Digital 2m/70cm

ChevyGuy91

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Am I missing out on anything buy not having a radio capable of these modes? Looking at repeaterbook it seems I have a handful of both D-STAR and DMR repeaters around me and if I can utilize them, I think I'd like to, or at least be able to listen in. Is it worth buying an other radio, or should I just stick to analog?
 
Am I missing out on anything buy not having a radio capable of these modes? Looking at repeaterbook it seems I have a handful of both D-STAR and DMR repeaters around me and if I can utilize them, I think I'd like to, or at least be able to listen in. Is it worth buying an other radio, or should I just stick to analog?

I have D-Star in the car. Listened in on a few conversations with someone in Scotland (can't understand him due to the accent). Per JonJ's recommendation I just bought the same DMR dual-band HT he uses ($97 delivered) and looking forward to using it. Programming it is a Chinese puzzle, nothing like using RtSystems or CHIRP software. I'm waiting on Jon to get back to me to help me do the programming.
 
Digital is a nice playground. We have folks in our local club that experiment in all the major flavors of digital voice (D-Star, NXDN, DMR). I do not use D-Star personally, but use NXDN constantly (more than analog repeaters) and have used (listened) to DMR. My preference is for NXDN, but my area has a lot of linked NXDN repeaters and little in the way of reliable DMR repeaters.
 
I have D-Star in the car. Listened in on a few conversations with someone in Scotland (can't understand him due to the accent). Per JonJ's recommendation I just bought the same DMR dual-band HT he uses ($97 delivered) and looking forward to using it. Programming it is a Chinese puzzle, nothing like using RtSystems or CHIRP software. I'm waiting on Jon to get back to me to help me do the programming.


Can you provide more info on the " same DMR dual-band HT he uses ($97 delivered)" ?

Thanks !
 
Can you provide more info on the " same DMR dual-band HT he uses ($97 delivered)" ?

Thanks !

Certainly. Radioddity GD-77 ordered direct from company with 2 batteries.

https://www.radioddity.com/radioddi...-with-programming-cable-cd-extra-battery.html

You may have to wait for the 2nd battery. They shipped mine with one and told me that it might take a month to get the 2nd battery (part of a warehouse shipment from China).

Reviews are good.

Just a puzzle figuring out how and what to enter into their software to make it work.
 
Am I missing out on anything buy not having a radio capable of these modes? Looking at repeaterbook it seems I have a handful of both D-STAR and DMR repeaters around me and if I can utilize them, I think I'd like to, or at least be able to listen in. Is it worth buying an other radio, or should I just stick to analog?

I've been thinking of picking up a DMR HT myself, seems like there's high adoption rate here in eastern MA. Not so much D-STAR or NXDR.

https://www.amazon.com/TYT-136-174MHz-400-480MHz-Programming-Software/dp/B073JRTBPN
 
There is high DMR adoption in NH and north of Boston. From Boston south and most of RI, DMR has little presence and NXDN is quite robust.
 
question - if you had to choose 2M or 70 cm due to the HT not being dual band, which is better ? I noticed on the dmr-marc.net/ database/, most if not all of the repeaters registered in SOuth Carolina are the 70 cm....

looking at reviews for the TYT MD-380 and MD-390 HT - some like these better than the dual band GD-77
 
question - if you had to choose 2M or 70 cm due to the HT not being dual band, which is better ? I noticed on the dmr-marc.net/ database/, most if not all of the repeaters registered in SOuth Carolina are the 70 cm....

looking at reviews for the TYT MD-380 and MD-390 HT - some like these better than the dual band GD-77

The issue with 70cm has to do with the Federal restriction of <=50W max within a PAVE PAWS installation (Cape Cod, unsure if there are other sites in MA).
http://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php?topic=63658.5;wap2

The GD-77 is new and evolving. There is an active FB group where developers are continually upgrading the software and capabilities of the device. Otherwise I can't answer your question of which is better, only that the GD-77 is dirt cheap in comparison (<$100) for dual band.
 
You need to be careful with some of the Chinese DMR stuff. It doesn't necessarily comply with the standards.

How can you tell if a radio you're looking at is compliant/certified with the DMR standard ?

For example, the Radioddity website listing for the GD-77 states "GD-77 has both Tier I & II and is compatible with Motorola and other DMR radios."

and on the same site, their description for the TYT-MD-390 says "Compatible with Mototrbo Tier Ⅰ&Ⅱ. Complying with digital protocol ETSI TS 102 361-1, -2, -3."
 
How can you tell if a radio you're looking at is compliant/certified with the DMR standard ?

For example, the Radioddity website listing for the GD-77 states "GD-77 has both Tier I & II and is compatible with Motorola and other DMR radios."

and on the same site, their description for the TYT-MD-390 says "Compatible with Mototrbo Tier Ⅰ&Ⅱ. Complying with digital protocol ETSI TS 102 361-1, -2, -3."

The only real way is to put your radio on a spectrum analyzer and have it's emissions tested. Some hams do have access to this test equipment. The ARRL did some ad-hoc testing at Hamvention a couple of years back. I think the chinese made Baofeng's had more than a 50 percent failure rate. As an amateur licensee, it is YOUR responsibility to ensure you have proper emissions.
 
How can you tell if a radio you're looking at is compliant/certified with the DMR standard ?

For example, the Radioddity website listing for the GD-77 states "GD-77 has both Tier I & II and is compatible with Motorola and other DMR radios."

and on the same site, their description for the TYT-MD-390 says "Compatible with Mototrbo Tier Ⅰ&Ⅱ. Complying with digital protocol ETSI TS 102 361-1, -2, -3."

The only real way is to put your radio on a spectrum analyzer and have it's emissions tested. Some hams do have access to this test equipment. The ARRL did some ad-hoc testing at Hamvention a couple of years back. I think the chinese made Baofeng's had more than a 50 percent failure rate. As an amateur licensee, it is YOUR responsibility to ensure you have proper emissions.

I would suggest doing some in-depth google research of any radio you are interested in buying. Chances are very good for any given radio that multiple people have tested them, and published their results online somewhere.

What I've seen of the baofengs and similar is that they can communicate with other DMR equipment, but also transmit in a way that interferes with other radios.
 
Yes you can make world wide contacts via the repeater through the internet. Not radio antenna to radio antenna. This is not really real radio and the contacts you make are not recognized by Log Book of the World.
 
Yes you can make world wide contacts via the repeater through the internet. Not radio antenna to radio antenna. This is not really real radio and the contacts you make are not recognized by Log Book of the World.
True, and I personally have no interest in this over-the-internet stuff. Still, hams have always made use of, and built on, the latest technology available. Since with this you can have an HT on one, both or neither end of the conversation, I'm still calling it ham radio. At its core, ham radio is about making contacts. This does that {just not in a way I have any interest in}.
 
I'm not particularly interested in wide area network traffic for ham. I use my radio less than ever before, and only for local repeaters. That aside, the problem is that there are a number of formats and no standardization. D-Star, DMR, NXDN, and I know of at least one repeater that was (maybe still is) using surplus P25 radios.

I spend far more time listening to non Ham traffic on my SDR set up, but that's just me.


True, and I personally have no interest in this over-the-internet stuff. Still, hams have always made use of, and built on, the latest technology available. Since with this you can have an HT on one, both or neither end of the conversation, I'm still calling it ham radio. At its core, ham radio is about making contacts. This does that {just not in a way I have any interest in}.
 
Part of ham radio’s charter (at least in the US) is public service. One of the oldest forms of public service that hams still do is to pass traffic. They do it for practice everyday, and for real in places like Puerto Rico where there is no power for the local infrastructure to run cell or land line phones.

If using the Internet to get the message closer to its intended destination helps speed things up, so be it. I’d still call it communicating, and making a contact. It’s all legit.

I have both DMR and Dstar. I cannot tell the difference quality-wise. I have worked multiple events with DMR, and it can drop out like Dstar and analog. It will maintain a clearer signal longer than analog, however, when you are at the end of your string, you’re done. Analog, you might be able to pull some signal out of the weeds, if you needed to.

I have a fusion radio, have not had the opportunity to give it a run yet. I’m using it more for APRS than digital modes.
 
I have the Tyt model MD-380 great uhf DMR radio came with batt, charger and cable Works wonderfully in the Boston area.
Also boutht the MD-2017 the duel bander. Both pretty good. 380 was $100. 2017 was under $200.
 
I have the Tyt model MD-380 great uhf DMR radio came with batt, charger and cable Works wonderfully in the Boston area.
Also boutht the MD-2017 the duel bander. Both pretty good. 380 was $100. 2017 was under $200.

FWIW = I've also heard good things about that MD-380 Radio (unit-cost, ease-of-programming, and general-use reports are very positive).
 
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