The Amateur Radio Digital Wars

The Amateur Radio Digital Wars

Top 3 Ham digitals ::
- ICOM - DStar
- Yaesu - Fusion aka C4FM
- DMR (digital mobile radio aka Mototrbo) - many companies producing transceivers - DMR :fragments: BrandMeister, DMRplus, Mototrbo/MARC
** Excluded :  NXDN, pDmr, P25, ect.


IMPORTANT FACT:

Interconnection :  when talking about all of the digitals, none communicate with each other.  A basic understanding is none of the different digitals talk together.

Frequency :  All digitals use Amateur Radio frequencies same as Analog FM - VHF or UHF frequency band, in handheld/portable or mobile or base configuration

Cost saving :  only one of the three digital has many many companies producing Transceiver. The other two * only have (1) one producer of transceivers.  The cost of a DMR transceiver abt. $100 or a fifth to the other two digitals of about $500 per transceiver

Most popular :  the first to market digital was DStar and since is the largest in the market, however with  DMR manufacturers offering a large selection of affordable transceiver.   DMR has grown in the market of multiples of 10x year over year.   The third digital is Yaesu and has very slow growth.

Summary : they are all interesting , however DMR is the clear winner.

* Kenwood TH-D74 DStar transceiver

DMR Plus North America - DMR-MARC and DMR Plus partnership

DMR Plus is the original network that developed tools to interconnect Hytera and Motorola repeaters. It has been popular in Europe for years but now, with the cooperation of DMR-MARC, it has finally arrived in North America and the South Pacific. The DMR Plus architecture is similar to D-Star. Users have talkgroups to converse, to disconnect, and to monitor channel status. Users choose from a large pool of reflectors and move back to the converse talkgroup for all QSOs.

The DMR-MARC and DMR Plus partnership is ideal. The DMR-MARC network is robust and reliable. The DMR Plus network is more aligned with experimentation and interoperability of technologies. Think of DMR Plus as the best possible implementation of the former DMR-MARC Sandbox.

Canada DMR Net - Canada TALKGROUP 302 and BrandMeister TALKGROUP 302 Link

Canada DMR Net - Canada DMR-MARC TALKGROUP 302 and BrandMeister TALKGROUP 302 Link.

DRAFT.....

The comments within is a discussion about DMR-MARC Canada TALKGROUP 302 and BrandMeister TALKGROUP 302 Linking and connecting together.

The linking of the two talkgroups together should also consider malicious action and how to prevent, a proactive consideration in the event it occurs or as it is currently happening on one Toronto VA3XPR repeater.  Such as dropping a repeater link out of the connection ... may not be adopted

Also hoping to open the Access with DV4MINI / DVMEGA / SHARKRF to the DMR-MARC Canada Net discussion .

DMR Programming for Amateur Radio

DMR Programming for Amateur Radio

Finally, a video that is about DMR Programming alone! This video includes a short presentation on some background concepts then moves into the software to show how to get your radio up and on the air from a blank codeplug.

QRZ.COM Logging of Repeater Contact DMR | BrandMeister | Fusion repeater/wiresx

I was wondering why when logging a contact in QRZ.COM, there is not an entry for fusion/wiresx, but DSTAR there is an option?

QRZ.COM has "DIGITALVOICE" as a mode. Are digitals (Fusion, Dstar, Dmr). QRZ.COM has a unique option for DSTAR.

ADI files must conform with the latest revision of ADIF protocol; the acceptable mode enumerations are as listed here: ADIF protocol;

http://www.adif.org/304/ADIF_304.htm#Mode_Enumeration

Fusion/wiresx has yet to be adopted and also DMR and BrandMeister.

As I write this, it's the second non-pinned thread on QRZ forum: "ADI files must conform with the latest revision of ADIF protocol... Fusion/wiresx[/DMR] has yet to be adopted."

DMR Audio Stream and Audio Test Meters

HAM-DMR Audio Stream and Audio Test Meters
http://norcaldmr.org/
http://www.ham-dmr.org/

*** ONLY WORKS WITHIN A CHROME BROWSER ***

You can listen but the meters will only work in the Chrome browser on your computer--for now.
Get the TuneIn app for your mobile device and listen to the NorCal DMR stream on the go

*PLEASE NOTE: Hytera DMR Reflector Local Talk Group TG9 is now part of audio stream
*** ONLY WORKS WITHIN A CHROME BROWSER ***


UPDATE 2017 April :   NorCal DMR Audio Meter

NorCal DMR Audio Meter – NorCal BrandMeister Network
http://norcal-brandmeister.org/norcal-dmr-audio-meter/

The NorCal DMR audio meter has been added to a new Web site.

This meter delivers audio for Talk Groups 9999 and 31068.

TG 9999 is the Audio Feed Talk Group and works with repeaters on the BrandMeister and the DMR-MARC Networks.

TG 31068 is the NorCal Talk Group and only works with repeaters on BrandMeister.

Intro to DMR

This is a forum from the 2015 Dayton Hamvention, introducing you to the DMR - Digital Mobile Radio (aka MotoTRBO) - a digital voice mode for VHF/UHF that is becoming more and more popular in Amateur Radio. The forum is presented by John Burningham W2XAB. John won't take you all the way through programming a radio, but he'll make you knowledgeable enough to take the next step if you get interested.

Best Practices for DMR - Carter, KH6FV

Best Practices for DMR - Carter, KH6FV
Best Practices for DMR - Carter KH6FV.pdf

This is just an excerpt of that presentation.  I received many thank you's from the audience indicating they have or had no idea of the impacts of utilizing wide-area TGs and I had some system owners and administrators who invited me to give a presentation at their club meetings.  I do not want to be a DMR system traffic cop, only seek user education and comprehension of how the DMR system works.  I point no finger at any one station, group, club or system, again just educating.  I attached in the files section of this group a "Best Practices" PDF file you can refer as I continue.

Slide Explanations of the file "Best Practices" found in the file section of this group.

I thought NORCAL DMR had a good definition of the term "Best Practices" and adopted it.  I paraphrase a couple of main thoughts.  DMR Best Practices... are responsibilities not codified in a set of rules; rather they are outlined in a set of principles and guides.  Operators... should utilize the systems so that the minimum amounts of resources are used on each transmission.  You can see NORCALs "Best Practices" document at the NORCAL Website.   Thank you NORCAL, you guys ROCK

What is meant by Best Operating Practices? CAL DMR’s Definition

• DMR does not belong to one group, rather it is a network that belongs to all that use it. With this privilege come certain responsibilities. These responsibilities are not codified in a set of rules; rather they are outlined in a set of principles and guides for best practice.

• Operators should respect the intended usage of Talk Groups and utilize the systems so that the minimum amounts of resources are used on each transmission.

• Training, Mentoring, Understanding (user comprehension) is what leads to “best practices”!

Wide Area VS Local VS UA

• Wide Area TGs include those TGs
• • That are on available on a network or repeater 24/7 and cover wide areas

• including World Wide, Continent Wide, Nation Wide, Regional Wide
• • Could even include State Wide in those states with a lot of repeaters

• Local TGs

Can be that repeater, or a group of repeaters on a town or city

Electricity Cost Per Minute on DMR-MARC Network

Electricity Cost Per Minute on DMR-MARC Network

[MOTOTRBO] Cost projection on DMR based on breadth of the TG site coverage.

I got bored, took the local 'pyramid' of talk group repeater count spread, applied the electrical costs for a repeater at 45W transmit, and multiplied that out over increasing talkgroup repeater counts.

Kind of interesting, basically 20min of tx time on North America roughs out at $4 in electricity consumption alone.

I did this as a tool to show people the significance of minimizing the reach of the talk group used to make a contact.

Intro - Why?

Electricity Cost Per Minute While Transmitting on the DMR-MARC/NEDECN Network - de KC2RGW 11/15/2015 rev.2.1

So out of boredom I was wondering what it actually costs in electricity when you multiply the effect of a user transmitting on the DMR-MARC network (NEDECN biased). I’m doing this as an illustrative tool for people to think about how they use the network from a localization and least number of repeaters impact to make their contacts.

This isn’t meant as any sort of environmental impact statement or even one that is very specific to DMR technology. It is however specific to DMR in the way a single user has power and leverage over a vast network of resources. Site per site, if anything, DMR should be more efficient than analog due to efficiency of throughput with TDMA and the lower duty cycle of the mode.

Metrics

Single repeater power consumption:

• A Motorola 8400 repeater runs at roughly 120V AC @ 4A on transmit

• Taken from Motorola’s data sheet

• This works out to 480W consumption.

• So a revision here...at 45W output we had a site owner measure actual consumption at 144W with a Kill-A-Watt meter on the source. Figures have been dropped to reflect this.

• I used $0.12 kW/hr as a rough cost for power

• This is lower than it is locally, but national avg is $0.10 kW/hr
• I adjusted to $0.10 kW/hr in the revision as well but remember, some areas are over $0.15 kW/hr

• The cost per hour in transmit mode is about $0.0144 <- revised as well
• This works out to $0.00024/minute for a single repeater while it is in transmit

Benefits of DMR | Introduction to DMR

DMR [Ontario] UHF Net

DMR NET - START
Starting :  November 2015
Date :  Sunday Nights at 9:00 p.m

Notification to be sent out to all Repeater Owner to share with local users two weeks before the Start : November 2015

DMR Ontario UHF Net
http://dmrnet.blogspot.ca/  ...please vote.

 

 .

Hytera repeater network is NOT part of DMR-MARC

The Hytera repeater network is NOT part of DMR-MARC, nor will it ever be. That is an independent DMR network with an incompatible IPSC platform. MotoTRBO repeaters are required for all DMR-MARC affiliates.

Read from : DMR-Marc.net
http://www.dmr-marc.net/repeaters.html

AOR | MOTOTRBO | DMR scanner

New Revolutionary Multi-mode Digital Voice Receiver! AR-DV1 digital voice receiver

AOR What's new ? http://aorusa.com/whatsnew/



The AR-DV1 is the first scanning receiver of its kind to receive and decode virtually ALL popular digital modes including:
MOTOTRBO™
DMR
dPMR™
APCO P25
NXDN™
Icom D-Star™
Digital CR
Yaesu
Kenwood®
Alinco EJ-47U

PLUS conventional analog signals including:
AM, wide and narrow FM, upper and lower sideband and CW modes

The AR-DV1 can be operated independently or computer controlled for easier programming and monitoring. It features:


• wide band reception from 100kHz to 1300MHz*
• a micro USB computer interface
• built-in SD/SDHC card reader for audio recording
• CSV memory data capability for frequency uploads/downloads and firmware updates
• 2000 memory channels (50 channels X 40 banks) that can be stored in the receiver using individualized data for each channel that includes frequency, alpha-numeric channel labels, mode, and more

The AR-DV1 is designed to give monitoring operators the ability to monitor a wide variety of digital and analog frequencies making it particularly useful in areas where government, law enforcement, amateur radio operators and public safety agencies use different digital formats.
AOR is the first and only manufacturer to offer stand-alone (PC-less) automatic decoding of so many digital modes! A prototype of AR-DV1 was presented for the first time at last year’s HAMFAIR in Tokyo on Aug. 23/24, and attracted a lot of attention from the visitors!
A brochure with basic specifications can be downloaded here.

*Cellular frequencies blocked in the US. Product and brand names used are for identification purposes only. All trademarks remain the property of their respective owners.
http://aorusa.com/whatsnew/

An interesting breakdown of DMR membership by country

An interesting breakdown of DMR membership by country

Summary of files containing DMR IDs and Callsigns grouped by Country

Brought to you by VA3AGV, Last updated: 2015-09-21

Full list::
DMR-MARC Network - http://dmrnetwork.blogspot.com/

------ -------------------------------------------------
IDs Country
------ -------------------------------------------------
1 DMR-Contacts ALGERIA
1 DMR Contacts ARGENTINA-REPUBLIC
233 DMR Contacts AUSTRALIA
457 DMR Contacts AUSTRIA
1 DMR Contacts BAHAMAS
423 DMR Contacts BELGIUM
3 DMR Contacts BELIZE
2 DMR Contacts BOSNIA-AND-HERCEGOVI
40 DMR Contacts BRASIL-BRAZIL
3 DMR Contacts BULGARIA
5 DMR Contacts BULGARIEN
37 DMR Contacts CANADA ALBERTA
61 DMR Contacts CANADA BRITISH-COLUMBIA
17 DMR Contacts CANADA MANITOBA
24 DMR Contacts CANADA NEW-BRUNSWICK
1 DMR Contacts CANADA NEWFOUNDLAND
3 DMR Contacts CANADA NOVA-SCOTIA
373 DMR Contacts CANADA ONTARIO
1 DMR Contacts CANADA PRINCE-EDWARD-ISLAND
120 DMR Contacts CANADA QUEBEC
637 DMR Contacts CANADA
101 DMR Contacts CHILE
286 DMR Contacts CHINA
1 DMR Contacts COLOMBIA

DMR/MotoTRBO at MicroHAMS Digital Conference 2015

UHF digital hotspot It support D-Star DMR and C4FM

For those interested in digital communications, like D-Star, DMR and C4FM there’s a new dongle who will be coming out soon. I was lucky enough to get 2 of them earlier, you will find bellow the first video and my first tests with the DV4mini. I made a C4FM link with 2 sticks between a simplex frequency and my repeater through the Internet. With two sticks I’m able to reach my repeater from any Internet connection without losing any information (data). I did my first D-Star test this afternoon with success, stay tune for the video.

This is a great UHF digital hotspot. It’s support D-Star DMR and C4FM.  
Very promising technology.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oYpyrjcXBc

Digital Voice Standards - MicroHAMS Digital Conference 2015

John Hays from Northwest Digital Radio, does a great job of comparing the major digital voice options we have for Amateur Radio. He covers D-Star, DMR, System Fusion from Yaesu and the only Open Source option: FreeDV. The first three all use the same AMBE vocoder so these systems have a lot in common. Even so, they are not too compatible.

But John has a treat for us. He has developed a controller board that will all the Yaesu DR-1X System Fusion Repeater to upgrade from Dual-Mode to Tri-Mode and run D-Star, System Fusion and traditional Analog FM all in one box. Scrub ahead to 42:16 if you want to dive right into this part of his talk.

D-STAR and DMR HotSpot

DV4mini news (D-STAR and DMR HotSpot):

Advance Notice

NEW! Production has started, price and lead time will be announced after

HAM RADIO fair. NEW!

One of the first (or even the first?) D-Star and DMR Hotspots worldwide!

Reservations: If you want to be part of the first production run you can reserve a DV4mini (not binding).
Just send us a note using the contact form of the shop.
We will then reserve the quantity and you will be notified at your email address as soon as an official order can be made. 

Trying to understand the structure for DMR

Trying to understand the structure for DMR

Defined on your Radio:      zones, scan-lists, rx-group, contact list, channels

Defined on DMR repeaters and bridges:     talk groups, time-slots, color-codes

A zone is a list of channels on your radio that you can select.  Some radios have dials, others have buttons to select zones.  Within a zone you select channels either manual (dial or buttons) or by use of a scanlist that goes thru all channels in a scanlist automatically. A talk group is like a VLAN tag in network lingo, or, in analog repeaters like a CCTS (continuous coded tone squelch).

Most radios and programing references I have seen, define on each memory channel a frequency, color-code, timeslot, and talk-group combination treating each TG as a channel which you can select or scan thru.  This will use a lot of channels for the number of repeaters and Talk groups one is interested in.  As your radio is scanning and a finds a busy channel, the radio will wait a "scan hang time” on that channel during which you can press PTT to answer.  If you are outside of the hang time, you may be transmitting on a different TG/channel combination as you would similarly do when scanning analog channels on a non-dmr radio.

Scan memberships are defined in each channel and you can select if scanning is to start as soon as you tune to that channel.  Radios also allow you via the menu button to initiate or turn off scanning and/or select scanlists.

Audio Quality: Dstar vs. P25 vs. DMR

I have no experience with D-STAR but I've heard complaints from other hams about D* audio quality. You are not alone. I do have experience with Kenwood NEXEDGE, iCom iDAS, P25 (phase
1), and DMR/MOTOTRBO.

From my experiences, Kenwood's NEXEDGE (NXDN) and Icom's iDAS (also NXDN) sound very much like P25. The differences are subtle and it's hard to tell which sounds better or more natural sounding compared to the other. OTOH, DMR totally blows away P25 and NXDN, still sounding a little nasily but much more natural and less robotic than P25 or NXDN. It follows that DMR would also blow away D* in overall audio quality.

My vote for best digital 2-way communications audio is DMR.

Lately I've been selling off my Kenwood NEXEDGE (NXDN) digital radios and going with DMR all the way.


http://forums.radioreference.com/digital-voice-amateur-use/259366-audio-quality-dstar-vs-p25-vs-dmr.html


From what I have experienced with D-Star you'll have to be next to the repeater if you have a handheld or if you have a mobile d star capable radio you'll have a better chance accessing the system. The audio is some what garble or R2/D2 robot voice when someone isn't close enough.

NXDN is popular in my area but when I try to talk to the locals on NXDN it's like talking to the dead silent but when someone else is talking everyone responds. Audio is nice.

Now for MotoTRBO aka DMR as it better known as for the past 5 months now I am happy that I made the switch to this digital mode. I currently own MotorolaXPR 5550 mobile & XPR 655o both 440mhz radios. I like the sound of DMR sounds good.

Haven't tried p25 as of yet.