The BAOFENG UV-5R ham radio drivers can be download below. This radio can be programmed using a USB-to-mic/speaker cable. This cable, when paired with the correct drivers (Depending the chipset inside the cable) allows for programming the UV-5R with channels and other features using free software such as CHIRP.
BAOFENG UV-5R Driver Installation Guide
Identifying the cable.
Plug in the cable and look in the device manager at the cable right click and get into the the properties of the device and find the DEV ID the Vendor ID(VID) is what will give a clear indicator of what the chipset is used.
FTDI Chip: USB\VID_0403
Prolific Chip: USB\VID_067B
WinChipHead Chip: USB\VID_1A86
There is a chance that when you plug the cable in the drivers will automatically install, if this is the case you can jump straight to downloading chirp and programming the radio.
1. Download the Driver:
- Typically the chipset is going to be a Prolific or a FTDI but there are other chips on the market. Once the chipset is determined use the links below to download the driver for the BAOFENG UV-5R. Also make sure the driver is compatible with your version Windows OS. The driver file will be a .zip file for the FTDI driver this will need to be extracted and inside the will be a .exe file to install the driver, for the Prolific Driver it is an .exe that can be downloaded it doesn't need to be extracted. After the file is downloaded to a location that you are going to be able to easily access the installation packages will need to be installed as an administrator.
2. Connect the Radio to Your Computer:
- Connect the BAOFENG UV-5R to the computer using the USB to mic/speaker programming cable.
3. Verify Installation:
- After installation, return to Device Manager and ensure the BAOFENG UV-5R appears under "Ports (COM & LPT)" as a COM port (e.g., COM3 or COM4). If visible, the driver installation was successful.
6. Install Programming Software:
- Download and install programming software, such as CHIRP or BAOFENG's official software,
8. Troubleshooting:
- If have any issues with the driver installation or if the radio is not recognized, try reinstalling the driver or using a different USB port. Ensure the USB cable is securely connected and functioning correctly, the speed of the USB port should be USB 1.1 or greater, using a USB 2.0+ port is preferred.
