[Ham-Mac] new HAM...need help with CHIRP

[Dave Wright]

You need to install the drivers for the cable you have. Problem is, if
it is a Prolific cable odds are 50/50 or worse that it is a
counterfeit chip and won't work.  Simply guideline; if you paid $5 or
$10 for it on eBay, it is counterfeit and likely won't work. That
being said, here's how you go about it.

All of this is from memory as I'm at work right now, so a step or menu
name may be slightly off here or there.

1) Plug the cable into the Mac.  Go to the Applications/Utilities
folder and start the System Information application; select the System
Report button. Look under the Hardware section for USB hub and look
for the cable you plugged in. Click on on cable and look at the Vendor
ID; hopefully it is either Prolific or FTDI.  Ok, close all of that
out and unplug the cable.

2) If the Vendor ID was Prolific, download the driver for OS X 10.11
from http://www.prolific.com.tw/US/ShowProduct.aspx?p_id=229&pcid=41

If it was FTDI, download the driver for OS X 10.11 from
http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm

3) Whichever you downloaded, open the DMG file and run the
installation program.  Once it is done, you can close and eject the
DMG file, then reboot the Mac.

4) Once it starts back up, go ahead and plug the cable in.  Open the
Terminal in OS X and type "cd /dev" (no quotes).  Look for a device
name like /cu.usbserial.xxxxxxxx or tty.ftdiusb.xxxxxx or something
similar.  This is your cable.  Make a note of what it is called.

5) Make sure you have the absolute latest version of CHIRP and install
it. The software is updated nearly daily so you always want to check
for the latest version.  Once installed, open CHIRP and select your
COM port so that it matches the device you see in step 4. Select your
radio and you should be good to go.


If you're new to Ham radio on the Mac, you might also want to check
out MacHamRadio.com (a bit of selfish self-promotion) for links and
news about hardware and software associated with OS X and amateur
radio.
Dave Wright
K3DCW

"Real radio bounces off the sky"


On Thu, Jan 7, 2016 at 1:20 PM, Chip S <investingchip at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hey folks.
>
> I am glad that I finally found this mailing list.
>
> My current setup is that I have a BF-F8 and I would like to program it with my Mac (El Capitan 10.11.2).
> However, I guess I’m not smart enough to realize how to put all of this together.
> I am sure that this question has been asked a 1,000 times…
>
> I am fairly certain that I have the generic USB cable and not the ‘real’ one (learning this after the fact)
>
> Can someone help me out and maybe provide some step by step instructions?
>
> I do appreciate it!!
>
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