After the comment I got and posted about yesterday in my last post I seriously contemplated not even bothering writing any new posts in this blog. But after quite a bit of thought on the subject I realised why should I let the views of one gutless person dictate whether I continue with this blog or not. So here I am with the next post on DMR and the Radioddity GD-77.
The next sections are not meant as a comprehensive definition of each of the parts that make up the DMR system. Instead they are meant more as an overview of the terms to help take some of the mystery out of them.
Firstly what is DMR radio
DMR as you might have already guessed means Digital Mobile Radio.
It was first developed in about 2005 as a commercial system of communications, but as with many modes we use, we have borrowed the concept from commercial systems and adapted them for amateur radio use.
What are Time slots
Lets first think about a conventional analogue repeater. This repeater uses 12.5KHz bandwidth for both reception and transmission meaning that only one user can be transmitting to the repeater at a time. However as a DMR signal is only 6.25KHz wide, that means that two people can be using the same repeater at the same time, one using time slot1 and the other using time slot2. As both users are only using 6.25KHz each they can both occupy the same total 12.5KHz bandwidth that a conventional analogue repeater uses also allowing us to use the same 25KHz channel spacing. Now obviously there is a lot more to it than that but I don't really think for the purposes of this guide we really need to go into the details of bitrates, compression or the fact that you are only transmitting for 30ms out of every 60ms.
What are colour codes
This is probably the simplest of them all but probably not the most obvious.
Lets go back to the analogue repeater system for a moment again. To open that repeater for use you used to use a 1750Hz tone, later we moved to CTCSS tones which are sub-audible tones added to the carrier that the repeater recognises and will open if the right CTCSS tone is sent. It also transmits that same tone on the output of the repeater to open the squelch on your radio.
A colour code is really exactly the same as a CTCSS tone but in the DMR world it's called a colour code. I have only ever seen 1 and 3 used so I have no idea how many their are, but the details for the repeater you intend to use will tell you which number it is set to.
I find it very weird that when talking about a colour code you are actually referring to a number instead of an actual colour, but hey, this is the weird and wonderful world of confusing DMR terms.
What are Talk groups
Talk groups are you can probably imagine different areas of the DMR network where different types of conversations go on. These can world wide groups such as TG1 where anyone from anywhere will congregate, but bear in mind that you are expected to use english as the language for all conversations on this talk group. There are many different talk groups covering many different languages and regions of the world so you should easily be able to find one to suit where and what you want to talk about.
There are in theory 99999999 available talk groups although that is only a theoretical number and far far fewer are used. You are encouraged not to just ragchew with your buddy on one of the major talk groups like TG1 and to move to another free TG# agreed upon between yourselves.
I am sure there will be a list of talk groups and their designated usage on the internet but I have not yet had a look for one.
DMR registration
In order to use the DMR network you are required to register your callsign whereby you will be given your own unique ID number. Without this number you will not be able to use the full DMR network and in almost all cases your transmissions will be rejected by the system.
Your DMR ID number is a unique 7 digit number that personally identifies you and your callsign. This serves a few purposes, the main two being that nobody can impersonate you unless they know your ID number. The second and most important one is to prevent abuse of the system by non hams or sadly that very small minority of hams and non hams that deliberately try to spoil things for the rest of us. I don't know about you, but many a time I have had a keyer appear on an analogue repeater and there is very little you can do to stop it.
To register for a DMR ID# you will need to go to https://www.dmr-marc.net/cgi-bin/trbo-database/register.cgi and follow the simple instructions. They say that you should get your ID# within 72hrs but in my case I got my ID# back in about 7-8 hours. I guess the key here is to just be patient as most services like this are staffed by volunteers and can only process your application in their spare time.
DMR radios and linear amplifiers
The simple answer is don't even bother trying to connect your radio to an amplifier.
The reason why is that because of the way that a DMR radio transmits (30ms on 30ms off) there are currently at the time of writing no amplifiers that can switch on an off that fast. So all you will end up doing is making your transmissions worse, unintelligible and also cause interference to other hams. The best thing you can do if you cannot reach your local repeater reliably is to get a better antenna for your handheld or to put up a bigger internal or external antenna sited in a place that will enable you to reach that repeater.
There are other options, but I will explain at least one of those in a later installment.
Well I think that about covers it for the first section on this series, but if I have missed something important then I will come back and add it later.
Until next time
73's Paul M0CNL
Friday 15 September 2017
I'm no writer
Well it appears some gutless person thinks I can't write and shouldn't even be writing this blog. They even suggested that I should just delete it.
The anonymous person in question didn't identify themselves and even went to the extent of using one of those anonymous email services where the email address is only valid for a couple of hours. Hence why I have called them gutless.
Now I have never professed to be any kind of writer and in fact I know I have no writing skills at all really. The whole point of this blog is that in writing it I hope that I can pass on some of the things I have learned and put that into some kind of cohesive manner that anybody that happens to read it can glean enough information from it so as it may help them in some small way to do something that has taken me several days of research to put small pieces of information together into a one stop shop rather than them having to do the same king of research I have had to do to put it together. (Perfect example where I should rewrite that whole paragraph so as it flows better and makes more sense)
I don't exactly plan out any of these posts, in fact they are really just written straight from my head onto the page as the words come to me. Now I know that is not really the way that you should write anything and in particular something like a blog like this, but it is the only way I know how to write.
Now if you don't like the the way I write my blog then there is nobody forcing you to read it and in all honesty I am not interested in getting hundreds or more readers. The reasons I write this blog are that I hope that in some small way I can help someone to understand something that has taken me days to get my head around. The other reason for writing this blog is that in some weird way it is a kind of therapy for me and it gives me a place to come back to if I forget how I did something in the past.
To those of you that do read this and I hope get something from it then you are the reason I take the time to write this and I thank you for taking your valuable time to actually read my drivel.
To those of that don't like it, there are plenty of other blogs out there for you to read. But if you do have any comments then please do so in a constructive way and in a way that I can actually discuss your criticism in an adult way with you.
Lastly if you do have any suggestions on subjects you would like me to cover then please do contact me and if I am able to, I will do my best to attempt to cover them in my own badly written style.
Until next time
73's Paul M0CNL
The anonymous person in question didn't identify themselves and even went to the extent of using one of those anonymous email services where the email address is only valid for a couple of hours. Hence why I have called them gutless.
Now I have never professed to be any kind of writer and in fact I know I have no writing skills at all really. The whole point of this blog is that in writing it I hope that I can pass on some of the things I have learned and put that into some kind of cohesive manner that anybody that happens to read it can glean enough information from it so as it may help them in some small way to do something that has taken me several days of research to put small pieces of information together into a one stop shop rather than them having to do the same king of research I have had to do to put it together. (Perfect example where I should rewrite that whole paragraph so as it flows better and makes more sense)
I don't exactly plan out any of these posts, in fact they are really just written straight from my head onto the page as the words come to me. Now I know that is not really the way that you should write anything and in particular something like a blog like this, but it is the only way I know how to write.
Now if you don't like the the way I write my blog then there is nobody forcing you to read it and in all honesty I am not interested in getting hundreds or more readers. The reasons I write this blog are that I hope that in some small way I can help someone to understand something that has taken me days to get my head around. The other reason for writing this blog is that in some weird way it is a kind of therapy for me and it gives me a place to come back to if I forget how I did something in the past.
To those of you that do read this and I hope get something from it then you are the reason I take the time to write this and I thank you for taking your valuable time to actually read my drivel.
To those of that don't like it, there are plenty of other blogs out there for you to read. But if you do have any comments then please do so in a constructive way and in a way that I can actually discuss your criticism in an adult way with you.
Lastly if you do have any suggestions on subjects you would like me to cover then please do contact me and if I am able to, I will do my best to attempt to cover them in my own badly written style.
Until next time
73's Paul M0CNL
Wednesday 13 September 2017
I am in a bit of a quandary
Here is the situation I have been debating all day.
Should my next posts be on setting up the Radioddity GD-77 to show how to:
Set it up using an example DMR repeater. and set it up for example analogue repeaters ?
Or
Should I continue the D-Star series to show how to configure your radio to work with a DV4mini ?
Or
Should I continue with the setting up of the GD-77 with DMR and analogue repeaters. Then do a couple or so posts on the DV4mini, one using the DV4mini for D-Star and then one about setting up the GD-77 for use with the DV4mini in DMR mode ?
Now my current thinking is that if I continue with the GD-77 series, and then move onto the DV4mini series. The concepts will make more sense and it will make for a more contiguous flow to the whole series of posts.
I am probably just talking to myself at this point, but on the off chance that anybody is actually reading my blog posts (yes I know I am just dreaming that anyone has even found this blog and that there is even a smaller chance that any of those people are reading any of it) I would appreciate your input on this and for that matter any comments on the blog and maybe even subjects you would like me to cover. I do have a couple of ideas in the pipeline that I am working on but I really would appreciate any input you may have.
Until next time.
73's Paul
M0CNL
Should my next posts be on setting up the Radioddity GD-77 to show how to:
Set it up using an example DMR repeater. and set it up for example analogue repeaters ?
Or
Should I continue the D-Star series to show how to configure your radio to work with a DV4mini ?
Or
Should I continue with the setting up of the GD-77 with DMR and analogue repeaters. Then do a couple or so posts on the DV4mini, one using the DV4mini for D-Star and then one about setting up the GD-77 for use with the DV4mini in DMR mode ?
Now my current thinking is that if I continue with the GD-77 series, and then move onto the DV4mini series. The concepts will make more sense and it will make for a more contiguous flow to the whole series of posts.
I am probably just talking to myself at this point, but on the off chance that anybody is actually reading my blog posts (yes I know I am just dreaming that anyone has even found this blog and that there is even a smaller chance that any of those people are reading any of it) I would appreciate your input on this and for that matter any comments on the blog and maybe even subjects you would like me to cover. I do have a couple of ideas in the pipeline that I am working on but I really would appreciate any input you may have.
Until next time.
73's Paul
M0CNL
Radioddity GD-77 charger potententially very DANGEROUS !
I would be amiss if I didn't give you all a warning about the Radioddity GD-77 charger and yes it is potentially dangerous !
The charger has a standard USB connector as the output to the docking station, now you may be thinking what is so dangerous about that ? well I am about to tell you.
It kind of looks like any other USB charger out there doesn't it ?
Well this charger has a little secret that is hidden in the fine print on the side of it.
You may think it's just a USB charger that outputs 5v at anything from 500mA-3000mA and you would be forgiven for thinking so.
Now here is what could potentially make this innocuous little USB charger so dangerous. It DOES NOT output 5v like you would expect, the output is actually 12V at 500mA !!
How do you think your expensive iphone or whatever you charge via USB is going to react to that ?
My bet would be lots of expensive magic smoke would be released !
So do yourself a favour right now! Put a BIG label on the charger telling you that it is not a 5v output and that the real output is 12v !
The charger has a standard USB connector as the output to the docking station, now you may be thinking what is so dangerous about that ? well I am about to tell you.
It kind of looks like any other USB charger out there doesn't it ?
Well this charger has a little secret that is hidden in the fine print on the side of it.
You may think it's just a USB charger that outputs 5v at anything from 500mA-3000mA and you would be forgiven for thinking so.
Now here is what could potentially make this innocuous little USB charger so dangerous. It DOES NOT output 5v like you would expect, the output is actually 12V at 500mA !!
How do you think your expensive iphone or whatever you charge via USB is going to react to that ?
My bet would be lots of expensive magic smoke would be released !
So do yourself a favour right now! Put a BIG label on the charger telling you that it is not a 5v output and that the real output is 12v !
Unlock full features of the Radioddity GD-77 software
Here is a very quick post on unlocking the Radioddity GD-77 software.
Many of the features of the software are locked down in this software, supposedly to protect us from making the radio completely inoperable. However I know there are a couple of settings you may like to change, for instance you may like to change the boot screen to show your call sign (I know I did). The problem is that even this most basic and desirable setting is locked out in the software, does that sound like it is for your protection? No it doesn't to me either, in fact I think it's a good thing to be able to do in case you lose your radio etc for identification purposes. Imagine you are at your local club and someone that has a radio the same as you picks yours up by mistake, you can simply just turn on the radio and you will see the call sign of the owner saving them and you from taking home the wrong radio.
Well here is how you can unlock the software to make those "unsafe" changes.
Remember that this procedure needs to be done every time you open the software as it does not unlock it permanently like you would hope it to do or expect it to do.
Many of the features of the software are locked down in this software, supposedly to protect us from making the radio completely inoperable. However I know there are a couple of settings you may like to change, for instance you may like to change the boot screen to show your call sign (I know I did). The problem is that even this most basic and desirable setting is locked out in the software, does that sound like it is for your protection? No it doesn't to me either, in fact I think it's a good thing to be able to do in case you lose your radio etc for identification purposes. Imagine you are at your local club and someone that has a radio the same as you picks yours up by mistake, you can simply just turn on the radio and you will see the call sign of the owner saving them and you from taking home the wrong radio.
Well here is how you can unlock the software to make those "unsafe" changes.
Remember that this procedure needs to be done every time you open the software as it does not unlock it permanently like you would hope it to do or expect it to do.
- Open the software (I know that's obvious but I have included this for completion)
- Press all of these four keys AT THE SAME TIME - CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + F11 yes it seems like you need to have three hands but it is possible.
- If you have done step 2 correctly you will be presented with a window asking for a password. If not then do step 2 again until you get the password window.
- In this password window enter this password without the quotes "DMR961510" and then press enter.
- You can now make these prohibited/unsafe changes.
It's been a long time
Hi guys,
Well I know it's been a long time since my last post and far longer than I wanted it to be. But there is this thing called life that has got in the way of any and all attempts to do anything radio related including this blog.
This is about to change as I have a new handheld radio and that radio has only been out for a few weeks or so too. That radio is a Radioddity GD-77 the new dual band analogue and DMR radio.
The radio itself is very cheap for one with so many features, but as with all these Chinese radios, the interface is not intuitive in any way shape or form. The manual isn't any better and does more to confuse you than actually help anyone getting started in the very confusing world of DMR. Then there is the software which while it has a "help" system, it is totally confusing and just as useless for the beginner as the manual is.
Having said all that, the radio has a solid construction, the buttons have a solid click when pressed. Three of those buttons are dual function, meaning that a short press or a long press perform different functions. These functions are user programmable via the software so as they can be set to any of over 20 functions. The audio quality seems to be pretty good, in fact it's far better than I expected it to be for such a cheap radio (under £80).
Anyway there should be enough of a teaser of my next few posts in the above which I am hoping to get done over the next few days as long as nothing crops up and I can get my head fully around DMR and the programming software.
Until next time.
Well I know it's been a long time since my last post and far longer than I wanted it to be. But there is this thing called life that has got in the way of any and all attempts to do anything radio related including this blog.
This is about to change as I have a new handheld radio and that radio has only been out for a few weeks or so too. That radio is a Radioddity GD-77 the new dual band analogue and DMR radio.
The radio itself is very cheap for one with so many features, but as with all these Chinese radios, the interface is not intuitive in any way shape or form. The manual isn't any better and does more to confuse you than actually help anyone getting started in the very confusing world of DMR. Then there is the software which while it has a "help" system, it is totally confusing and just as useless for the beginner as the manual is.
Having said all that, the radio has a solid construction, the buttons have a solid click when pressed. Three of those buttons are dual function, meaning that a short press or a long press perform different functions. These functions are user programmable via the software so as they can be set to any of over 20 functions. The audio quality seems to be pretty good, in fact it's far better than I expected it to be for such a cheap radio (under £80).
Anyway there should be enough of a teaser of my next few posts in the above which I am hoping to get done over the next few days as long as nothing crops up and I can get my head fully around DMR and the programming software.
Until next time.
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