$40 BaoFeng UV-5R Dual-Band Handhelds

[Vicreo A Legarreta]

So I picked up a BaoFeng BF-F8HP over the holiday and it is just like the UV-5B that I have. Chirp doesn't work with it, tried to load it the same way I have loaded the 5B and chirp shuts down unexpectedly. The two radios talk to each other without issue and the radio receives once manually programed for the one repeater I use locally. The chirp site list the F8HP as a compatible unit (in daily builds) so what gives?

you have to download the lates versio of chirp from hare http://trac.chirp.danplanet.com/chirp_daily/LATEST/

in the down load information (CHIRP PROGRAM) from the radio select your com port, next on is have to be in baofeng, and the last one is BF-F8HP

this is the version that i use but you can get a newer version


hope this help's

 

[AML]

Not sure what happened…

I picked up an Amazon Baofeng radio along with one of the cables and went to the following address

http://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home

after following a google search for Chirp software.

I ended up downloading installmac software instead which was a royal pain to remove. This is also known as Genieo.

Just be careful. I am not totally positive I removed all of it. Now I am leery of trying to install Chirp again.

Anyone know if that is normal for that website?

Thanks

 

[AML]

I think I know what happened when I retraced my steps... Looks like I clicked on an "advertisement" while on the download page. Very sneaky... In my rush to get things going I let my guard down. Not very happy with the choice of advertisers with the chirp software site.

 

[AML]

 

[Vicreo A Legarreta]

try this AML


then

install the file, if you want the lates build
to get the lates build


down load the new build and install


hope this help's

 

[AML]

Thank you. I just added the photo to show what I "clicked" on. If I had paid more attention I would have seen it wasn't part of the actual web page. I will probably try again on another night because I wasted more than an hour getting that malware off my computer. I wouldn't be surprised if there is still some residual files left behind 😞

 

[jerdog53]

you have to download the lates versio of chirp from hare http://trac.chirp.danplanet.com/chirp_daily/LATEST/

in the down load information (CHIRP PROGRAM) from the radio select your com port, next on is have to be in baofeng, and the last one is BF-F8HPView attachment 262579

this is the version that i use but you can get a newer version
View attachment 262580

hope this help's

I have done all this before like I said I have a UV-5R and have programmed it perfectly several times with Chirp without issue.

I downloaded the newest version this morning version 0.4.1-3 (GTK 2.24.10 PyGTK 2.22.0 Python 2.7.2) there is no option for the BF-F8HP there is an option for the BF-888 and when selected I get the error message stating no response from the radio when trying to download from the radio.

Bare in mind I'm working off an apple Macbook pro.

 

[Vicreo A Legarreta]

o a macbook I do not now to much on mac but hare you can ask for some help a lot of guy's can help
https://www.facebook.com/groups/409432512465225/

 

[Vicreo A Legarreta]

o a macbook I do not now to much on mac but hare you can ask for some help a lot of guy's can help
https://www.facebook.com/groups/409432512465225/

 

[AML]

okay I was able to finally install the Chirp software along with python and the driver using the hints from the chirp osx hints page.

I was able to connect my radio to the chirp software and downloaded the radio's info to the software.

Since I am so new to this stuff I am not sure what to do next. While I study to prepare for the technician's test I would like to at least listen to the radio.

Any suggestions on websites to visit to play around with what to input into the software to transfer to the radio?

Thanks…interesting stuff

 

[TerryD]

Repeater book and artsci.com both have repeater listings. You can import info from repeater book directly to your radio using the CHIRP software. You may have to go to their website to get locations as listed but I've used that to get most my repeater info.

There is also the moon bounce frequency and others listed on the ARRL band plan pages. I have the simplex call frequencies and others loaded as well as all the NOAA weather bands. I put the NOAA stuff in the top memory channels with the call freqs starting at 100.

 

[AML]

Repeater book and artsci.com both have repeater listings. You can import info from repeater book directly to your radio using the CHIRP software. You may have to go to their website to get locations as listed but I've used that to get most my repeater info.

There is also the moon bounce frequency and others listed on the ARRL band plan pages. I have the simplex call frequencies and others loaded as well as all the NOAA weather bands. I put the NOAA stuff in the top memory channels with the call freqs starting at 100.

Thank you for the info. I did find some local repeaters and was able to hear a little last night. I programmed a few into the radio using Chirp but I think some of my settings were wrong. Having a good time figuring this stuff out. Thanks everyone for the help

 

[rayra]

In case it hasn't been mentioned yet, there's a good HAM subforum at ar15.com, as well as a similar large topic on these radios. That topic prompted me to pick up the UV5R and the low price on the accessories led to a lot of other neat things. Been listening off and on for a while, did some studying, still haven't set the date for my Tech exam, need to get that done. But doesn't seem to be an active ham community around me, despite the databases showing a lot of hams in my neighborhood. Now that I've got my project suburban and am planning several trips around the desert southwest, getting my ham license is back on a front burner.
People may crap on the quality or efficacy of these radios, but I think they are a great low-cost entry to yet another hobby. An easy access path to 'try on' ham radio, get familiar and practiced. Better equipment / stiffer money investment can come later.

I'm picking up a high mountain repeater 43mi away using that setup. I'm curious to find out how close I have to get to it to be received, once I can legally transmit.

 

[oscar the grouch]

Looking for my first ham radio. is this still a good option or is the UV-5X the latest and greatest?

 

[TerryD]

I don't know what their latest is, it seems to change with what website your on. The 5RA doesn't directly work with some accessories but neither does the BF-F8 so just check that stuff out first. I modified the larger batteries to work with my 5RA though easy enough. I think the BF-F8 has more frequency range though. A member of another forum I'm on has one and and is happy with it.