M17 Project - megathread

[SP5WWP]

Hi!

Since the Project is gaining more and more momentum, I though it'd be a good idea to post something at the RadioReference forums too. I'd gladly answer all your questions.

Let's start with some basics. M17 is a digital voice mode for amateur radio use. The protocol is completely open-source from ground up, designed by amateur radio operators. There is no manufacturer behind it, it is all community-driven and independent. M17 supports voice streams and packet data (text messaging being one example). We expect to see first handheld transceivers with M17 support later this year. Connect Systems Inc. announced release of their CS7000-M17 HT already.

An external modem called Module17 can be used to convert existing analog FM rigs into M17 transceivers. The device can be bought from LilyGo.

Some protocol's highlights:
- Codec 2 open-source voice coder, giving voice quality similar to AMBE's
- no centralized user database - no need to register anywhere - your callsign is your ID
- MMDVM added M17 support, meaning that the protocol works with existing hardware (also with WPSD and Pi-Star software)
- we've got over 30 repeaters and 190 reflectors worldwide (with proper IPv6 support, interlinked with probably all other DV modes now)
- AES256 support (where legal to use, disabled by default)
- OpenRTX supports M17 in some of their target hardware (see this YouTube video showing TYT MD-380 modification)
- we are backed by ARDC - see this press release

External links:
GitHub repositories: M17 Project
Wikipedia article on M17: M17 (amateur radio) - Wikipedia
RepeaterBook list of M17 repeaters: M17 Repeater Area
Reflector list: DVRef | All MREFD Reflectors

 

[AK4PY]

Nice! Thanks for starting this thread. I'm actually giving a digital voice modes presentation to my local radio club tomorrow evening. I was already planning to touch on Codec2 and M17, but now I can share with my club that the CS7000-M17 is in the pipeline. This is what I have been waiting for, an out of the box radio that is M17 ready.

 

[merlin]

This is really interesting, I will have to look into this.

 

[SP5WWP]

I forgot to put links to our feeds: Mastodon and Twitter/X. We also use Matrix and Discord.

Micro17 for selected ICOM radios - a UT-126H replacement board, allowing some rigs to work with M17 instead of NXDN.


Micro17 installed in an IC-F5061


Module17 - revision 1.0 preview


M17/FM Remote Radio Unit (RRU)

 

[mtindor]

Is there any website that a person could visit to actually hear M17 in action in realtime? I visited the reflector link and see all the reflectors but do not see any option to actually listen in.

 

[SP5WWP]

M17 is not centralized, so there is no website with all streams available (yet). In theory, having something like this is possible, but I'm no webdev. It's up to the reflector owners to decide if they want to provide such a service.

 

[mtindor]

M17 is not centralized, so there is no website with all streams available (yet). In theory, having something like this is possible, but I'm no webdev. It's up to the reflector owners to decide if they want to provide such a service.

That's unfortunate. The first thing a potential adopter of the technology would like to do is to actually listen to some actual voice conversations happening in realtime to determine voice quality and such. Oh well.

 

[tweiss3]

That's unfortunate. The first thing a potential adopter of the technology would like to do is to actually listen to some actual voice conversations happening in realtime to determine voice quality and such. Oh well.

Agreed. This has been on my radar for some time, but I have a hard time pinching my nose to buy a $100 MD380 just to prove I can figure it out then set it on the shelf to be untouched for ages.

 

[SP5WWP]

There are still audio recordings available. And MD-380 isn't the only option to get started with M17, especially now, when LilyGo sell Module17s.

 

[dickie757]

My GD-77 has been great as DMR modem using various software, but I recently purchased a STM32-DVM. I could make the GD77 a M17 with OpenRTX to use with MMDVM STM32-DVM.

Thanks for posting

 

[mtindor]

There are still audio recordings available. And MD-380 isn't the only option to get started with M17, especially now, when LilyGo sell Module17s.

Not enough. All I could find was some audio sample of two Brits talking. Not nearly enough. One would think that a lot of audio samples and some sites with live audio would be one of the best ways to sell it. I guess you guys don't think so. I've been hearing about M17 for a couple of years now, but I haven't been hearing the protocol in action. How it is that fans of M17 haven't been uploading scads of audio comms for other people to hear it.

 

[SP5WWP]

Here's one reflector with public audio stream for module "A": OE3XOR - News
If you go to our YouTube channel, there's a bunch of our Friday's net recordings: https://www.youtube.com/@M17Project/streams
If you have a DMR ID, you can listen to M17 traffic with Droidstar (Android app, builds on Windows too). Note: the DMR ID is required by the app, not by the protocol.

How it is that fans of M17 haven't been uploading scads of audio comms for other people to hear it.

People are lazy and don't give back much to the Project.

 

[dickie757]

Flashed OpenRTX on GD-77. It did not work. Every time I tried to switch it from analog to M17, it froze and lost all settings. And, every power off cycle lost M17 settings.

Maybe later....

 

[SP5WWP]

OpenRTX doesn't support M17 on that target. See the list linked below.

OpenRTX

Free and Open Source Firmware for Digital Ham Radios

openrtx.org

 

[kayn1n32008]

I forgot to put links to our feeds: Mastodon and Twitter/X. We also use Matrix and Discord.

Micro17 for selected ICOM radios - a UT-126H replacement board, allowing some rigs to work with M17 instead of NXDN.
View attachment 160098

Micro17 installed in an IC-F5061
View attachment 160099

Module17 - revision 1.0 preview
View attachment 160101

M17/FM Remote Radio Unit (RRU)
View attachment 160102

Is there a website to learn more? I'm interested in the micro 17 board and which radios they are compatible with.

 

[SP5WWP]

Is there a website to learn more? I'm interested in the micro 17 board and which radios they are compatible with.

Readme doesn't cover what radio(s) this work on · Issue #4 · M17-Project/Micro17

Came here after a hackaday lightening talk, thought it looked like an interesting project to kick me into dusting off my ham license, but it doesn't tell me what radio to go scour eBay for. I'm sur...

github.com

Our homepage is at m17project.org, but I have to admit that it might not be very informative. We need to update it.

 

[kayn1n32008]

Readme doesn't cover what radio(s) this work on · Issue #4 · M17-Project/Micro17

Came here after a hackaday lightening talk, thought it looked like an interesting project to kick me into dusting off my ham license, but it doesn't tell me what radio to go scour eBay for. I'm sur...

github.com

Our homepage is at m17project.org, but I have to admit that it might not be very informative. We need to update it.

Thank you for this.

 

[kayn1n32008]

Readme doesn't cover what radio(s) this work on · Issue #4 · M17-Project/Micro17

Came here after a hackaday lightening talk, thought it looked like an interesting project to kick me into dusting off my ham license, but it doesn't tell me what radio to go scour eBay for. I'm sur...

github.com

Our homepage is at m17project.org, but I have to admit that it might not be very informative. We need to update it.

One more question, what is the occupied bandwidth of M17?

 

[SP5WWP]

One more question, what is the occupied bandwidth of M17?

9kHz, it uses 12.5kHz channels.

 

[joncleve]

I have listened to a few examples of M17 on Youtube, sorry sounds just like DMR or D-Star. Of course listening on a laptop isn't the to best but, to me it's not worth the trouble. I already have two hotspots running YSF and DMR, the conversations on both is much the same, no need for a third digital mode IMO.