DMR, Digital Mobile Radio, seems to be taking off as the digital voice mode of choice, and the arrival of a DMR handheld for under $190 is great news. Mike has got hold of the new Tytera TYT MD-380 DMR and has very kindly supplied us with the following review:
Speaking to the world using small antennas for $190!
Tytera TYT MD-380 DMR Handheld
Ask any new Ham what they hope to achieve and they will probably tell you that they want to talk to the other side of the world. Well, DMR may just be the cost effective way to do it.
DMR is an up-and-coming Digital Voice mode for radio hams. It works on the principle of part-RF and part-Internet. You only have to worry about the RF part. Over 40 countries are running DMR.
DMR basics
The majority of DMR repeaters in the North America and the UK are on 70cm which gives the added bonus to Hams of employing nice small antennas. DMR repeaters are different to analogue repeaters in that they allow two conversations at the same time using a system called TDMA. Imagine two QSO’s being chopped into very small bits and being interleaved. Then peeled apart at the other end.
Programming the radio is not dissimilar to programming a Baofeng or other radio using CHIRP. It is more in-depth however and there is a learning curve – but plenty of help is available locally and online. Once you have your head around it you are flying.
The file that you upload into the radio is called a ‘Codeplug’. This name was coined by Motorola, as DMR is based on a commercial system and the terminology came with it. The codeplug contains a wealth of information that the radio needs to be able to access your local repeater and pull in QSO’s from around the world.
Your radio requires an ID number which is very easy to obtain. Simply go to http://dmr-marc.net/cgi-bin/trbo-database/register.cgi and make yourself aware of the rules regarding ID’s before getting one. It’s free and you don’t need to upload a copy of your licence. The ID number needs to be programmed in using a computer and the easily downloadable software. But once that is done, you can front program any new repeaters on an ad-hoc basis if you so wish. Personally I prefer the benefit of a big screen.
Speaking to the world using small antennas for $190!
Tytera TYT MD-380 DMR Handheld
Ask any new Ham what they hope to achieve and they will probably tell you that they want to talk to the other side of the world. Well, DMR may just be the cost effective way to do it.
DMR is an up-and-coming Digital Voice mode for radio hams. It works on the principle of part-RF and part-Internet. You only have to worry about the RF part. Over 40 countries are running DMR.
DMR basics
The majority of DMR repeaters in the North America and the UK are on 70cm which gives the added bonus to Hams of employing nice small antennas. DMR repeaters are different to analogue repeaters in that they allow two conversations at the same time using a system called TDMA. Imagine two QSO’s being chopped into very small bits and being interleaved. Then peeled apart at the other end.
Programming the radio is not dissimilar to programming a Baofeng or other radio using CHIRP. It is more in-depth however and there is a learning curve – but plenty of help is available locally and online. Once you have your head around it you are flying.
The file that you upload into the radio is called a ‘Codeplug’. This name was coined by Motorola, as DMR is based on a commercial system and the terminology came with it. The codeplug contains a wealth of information that the radio needs to be able to access your local repeater and pull in QSO’s from around the world.
Your radio requires an ID number which is very easy to obtain. Simply go to http://dmr-marc.net/cgi-bin/trbo-database/register.cgi and make yourself aware of the rules regarding ID’s before getting one. It’s free and you don’t need to upload a copy of your licence. The ID number needs to be programmed in using a computer and the easily downloadable software. But once that is done, you can front program any new repeaters on an ad-hoc basis if you so wish. Personally I prefer the benefit of a big screen.
