CHIRP Radio Programming
CHIRP is the go-to free programming software for ham radio. It supports hundreds of radios, runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and makes it easy to load up your SoCal frequencies in minutes — no manual button-mashing required.
Download CHIRP
Always download from the official site. The current stable release supports the widest range of radios. The daily build adds newer radios but may have occasional bugs.
🔌 USB Programming Cable Drivers
Most cheap programming cables use one of three USB-to-serial chips. If Windows or Mac doesn't recognize your cable, install the matching driver below. Linux typically works out of the box.
Found on the majority of budget cables from Amazon and eBay — Baofeng, Kenwood-style, and most generic cables. The chip is usually labeled on the PCB inside the cable plug.
Silicon Labs CP210x chips are found in higher-quality cables — often the ones sold directly by radio manufacturers or reputable ham radio dealers.
Prolific PL2303 chips appear in older cables, especially those bought years ago. Note: Prolific has issued driver updates that block counterfeit chips — if your cable stops working after a Windows update, this is likely why.
⚠️ If a newer Prolific driver breaks your cable, it may be a counterfeit chip. Try rolling back to an older driver version or replace the cable.
FTDI chips are found in premium cables. Very reliable and well-supported across all platforms. macOS and Linux usually detect these automatically without any driver install.
ioreg -p IOUSB -l -w 0 | grep -i "usb". You can also unscrew the cable's USB plug — the chip is usually printed on the tiny PCB inside.
🚀 Getting Started with CHIRP
Install the USB driver for your cable first, then install CHIRP. Restart your computer after the driver install if prompted.
Plug the cable into your radio and USB port. Turn the radio on. In CHIRP, go to Radio → Download From Radio and select your radio's make, model, and COM port (Windows) or /dev/tty port (Mac/Linux).
Always download the existing channels from the radio before making changes — this gives you a backup and prevents wiping settings. Save the file as a .img backup.
Add, edit, or delete channels in the spreadsheet-style editor. Key fields: Frequency, Name (up to 6–8 chars depending on radio), Tone Mode (Tone for CTCSS TX, TSQL for RX squelch), and Tone (the CTCSS frequency, e.g. 100.0 Hz).
Go to Radio → Upload To Radio. Keep the radio still and connected until complete. Don't unplug or key up the radio during transfer.
💡 Tips & Common Gotchas
Most SoCal repeaters use CTCSS (analog tone). Set Tone Mode to Tone and enter the correct Hz value. DCS (digital) is less common but used on some systems — check the repeater directory listings on this site.
2m repeaters are typically −600 kHz offset. 70cm repeaters are typically −5 MHz. 220 MHz is −1.6 MHz. CHIRP usually sets this automatically when you enter the output frequency.
You can import channels from a CSV file — handy for bulk-loading frequencies. Go to File → Import. The CHIRP wiki has the correct column format. This site's repeater data is organized to make manual entry straightforward.
After a successful download from radio, immediately save the .img file somewhere safe. This is your radio's complete backup — if anything goes wrong during programming, you can restore it in seconds.
Try a different USB port (preferably direct to the computer, not a hub). Make sure the radio is on. On Mac, check System Settings → Privacy & Security → allow the driver extension if it was blocked. On Windows, check Device Manager for yellow warning icons.
If your radio model isn't in the stable release, try the CHIRP Daily Build — it adds support for newer radios much faster. Daily builds are generally safe but may occasionally have quirks. Always back up first.
CHIRP is free, open-source software maintained by the community. Driver links go directly to manufacturer sites. Always verify downloads are from official sources. KE6MGB has no affiliation with CHIRP or any cable vendor.