With so much information to go over and allow more DMR check-ins & comments, the DMR Tech Net start time is now 7:45pm ET on Brandmeister Talk Group 3126, statewide Michigan.
After the DMR Tech Net is over, stay on TG-3126 to join the Michigan One DMR net at 8:30pm, hosted by Dustin N8RMA and Riley KE8VBU.
When the Michigan One DMR net is done, switch to TAC-310 and join the DMR Tech Net team for an informal after-net chat.
Upcoming DMR Tech Net topics
Monday, May 8,2023 from 7:45pm ET – 8:30pm ET on Brandmeister’s DMR Talk Group 3126:
- We will discuss the different DMR networks (Brandmeister, DMR+, TGIF, & YSF) with their own talk groups & audiences.
Monday, May 15,2023 from 7:45pm ET – 8:30pm ET on Brandmeister’s DMR Talk Group 3126:
- We will discuss logging programs and open it up for your comments on what you use and why.
Monday, May 22,2023 from 7:45pm ET – 8:30pm ET on Brandmeister’s DMR Talk Group 3126:
- We will discuss additional ways to listen to DMR such as Hoseline, BlueDVA, DM-Repeaters, and Droidstar
https://dmrtechnet.net/upcoming-tech-nets/ *This is our tentative schedule and it can change*
We have created a new website at https://dmrtechnet.net/ for you to keep up with our DMR Tech Net topics.
If you want to join our email list, send an email to Subscribe@DMRTechNet.net with “subscribe” in the subject line.
We will send out information about our weekly DMR Tech Net topics no more than once or twice a week.
Please check out our website, https://dmrtechnet.net/, and share this newsletter with other DMR users.
Other Michigan Brandmeister statewide DMR talk groups:
- 3126 Statewide Michigan
- 31260 Michigan WX ARES EmComm
- 31261 Mi-5 Statewide 1
- 31262 Mi-5 Statewide 2
- 31263 Mi-5 Event 1
- 31265 Mi-5 Event 3
- 31267 West Michigan
- 31268 UP (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan
- 31269 West Michigan Technical Group
What is Digital Mobile Radio (DMR)? A Quick Introduction to DMR
Today we’d like to discuss how digital radio has created a new form of radio communication: DMR. Specifically, we’ll discuss what exactly DMR is, the key terms you need to know, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3HGGieNUx8
What is DMR?
DMR stands for Digital Mobile Radio and uses the Motorola TRBO protocol for communications. Like other digital modes such as D-Star, C4FM and APCO P25, the TRBO protocol converts your voice into a digital form and sends it out via RF (with other bits of information included) and allows you to communicate to other DMR radios and also DMR repeaters, which are networked together around the world via the internet.
What makes DMR stand out from some of the other digital modes is that it utilizes TDMA (Time-Division Multiple Access) to divide a single frequency into 2 distinct “channels” or time slots. By doing this, you can have two conversations going on at the SAME TIME, using one frequency.
Imagine using one frequency while radio A is talking to radio B on time slot 1, and radio C is talking to radio D on time slot 2 … SIMULTANEOUSLY. Pretty neat, huh?
Here is a nice graphic from Retevis to help visualize and understand what is going on…
Although the graphic above relates to how a DMR repeater works, this same principal applies to using a simplex frequency as well.
To make matters a little more fun and complicated, each radio must have a unique Radio ID for digital identification between radios and you can also use Talkgroups to separate traffic and target specific groups of DMR users.
Looking for a GREAT basic explanation of DMR, what it is, how it works and why it is so beneficial? Check out the Miklor DMR Basic Tutorial.
What Is A Radio ID?
A Radio ID is a unique number assigned to you (and your callsign) by the RadioID.net Team. Like a telephone number or IP address, your Radio ID identifies you as a unique radio user on the various DMR networks and repeaters around the world.
We have a TON of information on Radio IDs and how you obtain one here. It’s very much worth reading!
What Is A Talkgroup?
A DMR talkgroup is simply a way of grouping many Radio IDs into a single digital contact. Or put another way, a talkgroup is a method of organizing radio traffic specific to the DMR users that all want to hear the same thing and not be bothered by other radio traffic on a DMR network that they are not interested in hearing.
We have a TON of information on Talkgroups and how they are used here. It’s very much worth reading!
https://www.dmrfordummies.com/library/
What Is The Brandmeister Network?
The Brandmeister Network was born from several worldwide hams and software engineers who joined together to create a digital repeater network consisting of master servers and peer repeaters all over the world. The network has over 1300 repeaters and more than 3000 hotspots across the globe and it’s growing every day!
Brandmeister is tailored to the Motorola TRBO technology and allows for DMR repeaters to connect worldwide via the internet and link systems together by utilizing organized Talkgroups.
The Brandmeister Network offers several neat features for amateur radio enthusiasts to take advantage of:
- Private Call
- Talkgroups
- APRS
- SMS Text Messaging
- D-Star Gateway
- Echolink Gateway
- Autopatch Call Gateway
- Roaming via Hytera Equipment
- and more…
Here’s a simple graphic depicting how this all happens:
https://www.dmrfordummies.com/brandmeister-network/
What Is The DMR-MARC Network
MARC stands for Motorola Amateur Radio Club Worldwide Network. It is one of the original DMR network coordinators and is still to this day extremely popular and reliable.
The DMR-MARC Network is connected around the world by master servers which in turn connect repeaters to each other in over 74 countries through more than 500 repeaters.
One major difference in the DMR-MARC Network as compared to others is that all of the Talkgroups assigned to a repeater timeslot are static. There isn’t a dynamic talkgroup option. So whatever networked Talkgroups your repeater trustee decides to link is what you are stuck with. They can be changed by the trustee at will, but users don’t seem to have this option dynamically by PTT functionality.
Here is a graphic of how the MARC Network functions:
And as you might expect, the MARC Network is nearly 100% comprised of Motorola repeater equipment. Another great feature of Motorola equipment is the capability of roaming. If the radio is configured properly, it will automatically select the strongest repeater in the area without the user’s intervention at all. This increases reliability and quality of communications.
DMR Plus North America
In addition the the DMR-MARC network, you may also access the DMR Plus Network, which is popular across Europe and Asia.
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.
Usage of this architecture is gaining momentum in North America, although not extremely popular or easy to find information about. It can be accessed through participating DMR-MARC repeaters and personal hotspots with the proper know how.
For more information please visit the DMR PLUS webpage.
DMR Plus, Phoenix and Other UK and EU Networks
If you are looking for lots of good information about the UK and EU DMR Networks, then check out SIMPLE DMR WEBSITE. It is a great resource for information on networks that were built upon the original DMR-MARC framework, but which have evolved into their own flavor of operations.
https://www.dmrfordummies.com/dmr-marc-2/
Ham Radio Digital Modes: Which Will Survive The Test of Time?
Ham radio operators have a lot of digital voice modes to choose from. D-Star, DMR, C4FM/Yaesu System Fusion, P25, and the list goes on and on. But which modes will still be around in five years? Thats the discussion in this video as we explore what digital modes are worth your time as a ham radio operator. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDAu3YR7mKI
What is D-STAR?
D-STAR, which stands for ‘Digital Smart Technology for Amateur Radio’ is an open digital Amateur radio standard that offers users a number of ways to connect with other users globally via a worldwide network of digital amateur radio repeaters.
Just like other forms of Amateur radio, D-STAR has a broad appeal from those Amateurs wanting to communicate just for fun to those who would prefer to push their technical expertise.
The D-STAR protocol has rich, exciting opportunities for Amateur radio enthusiasts to experiment and build, utilising 21st century tools such as the web, networking, ethernet, TCP/IP and radio. D-Star is innovative and is keeping radio Amateurs at the forefront of communication technology – Amateur radio has a great future and is moving forward right now with D-STAR digital technology.
D-STAR Features
Provides digital voice communication
D-STAR gives users the ability to connect via digital voice as well as slow and high-speed data communications. Slowspeed digital voice and data are transported at 4800 bps, of which 3600 bps is used for voice transmission, the remaining 1200 bps used for synchronisation and general use. Of that 1200 bps, around 900 bps is available for the transmission of data.
Provides digital data (on 1.2GHz)
In order to send and receive greater volumes of data and large files, D-STAR has the “DD Mode” or Digital Data Mode. The DD mode is only supported on the 1.2 GHz amateur band and is capable of sending a receiving data at a 128kbps rate. To send slow-speed data on D-STAR, all which is required is connecting a serial cable from your PC to the data port on the back of the radio. No special or additional data modem is required. To send and receive high-speed data on D-STAR on a 1.2GHz D-STAR radio all that is required is a standard Ethernet cable connection.
Internet facilitated Global Connectivity
You can dial up your friend directly simply by putting in his/her callsign into your radio without knowing his or her current location or what D-STAR repeater they are currently using. Repeaters can also be linked together as needed by operators on air to form a wider area conference or system administrators can link repeater gateways together to link all voice & data from multiple repeaters together. Operators can also talk to a repeater via one band and be cross banded out another band on the same repeater. Repeater systems can be interconnected via “reflectors” which are essentially servers on the Internet with appropriate capacity behind broadband Internet links that interconnect many repeaters together.
Open System
D-STAR is capable of connecting repeater sites using the web to form a world-wide radio network. Voice is converted to a digital format using a bit of computer code referred to as a CODEC. The CODEC code is embedded on a microchip which encodes and decodes the audio signals into and out of the AMBE (Advanced Multi-Band Excitation format). The CODEC that D-STAR uses is the only proprietary portion of DSTAR. All other parts of D-STAR are open which has allowed enthusiasts to develop this part of the hobby.
Good Quality Audio
The quality of the D-STAR voice signal is very similar to that of FM voice. There is no degradation in the signal quality that is found with traditional analogue voice modes and no squelch tail at the end of every transmission.
Efficient Data usage
Many data communications needs don’t require high-speeds, particularly for emergency communications. D-STAR combines voice and low-speed data into a single channel simultaneously.
Spectrum Efficient
If you’ve tried to use a repeater channel on 2-meters or 430- 440 MHz in any city, you know how crowded the bands can be. The D-STAR voice and low-speed data signal offers a significant improvement in spectrum efficiency, requiring only a 6 kHz channel instead of the 20, 25, or even 30 kHz of analogue wide-band FM. D-STAR repeaters can be interleaved between existing channels or multiple repeaters deployed in the spectrum of only one analogue FM repeater.
How do I get involved with D-STAR?
There are a number of ways that you can get involved with D-STAR. The first major requirement is that in order to use the D-STAR system is that you must be a licenced operator. If you aren’t a licenced radio Amateur, the best place to start is with the Radio Society of Great Britain where you will find information about the hobby and how to get into it.
D-STAR (Radio only)
You can use your handheld radio to connect with a local D-STAR enabled repeater and then use it to link to talk to people elsewhere in the world.
DVAP (Where there are no local repeaters)
With a DVAP, you can plug a little dongle into your computer. Then you can user you own D-STAR handheld or base radio to transmit to the computer, which takes your voice and transfers it over the Internet to other repeaters, reflectors and users. This is essentially the same thing as the previous option, but this works if there is no local repeater in your area.
Hotspots
Hotspots are very similar to the DVAP although DVAP’s low power limits locally e.g. around the house, or maybe down the street if connected to an outside antenna.
A Hotspot on the other hand is usually connected to a higher power standard analogue VHF or UHF radio (with a 9600 baud packet port) and therefore has a lot more flexibility and range. With a sufficiently high antenna connected to a radio with a Hotspot interface, you can actually create what some might call a simplex repeater. Like the DVAP, the Hotspot is connected to an Internet enabled PC and the radio via the 9600 baud packet port. The radio is set to a D-STAR simplex frequency and you and your friends can talk all around the world from another hand-held or mobile radio.
DV Dongle
Another very popular use of D-STAR is to just plug a dongle and a microphone into your PC and talk to other Amateur radio enthusiasts around the world through the internet
Getting set up with D-STAR
The absolute first step is to get yourself registered on the D-STAR network. D-STAR Gateways enable users to connect from a local D-STAR repeater, equipped with a D-STAR Gateway, to any other Gateway equipped D-STAR repeater.
Once an Amateur is registered with a repeater gateway, it can connect to D-STAR users beyond the local repeaters. You do not have to be registered with a gateway to use a local repeater, only if you want to make use of the D-STAR network. You only have to register with one gateway as your registration information is propagated to all other gateways and reflectors in the D-STAR network.
The second step is to make sure you actually have a local repeater that supports D-STAR. If you’re in a city, you probably do, but there are still some gaps in the UK without D-STAR coverage. To find out which D-STAR repeaters are in range and active in your area go to http://www.dstarinfo.com.
How does D-STAR work?
There are a number of ways you can communicate on the D-STAR network. These include using D-STAR enabled radios that are capable of 3 digital communication streams.
- Digital voice
2. Control data
3. Data messaging
The occupied bandwidth of the digital signal is smaller than that needed in analogue transmissions and therefore more digital channels can be provided in a given bandwidth. To enable the repeaters to communicate with each other over the internet the repeater is connected to a PC running a LINUX operating system and Gateway software. This software connects to other gateways and keeps the user lists up to date and connects the digital streams between repeaters. All of the information is distributed within a network that is managed by a ‘Trust Server’. We are currently in the same net as America, Australia and Canada.
D-STAR repeaters can be operated in the same way as existing analogue repeaters except that they communicate using a digital transmission from the transmitting radio through to the receiving radio. Unlike other systems that have been developed that use the web for linking distant stations together, D-STAR treats all repeaters in exactly the same way. A local repeater is no different to a repeater 3000 miles away, you just have to route your call to the distant repeater. You can connect to a local repeater and a repeater across the internet and all participants will be treated as though they are on the same repeater.
Components of the D-STAR Network
D-STAR repeater system
A D-STAR repeater system is typically composed of a repeater controller, 1.2GHz, 70cm or 2mtr digital voice repeater, digital data repeater and the Internet gateway PC.
The D-STAR repeater operates similar to an existing analogue repeater. That is a simple relay of transmit and receive communication within or across the 2m, 70cm or 23cm bands.
When D-STAR repeaters are connected with the Internet gateway, the D-STAR system relays the received data over the Internet. Your message will get through virtually to anywhere in the D-STAR system.
D-STAR registry
As authorised users make their initial transmission to a D-STAR system, the call sign information attached to the digitised voice packets is recorded by the repeater controller. The controller then shares the information with other D-STAR systems through the D-STAR gateway registry. The registry is maintained on gateway servers located around the world. When an authorised D-STAR user makes a call to a call sign not currently registered on that repeater system, the registry allows the repeater controller to route the call to the repeater on which the targeted user was last registered.
D-STAR reflector?
A reflector can be considered to be similar to a repeater, but with no RF capabilities. Reflectors are Internet connected servers, generally in data-centres, which receive a transmission from a connected gateway (via the Internet) and send it out to all other connected gateways for retransmission, via RF in the case of a repeater.
Reflectors are basically a conference bridge for D-STAR. They allow multiple D-STAR repeaters and Dongle users, from around the world, to be joined together and whatever information is transmitted across one of the repeaters is repeated across all of the connected repeaters.
Conclusion
D-STAR provides a whole host of opportunities for the Amateur radio enthusiast to challenge themselves with tools from the 21st. Century. As with all forms of radio, you can dip your toe in the water for just plain old communication or delve further if you are interested in setting up repeaters and send data as projects. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea but this area of the hobby is growing with more and more repeaters and users being added all of the time… good luck in your digital journey!
There are many websites to find further information, ideas and support on this fascinating new part of Amateur Radio. https://icomuk.co.uk/What-is-D-STAR
Frequently Asked Questions about TGIF
We will try to cover some of the basic questions you may have on this page. If you cannot find it, let us know and we will try our best to answer it.
TGIF Network – Account Setup
The new server is temporarily being hosted at https://tgif.network. This will be replacing
the normal tgif.network location once the beta period is over and the code has been polished.
Because it is on a different server this means you will need to configure your hotspot to connect
there. The method described in this document will temporarily connect your repeater or hotspot to
the tgif network using the new security method (similar to BrandMeister’s hotspot security
feature).
In the new network implementation there are two modes of joining the server with your hotspot.
The method which uses the default dmr password ‘passw0rd’ is called a ‘Legacy Connection’. In
addition to this, there is now an alternative type of connection which we call a ‘Secured
Connection’. The secure type connection involves a station creating an account on the tgif website
(currently at tgif.network) and verifying their email and account which will then give the
ability to generate a secure dmr network connection password which is unique for that user and will
be configured into the hotspot along with their dmr id. Both implementations will be supported,
which means you will always be able to connect the “legacy” way which is what everyone is used
to now, although during the beta period these types of connections have been disabled. This means
if you want to help beta test you will need to register for an account and get your secure login
credentials.
Firstly, head over to https://tgif.network and you should be presented with a page like this:
Now, either click the ‘Login or Register’ hyperlink in the center of the page, or click the
“Registration” dropdown menu and click Register.
If you already have an account, go ahead and just login with your CALLSIGN and account
password here. If you have issues verifying your email or have any other questions, please send
an email to support@tgif.network and we will get you fixed up quickly. If you do not have an
account click the green ‘Register’ button at the top left of the page.
Fill out the registration form on this page and submit it. You should receive an email containg a
link you can click to verify your account. Make sure to check your spam folders and trash and
wait at least 10 minutes if you do not see the email immediately. If you still do not receive the
email please send us an email at support@tgif.network and include your callsign and we will verify
your account for you.
After you click the verification url in the email it should bring you back to the sign in page. You
may now login using your CALLSIGN (not your email) and account password then entering the
captcha text and clicking the ‘Login’ button. If you encounter any problems, email us at
support@tgif.network and remember to include your callsign in the email. If everything goes well,
you should be redirected to the main page and displayed will be one of two messages. For most
people your account will be verified almost immediately, but for some it may take up to 24 hours. If
it takes longer than that please send us an email.
Once your account becomes fully verified, you will receive a confirmation email and when you
visit the website you should see a different message and be able to navigate the full website.
Setting Up Your Hotspot
Now that you have completed registration and your account is verified let’s get your hotspot set up on
the network. Setup by step instructions and screenshots will be provided to make this process as simple
as possible. The two major types of hotspots will be covered. You can always email
support@tgif.network if you need assistance.
1) The Common Stuff
Step 1: open your web browser and navigate to tgif.network from your address bar.
Step 2: once the page loads click or tap the Registration drop down menu and click Sign In
Step 3: once the Sign In page loads enter your callsign and password.
NOTE: Do NOT use your email address. ONLY use your callsign.
Enter the captcha and click or tap the “Login” button
Step 4: Click or tap your callsign followed by “User Security”
Step 5: once the User Security page loads click or tap the blue clipboard under your DMR ID. This will
copy the long password above to your system clipboard.
2) Pi-Star Specific (skip if using Openspot)
Step 1: load the pi-star dashboard by using its IP address
NOTE: in my case this is 10.0.0.15 but it will be different for you.
NOTE 2: I have changed my colors by default it is a white page with red banners at the top and bottom.
Step 2: Click or tap Configuration and if required to login enter pi-star as the username and raspberry
as the password
NOTE: these are the defaults
Step 3: Click or tap Expert near the top right hand corner of the page
Step 4: Click or tap MMDVMHost
Step 5: scroll down to the DMR Network section
Step 6: change the Address box from tgif.network to tgif.network
Step 7: right-click or tap and hold on the password box and past the password that was copied to
your clipboard earlier.
Step 8: once the password is pasted click Apply Changes and you are done.
NOTE: the configuration page shown in Step 2 above will now say DMRGateway under the DMR
Configuration section. That is normal.
NOTE2: if you make any changes on the configuration page you will need to follow this guide again.
3) Openspot Specific
Step 1: load the Openspot dashboard from it’s IP or openspot#.local (example openspot2.local or
openspot3.local)
NOTE: here I used the IP address 10.0.0.2. This will be different for you.
Step 2: click the Connectors page
Step 3: Check the Advanced checkbox near the bottom right of the page
Step 4: scroll to the DMR/Homebrew/MMDVM section
Step 5: change the Protocol radio button from Homebrew to MMDVM
Step 6: click the server box and scroll down the list to choose TGIF
Step 7: change the server address from tgif.network to tgif.network
Step 8: delete the password that is in the Server Password box and right-click and paste in the
password you copied in The Common Stuff: Step 5
Step 9: once the password has been pasted click the Save button to the right of
DMR/Homebrew/MMDVM
Step 10: Click the Change button to change the list of talkgroups to the TGIF list
Hopefully this guide has been helpful. If you have any questions or need any help feel free to send an
email to support@tgif.network and one of our staff will get back to you.
How to Connect to the TGIF Network
Do you know how to connect to the TGIF Network? If you are an amateur radio operator using DMR radios or digital voice modes, then you need to know how to connect to the TGIF Network. This network gives you the power to make world-wide QSOs with any type of amateur digital radio. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wivlr60d5DI
Our Technology – What is System Fusion?
System Fusion is Yaesu’s implementation of Digital Amateur Radio, utilizing C4FM 4-level FSK Technology to transmit digital voice and data over the Amateur radio bands. In the early 2000’s GMSK emerged in the Amateur radio market as the dominant digital mode, however in 2013 Yaesu introduced “System Fusion” which quickly became the dominating digital format in Amateur radio because of quality, reliability and enhanced performance in a wide range of environments.
Digital Communication modes have gained popularity over the years in the market because of superior performance in environments with interference, noise and other contributing factors that degrade the quality of a standard FM Analog signal. Narrower bandwidth and the need for increased spectrum have led to the development of digital communications technology, which has been widely adopted in the Public safety and private business sectors that use two-way radio technology. Unlike it’s commercial counterpart, System Fusion is an Amateur Friendly Digital Operating mode, straying away from some of the design considerations that make commercial solutions less appealing and more difficult for Amateur Radio Operators, providing a simpler interface and features that meet the demands and needs of the Amateur enthusiast specifically. Below you will find more information on this marvelous new technology, and how it can meet every operators demand and needs for a clear and simple Digital Experience.
The Four Operating Modes of System Fusion
V/D (Digital Narrow) – Voice+Digital or “V/D” mode
Voice FR (VW) Mode – Utilizes all available bandwidth for high-fidelity voice operation, providing the most crystal clear of voice communications.
Highspeed Data
Transfer data such as images or text messages at full rate with speeds up to 9600 Bits-per-second
Analog FM Mode
Maintains backwards compatibility with existing Analog FM Equipment, allowing a wide range of users to experiment with System Fusion Digital.
Capabilities such as Automatic Mode Select (AMS) On the DR-1X Repeater allow an even wider range of users to communicate, by running the repeater in “Fixed FM” mode on Transmit, and “Automatic Mode Select” on receive the repeater will automatically detect the incoming signal and convert it to an Analog FM Transmission. This mode allows digital users to communicate with existing Analog FM users without the need to switch their radios into FM Mode, allowing crystal clear Digital reception into the repeater that is converted into a conventional FM Signal.
Automatic Mode Select – Complete Digital Co-existence
This function instantly recognizes whether the received signal is C4FM digital or conventional FM. The communication mode automatically switches to match the received mode. Even if a digital signal is being used, you can switch to FM communication if radio signals are received from a FM station. This function enables stress-free operation by removing the need to manually switch the communication method each time.
AMS function breaks down into the following operating modes that are fully selectable by the radio user:
- AUTO: The both RX/ TX mode is automatically selected from one of the four operating modes (DN, VW, DW and FM) to match the characteristics of the received signal. This is the current AMS operation.
- TX MANUAL: The both RX/ TX mode is automatically selected from four operating modes to match the characteristics of the received signal. And if desired to change the TX mode, by pressing the Microphone PTT switch momentarily, the TX mode switch between DN and FM modes.
- TX FM FIXED: The RX mode is automatically selected from one of the four operating modes, but the TX mode is fixed to FM.
- TX DN FIXED: The RX mode is automatically selected from one of the four operating modes, but the TX mode is fixed to the ‘DN’ (Digital Voice Narrow) mode.
- TX VW FIXED: The RX mode is automatically selected from one of the four operating modes, but the TX mode is fixed to the ‘VW’ (Digital Voice Wide) mode.
Enhanced Communication Functions of System Fusion
Yaesu incorporated a suite of features within the System Fusion product line that are designed specifically for Amateur Radio Use. These features allow the operator to transmit High quality digital voice simultaneously along with Digital Data, and a High Rate (Data FR Mode) dedicated Digital Data mode that provides a method of transmitting Images, Text message and Telemetry Data at a high rate of speed.
Group Monitor (GM)
Digital Group Monitor automatically checks whether users within a communication group are in or out of range, and displays information such as distance and orientation on the screen of the client radio for up to 24 Stations.
Each individual group can share Text and Picture messages between themselves, allowing intelligent control of how content is distributed amongst a large operating group.
Group Monitor is almost an invaluable feature when an operator or group of operators needs to track resources, such as in an emergency communication operation. Resources can easily be tracked and controlled, letting operators know when they are going to fall out of range and may need to return to the coverage area, or providing invaluable telemetry data for locating and tracking individual operators.
Snapshot Function (Picture Messaging)
By simply connecting the optional MH-85A11U Speaker Microphone with Camera, an operator can quickly take advantage of the high speed data functions of any System Fusion C4FM radio and can easily transmit images to other C4FM users.
Image data which sent from a group member is displayed on the full-color screen of the FTM-400DR or Monochromatic display of the FT2DR. This image data also retains a time record and the GPS location data of the snapshot. It is easy to navigate to that pictured location by using back track function. In addition, you can observe on the screen whether the transmitted data was successfully received by the member station. The snapshot image or received data is stored in a high capacity micro SD card, and you can recall and send that image data from the SD card anytime. The pictures and data files may be easily viewed and edited by using a personal computer by simply inserting the SD Card into any SD Card reader.
Smart Navigation Functions/Backtrack Function
The Smart/Real-time navigation function enables location checking at any time. In digital V/D mode, information such as position data is transmitted together with voice signals so the distance and direction to the other stations can be displayed in real-time while communicating with them.
The Backtrack Function enables navigation to a registered location at the touch of a button. When hiking or camping, simply register your starting point or campsite before departure, and the distance and orientation from the current location are displayed on the screen.
Text Messaging
Text messaging could not be simpler, with direct entry via T9 Text input or the On Screen Keyboard (FTM-400), messages can be sent quickly to an individual operator or group of operators (GM Mode).
Easy Infrastructure Migration
Migrating to System Fusion could never be easier! Since System Fusion enables the operator to quickly select operating modes using the revolutionary AMS (Automatic Mode Select) System, backwards-compatibility is fully maintained. Using the Yaesu DR-1X Repeater enables seamless integration with existing Analog systems.
Two main factors make System Fusion the ideal choice for existing infrastructure replacement:
- Increased spectrum efficiency – Yaesu System Fusion allows a repeater trustee, club or group to install a Digital Repeater that is also analog, thus eliminating the need for an extra frequency pair to perform digital communications. By using the System Fusion DR-1X Repeater the trustee can add Digital AND Analog capabilities to an existing 2-Meter or 70CM Repeater pair without the need for an additional frequency pair that is dedicated to Digital Only communications.
- Easy Installation and configuration – Most Yaesu System Fusion customers have reported replacing current infrastructure only takes about 15 minutes. Intuitive touch screen interfaces and simple programming make repeater installation a breeze.
WiRES-X – Wide-Coverage Internet Repeater Enhancement System
WIRES-X (Wide-Coverage Internet Repeater Enhancement System) is a comprehensive and easy-to-use system for linking repeaters and/or home stations together, using Internet voice technology. Now you can talk to old friends, or make new ones, around the world.
More information on WiRES-X Can be found by visiting the WiRES-X Information Page
https://systemfusion.yaesu.com/what-is-system-fusion/
Episode 564: Ham Radio Digital Modes Comparison – DMR, DSTAR or YSF? P25 or NXDN?
Today I connect to a hotspot with the 3 most comment digital modes in Ham Radio, which are DMR, DSTAR and YSF (Yaesu System Fusion) and let you, the audience, listen to each one. We will talk about the differences, my preferences, and my recommendations for you.
Topics for future DMR Tech Nets:
- Go back over the Digimon feature to explain what it is, how and why to use it.
- Hot Keys. What are they, why use them, and how to set them up.
- DMR tips. Like what Steve KC8WXM mentioned to better (and faster) utilize DMR features.
- Adding or changing DMR channels via keypad programming.
- How to update your DMR contacts via RadioID.net.
- Asking check-ins what they know now that they didn’t know when they started with DMR that would be helpful to other beginners (Elmering)
- A timeline to get started of essential things to do with DMR and why.
- Which DMR radio do you use the most & why?
- Proper DMR practices & procedures to use on-air
- DMR text messaging
- Advanced features of the Anytone 878 handheld and 578 mobile radio
- Going over the different DMR networks (Brandmeister, TGIF, DMR+, YSF, etc)
- Useful radio accessories to use with your DMR equipment
- Unique names used instead of the amateur radio alpha codes
- Antennas for handheld, mobile, and home radios
- Logging software
- QSL cards Do you send them out?