Programming DMR Fire Departments into the Baofeng DM-1701

[ANONYMOUS5656]

I'm by no means new to radios, but i've only delt with analog. I got a DMR radio, but never really used the DMR portion. Now that ive had some time, I decided to get into it. There are three departments I want to program in that are DMR. No matter what I do, I cannot figure out how to make it work. I just don't understand what the "SL" is in radio reference, I've googled and watched YouTube but nothing seems to help. Here's some information to get some more help:

Fire Departments:
Salem Fire Department
Wellsville Fire Department
East Liverpool Fire Department

I'm using a Baofeng DM-1701 as my fire radio.

Please any and all help will be great. And please explain it like I'm 5 lol.

 

[hill]

I'm using a Baofeng DM-1701 as my fire radio.

If it's conventional it may work for receive

SL is slot it will be either 1 or 2

You also need a talkgroup.

These can be used for receive only to hear, but don't have Part 90 to use to abled used on public safety frequencies.

If you want to transmit on fire frequencies you need a signed letter from the department, as they hold license and only they can authorize radios on it.

Transmit may not If using RAS on repeaters with these radios not have this feature.

You post is kind of unclear if just want receive only or transmit abilities. Going forward I'd you need to be able to transmit this radio is really the wrong choice with being on only a ham radio and doesn't have meet fire radio standards.

I

 

[ANONYMOUS5656]

So I only want the radio to receive. That’s it. And I just need help understanding how to program it. Looking things up isn’t really helping me at all. I’m not sure radioreference gives me everything I need or not. I only intend to listen to these departments. Not transmit. So please, any help on how to make the talkgroups work would be great.

 

[medziatkowicz39]

If you are a member of the department I would use the radio supplied by the department.

 

[ANONYMOUS5656]

If you are a member of the department I would use the radio supplied by the department.

I’m not. It’s a neighboring department from us.

 

[medziatkowicz39]

Try the unication G5. It's expensive but it does vhf and 700/800 MHz p25 and dmr plus it's programmable with radio reference

 

[ANONYMOUS5656]

Try the unication G5. It's expensive but it does vhf and 700/800 MHz p25 and dmr plus it's programmable with radio reference

You weren’t kidding when you said it was expensive lol, but I’m not necessarily looking for a pager type radio, I just need help trying to understand DMR programming. I got the colorcode, but that’s about it. I’m not sure if radio reference gives me everything me everything I need to put it in.

 

[medziatkowicz39]

I got a G5 and besides my SDS 100 and 200 best purchase I made.

 

[ANONYMOUS5656]

I got a G5 and besides my SDS 100 and 200 best purchase I made.

I’m not sure if the 100 or the 200 will work because one of the systems is MARCS

 

[cmjonesinc]

Looks like all the info you need for them is in the database. Might be easier if you upload a copy of your codeplug so others can see what's wrong with it.

 

[K9KLC]

I’m not sure if the 100 or the 200 will work because one of the systems is MARCS

Salem is MARCS and East Liverpool has a "future use" one. Unless I'm mistaken, the 100 and 200 would be the best choice for MARCS unless you want to get a Unication Pager. Although I do see that some of the sites in your area are only a single site and not simulcast, so that opens up a lot of choices.

 

[medziatkowicz39]

The 100 and 200 will do anything. I listen to weirton dmr, marcs, pa, and WV siren without any issues. Unless you buy a used one with dmr on it the upgrade is $60.

 

[K9KLC]

Ok on to the question. Assuming the RR database is correct, yes everything you need to program those departments are on there.

For DMR you need the frequency, the color code, the time slot, (Labeled SL) and the talk group. All of this "should" be in the programming software you're using to program the DMR radio.

I am not familiar with the Baofeng radios so I cannot comment as to how their software works.

Make damned sure up don't end up accidentally transmit on the wrong place during any testing. Nothing like someone keying up at the wrong place at the wrong time and getting someone hurt or killed. Frankly to be honest, scanners are the best and safest for everyone concerned for what you're trying to do.

 

[hill]

Make the channels "receive only"

 

[ANONYMOUS5656]

Salem is MARCS and East Liverpool has a "future use" one. Unless I'm mistaken, the 100 and 200 would be the best choice for MARCS unless you want to get a Unication Pager. Although I do see that some of the sites in your area are only a single site and not simulcast, so that opens up a lot of choices.

under radio reference it has two Salem frequencies. one is DMR and one is Analog. I have all the MARCS channels on ZELLO, and Salem is not part of them as of now.

 

[ANONYMOUS5656]

Make the channels "receive only"

yep, all but my departments dispatch and tac channels

 

[ANONYMOUS5656]

Ok on to the question. Assuming the RR database is correct, yes everything you need to program those departments are on there.

For DMR you need the frequency, the color code, the time slot, (Labeled SL) and the talk group. All of this "should" be in the programming software you're using to program the DMR radio.

I am not familiar with the Baofeng radios so I cannot comment as to how their software works.

Make damned sure up don't end up accidentally transmit on the wrong place during any testing. Nothing like someone keying up at the wrong place at the wrong time and getting someone hurt or killed. Frankly to be honest, scanners are the best and safest for everyone concerned for what you're trying to do.

yea, like i said im good with radios, and if I ever do testing, I do it on a TAC channel.

 

[ANONYMOUS5656]

Looks like all the info you need for them is in the database. Might be easier if you upload a copy of your codeplug so others can see what's wrong with it.

Where are my codeplugs? Im not familiar with them, or how they work

 

[ANONYMOUS5656]

This is what im working with

 

[cmjonesinc]

The codeplug is the program file as a whole. Hit file, save as, and attach that file.