Got a pair of baofengs.  I can't get chirp to work. All I get is "radio did not respond".  Manual programming won't stick, despite following the idiots guide to programming your baofeng.  There seems to be no way to access the memory channels even.  At the moment it seems like the worst$40 I've spent in a while.

Somebody help me love this radio...I can't even get the disc with the programming cable driver to load.  But the cable fits seen to snap in fully to the radio at least.

Fyi I have no internet for the laptop, only my phone.

what programming cable are you using? what is your laptop running? what version of CHIRP? forget the programming disc, it's all in Chinese anyway

Wouxsun cable. Disc is supposed to be the correct driver for the cable but it won't load.  Chirp is the 4/19/2016 ldb. Laptop is running win 10.

these guys have drivers

also the findcomport thing is nice

I had to roll back my driver for the "prolific chipseted" cable.
Otherwise it was pretty damn easy, especially being I'm definitely NOT a techie type of guy.
Make sure youre on the correct com port.
Plug the cable in the com port, radio, THEN turn the radio on.
First chick on "radio" then "download from radio"
Program from there then go back to the "radio" tab and "upload to radio"
Green light on the radio will blink for about 15 seconds, then radio will cycle off then back on.
Done.

Miklor's site has a bunch of good info too.

The wrong com port screwed us up today on a chicom/chirp program

The COM port guys are right.

You may see only 3 listed.

You can manually enter the COM Port.

Start with COM Port 1, if that doesn't connect, enter COM Port 2, etc. sequentially. Eventually you'll end up hitting the right COM Port and the device will sync up.

As for the memory channel access on the UV-82, hold down Menu while powering on the radio. That will switch between VFO and memory mode.

Also, in the menu, change the MDF-A and MDF-B to "Name". Otherwise, channel mode and VFO mode look identical and it will drive you cross-eyed.

I also had trouble getting CHIP to work with my Baofeng UVB5's.

My solution was to use Baofang's own programming software instead.

It ain't purdy, but it works.

I went to this rodeo a few months ago.
Bought two of the '82's for 222 mHz at the Paris MTC sale.
A friendly ham at the place explained how to get the thing to work.
Notet, this applies only to the red wouxun cable sold with the uv82 radios.

Here is what he said to do:
Never plug the cable in and attach the radio while on the internet.
If you do, it will go out and get a bad driver and fuck up the pc.
(I did this accidentally, and had to do a restore.  I won't do that again.)

First, load chirp and then disconnect the internet.
Then, while not on the internet, plug in the red usb prog cable, attach the radio and power it on.
When it asks for the driver, load the mini cd and use the one it contains.
Start chirp and do the radio to pc thing.

As posted above by ctrmass, you must read the radio before programming and writing the radio.

Be sure the radio and cable are never attached when the pc is on the internet.

I've never had the internet problem.  
My computer is ALWAYS on the net.

Chi-Com radios are wonky....I have a Leixen 898 in her car, it bricked itself and took about 3 hours of reading/writing with CHIRP and Leixen softwares to get it straightened out.  I have about 13 chicom HT's, they are all in a box for future use.  The 898 is still in her car, because it's paid for and I can't swing anything else right now.  

There should be a warning label on all Chicom HT's stating : Visit MIKLOR.com before powering on your new radio.

They have a warning label.  It says "Made in China".

I sold my VV-898 and replaced it with a UV-2501+220.  Much better radio, but still Chicom junk.

Success!!! I found our old non-win10 laptop, got chirp on it, that dvd player was able to read the driver disc, and I loaded the drivers for the cable.  Then chirp worked! Had to use port8 to connect.

Congrats!

When I programed my two it was on a win7 machine.

That's really strange.
The computer I use for mine was 8.1 and upgraded itself to win 10,
Never had a problem with either 8.1 or 10.
I use CHIRP for both the 82hp and yaesu 2900r.