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/

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.

Compatibility between Yaesu's C4FM and Motorola "MOTOTRBO"

The Yaesu C4FM and MotoTRBO are not compatible. The Yaesu is C4FM FDMA while the TRBO is 2 slot TDMA. The Yaesu product is essentially a P25 digital type radio.

We have groups of folks here in Central Florida that are using both P25 and TRBO and having a lot of fun. I use both myself in amateur and professional capacities (I'm a field tech for the local Motorola shop here in Orlando). We also have a fairly active D-Star following here as well, but I also thought the cost was a bit prohibitive. I personally enjoy the TRBO operation. Using the IP Site Connect mode, there is world-wide coverage via FM repeaters. Plus, unlike D-Star, there are several manufacturers now producing TRBO/DMR radios, so prices are coming down. A company called Connect Systems is now offering a DMR radio for under $200.

ABOUT THE NEW BATCH OF CHINESE DIGITAL RADIOS

A $200 DMR radio is just that, a bottom of the line product. You get what you pay for! The $200 DMR radio meets the needs of +95% of the world wide users for which the radio was designed (non-ham market).

The $800 (street price) DMR radio is better quality, better software, and better batteries. But it also NOT the quality of a $3,000+ radio used by many public safety organizations.

Even if you look at the typical Amateur Radio market radio from Yaesu, Icom and Kenwood; this is a wide range of radios for HF from bottom end models (<$1000) through radio retailing for over $15,000. Hams buy what they can afford, some start at the low end and upgrade if they can afford over time.

If you want a better quality DMR radio, buy a top of the line Mototrbo or Hytera. They cost about four times or more then the $200 radio and programming software will cost you extra. If you buy an XPR7550 at a ham friendly price (~$800), remember the programming software will cost you $260 for a three year subscription and you will need an $80 programming cable; you can even add on FPP (Front Panel Programming) for about $250.

The CS-700 created a large influx of new DMR users in the ham bands because of the price and willingness of Jerry to support the hobby by making the business decision to enter a new market.

Hams are typically cheap, they want low prices, quality service, and also seldom support the common infrastructure (aka repeater systems) they use. You have repeaters and networks to use because of the hard work of a few and the individuals who shoulder the expenses of operating and maintaining the infrastructure.

Digital vs. Analog

If you are use to operating on analog FM repeaters, you will have noticed that the audio quality degrades as a station’s signal into the repeater (uplink) gets weaker; you start hearing an increase in noise bursts intermixed with the audio until the signal gets so weak that the station can no long access the repeater or you can not understand the audio because of noise. As you move further from the repeater you will start hearing the same noise bursts into your receiver as the repeater’s signal gets weaker (downlink) until you can no longer hear the repeater. A combination of a station’s weak signal into a repeater and a repeater’s weak signal to the listener can make the usability degrade faster.

The basic difference with digital repeaters is that the audio quality remains the same on the uplink and downlink until the very end of the coverage range; then the audio starts sounding broken (missing portions of the speech) on DMR systems caused by lost packets. The Internet can also drop the UDP packets used for moving traffic between repeaters and bridges, causing the same broken audio affect. Analog static is a thing of the past using DMR.

DMR has Forward Error Correction (FEC) which can correct small bit errors, slightly extending the usable range and improving communication quality.

Better quality receivers can operate at a lower noise floor, higher power transmitters, and higher gain antenna systems will also extend coverage of both analog and digital systems.

What is DMR?

Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) was developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and is used worldwide by professional mobile radio users. [http://www.dmrassociation.org]

DMR is divided into three tiers. Tier I is a single channel specification originally for the European unlicensed dPMR446 service. It is a single channel FDMA 6.25 kHz bandwidth; the standard supports peer-to-peer (mode 1), repeater (mode 2) and linked repeater (mode 3) configurations. The use of the Tier I standard has been expanded into radios for use in
other than the unlicensed dPMR446 service. [http://www.dpmr-mou.org]

Tier II is 2-slot TDMA 12.5 kHz wide peer-to-peer and repeater mode specification, resulting in a spectrum efficiency of 6.25 kHz per channel. Each time slot can be either voice and/or data depending upon system needs. IP Site Connect (IPSC) for interconnecting repeaters over the Internet is vendor specific and is not part of the ETSI standards at this time. Most amateur radio implementations of DMR are using voice on both time slots.

Tait TP9300 Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) Features - Tait Communications

The TP9300 is one of the most advanced portable radios in the market. Ideal for professionals, we've chosen only the best features for radio users. Tait Tough build quality, an enhanced vocoder, and easy migration thanks to quad mode functionality. Each TP9300 is capable of analogue conventional, MPT 1327, DMR Tier 2, and DMR Tier 3.

Review Connect Systems CS700 DMR Handheld

Let me start with a confession: personally I don’t care much about digital modes. That doesn’t mean that I don’t keep track of the latest technologies, and (hopefully) this short review is proof of that.

DMR I’m not going to explain in detail what DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) is, as there are many sources on the Internet that will do a much better job than I could.


Read More:
http://cs700dmr.blogspot.com

NEW Digital DMR RADIO Quantun QP-2100 DIGITAL & Analog Portable UHF or VHF

Quantun QP-2100

NEW Digital DMR RADIO Quantun QP-2100 DIGITAL & Analog Portable UHF or VHF
The flow of discount DMR gear from China has been underway for a while now and recently, things just got a bit weirder. While the Connect Systems CS700 has become one of the most popular DMR radios to hit the market for the ham community and with many more hams waiting with bated breathe for the release of its sister radio – the all singing, all dancing Connect Systems CS7000, a clone of both has recently been spotted in the wild.  Meet the Quantun QP-2100, which is being sold in the US market by Quantun Electronics of Sunrise, Florida.

QP-2100

http://www.quantunelectronics.com/QP-2100.html Key Features Frequency Range: 400-470 MHz UHF / 136-174 MHz VHF 4/5 W 1,000 Channels 12.5 KHz Channel Spacing DTMF & MDC 1200 PTT ID CTCSS/DCS Tones Allowing For Individual Calls and Group Calls Wired Clone Feature Allows For Easy Transfer Of Features From One Radio To Another VOX Operation With Hands Free Communication (With Appropriate Audio Accessories) High Capacity 2000 mAh Li-Ion Battery Follows IP-65 Standard With A High Level Of Protection Against Water Damage And Dust Military Specifications 810 C/D/E/F

What is a Code Plugs?

A code plug is simply a radio’s configuration file. Using a manufacturer’s programming software you configure the channels and operating parameters of a radio. This file is uploaded to the radio and typically should also be saved on you computer as a backup. You can also download the code plug from a radio to modify it. Building a code plug can take many hours, especially if you want to program hundreds of channels. The code plug can also contain a Contact List of Radio IDs, call signs, and names to be displayed. You can find copies of configured code plugs on the web for different models of radio; check out the different Yahoo DMR groups. All DMR radios support a limited number of entries in the Contact List; you can download Code Plugs with the Contact List populated using a generator on the DMR-MARC home page.

Connect Systems CS700 DMR Portable Radio va3xpr Review

The Connect Systems (CSI) CS700 portable radio is a low cost, high value Digital Mobile Radio (aka DMR) radio that has recently been released to the ham radio community. Overall, this is a great single band UHF DMR radio for ham radio use on the 70cm band and will make a great radio for anyone interested in getting started with DMR. At the time of this review, the pricing for a new CS700 directly from CSI was $180USD, which includes a 1-year warranty.

Price: $180USD
Author’s Rating: Excellent

(4 out of 5)
http://cs700dmr.blogspot.com

How to update Contacts in the CS-700 codeplug

Here's the writeup I did for our club as an intro, in case it works for anyone else.

Radio ID Database

Every DMR ham has a Radio ID assigned to them by DMR-MARC, which is where this database comes from.

(Request link is here: http://www.dmr-marc.net/request_subscriberID.html) This same Radio ID can be programmed into all your radios, since only one will Tx at a time. 

It’s maintained by a team of guys that do a great job with really fast turnaround on updates and new registration. 
  
The whole database is here:
http://cs700dmr.blogspot.com

CS700 Antenna Recommendation

Hello, with my CS700, I've been using the Larsen SPWH23450 whip antenna, with good result. Here are the details:

Larsen SPWH23450
Antenna Connector Option: SMA FEMALE-SFU TYPE
Actual Frequency: 425-475 MHz

There is also a stubby version:
http://cs700dmr.blogspot.com

Larsen SPHS23450