AllStar and VoIP have both been interesting forays into digital voice. Next, I want to get started (again!) in digital mobile radio, or DMR. Motorola, an industry leader in digital radio, says this:
DMR stands for Digital Mobile Radio and is an international standard that has been defined for two-way radios. The DMR standard allows equipment developed by different manufacturers to operate together on the same network for all the functions defined within the standard.
The aim of the DMR standard was to create a digital radio system with low complexity and low cost that still allows for equipment from different manufacturers to work together, allowing users to shop around rather than being locked into a proprietary system which would be costly to replace and maintain.
The Hood County ARC says:
DMR is an open and published international digital radio standard that specifies the 2-slot (channel) TDMA communications. DMR is amateur radio's newest digital protocol. DMR radios are produced by several manufacturers and they all work on our TRBO system as long as they are Tier II complaint, as most are. DMR is not compatible with Icom's D-Star technology. Competition between manufacturers is a big reason why DMR radio prices are fair. DMR is here to stay since it is not a single manufacturer technology.
My first experience with DMR
Several years ago I did purchase a very cheap, very limited DMR handheld radio. What I did not do first was check to see if there were active DMR repeaters nearby. In that location, I was isolated, unable to connect to any DMR repeaters. During a firmware upgrade to that handheld radio, I managed to brick it. I also tried a small USB digital stick in the computer as a hotspot but that, too, proved to be quite unsatisfactory. My lack of success caused me to set aside DMR at that time but my interest in digital voice and digital radio did not die.
It’s time to refresh that interest. DMR has become a mainstay in the Pacific Northwest, where I live, work, and play. There are enough repeaters to provide more connectivity and thus more satisfaction than I experienced the first time around. For example, PNWDigital supports a network of DMR repeaters in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. I have a mentor to help me in the form of my cousin’s significant other who is a long-time ham and an active digital radio user.
Step 1: More research
My mistake the first time was to get excited about DMR and immediately purchase a radio that fell within my very low budget at the time. This time around, I plan to do much more research on DMR, radios, and systems before I made final buying decisions. That means reading things like Getting Started with DMR by W6AER and watching YouTube videos like BridgeCom’s AnyTone DMR Chat Sheet.
Having said that, I’ve already decided on a low-cost entry point that will also be usable with my ClearNode device. That will get me moving toward DMR.
Step 2: Choose a radio
Perhaps I should say step 2 is choosing radios rather than a radio! To start, I plan to purchase a Radiooddity GD-73A pocket-size UHF transceiver. The GD-73A has analog and digital modes. That means I will be able to use it with my ClearNode device at home while I get to know the programming and management of the radio.
The advantages of the GD-73A at this stage are: (1) it is inexpensive and (2) it should be perfect for carrying around in my pocket while at home. Having it on, in my pocket, means I’ll be able to participate more in conversations over AllStarLink.
After that, I expect to purchase or build a hotspot as that will greatly expand my ability to connect with others via DMR. A hotspot is, essentially, a private digital radio repeater. The ClearNode device has given me some experience with a hotspot. I have a couple of small, single-board computers on order so that I can begin to experiment with building my own hotspot.
And then I’m on the fence about getting a much better handheld radio or actually putting a higher-powered mobile radio in my daily vehicle (perhaps this?).
Step 3: Programming
A codeplug is simply a file of programming instructions for the radio. I say simply even though in my first pass at DMR, codeplugs were dumbfoundingly obtuse. Now that I’ve done more programming of frequencies, offsets, etc. in analog radios, and have had some time to get more comfortable with digital modes, I feel like I’m ready to tackle codeplugs again.
Step 4: Listen
As with any new radio net or system, I like to listen a lot before I participate. I think it’s important to understand how that net or system operates and to get to know the culture of the people there. I’m the kind of person who walks into a room and pauses to survey what’s going on. I do that with radio nets, too.
Step 5: Transmit
Once I know my system and the system I want to connect to, and I feel that I understand the flavor of the group being served, I’ll be ready to join in.
Advice desired!
If you have questions or suggestions, please feel free to put them in the comments. The odds are good that others will learn from your thoughts. I know I will.
Hi Tom,
You could make a steep forward and try BTECH GMRS radio. They are very accessible and have many features like Bluetooth, GPG, APRS and the most important it's fully configurable via smartphone app. Of course they are DMR too.
They are the future of ham radio!