Brandmeister and DMR-MARC with Kenwood...

[PriorMike]

Hello all,

I'd like to get into amateur DMR, and I'm a Kenwood "guy".

Has anyone accessed both systems with a Kenwood? I'm considering an NX1300.

Thanks.

 

[KA0KDW]

It’s can be done. A couple of highway patrol techs (Missouri) use BrandMeister and DMR-MARC on NX5700/5800 when in their work trucks.

Yes they are also amateur operators.

 

[popnokick]

Since Kenwood radios (in particular the NX1300 you are considering) do not support DMR (they are NXDN digital) you will need a multi-mode digital device known as a "hotspot" to handle the mode conversion from NXDN to DMR and back again. Since you are buying new, why not just get a radio that does DMR natively? A partial listing of DMR HTs and mobile units (does not include Motorola) from various manufacturers is available at -
https://www.miklor.com/DMR/

 

[KA0KDW]

Since Kenwood radios (in particular the NX1300 you are considering) do not support DMR (they are NXDN digital) you will need a multi-mode digital device known as a "hotspot" to handle the mode conversion from NXDN to DMR and back again. Since you are buying new, why not just get a radio that does DMR natively?

To my knowledge there aren’t any hotspot that will go from NXDN to another mode. Most will only do DMR to another mode and fusion to another mode.

 

[tweiss3]

Since Kenwood radios (in particular the NX1300 you are considering) do not support DMR (they are NXDN digital) you will need a multi-mode digital device known as a "hotspot" to handle the mode conversion from NXDN to DMR and back again. Since you are buying new, why not just get a radio that does DMR natively?

Wrong, the NX1300 will do DMR or NXDN, but not both at the same time like the NX5000.

Both DMR-MARC and Brandmeister use the same ID, you would just use a different zone for each repeater, just need to do your research for TG desired for each system and which repeater is which.

 

[popnokick]

The Pi-Star digital voice software used with 90% of the inexpensive hotspots does indeed do NXDN.
Home - pistar.uk
The openSPOT3 and likely the new openSPOT4 by SharkRF both handle NXDN as well -
https://www.sharkrf.com/products/openspot3/

 

[popnokick]

Wrong, the NX1300 will do DMR or NXDN, but not both at the same time like the NX5000.

Both DMR-MARC and Brandmeister use the same ID, you would just use a different zone for each repeater, just need to do your research for TG desired for each system and which repeater is which.

Thank you for the update! Kenwood doesn't list their digital modes on the main page for the NX1300. You have to click the Specifications tab, which in my haste I failed to do. So PriorMike (OP) you are golden with the Kenwood NX1300.

 

[mmckenna]

Thank you for the update! Kenwood doesn't list their digital modes on the main page for the NX1300. You have to click the Specifications tab, which in my haste I failed to do. So PriorMike (OP) you are golden with the Kenwood NX1300.

It actually depends on which model you purchase. The NX-1300NU is the version that ships with NXDN/analog active. The NX-1300DU ships with DMR/analog active.

As of last year, switching between DMR/NXDN requires a $42 list price feature key. If they've changed it since then, that would be nice, but make sure you get the version you want.

 

[jazzboypro]

To my knowledge there aren’t any hotspot that will go from NXDN to another mode. Most will only do DMR to another mode and fusion to another mode.

The new Openspot 4 will do:

NXDN to D-Star (Openspot 4 PRO only)
NXDN to DMR
NXDN to C4FM