CHIRP

The problem is you don't have a working connection between your radio and computer. For example, leave the programming cable unplugged and attempt a download from your radio. The error will be the same. No programming software can function without a working connection.

Common Causes

1. The 2-pin plug of the programming cable sticks in the metal sleeves in the socket of the radio just short of being fully inserted. This will be a solid stick and you will give you the feeling it is fully bottomed out when it isn't. I had to give it a wiggle and a push and it finally snapped in the rest of the way. I have finally developed "the knack" of getting it fully inserted the first time, every time.

2. Baofeng (the radio manufacturer in CHINA) used to manufacture their programming cables with an older Prolific USB-to-Serial chip. This chip is no longer supported by the Prolific device driver that is automatically installed by Windows (see attached screen capture). You must download, install and select an older Prolific device driver (v3.2.0.0 recommended - see screen capture). Once a compatible device driver is install you will see a proper device manager Device Manager entry (see screen capture).

3. Recently the Baofeng (the radio manufacturer in CHINA) labeled programming cables have been shipping with the WCH CH340 chip. Unfortunately Windows have been incorrectly installing the wrong driver (Prolific). When this happens, the user has to manually download and install the proper device driver from the chip vendor's website.

Quite a bit of information about programming cable issues, including links to the major USB-to-Serial chip vendor's driver downloads, can be found on the "Drivers & Programming Cables":http://www.miklor.com/COM/UV_Drivers.php page of the "Miklor":https://www.miklor.com/ website.

Jim KC9HI

Resolved.