FAQ » History » Revision 14
Revision 13 (Dan Smith, 04/13/2012 11:56 AM) → Revision 14/72 (Dan Smith, 05/15/2012 08:19 AM)
h1. Frequently Asked Questions
{{>toc}}
h2. General use
h3. What is it?
CHIRP is a FREE cross-platform, cross-radio programming tool. It works on Windows and Linux (and MacOSX with a little work). It supports a growing list of radios across several manufacturers and allows transferring of memory contents between them. The current list of supported models is:
h3. Will this replace the OEM software?
Maybe. CHIRP's focus is to support reading and writing the memory channels of as many radio models as possible. This provides the ability to exchange your programming information between dissimilar radios. It does not focus on supporting every single knob and setting that each radio supports. Doing so would severely limit the amount of developer time available to supporting a wider-range of models.
h3. How do I program split TX/RX configurations?
If your radio supports it, you can choose _split_ in the _Duplex_ column. This causes chirp to treat the _Offset_ column as the transmit frequency. In such a configuration you could, for example, receive (_Frequency_ column) on 146.52MHz and transmit (_Offset_ column) on 446.00MHz.
h3. What are "stock configurations"?
These are canned frequency plans, some of which are built into chirp. These include standard US calling frequencies, the channelized 60m frequencies, etc. They can easily be opened or imported into your radio from the _File_ and _Radio_ menus.
h3. Can I add new stock configurations?
Yes! Adding your group's frequency plan to the stock configurations can make it very quick and easy to program new radios. Further, putting various configurations into the stock list can make switching your radio between multiple functions or geographical regions easy. Simply save a CSV file into the stock configurations directory and restart CHIRP to have it show up in the list. On windows, go to _Start_ -> _Run_ and type:
%APPDATA%\CHIRP\stock_configs
On MacOS or Linux, the path is:
~/.chirp/stock_configs
h3. Why can't I upload my CSV file?
CSV files are generic and not specific to any one radio. Your radio needs an exact copy of its memory to be uploaded to it, and will not accept CSV data. So, you must first download a copy of your radio's contents, modify them in some way, and then upload those contents back to the radio. In order to get CSV data into your radio, you should download, import the CSV file, and then upload back to the radio. See the [[Beginners_Guide]] for more information.
h2. Cables
h3. What kind of cable do I need?
Usually the cable supplied by your radio manufacturer is the highest quality cable you can find. However, it's usually also the most expensive, and is often bundled with software which you may not want or need. There are many 3rd party cables available and they should all work just fine for the most part. Check eBay and "KawaMall":http://www.kawamall.com for cables. Also check the [[CableGuide]] page, which has details about potential pitfalls and some information about cables that are compatible with multiple radios.
When shopping on eBay, look for the sellers that are regular merchants, and that have fixed price items and full stores of merchandise. Here are some recommended common cables:
* "Yaesu VX-7R cable":http://stores.ebay.com/KAWAMALL-RAD/Other-/_i.html?_nkw=vx7+cable&submit=Search&_fsub=1&_sid=55765193 (works for VX-6R, ICOM IC-Q7A) - $18
* "Yaesu VX-8R/DR cable":http://stores.ebay.com/KAWAMALL-RAD/Other-/_i.html?_nkw=vx8+cable&submit=Search&_fsub=1&_sid=55765193 - $23
* "Yaesu FT-7800 cable":http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=yaesu+7800+programming+cable&_sacat=0&_odkw=yaesu+7800+cable&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313 (works for 7900, 8800, 8900, etc) - $14
* "OPC-478 clone cable":http://stores.ebay.com/KAWAMALL-RAD/Other-/_i.html?_nkw=opc-478&submit=Search&_fsub=1&_sid=55765193 (most ICOM, some Alinco radios) - $14
Check "KawaMall":http://stores.ebay.com/KAWAMALL-RAD and "Valley Enterprises":http://stores.ebay.com/Valley-Enterprises for other options. See the [[CableGuide]] for more information about which cable to use for your radio.
h3. What if my computer does not have a serial port?
For the most part, USB-to-Serial adapters work without problems. These attach to a USB port and create a virtual serial port that software can use as if it was a regular port. Some adapters are very poor quality and can cause you issues, so if you are experiencing difficulty, you may want to try a different one.
Without a doubt, the highest quality (and most expensive) adapters come from KeySpan, but you may find that it is worth the money for quality.
On Windows, determine the COM port that is assigned to the adapter by going into _Device Manager_ and looking under _Ports_.
h3. Can I use a USB cable?
Typically, yes. These cables simply have a USB-to-Serial adapter integrated into the cable itself, and are easier to manage and hook up. Follow the same procedures as if you were using a separate adapter.
*NOTE:* Recently, RTSystems has been selling "Version 4" of their software with a "New USB Cable". It appears that they have specifically designed the cable to be incompatible with other software packages. Beware that if you bought this "new" cable from them you may be unable to use it with CHIRP!
h3. What if I need to use a COM port other than what is in CHIRP's list?
You can type anything into the box you need, so if your adapter is assigned to (for example) port 15, simply type +COM15+ into the box and you should be off and running.
h2. Transferring data between radios
h3. I have two different radios, how do I transfer data between them?
CHIRP provides the ability to transfer data between incompatible radios by means of the +Import+ and +Export+ functions. For example, if you have opened a Yaesu VX-8 in CHIRP, you can use the +Import+ function and specify an image from an Icom 2820. A dialog box will open asking you which of the memories from the Icom 2820 you want to import into your VX-8. When the import is complete, you can upload the result to your VX-8. See the [[Beginners_Guide]] for more details about this process.
h2. Connecting with your radio
h3. Should I put my Alinco, Icom, or Kenwood radio into clone mode first?
No, these radios are well-designed and allow the software to place them into clone mode automatically. This is far more reliable than manipulating the radio by hand and synchronizing the software. Simply plug in your programming cable, power on the radio, and instruct CHIRP to read it.
h3. Should I put my Yaesu radio into clone mode first?
Yes, Yaesu radios do not respond to commands over the serial port and must be manually manipulated. Start CHIRP with the cable plugged in and the radio in the intermediate clone mode (usually entered by powering the radio on with one or more buttons pressed). When downloading from the radio, put CHIRP into download mode (where it is waiting on the radio) before initiating the clone out from the radio. When uploading, put the radio into clone receive (or clone wait) mode before initiating the upload from CHIRP.
h3. What is a live radio?
Most of the radios supported by CHIRP are programmed by downloading an entire "image" or "snapshot" of the radio's memory, manipulating it, and then uploading it back to the radio. These are called "clone-mode radios". Live mode radios instead communicate with the computer by sending and receiving individual memories one at a time. That means that when you use CHIRP to program them, changes are sent to the radio immediately instead of held until an upload.
h2. Giving or Getting Help
For general usage questions, your best bet is to join the CHIRP "mailing list":http://intrepid.danplanet.com/mailman/listinfo/chirp_users
The mailing list has the latest discussion traffic and news about CHIRP.
If you need to contact the author for specific questions about getting your radios supported, helping out with development or donating, use the "contact":/contact page. NOTE: Please do not report bugs or ask questions about how to use CHIRP via this form. Use the issue tracker or the mailing list for those types of questions!
h3. Can I report a bug or request a feature?
Have you found a bug or do you have a good idea for a future release? Please help out by reporting it! The "issue tracker":/projects/chirp/issues provides a way for users to report bugs, generic issues, and request features. Please read [[How_To_Report_Issues|How to report issues]] first!
h3. Can I help?
If you are developer, please see the [[Developers]] page for details on how you can contribute. If you're not a developer, but are good at breaking things, then please file bugs and submit reports. If you can write documentation, please volunteer to help with that as well. Many folks have loaned their radios for the purposes of getting support for them added to CHIRP. Please see the [[Honor_Roll|Honor Roll]] for that list of people and be sure to thank them if their generosity resulted in support for a model you use!
If you are multi-lingual, please consider translating CHIRP into another language. No developer skills are required for this and it helps make CHIRP accessible to more people around the world. If you are interested in helping with this, please use the "contact page":/contact.
h3. Can I donate some money?
Of course, developing and maintaining the CHIRP software and website is not free. Monetary donations are always appreciated and can be made via the "Donate" link on the [[download|download]] page. These donations go towards hosting costs of the website, as well as to purchasing new radios, programming cables, etc. for the furtherance of the software.
h3. How can I get my radio supported by CHIRP?
In order to add support for a new radio model to CHIRP, a developer needs to reverse engineer the clone protocol and memory format of the radio. This can often be done in a relatively short period of time, but requires physical access to the radio itself. If you're interested in loaning your radio for this process, please use the "contact":/contact page.