Offline Tool
CHIRP Programming Cheat Sheet
CHIRP is the free programmer most East Tennessee operators use to load ham and GMRS memories. This cheat sheet maps every CHIRP column to what you actually transmit — frequency, duplex, CTCSS, and names you can read on a UV-5R display.
| Column | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Location / Name | Short label — include call, tone, and mode (e.g. W4TRC 146.970 123.0). |
| Frequency | Receive frequency in MHz — for repeaters, this is the output you listen on. |
| Duplex | Off = simplex. + or − = repeater offset. GMRS usually + 5 MHz. |
| Offset | 600 kHz (2m), 5 MHz (70cm/GMRS), or 0 for simplex. CHIRP may auto-fill from duplex. |
| Mode | FM for voice. NFM on some DMR/analog rigs. Ham digital modes use other software. |
| Tone Mode | Tone = CTCSS encode+decode. TSQL = encode only. None = carrier squelch (CSQ). |
| RTone / CTCSS | Receive tone — must match repeater unless CSQ. Common: 88.5, 100.0, 123.0, 131.8, 156.7. |
| TTone | Transmit tone — usually same as RTone for repeaters. Some systems use different in/out tones. |
| Dtcs* | DCS digital codes — only if repeater uses DCS instead of CTCSS. |
| Skip | S = skip channel on scan. Blank = include in scan list. |
| Power | High/low — match legal ERP (FRS 2 W, GMRS per channel limits, ham per license/class). |
| Comment | Freeform — net times, OPEN/closed, linked system notes. |
Interactive
First-time programming wizard
Quick workflow
- Download stock image from radio → save backup first.
- Add simplex calling freq (146.520, 446.000, or GMRS Ch 22) as row 1 for testing.
- Program repeaters: RX = output, duplex +/−, tone from RepeaterBook or East TN sheet.
- Upload to radio → test on low power before high power.