Do I "need" DMR Tier III

[PCTEK]

Greetings. I am looking at getting into DMR and I have a question. I am looking at either the MotoTrbo 7550e or the AnyTone D878UV II Plus. I am leaning to the AnyTone radio. However, the AnyTone radio does not support DMR Tier III. I hadn't planned on using trunked systems, although I'm not sure purchasing a radio without this support is a good idea. Also, do I need to download the entire contact list or can I just enter those contacts I'll be talking with?

Thank you

 

[alcahuete]

You don't need Tier III for amateur radio. XPR7550e is a fantastic radio. Anytone is also a great radio...better as far as ham radio features are concerned. It is more or less geared for amateur radio. The XPR is a commercial radio.

You don't have to download any contact list at all. You can make your own. But with the 878, it just makes sense to download the entire contact list. No reason not to really.

 

[hill]

In all my DMR radios I don't have the complete DMR user database. I only enter the ids of people I talk with. Kind of pointless to have all DMR users in world when I will never talk with most of them.

Going forward I only use the Statewide talkgroups and local ones.

With the DMR id not being a legal id hams still need to use their callsigns over the air.

Just talked some new hams on DMR yesterday and with them being so new their ids wouldn't be there yet.

Also to keep the database in radio current you update it frequently.

 

[mmckenna]

I hadn't planned on using trunked systems, although I'm not sure purchasing a radio without this support is a good idea.

If you don't have access to a DMR trunked system, you don't need Tier 3.

If a ham sets up a trunked/Tier 3 DMR system, you might want one.
But if not, there's little need. Any commercial/public safety trunked DMR system is going to be tightly controlled and individuals adding their own radios to someone else's LMR system is usually not allowed.

Nothing wrong if you prefer the durability of the Motorola over the Hytera.

 

[K4EET]

Hi @PCTEK, you got some great responses above. I have the AnyTone AT-D878UV II Plus and simply love it. You might also want to eventually invest in a “hotspot” if your local DMR repeater(s) do not have complete open access to all talkgroups on the various systems.

As for downloading the entire user database, it is “nice” to have. You may never talk to anyone but your friends, however, as others are talking on DMR, you will see indecipherable numbers on your HT’s display that are assigned to each DMR user. With the whole user database loaded, instead of the numbers, you will see the name, callsign, and QTH of who is talking. It is interesting to see how many hams from all over the world 🌎 show up on your local DMR repeater (if it is connected to a network like BrandMeister).

You will also be able to show your non-ham friends that you can listen to other hams from all over the world on your little, handheld “walkie-talkie” and your friends can see their information on the display. I can almost guarantee that your non-ham friends will be amazed at how clear the audio is from the remote corners of the world 🌍. You might even get a non-ham friend interested in Amateur Radio!

Have fun with DMR! 73, Dave K4EET

 

[alcahuete]

@K4EET put it in way better words than I. The Anytone can currently hold the entire ID database. It's WAY easier and quicker to just load that to your radio than it is to create a manual contact for each of your friends...and then just adding to that when you make more friends.

Technically, you don't need any contacts at all. You'll just see their ID number. Most of us old school hams are just used to listening to peoples' call signs and remembering them. But as K4EET said, it can be somewhat nice to have the call, name, and location pop up for the random folks too.

 

[lamarrsy]

…. But if you are connected to the Brandmeister DMR network and have not uploaded the « entire worldwide » database of DMR users to your radio, you will still have minimum info displayed (name , call sign) instead of just DMR ID #.

This is because Brandmeister supports “talker alias” and feeds your radio with it.
Understood that it’s not as complete as the whole world database, but you have at least the minimum for interesting QSOs.

 

[PCTEK]

Thank you all for your responses. The MotoTrbo 7550e doesn't have enough space to store large contact lists, it's UHF only and it has been replaced by the Motorola R7 which is way more $$$$. Looks like I'll be going with the AnyTone radio

 

[cavmedic]

If you are new to DMR, it might not be a bad idea to go with the XPR.

In my opinion, the Motorola CPS is easier to navigate than the Anytone software, and might be less confusing at first to understand all the settings.

Tons of extra settings in the Anytone, many of which may never be used, and may lead to confusion.

On the flip side, if you go with the Motorola, you will need an additional entitlement , and a Motorola account to activate the entitlement for wide band programming.

It’s a pick your poison at this point.

 

[lamarrsy]

If you are new to DMR, it might not be a bad idea to go with the XPR.

In my opinion, the Motorola CPS is easier to navigate than the Anytone software, and might be less confusing at first to understand all the settings.

Tons of extra settings in the Anytone, many of which may never be used, and may lead to confusion.

On the flip side, if you go with the Motorola, you will need an additional entitlement , and a Motorola account to activate the entitlement for wide band programming.

It’s a pick your poison at this point.

(I have an XPR7550e (and an Anytone ATD878uv and a few others DMR portables) and can attest that although the price bracket for the XPR may be more than the Anytone, you can —if you have patience— scrounge the used listings here and there on the internet and find a used XPR that may not be that pricey (I did and am glad I waited).
As said, if you use the Motorola on Brandmeister you will get minimum infos on the display, *not* meaningless DMR ID numbers.
And for the Motorola account to get access to 25KHz entitlement for the XPR, with time and patience it’s doable —i did it, even if I’m in Canada— 😁

‘Hope this helps !