[chirp_users] Baofeng UV-5R won't program

[Jim Unroe]

Hi Don,

On Sun, Jan 17, 2016 at 8:15 PM, lofty don <loftydon at gmail.com> wrote:
> Sir,
>
> I recently purchased two of these radios, but am having trouble programming
> them using the purchased cable that interfaces with the radio and ends in a
> USB cable.  I have tried with both a Windows 10 and a Windows 7 Home pc.  I
> checked the firmware version and saw that it read: BFB297

The firmware version of these radios can no longer be determined by
powering on the radio with the [3] key pressed. Ever since BFB299
firmware was released about 3 years ago, all UV-5R radios (and their
variants) masquerade as BFB297 in this power on message. Unless your
radio is over 3 years old, the only thing that we can be sure of is
that the "real" firmware version is not BFB297.

>
> I check the devices in Windows 10 and it shows com3 or com4, depending on
> the USB port and it looks good.

You shouldn't need to guess which COM port to use. Device Manager
should show you exactly which COM port is assigned to your programming
cable. If you have a programming cable with a Prolific USB-to-TTL
chip, the device driver auto installed by Windows 10 is incompatible.
Unfortunately the latest Prolific driver installed by Windows no
longer shows an error, so you can be fooled into thinking everything
is OK when it isn't. What you will have to do is download, install and
select an older, but compatible, device driver (v3.2.0.0).

http://www.miklor.com/COM/UV_Drivers.php

>
> I click on new and then click on the radio tab and put in com1 or com2 or
> com3 or com4 and always get an error (vendor is Baofeng and UV-5R).

Once again, you shouldn't be guessing which COM port to use. One you
get the correct device driver selected, Device Manager should clearly
show you which one to use. See examples in the guide above.

Also you cannot click new to create an image that will upload to your
radio. You must download from your radio first to create a tab that is
compatible. Save your first successful download to a CHIRP Radio
Images (*.img) file to be kept in a safe place as a backup. Then you
can save it a second time for your "working" copy. Make the change you
want and upload it back to your radio. See these guides and examples.

http://www.miklor.com/COM/UV_CHIRP.php#guides

>
> Thanks for any help you can give.
>
> Don in sunny Florida
>

Jim KC9HI