Baofeng BF-888 disassembly

 I've not found many guides to how to take the Baofeng BF-888 apart, more written words describing the process, the radios have changed over the years but they're pretty much the same to disassemble as they're all pretty much identical in construction but internally they're different (newer radios have a smaller circuit board, here is what you will need to do to take it apart without removing the board entirely (which involves desoldering of the antenna socket).

1. start off by removing the battery 
   
   
   
2. undo both belt clip screws (if you have fitted the belt clip set this aside so you can reinstall it later)
   
   
   
3. depending on the radio design remove the plastic trim piece where the belt clip screws were (on older radios this isn't needed until later in the process, on newer radios this will just drop off so best to remove it now then you won't lose it later)
   
   
   
4. Remove the antenna from the radio by unscrewing it and set it aside
   

   

   
   
   
   
5. Remove the knob from the channel selector (I found you could just pull this off as it is a friction fit) followed by the volume control and power switch (I levered this off carefully with a screwdriver but there are better ways) which will reveal the brass locking rings on these controls
6. Remove these locking rings from the two controls and the antenna socket using a pair of pliers or a specific tool (I did see a 3D printable one on Thingiverse a long time ago but it has disappeared or I cannot find it)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Remove the two screws at the bottom of the radio, these are Torx T7 screws, if you don't have a suitable screwdriver Amazon is a good source or failing that a local hardware  or DIY store will have the right one
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Using a spudger lever the radio's chassis from the bottom, do this gently to avoid damage, DO NOT use a screwdriver, the spudger I use is iSesamo branded from iFixit which I would recommend, I do also have a plastic spudger that should work as well, once the chassis is out gently lift it from the radio's body
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   

   

And that is the radio disassembled, if you need access to the opposite side of the PCB you need to remove all the screws holding it in and desolder the antenna connector and battery terminals, usually this would be required if you are turning the radio into an Allstar node as the final PA transistor is on that side of the board and this is often removed to drop the radio's power down into the milliwatt or less range, but for my guide on how to pull the frequency back up (link above at top of page) then all you need to do is follow these instructions, the only thing you'd need to desolder is the speaker as when setting up the radio to adjust the frequency the battery should be clamped in place and a speaker mic plugged in.

Reassembly is the reverse process above, but there are a couple of points to note.

1. The LED that serves as the flashlight needs to be lined up properly with the hole on the case, if it has bent over a little during removal from the case just bend it back if you find it isn't going back into the case easily.
2. On the older radios there is a plastic shim that fits over the speaker and mic jacks (probably to help keep dust out), ensure this is back in place before reassembling the radio as it requires disassembly again to put back in, later radios use a rubber one instead that while you can put it back after you have reassembled the radio it is difficult to do
3. On the older radios (the ones with the chassis metal visible where the belt clip fits on) this piece of plastic has to go on before the front of the radio or you'll have a hard time putting it back, if you have a hard time putting this part back in with the front of the radio reassembled this will be why, on newer ones with the screws passing through the plastic trim this can be fitted last before the battery unless you are fiitting the belt clip in which case simply put the battery on after the plastic trim without fitting the screws then fit the belt clip.
4. When fitting the channel selector knob, ensure you know where the channel selector is, I did this by powering the radio, setting it to channel 1, removing the battery and then lining up the switch with the channel selector.

And that is really all there is to it, there's a video on both the frequency adjustment and disassembly (images in this post are from that video) available on the YouTube channel, between the 15th and 18th February 2025 this was a members-only video but after the 19th February 2025 it will be a public video, and you can find it here

Hopefully this guide has been of some help to you and I'll try and do more stuff like this when I can