little tricky without the label.  Most baofengs don't have the Part 90 certification label.  If you are giving the radio to a radio user (non-ham) instead of a radio operator, use the more expensive UV-82C model, that comes with the front panel VFO locked out (channel mode only) and has a setting you can change in chirp to enable/disable VFO.

There have been claims most baofengs do not meet the spurious emissions standards.   I have also seen some other claims that they could get that result only by overdriving the spectrum analyzer input.  In any event, the FCC undoubtedly has known about this for a while and hasn't gone after the manufacturer for that but has gone after some manufacturers for being able to tune to the wrong frequencies or certifying a new radio that shipped unlocked and can transmit outside ham bands.

Certification documents: https://www.miklor.com/COM/UV_Certification.php