The only info I'd add, is to find out how to prevent your OS from sleeping an application and also from powering down what it things are unused USB ports.   I'm not a Mac owner/user, but I hear that "AppNap" causes *A LOT* of issues.

Also, research and find out how the serial ports are identified on your particular system, and how to search for those that *Really* exist.   Mac OS's are based on BSD, so there might be some help there.   Find out how to get to a command line terminal display, and learn the basics of how to search for and do stuff there.   Just as the rest of us with other 'Nix related boxes have learnt.

(ls /dev/ttyUSB* for example will list the real existing ports on a debian/ubuntu based Linux system.)

dave@G0WBX-Dell-System-XPS-L502X ~ $ ls /dev/ttyUSB* /dev/ttyUSB0  /dev/ttyUSB1  /dev/ttyUSB2  /dev/ttyUSB3

That is on my Linux Mint box, but Mac's / BSD's etc will almost certainly have something similar.  "|ls /dev/tty.*"|  As one website I found indicates...  Not having a mac here, I cant test that.

Also, as Randy said, steer clear of clone chip-sets.  ONLY buy stuff like that from authorised resellers, not eBay.  Disclaimer!  I have had good genuine stuff from eBay, but I've also had a lot of clone rubbish.  (I did have one chip that was physically marked up with the FTDI logo and part number etc, but when connected to a computer, it announced itself as a Prolific chip!  I felt sorry for the seller, who was non technical, just acting as a re-seller themselves.  We figured out he had over a thousand fake devices.  He was not happy, but apologised gave me a full refund without asking, and took the devices back.   For that alone I gave him good feedback.)

Yes, it'll probably cost more from DigiKey or ???   But you'll know you have the "Genuine" article, and if it proves otherwise, you can return it.    "Silicon Labs" (SiLabs) devices are good too.   Linux recognises them OK, I have no idea regarding Mac OS's.

It has to be said though, that a lot of the current clones are actually quite functional, unless you want to do something special, like re-assign the I/O pins, as you are supposed to be able to do with FTDI parts.   (A useful feature, for radio programming leads.)

Lastly, don't trust pre-made leads from eBay.  Again, I'm sure there are good ones, but again I've also found via others experiences, that there is a lot of stuff there is wired wrong, & very wrong at times!   (Mind you, some of the radio manuals are very misleading in this respect too.)

Best if possible to build your own programming cables.   It's not difficult at all, it just takes a little time to learn about it, and build and test etc.   But, in the long term, you can then build/adapt a cable "on the fly" when needed.

73 and Happy New Year to All of the Chirp team.

Dave G0WBX.

On 31/12/17 20:00, chirp_users-request@intrepid.danplanet.com wrote:

Message: 3 Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2017 12:35:30 -0500 From: Randy Elliott ve3jpu@me.com Subject: Re: [chirp_users] CHIRP and Mac High Sierra To: Discussion of CHIRP chirp_users@intrepid.danplanet.com Message-ID: 4543A440-314F-44B8-9641-92226A46E796@me.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"

Hi Tip

First off, don't let your PC buddy's steer you off track. Using a Mac is not an issue. I have 2 iMacs and 1 Mac book, one of the iMacs and the Mac Book is 11 years old and still going strong. I use Chirp on them all the time. Make sure the USB to serial adapter has a legitimate chip set in it and not some Chinese rip off. Personally I use adapters with the FTDI chip set in them, but Prolific chip set are equally as good. The only issue I can see you "might" have is the fact that you up-graded to High Sierra, but I'm not sure about that. I have held off up-grading my newer iMac so far. Check the web site of the 2 chip set manufacturers I mentioned above, to see if their drivers are compatible with High Sierra. Hope this helps

73 Randy VE3JPU