Another DMR noob

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MaxDonoghue

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Jan 11, 2015
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Kingston, ON
I've picked up a couple of the Radioddity GD-77 DMR radios. Although there is no DMR repeater in my immediate range (Kingston) I'd still like to learn the basics of programming the radio.

I've got the local analog repeaters programmed without difficulty, but now it's time to tackle DMR.

I guess basically what I am looking for is the procedure to program a DMR repeater in laymans terms. I've programmed digital trunking scanners, so I learn pretty quick.

Using the Peterborough repeater for example,

Callsign: VE3BTE
Frequency: 443.13750
Offset: +5.000
ColorCode: 1

DMR-MARC Canada
Peterborough, Ontario

Time Slot #1 - Group Call 1 = World Wide
Time Slot #1 - Group Call 13 = WW English
Time Slot #1 - Group Call 3 = North America
Time Slot #1 - Group Call 302 = Canada
Time Slot #1 - Group Call 310 = TAC310
Time Slot #1 - Group Call 9999 = Audio Test
Time Slot #2 - Group Call 3023 = Ontario
Time Slot #2 - Group Call 3022 = Quebec
Time Slot #2 - Group Call 3024 = Manitoba
Time Slot #2 - Group Call 3026 = Alberta
Time Slot #2 - Group Call 3029 = New Brunswick
Time Slot #2 - Group Call 3027 = British Columbia
Time Slot #2 - Group Call 2 = Local

I would appreciate if someone could step me through the basics of programming. I'm sure the method is the same for most, and I think once I learn the basics, I should have no problems installing others.

I appreciate anyones help in advance.

Max
 

teufler

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ST PETERS, MISSOURI
File for gd-77

LOAD THE SOFTWARE AND INSTALL. Open, left side of screen, general settings. Enter your DNR id, not your ham call sign but the number you get from DM MARC.. Under radio name, you can put your call sign or what ever you like. Software is very similar to a tyt 2017 software. Left side, click contact name, and enter each group call is it own contact name. tHEN GO TO LEFT SIDE, CLICK CHANNEL, file in the frequency , receive and transmit. Ener the name you want to remember the channel by, I usually use the contact name. On the right side , slide to the far right, enter the pwr level and the scan list , then towards the bottom right, enter grp list if you want, I usely say none, CC, Contact name, and Time slot. Then the left side, zone, and select the channels you want in a zone, give it a zone name. Radio can operate 16 channels at a time, zones is what you use to control the radio. I have created a file for you. Its attached. File is attached per RR requirements.
 

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MaxDonoghue

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Jan 11, 2015
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Location
Kingston, ON
Can't thank you enough! A great template to study. If I understand correctly, I compared a lot of the entries in your file with the Ogdensburg, NY repeater. Everything looks the same except for the repeater frequencies. Is this normal?

Max
 

MaxDonoghue

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Jan 11, 2015
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Location
Kingston, ON
So to further my first question...

So let's say I live in Toronto and have a Toronto repeater loaded. If I travel to Ottawa, how will I be able to access the Ottawa DMR repeater? Do I have to program the radio with the Ottawa repeater frequencies, and would I lose the Toronto settings?

Sorry just new to all of this. I'm in Kingston where this is no DMR repeater, but I am in through Ottawa and Toronto from time to time and would like to have these areas preprogrammed.

Max
 

chief21

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So to further my first question...

So let's say I live in Toronto and have a Toronto repeater loaded. If I travel to Ottawa, how will I be able to access the Ottawa DMR repeater? Do I have to program the radio with the Ottawa repeater frequencies, and would I lose the Toronto settings?

Max

All repeaters that you wish to utilize will typically need to be pre-programmed into your radio. To be more precise, each and every TALKGROUP (also known as a CONTACT) that you wish to use on any particular repeater will need to be pre-programmed into your radio. Groups of TALKGROUPS (and/or analog frequencies) are then organized (by you) into ZONES.

Most radios can accommodate any combination of up to 16 entries per ZONE. Since most DMR radios can accommodate many ZONES and many, many more CONTACTS, you could probably easily load all of the DMR repeaters that you are likely to encounter in your travels.

There is a wealth of DMR-related information available on the web. Some judicious study time will help to shed more light on this interesting, but initially confusing, new mode. Best of luck.

John AC4JK
 

teufler

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ST PETERS, MISSOURI
ok a fast way to continue programming a new repeater, enter a new repeater exactly like you need, cc and slot plus input and out put frequency. Probably you will new a new repeater with say Canada as the talk group, which you have already entered as a contact. If say you could talk on Toronto then switch to Ottawa, on the same contact, you won't miss a beat. N ow on the left side, highlight that entry, right click, copy. Then say you want to enter 12 channels for the new repeater, on the left side, tab down to each unassigned channel, right click and say paste. Then after all channels are entered , just change the contact name on each new channel. Thats all you do, Sat 16 channels entered real fast. If you enter each separately, the chance of a frequency enter error, is high .Then all you do now is goto zone, on the left side and create and name the zone. As you are getting comfortable with the program, on the left side click buttons. Then the right side you can assign tasks to the buttons of the radio, that you might use. I like the feature of the software where a help file is displayed automatically.
 

MaxDonoghue

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Jan 11, 2015
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Location
Kingston, ON
Brings back memories of programming my old Uniden 998XT scanner. I've pretty much got the hang of the contacts and zones, for practice I set up zones for local 2m, 440 stuff, another for FRS etc. So basically like setting up "banks"..

I'll dabble with the DMR side over the weekend, but hard to test it when there is no DMR repeater even near Kingston.

Thanks for all the pointers guys, it's really appreciated.
 

W2PDX

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Jan 14, 2017
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Location
NY
I'll dabble with the DMR side over the weekend, but hard to test it when there is no DMR repeater even near Kingston.

Have you considered getting a OpenSpot or similar device? If you don't have any DMR repeaters in your area this is a great alternative. You can a) get some practice creating DMR code plugs and b) actually get on the air and use DMR.
 

WA6EEM

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Aug 28, 2017
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Location
Haslet, TX
Thanks

Just getting started with DMR. Thanks to tuefler and chief21 for your help. Learned more from your post than I did with the manual and software all weekend. 73,
 

teufler

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ST PETERS, MISSOURI
To enforce what was suggested, an Openspot or DNR hotspot. If you have one of these, you will care less if there is ever a dmr repeater in your area as you will have access to the world with a hotspot.
 
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