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

[Chip S]

Hey Keith.
That’s what I’m gathering as I take bits and pieces of y’alls info and plug it in to google…

So…like you said, unless I want to try and change NVRAM settings, possibly make
a big mess in my security settings, etc., spend the extra $$ and get the real cable. 

:)

Thanks again for all of y’alls help!

Regards,
Chip
KG5KLB


> On Jan 7, 2016, at 4:40 PM, Keith Watson <keith at keithwatson.com> wrote:
> 
> If you just want it to work, spend the money and get the cable with the
> real chip. It just works. I won't say you can't get the counterfeit one to
> work, but it is a real pain in the ass.
> 
> Keith...
> N9TX
> 
> On Thursday, January 7, 2016, Bob Nielsen <n7xy at n7xy.net> wrote:
> 
>> If it is a generic cable, it probably has a counterfeit Prolific chip.
>> You might try the driver at <http://www.miklor.com/COM/UV_Drivers.php#mac>.
>> The miklor,com website has a lot of good information about various Chinese
>> radios.
>> 
>> 73,
>> Bob, N7XY
>> 
>> On 1/7/16 12:40 PM, Dave Wright wrote:
>> 
>>> 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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