The BaoFeng BF-888S is a very cool and inexpensive little radio that a lot of people purchase before realizing that there is no way to program the BaoFeng BF-888S radio with just the radio, you have to purchase a programming cable, download the software, and learn what you are doing first. This can be a big turn off but it doesn’t have to be as programming the radio is pretty easy.
Think of this as your How To Program the BaoFeng BF-888s For Dummies which will walk you through each step necessary to program the BaoFeng BF-888S.
Install CHIRP on Mac OSX. June 23, 2017 Amber. App name: CHIRP; App description: chirp (App: Not Available). Similar Software for Mac. I had it working for a bit on my old Airbook but it was never reliable. It was part of the reason I decided to sell my Mac and go to PC. If you never are able to get it working here is a cheap work around. You can put Raspbian on a Pi3 and VNC into the desktop and run Chirp from there. Chirp runs great on the Pi. The BaoFeng bf-888s programming software, free download can be found on the CHIRP website. Installing the programming software, CHIRP Once on the CHIRP website click the link that says Click here to download the latest Windows version (or the link for Mac OSX or Linux), you will see the following screen for Windows users (Mac and Linux will be.
What you need
Of course to start with you will need the BaoFeng BF-888S radio. I liked this two pack as it had everything my wife and I needed to use the radios.
The next thing you need is the programming cable to program the BaoFeng BF-888S such as the one I used, the Compatible USB Programming Cable for Baofeng or the BTECH PC03 FTDI Genuine USB Programming Cable, both from Amazon.
Of course you will need a computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux) and the best free BaoFeng programming software is CHIRP which can program the BaoFeng BF-888S as well as many other radios. The BaoFeng bf-888s programming software, free download can be found on the CHIRP website.
Installing the programming software, CHIRP
Once on the CHIRP website click the link that says Click here to download the latest Windows version (or the link for Mac OSX or Linux), you will see the following screen for Windows users (Mac and Linux will be similar but from here on out I will only be showing the Windows version):
From this screen you want to click on the chirp-daily-xxxxxxxx-installer.exe link (where xxxxxxxx is the date of the file) which will start the download. Once the download is complete you might see the following screen from Windows:
This is NOT because the file you downloaded is harmful, it is because Windows Smartscreen does not recognize the file and since it is an executable file, it is a little over cautious. Click the link that says “More info” shown above and you should see the next screen:
You can now click the “Run anyway” button at the bottom and continue the installation of CHIRP on your computer.
Installing the cable used to program the BaoFeng BF-888S
Once you plug the cable into the computer it will either automatically find and install a driver for it, or it will not. You can check your device manager to see which happened. In my case it showed the following screen:
![Mac Mac](/uploads/1/3/4/8/134818460/333901668.jpg)
Note that it sees the cable, but does not know what to do with it. Since I opted for the Compatible USB Programming Cable for Baofeng to program the BaoFeng BF-888S, I received a cable and a small CD with the BaoFeng programming cable driver on it. Inserting the disc allowed me to install the driver which then shows up in device manager like this:
Take a good look at the information in the red box above, we will need it in a second to program the BaoFeng BF-888S.
The next step is to plug in the radio, turn it on, and launch the CHIRP software. The first time you run CHIRP you might see a pop up box that says that error reporting is enabled, you can just click OK and move on. Before we program the BaoFeng BF-888S we want to see what is already in the programming, click on the menu at the top and select Radio -> Download From Radio as shown here:
Now you will see a box pop up like the one below:
Here is where we need to use that information I told you that you would need in a second, the COM port number. I have set mine to COM3 and if you look up a couple images you will see that it matches what was shown in the device manager. Once you have the port set, set the Vendor box and Model box to what is shown in the image above and click OK. You should now see the following screen showing the default BaoFeng bf-888s frequency chart:
If you do not see this screen but instead get an error message about communicating with the radio, make sure that the cable is fully plugged into the side of the radio. You should not be able to see either of the silver plugs, there should be no gap between the radio black plastic and the black plastic of the plug. If there is a gap, push a little harder and you should feel a solid click, retry the connection and it should work. The vast majority of complaints I see about not being able to program the BaoFeng BF-888S is because of this problem.
Looking at the programming above the first thing you should know is that unless you have a very eclectic assortment of radio licenses, using these radios in the stock configuration would seem to be quite illegal. Those pre-programmed frequencies are a mixture of commercial (requires FCC Business/Commercial license), GMRS (requires FCC GRMS license), and a few others I do not recognize. This is the main reason you need to program the BaoFeng BF-888S right after you get it.
Bottom line, do NOT use the radio without reprogramming it first for your specific licensed frequencies! Not only would you be breaking the law, but you could be interfering with people and/or businesses that paid a great deal of money for the right equipment and licenses they need to do their jobs. You could also be transmitting on a frequency allocated to emergency services such as law enforcement, fire, or ambulance services. You do NOT want to now what happens if you are caught using a radio that interferes with emergency services, but let’s just say it involves a small room and three meals a day, even if you did it without knowing!
And yes, when I hear people using radios illegally I report them using the online FCC form.
In fact, if you are a licensed amateur radio operator you probably already know about “fox hunts” where we use direction finding equipment and techniques to find beacons or illegal broadcasts, turning the whole thing into a lot of fun. If you have not participated in one, contact your local amateur radio group and ask about them!
Before moving on, click on File -> Save and give the configuration a name so you have the original working configuration should you need it as it can be used as a BaoFeng 888s reset.
What frequencies to program the BaoFeng BF-888S
If you are programming one for a friend or bought one used, you may also find the following frequencies already in the radio:
As you may know, these are the FRS channels (1-7) and GMRS channels (8-22) used by the inexpensive “bubble pack” radios available at all sporting goods stores. Unfortunately these are illegal too since the radios are not licensed for those frequencies (too much power, removable antenna, no FCC certification for FRS or GMRS, etc).
Another thing you might find interesting is that if someone had programmed these to operate on the FRS frequencies they may have also programmed CTCSS codes as well. In FRS radios these are shown as a two digit code such as 11, in the BaoFeng they are frequencies such as 97.4, here is a cross reference table:
Below is a listing of legal frequencies you can use to program the BaoFeng BF-888S assuming you have a valid amateur radio license:
Shown above is the ARRL’s band plan for the 70cm band (44xmhz is in the 70cm band) for use by licensed amateur radio operators. The three most common frequencies I have seen for simplex operation (what you do when one handheld talks directly to another handheld) are 446.00, 446.50, and 447.00. I would recommend you put those in the first three channels.
Next are other common simplex frequencies of 445.925, 445.950, 445.975, 446.025, 446.050, 446.075 so that gets us up to the first nine channels.
The rest of the channels can be filled by finding the frequencies for your local repeaters and using them to finish off the programming.
The image above is my default way I program the BaoFeng BF-888S before adding local repeaters. Note that not only do I have the frequencies put in, but I also set the Tone Mode to TSQL and the TSQL value to 88.5. This was done so that one radio will only open the squelch when the other radio transmits, avoiding all the static of manually trying to adjusting the squelch.
Pro tip: When using TSQL you could very well transmit on a frequency that is already in use and never know it. It is very important you monitor the frequency before using it to make sure that no one else is currently operating on that frequency. To monitor the frequency when you have TSQL turned on press the top orange button on the side of the radio and that will manually open the squelch so you can listen for other traffic. Since my wife and I only use these in small confined areas where we are not too far from each other and typically on low power, I do not believe it is an issue.
Once I was happy with the configuration I would save it using File -> Save As on the menu (this allows me to not destroy the original in case I wanted to look at it or return the radio to factory).
Pro tip: Do not leave a channel empty even if you have to repeat a frequency because turning the knob to that position when nothing is in it makes the radio emit a loud non-stop tone that is really annoying.
Now select Radio -> Upload To Radio from the menu:
You can now turn off the radio, disconnect the cable, turn the radio back on and start using it! If you talk into one radio and hear it on the other, you have successfully managed to program the BaoFeng BF-888S.
The Beginners Guide has general help. Click here for the Beginners Guide
If you need Mac-specific help, you are at the right page.
If you need Mac-specific help, you are at the right page.
Join the Mailing list & search the archives for similar problem reports & how they were resolved, and/or ask the group. Please include enough info about the problem and situation so the community will be able to help you.
Not all functionality is supported on all radios. See Model Support
As of MacOS 10.9, signed packages are required by default. Apple charges for this capability, and requires use of their tooling to do it. For the time being, MacOS users may need to disable signed package checking for CHIRP. Instructions provided by Jim, K2SON:
- Locate the app in Finder.
- Right click (control-click if you don't have a 2 button mouse) on the app and click Open.
- You will get a dialog box about it being an unsigned app, click the Open button.
- Enter an Administrator userid and password.
- The app will now be flagged to allow it to be opened normally in the future.
Alternately, you can disable them for your entire system, although this has security implications that should not be ignored. Instructions for this provided by Tom, KD7LXL:
- Open your System Preferences
- Go to Security & Privacy, General tab.
- Click the lock
- Then choose Allow apps downloaded from: Anywhere.
As of 10.12 (Sierra) the UI for disabling app security was removed. The functionality is still there, but must be enabled from the command line.
To whitelist a single application (like an unzipped chirp-daily.app): - unzip chirp.zip
- control click on the unzipped application and select New Terminal at Folder. (Don't see that menu item? Instructions to enable it)
- run this command in the newly opened terminal window:
Alternately, you can disable them for your entire system, although this has security implications that should not be ignored. Run this command in a terminal:
references: single commandglobal
Unfortunately, Apple has made significant changes in 10.15 which cause major issues for independent software developers. CHIRP is significantly impacted and the future is unclear.
At the very least, Catalina users should use the 'unified' build of the app provided on the download page, which uses the system's 64-bit python runtime. Also note that there are significant limitations on what files unsigned applications can access which makes it very difficult to open, save, find, and otherwise organize image and CSV files with chirp. Please see issue #7147 for the current information about workarounds.
USB to serial cables are not merely wire, they contain small computer circuits at one end of the cable that respond as a USB device and convert the data to serial. These cables are not all the same, so the computer needs a software 'driver' so it can recognize the cable and speak to it correctly. You will need to install one of these 5 below.
FTDI cables¶
Note that with Mac OSX 10.9 'Mavericks', Apple provides their own driver for FTDI chipset. You may need to remove the OEM FTDI driver and use only the Apple FTDI driver, or you may need to disable the Apple FTDI driver and install the OEM FTDI drivers. YMMV.
http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm
Version 1.5.1 is available for Mac OS X on 64 bit, 32 bit and PPC machines.
Version 1.5.1 is available for Mac OS X on 64 bit, 32 bit and PPC machines.
Prolific PL-2303 cables - official drivers for the genuine Prolific cables¶
FYI: your cable, if using Prolific chipset, is more likely to be using a counterfeit chip than an original.
http://www.prolific.com.tw/US/CustomerLogin.aspx
Login as guest/ guest & look in the Support section. Specified to work with Mac OSX 10.6, 10.7, & 10.8.
Login as guest/ guest & look in the Support section. Specified to work with Mac OSX 10.6, 10.7, & 10.8.
Generic PL-2303 cables (counterfeit and/or “Generic”) If you aren't sure what kind of inexpensive cable you have, try this one first.¶
For Lion (10.7.x), Mountain Lion (10.8.x), and Mavericks (10.9.x):¶
You can try this one, which install open source pl2303 driver and remove any other driver versions:
http://1drv.ms/Nl68Ru At this web page you may need to right-click or control-click to link to get it to download. After downloading, you may need to control-right click, then open in order to bypass Mac Gatekeeper.
http://1drv.ms/Nl68Ru At this web page you may need to right-click or control-click to link to get it to download. After downloading, you may need to control-right click, then open in order to bypass Mac Gatekeeper.
For earlier versions of Mac OS X up to 10.5 Leopard. Also some reports of success with Snow Leopard, Lion:¶
RTSystems cables¶
for OSX 10.9.x (aka Mavericks):¶
see RTSystemsCablesAndMavericks
for OSX < 10.9.x:¶
Chirp Software Mac
https://www.rtsystemsinc.com/kb_results.asp?ID=9
http://www.rtsystems.us/downloads/MacDrivers/RTSystemUSBSerialDrivers.pkg.mpkg.zip
http://www.rtsystems.us/downloads/MacDrivers/RTSystemUSBSerialDrivers.pkg.mpkg.zip
Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge VCP Drivers (including Kenwood TH-D72)¶
Chirp Software On Mac
- http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/Pages/USBtoUARTBridgeVCPDrivers.aspx
Macintosh OSX driver for the Intel and PowerPC Platforms versions 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8, and 10.9.
WinChipHead CH340 series chipset¶
The WinChipHead CH340 series chipset is not compatible with the Prolific 2303 drivers. This chipset will report a Product ID of 0x7523 and a Vendor ID of 0x1a86. A signed driver compatible with Yosemite is available from http://blog.sengotta.net/signed-mac-os-driver-for-winchiphead-ch340-serial-bridge/ as the driver offered on the manufacturer's website (in Chinese) is not signed and requires allowing unsigned kernel extensions, which is a significant security risk on OS X.
Chirp Prolific Driver
- In many cases you need to connect the cable to the radio first, then power the radio on, while holding down some buttons. The exact procedure varies by radio.
- Some radios need to be put into a 'clone' mode to transfer to PC, some radios may need to be configured to use the mic/speaker jacks for PC transfer instead of for the speaker/mic. The exact procedure varies by radio.
- You will need to download from the radio to CHIRP first, before uploading anything to the radio. CHIRP creates a template from the radio download so it knows how to talk to the radio.
- If you want to download from one radio and upload those settings to another radio, first download from each radio to a separate “tab” of CHIRP. Then copy/paste from one tab to the other & upload back to the same radio that produced that tab. Do not try to upload to a radio directly from a tab that was not downloaded from that same radio.
- Many USB to serial cables include a counterfeit Prolific chip. This can cause connection problems because the official Prolific driver will ignore the counterfeit chip. Some people have reported success by using an older version of the Prolific driver, or a 3rd party driver.
- If you are using multiple USB cables, each will create a different “virtual port”, meaning that you will need to select the correct virtual port for your radio when connecting to your radio. CHIRP will give you this opportunity each time you download from the radio.
- If CHIRP won’t launch & won't run, you may have neglected to install the Python runtime. CHIRP needs that. Even though Mac OS X includes Python built-in, the runtime has to be installed is because it includes PyGTK and some other libraries that Chirp requires, in addition to Python itself: http://www.d-rats.com/download/OSX_Runtime/
- If your radio is not 'Supported', you can try downloading the newest Daily Build to see if support was recently added.
You can verify that the drivers are installed & working by connecting the USB cable to your Mac, then running “System Profiler”, or “System Information” (found in /Applications/Utilities ). When the USB cable is connected and drivers correctly installed, the cable will show up in the USB section of the System Profiler.
Another way to see that the driver is correctly installed is to open Terminal and type:
It will return a list of virtual serial ports including something similar to:
You may also type:
That will return a long list of kexts, including something similar to this at the bottom (most recently installed are listed last):
Look at the CHIRP log for clues.
Chirp App For Ham Radio
Join the Mailing list & search the archives for similar problem reports & how they were resolved, and/or ask the group. Please include enough info about the problem and situation so the community will be able to help you.