Does anyone have any good suggestions for a low cost DMR radio (preferably handheld). Looking for an easy way to monitor DMR channels without breaking the bank. Thank you in advanced.
Cheapest DMR radio on the market?
- Thread starter TornadoAlley
- Start date
Gotta love strong penetration...
You gotta love Chinese marketing departments.
That radio wouldn't work for @TornadoAlley since it doesn't appear to be programmable and only has 32 FCC approved channels. It also doesn't have a scan feature from what I see.
COTRE DMR radio has 32 channels certified by FCC with 121 sets of CTCSS (Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System) PRIVACY CODES, digital coding .
A DMR radio with scan feature that is programmable will run you $75-100 for a starter radio.
Lol
As was stated above, gotta love the marketing fluff for CCRs.
That radio IS programmable. Actually it HAS to be if it's a DMR radio; there's really no such thing as an off-the-shelf DMR codeplug. You just need to find the software and have the right cable (has to be a CH340 "Baofeng" cable).
There was quite a long thread on QRZ about these Cotre radios.
I have one of these:
Yup, it's a CCR. But it's worth $35 (the sale price). I wouldn't pay $96 or whatever the regular price is. UHF only. DMR and analog. Scans just fine.
@TornadoAlley one of these cheap radios will work fine if you are trying to listen to a single DMR repeater (like a ham repeater). If you are interested in listening to a DMR trunking system you are better off getting a scanner.
I have the C001D. It scans. I can hit the Holly Springs Carolina 440 with it. Stop being a hater.
That's interesting, thanks for the info. I wasn't hating I was just reading the vague description on the Amazon website?
Thank you also @sallen07
Thanks, I am just looking at listening to one repeater.
Yeah the whole Amazon ad is a hoot.
No it's vendor-supplied software (which is a free download). CHIRP won't do DMR radios ... a much different beast than a regular analog radio.
Only issue is that it won't pick up my preferred channel of 150MHz.
Chirp will do some DMR radios. but I understand. Thanks
You use a Baofeng programming cable and the program from their website. Actus CPS. jhart99 goes into detail about programming. It isnt a bad radio. I get really good clarity reports on my hotspot. Most folks I tell buy one as a back-up. A scanner is the cheapest option for promiscuous mode monitoring. Unless you have the specific TGs, most DMR radios wont "hear" a thing on a repeater.
But the absolute cheapest "radio" is the Brandmiester Hoseline. It is free for amateurs.
That's good. I own a few CH340 cables.
It's a UHF-only radio with no display of DMR received callsign. I have this radio and for <US$20 it has great DMR Tx and Rx audio. Perfect for use with a hotspot... or a nearby 70cm UHF DMR repeater, since it's a 2 watt Tx. Not a good choice for a DMR first-timer... it lacks detail in the radio display and an internal callsign database is key to better understanding and enjoying DMR. But if you mainly use a nearby repeater or your hotspot, it makes an inexpensive, lightweight portable. Makes an excellent FRS radio for license-free use. Also would work well if you can't see a display - it has clear voice announcement of selected channel, volume level, and other settings. And it has raised tactile nubs on the buttons. You could use this radio with your eyes closed if you memorized what was programmed in each channel.
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Reconrider
Active Member
I have the TYT I use once in awhile to listen to DMR ham.
1) UV380
2) UV390
#2 is 30 bucks more but I like the uv390 more for some reason. When I need something that isn't a professional radio, or just something to let sit on a system, I rather go for the uv390.
Both will do what you want with a little learning, youtube or I can help or someone else in the forums can help ya out. There are probably some youtube videos on it but overall I do like them both and they get the job done
1) UV380
2) UV390
#2 is 30 bucks more but I like the uv390 more for some reason. When I need something that isn't a professional radio, or just something to let sit on a system, I rather go for the uv390.
Both will do what you want with a little learning, youtube or I can help or someone else in the forums can help ya out. There are probably some youtube videos on it but overall I do like them both and they get the job done
for the Cotre CPS. Go to the site afterservice.vip . Go to FAQ then select the CPS for win 7 or win 8
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