We’re on Brandmeister talk group 31266, the Michigan Nets channel, for the DMR Tech Net on Monday, July 8th from 7:30pm ET – 8:30pm ET.
Join us Monday as Hot Keys will be our topic. We’ll discuss the who, what, why, where, and how of Hot Keys.
We’d like to hear your comments if you utilize Hot Keys on your radio, plus answer any questions you have.
Join us as we demystify and have fun with DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) every Monday night!
You can always chat with the DMR Tech Net team on TGIF talk group 31268, the DMR Tech Net channel or Brandmeister talk group 31266, the Michigan Nets channel.
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The “hot button” feature on Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) radios typically refers to a programmable button that allows users to quickly access a specific function or feature with a single press. This can be particularly useful in situations where quick access is crucial, such as emergency communications or frequently used functions.
Common functions assigned to a hot button might include:
- Emergency Call: Instantly sending an emergency alert to a predefined group or individual.
- Channel Change: Quickly switching between different communication channels.
- Private Call: Initiating a private call to a specific user.
- Repeater Access: Connecting to a specific repeater for extended range communication.
Here are some common functions you can assign to hot buttons on your DMR radio:
- Emergency Call: Quickly send an emergency alert to a predefined group or individual.
- Channel Change: Switch between different communication channels with a single press.
- Private Call: Initiate a private call to a specific user.
- Repeater Access: Connect to a specific repeater for extended range communication.
- Scan: Start or stop scanning through a list of channels or frequencies.
- Monitor: Temporarily disable squelch to listen to weak signals.
- Talkaround: Switch between repeater mode and direct mode (simplex).
- Power Level: Toggle between high and low power settings.
- Zone Change: Switch between different zones or groups of channels.
- Voice Announcement: Enable or disable voice prompts for various functions.
These functions can greatly enhance the usability and efficiency of your DMR radio, allowing you to quickly access the features you use most frequently.
Programming a hot button on your DMR radio can vary slightly depending on the model and manufacturer, but the general steps are quite similar. Here’s a basic guide to help you get started:
- Connect Your Radio to a Computer:
- Use the programming cable that came with your radio to connect it to your computer.
- Open the CPS Software:
- Launch the Customer Programming Software (CPS) provided by your radio manufacturer.
- Read from the Radio:
- In the CPS software, select the option to read the current configuration from your radio. This ensures you have the latest settings.
- Locate the Button Configuration Section:
- Navigate to the section in the CPS software where you can configure the programmable buttons. This is often found under a menu labeled “Buttons” or “Key Settings.”
- Assign Functions to Buttons:
- Select the button you want to program (e.g., P1, P2, etc.).
- Choose the desired function from the dropdown menu. Common functions include Emergency Call, Channel Change, Private Call, and Repeater Access.
- Write the Configuration to the Radio:
- Once you’ve assigned the desired functions, save the changes and write the new configuration back to your radio.
- Test the Button:
- Disconnect the radio from the computer and test the programmed button to ensure it performs the expected function.
For more detailed instructions, you might want to refer to the user manual specific to your radio model or check out video tutorials like this one for a visual guide
To program a hot button on your Anytone DMR radio, follow these steps:
- Connect Your Radio to the Computer: Use the programming cable to connect your Anytone DMR radio to your computer.
- Open the CPS Software: Launch the Customer Programming Software (CPS) that came with your radio.
- Read from the Radio: In the CPS software, select the option to read from the radio. This will load your current settings into the software.
- Navigate to the Button Settings: Find the section in the CPS software where you can configure the programmable buttons. This is usually under a menu like “Optional Settings” or “Button Definitions.”
- Assign Functions to Buttons: You will see a list of buttons (e.g., P1, P2, PF1, PF2). Select the button you want to program and choose the desired function from the dropdown menu. Common functions include:
- Zone Up/Down: Switch between different zones.
- Scan: Start or stop scanning.
- Monitor: Open the squelch to listen to weak signals.
- Talk Group: Quickly switch to a specific talk group.
- Write to the Radio: After configuring the buttons, write the new settings back to the radio by selecting the “Write” option in the CPS software.
- Test the Buttons: Disconnect the radio from the computer and test the buttons to ensure they perform the assigned functions.
For a more detailed guide, you can refer to resources like the BridgeCom Systems guide:
https://www.bridgecomsystems.com/blogs/bridgecom-tx-rx-blog/how-to-set-up-the-programmable-buttons-on-your-anytone-868-878
To program a hot button on your Radioddity GD-77 radio, you can use the programming software provided by Radioddity. Here are the steps to customize the side keys as hot buttons:
- Download and Install the Programming Software: Ensure you have the latest version of the Radioddity GD-77 programming software installed on your computer.
- Connect Your Radio: Use the programming cable to connect your GD-77 radio to your computer.
- Open the Programming Software: Launch the software and read the data from your radio.
- Navigate to the Key Settings:
- In the software, find the section for key settings or button assignments.
- Look for the options to program the side keys (usually labeled as Side Key 1 and Side Key 2).
- Assign Functions to the Keys:
- You can assign various functions to these keys, such as Emergency On/Off, Scan On/Off, VOX On/Off, Repeater/Talk around, Zone select, etc.
- Select the desired function for each key from the dropdown menu.
- Save and Write to Radio:
- After assigning the functions, save the settings.
- Write the updated configuration back to your radio.
To program a hot key button on your Ailunce HD1 DMR radio, follow these steps:
- Download and Install the Programming Software: Ensure you have the latest version of the Ailunce HD1 programming software installed on your computer.
- Connect Your Radio: Use the programming cable to connect your HD1 radio to your computer.
- Open the Programming Software: Launch the software and read the data from your radio.
- Navigate to the Key Settings:
- In the software, find the section for key settings or button assignments.
- Look for the options to program the side keys (usually labeled as Side Key 1 and Side Key 2).
- Assign Functions to the Keys:
- You can assign various functions to these keys, such as Emergency On/Off, Scan On/Off, VOX On/Off, Repeater/Talk around, Zone select, etc.
- Select the desired function for each key from the dropdown menu.
- Save and Write to Radio:
- After assigning the functions, save the settings.
- Write the updated configuration back to your radio.
If you have a comment or a DMR topic idea for the DMR Tech Net, please share it with any of us. Send an email to: steve@dmrtechnet.net, stan@dmrtechnet.net, tom@dmrtechnet.net, dana@dmrtechnet.net, or brad@dmrtechnet.net.
Here are the Michigan DMR nets we know about. Please join in & participate on them.
Saturday:
- 7:00pm Arrow DMR Net on BrandMeister talk group 3126
- 7:30pm DMR Trivia Net on TGIF talk group 31268
Sunday:
- 6:30pm UP (Upper Peninsula) Net on BrandMeister talk group 31268
Monday:
- 7:30pm DMR Tech Net on BrandMeister talk group 31266, the Michigan Nets channel
- 8:30pm Michigan One DMR Net on BrandMeister talk group 3126
The DMR Tech Net team is branching out with a monthly show called DMR Tech Net TV on Zoom the third Tuesday of each month from 8pm-9pm ET. The next broadcast will be July 16.
- We’re working to schedule Corey Dean N3FE to go over the BrandMeister USA network, how to get the most out of using it, and best practices.
- We’re also working to reschedule Steve Miller KC1AWV and Ed Wilson N2XDD to discuss the M17 Network Project.
- Stay tuned as we work on finding a time and date convenient for them.
- If you missed previous DMR Tech Net TV broadcasts, you can watch them on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq4TAnA-_yE7kdcuaKzw8rQ - If you have a topic or issue you would like discussed, let us know.
Join the DMR Tech Net team on Telegram. Just search for “DMR Tech Net.” To download, go to: https://web.telegram.org and/or https://desktop.telegram.org/
Join the DMR Tech Net team on Discord: To join the DMR Tech Net team, click this link: https://discord.gg/EV82GNuCaS . To download Discord, go to https://discord.com
The DMR Tech Net team is helping Dustin N8RMA with NCS duties on the Michigan One DMR net, heard of BrandMeister talk group 3126 on Monday nights. If you would like to help as a Net Control Station operator, send an email to dana@dmrtechnet.net as we need NCS help every month through the end of 2024.
Here’s the upcoming list of upcoming NCS’:
- July 8 Dustin N8RMA
- July 15 Brad KE8WNV
- July 22 Rick AD8KN
- July 29 Bob KB8DQQ
https://www.michiganonedmr.net/
Here is an Excel spreadsheet list of talk groups on BrandMeister, TGIF, FreeDMR, YSF, D-Star Reflectors, D-Star Repeaters, M17, and Michigan talk groups on BM & TGIF that you can download.
DMR Different Networks Talk Groups updated 6-2-2024
If you want to donate to BrandMeister to help them run their DMR network, Corey Dean N3FE shared the following links:
3102 and 3104 donations https://www.nfoservers.com/donate.pl?force_recipient=1&recipient=n3fe%40repeater.net
3103 donations https://www.nfoservers.com/donate.pl?force_recipient=1&recipient=w7xm%40w7xm.com
Robert Bretzman K4WZV of the TGIF network mentioned this if you want to donate to their network:
The servers that run the TGIF Network draw money from a coffer fund. We pay for much of it out of our own pockets, so we very much appreciate any donations. If you wish to donate, you may do so by clicking the donation link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/
If you want to donate to RadioID.net, Glen Bizeau VE9GLN said you can subscribe to his website for additional features: https://radioid.net/account/membership.
You can also purchase RadioID.net merchandise at https://store.radioid.net/.
Garrett Down KD6KPC of Repeaterbook.com shared this if you want to donate to his website:
To run a website like Repeaterbook.com, revenue is needed to keep it active on the web. There are bills to be paid, hosting companies to be paid, SSL certificates to be purchased, and other expenses that go along with the research and development of the data. The costs add up.
Repeaterbook has committed to keeping access to its data completely free. Since we don’t charge for the data or access to the site, we decided to incorporate ads into the site. The ads generate revenue that has been sufficient to pay the bills (most months). With the advent of ad-blocking technology, we began to see ad revenue slip. We get it. Many people don’t want to see ads and our stats indicate that up to 30% of our site visitors are using an ad blocker. Some say the performance on the site has even suffered waiting for ads to load. And come are concerned about Internet tracking through the ads (yes, Google does it).
We think we have found a solution to meet in the middle.
You can now subscribe to Repeaterbook and obtain a membership that will silence the ads on Repeaterbook. This form of obtaining revenue while quieting ads is used on qrz.com.
So now we have two option to fit your preference:
- Enjoy Repeaterbook completely free, while enduring the ads that appear.
- Sign up for a Repeaterbook subscription and silence the ads.
To take advantage of this offer, you must be a registered user in good standing. Look at our Subscription Plans:
https://www.repeaterbook.com/index.php/en-us/ad-free
Finally, join and become a member of your local amateur radio club. They can use your dues to help defray the costs of running the club and repeater. And you’ll be a member of like-minded people who can help you with amateur radio and equipment.
Check out (and share our website) to learn more about Digital Mobile Radio!