Ham Radio Digital Modes: Which Will Survive The Test of Time?

[mmckenna]

Do you have a source or other details for this?

My Kenwood rep, but he's recently retired, so nothing available anymore. They were absent from APCO and IWCE, so maybe we'll hear something next spring.

Tait is also working on a multiband radio. I know it'll do P25, and I did mention that DMR would be a nice option. Since Tait does make DMR radios, who knows if they'll choose to go that route.

And then the 'vaporware' BK 9000…..

 

[Pete_uk]

For me the question is not what mode will stand the test of time, its when are we going to have a general purpose software defined handheld?

Something that we can flash update to support whatever the new mode is. The idea of having a flock of handhelds for each mode of the week has no appeal to me.

Connect Syetems were developing a DMR & D-Star radio a few years ago. At that time the guy who runs the company said that he wanted ultimately a radio that you could 'download' digital modes. I suppose there could be some commercial demand for such a thing as well as public safety services.

Out of interest, is there good availability of ex public service P25 radios?

 

[mmckenna]

I suppose there could be some commercial demand for such a thing as well as public safety services.

Kenwood already has the NX-5000 line of radios that will do analog, P25, DMR and NXDN.

 

[AK9R]

P25, DMR and NXDN

But, still only two in the same radio, correct?

 

[alcahuete]

But, still only two in the same radio, correct?

At once, yes. They will do all modes, but not at the same time. You get analog with 2 of the digital modes.

 

[DeoVindice]

Do you have a source or other details for this?

From an EFJ internal source, I've heard it will be all-band and based off the VP6000. That leads me to believe P25 only, unless the NX5000/VP5000 model is followed again.

 

[mmckenna]

But, still only two in the same radio, correct?

Yeah, as alcahuete said, you can only program two of the digital modes in the radio at one time. Has to do with memory limitations. Seems like that could be fixed.

Since the mobiles can be run with up to 3 decks connected to one or two heads, and there is no requirement that they be different bands, someone could absolutely run 2 decks on the same band, analog and P25 in one, and analog, DMR and NXDN in the other. Expensive, but possible.

 

[mmckenna]

From an EFJ internal source, I've heard it will be all-band and based off the VP6000. That leads me to believe P25 only, unless the NX5000/VP5000 model is followed again.

And that makes sense. They seem to be trying to make EFJ the 'public safety' brand, and making Kenwood everything else.

I'd really like to see EFJ/Kenwood or Tait smarten up and offer P25 and DMR in the same multiband radio. That would solve some issues for some users.

 

[kb9mwr]

Connect Syetems were developing a DMR & D-Star radio a few years ago. At that time the guy who runs the company said that he wanted ultimately a radio that you could 'download' digital modes. I suppose there could be some commercial demand for such a thing as well as public safety services.

Sadly he had to abandon this as he couldn't get a manufacturer to help with it.

So short of someone else who actually has a manufacturing lab continuing that idea, I think we need to give more attention and apprecation to folks like Travis Goodspeed and his team that reverse engineerd the MD380 to see what else it might be able to do. That work continues today as the OpenRTX firmware project.

There is also a couple people investigating the TH-D74 to see if that hardware might be more capable etc.

 

[GlobalNorth]

Out of interest, is there good availability of ex public service P25 radios?

P25 radios are available in the used market here in the States, but if you want something specific, it can be work to find it. I can't seem to find find what I am looking for.

 

[mass-man]

Seems to be a few more P25 radios on ?bay right now!

 

[Hamradiostuffing]

I got into DMR because of the price point of the radio that was so much cheaper than the competition.

I have never used DSTAR or Yeasu System Fusion, so I cannot make any fair comparisons to them as compared to DMR.

Secondly there are multiple manufacturers of DMR radios as compared to DSTAR or Fusion. I'm not really going to make any predictions to which digital mode that will prevail in amateur radio. I do know there are quite a few DMR repeaters that are here in my area that I use.

It will be interesting to see how this shakes loose.

 

[kb9mwr]

I don't think it's a question of what mode will prevail. It will be what is has been, a mix of modes all mostly. And I am not even sure we have seen the end of the VHF/UHF modes. It's entirely possible as one manufacturers mode slides in popularity, they will likely just revamp it and voila D-Star 2.0. (This has already sort of happened at least at the linking level with Yaesu Wires to IMRS )

We need to get to a point were the user can load their own modes and perform software updates to get the latest radio features. That will level the playing field enough where it's not determined by who buys what hardware then it will be down to what mode is the most feature rich and user friendly. Right now its mostly dictated by the manufactures and the pocket book. Do you really want to drop $200-500 on a radio for each mode? Many folks likley haven't done this and thus don't have expereince with all the modes.

I'm in my early 40's and I don't expect to see this "shake loose" in my life time unless the current model changes to what I have described.

 

[N2YQT]

FWIW... I'm using a fusion radio to transcode to P25 and DMR through my hotspot at home. You need a mobile to it the DMR repeaters in my area reliably, and they aren't that active anyway. It's not ReAl RaDiO to some, but it suits my needs for now. Fusion, especially on wide sounds near identical to Phase 1 P25. I use Phase 1 P25 at work, so it sounds acceptable to me.

 

[k7ng]

I'm one of those who think the ultimate digital voice mode (for ham radio) doesn't yet exist, or at least hasn't become visible to the ham community.

I have D-Star, DMR, and P25 radios. I decided I couldn't carry around another radio so Yaesu Fusion got left out. I live in an area where digital voice is pretty much absent, except for one, low level repeater using ... you guessed it ... Fusion.

I'm probably in a minority as far as willingness to carry so many radios around (or stress my vehicle electrical system by installing lots of mobile radios - even though building an automatic antenna switch to move between radios in use was fun).
I use a hotspot when I'm at home, and I've tried mobile hotspots, so I know I can do that if I feel the need. There is definitely a place in the ham world for hotspots. Otherwise folks like me wouldn't be able to join in on the digital fun.

A single digital mode encompassing whatever features were most appreciated of the different modes would be wonderful.
Until then, I'm a D-star guy if I have a choice. Designed by hams for ham use and relatively easy to program a radio, either by software or by radio keypad.

Entirely personal opinion.

 

[AK9R]

The "ultimate digital voice mode" may be here already: Home | M17 Project

 

[k7ng]

Someone told me about M17 a while back and I didn't pay much attention, I am embarrassed to say. I have tried 'Free DV' on HF and just perhaps I'll see what it might really take to be able to experiment with M17 on UHF. It'll take a couple of QSO partners near me, eventually at least.

AK9R, thanks for reminding me about this. I'm in the process of retiring from one career and embarking on a new one, so being able to get immersed in something like this may not take place too soon. Just the same, I appreciate it.

 

[mitbr]

I believe dmr will win because its cheap and hams like cheap lol.
Tim

 

[fasteddy64]

I think Yaesu will win, I dont think any of them are as easy to get up and running.
However my opinion is based on not using the internet, just getting the radio on the air and making repeater or simplex contacts in digital mode.

 

[alcahuete]

I think Yaesu will win, I dont think any of them are as easy to get up and running.
However my opinion is based on not using the internet, just getting the radio on the air and making repeater or simplex contacts in digital mode.

Yaesu System Fusion is dead last. Yaesu literally had to give away repeaters to get people to use it. It will not be winning at anything, I'm afraid.