Gadgeteer2000
Member
I could not agree more
Why do you all enjoy using DMR?
- Thread starter Gadgeteer2000
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Allows me to talk longer distances without having to be an extra
You can "talk" long distances as a Technician. You just have to do it using CW.
Also, a General license opens up quite a bit of the HF spectrum for voice and data communications. Extra only gives you a few more small slices of the pie.
I was just about to write pretty much the same thing. In fact, none of this "obsolete stuff" appears even in the Extra Class question pool.
KE0GXN
Member
Yeah, but that would actually require some effort..like having to study, learn and earn something. These days, that’s asking too much OM.
belvdr
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As a VHF/UHF operator, I doubt I could talk the distances I have with my attic antenna. lol
KE0GXN
Member
With just a little effort, a General license and a simple wire in your attic you can work the world….no internet required.
belvdr
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I'm an extra, thanks, and I've tried a wire in the attic. Didn't work. I had an exterior antenna, but don't like the maintenance or the look. I kept my 2m yagi and I still work the world.With just a little effort, a General license and a simple wire in your attic you can work the world.
KE0GXN
Member
Sorry to hear that….lots of folks do. Check out my “little pistol” 100 watt (if that) station if you don’t believe it can be done.
(*Edit after seeing your edit)…..Roger that, I have nothing for you if you then if you don’t like the maintenance or the look of outdoor antennas.
Have fun on the interweb radio I guess.
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belvdr
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I believe it, but roofs vary by location, often significantly. Mine didn't seem to work at all on any band. It might work for FT8 these days.
However, I learned over time I'm not an HF guy. I don't care to mess with antennas much, and think they look fairly ugly, so I just stick to VHF/UHF. To each their own.
belvdr
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@KE0GXN Just realized my commentary may have come off as defensive. I didn't mean it as such.
I don't mind the Internet connectivity at the repeater. I don't use it for my station operations, unless it is to check if a reflector is active. The ability to talk clearly around the world while driving is pretty interesting. Given there's very limited 2m activity around here, I'll take what I can get.
I don't mind the Internet connectivity at the repeater. I don't use it for my station operations, unless it is to check if a reflector is active. The ability to talk clearly around the world while driving is pretty interesting. Given there's very limited 2m activity around here, I'll take what I can get.
KE0GXN
Member
@belvdr I hear ya. VHF/UHF is some what active in my area. I am just guilty of not getting on those bands as much as I should. Too be honest, I recently took a little hiatus from ham radio all together and just now getting back in the shack.
I get it, talking into reflectors can break the monotony on a commute or trip. Too be honest I don’t think there is much VHF/UHF activity most anywhere these days. Took a trip to Florida a few years ago and the only call I got answered was on a local repeater (I pre-programmed a bunch along my route) in Mississippi. The OM was a pleasure to talk to, but other then him it was crickets on the repeaters and .520 or .000.
Got to talk on some IRLP machines in Orlando which were connected all up and down the east coast. Got to talk to an op in two countries while on the same QSO while he drove across the border from New York to Canada.
By all means given your situation, take what you can get! 73 and all the best.
I get it, talking into reflectors can break the monotony on a commute or trip. Too be honest I don’t think there is much VHF/UHF activity most anywhere these days. Took a trip to Florida a few years ago and the only call I got answered was on a local repeater (I pre-programmed a bunch along my route) in Mississippi. The OM was a pleasure to talk to, but other then him it was crickets on the repeaters and .520 or .000.
Got to talk on some IRLP machines in Orlando which were connected all up and down the east coast. Got to talk to an op in two countries while on the same QSO while he drove across the border from New York to Canada.
By all means given your situation, take what you can get! 73 and all the best.
and this is why I don't talk much, why spend $100's on a radio to argue when I can come on here and do it
I think there is something for everyone in Amateur Radio, I don't know why people in this hobby always feel the need to take a dump on someone else's interests
I think there is something for everyone in Amateur Radio, I don't know why people in this hobby always feel the need to take a dump on someone else's interests
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Just for the record I only have an Ham License to make it legal to travel in states that ban mobile scanners.
I own a few radios but have yet to use them in the 2 1/2 years I have been licensed.
I own a few radios but have yet to use them in the 2 1/2 years I have been licensed.
belvdr
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If I ever stop transmitting, I will keep my license for the same reason.
To answer OPs question--
WHY do I enjoy DMR? (user since 2014)
*I ENJOY DMR for local and regional reliable mobile and portable coverage through the majority of our large multi county metro area.
*I LEARNED HOW to CORRECTLY program a DMR radio. No premade codeplugs. Therefore I HAD to LEARN the properties of this mode which I ENJOYED which in turn made programming a breeze on any brand radio. In the process I also got up to speed on many current radio technologies in use by commercial and public safety users which I believe made me a better ham.
*There was a higher learning curve to programming and successfully using a DMR radio in the early years. (Not so much now, with preprogrammed radios, codeplug sharing, etc). Sense of accomplishment there!
*I BUILT (not bought) my 2 hotspots years before the Shake 'n Bake Ebay hotspots flooded the market. This included soldering, learning about Nextion Displays, Raspberry Pi's, loading images, Linux, and basic IT skills which are all VERY ham radio-ish skills. I am very proud of these professional looking, solid, little devices that I built that allow me to utilize my license to communicate. I also have gained skills on modifying commercial radios applicable to ham use, which led to a path of being an anti-appliance user for V/UHF use.
*I don't get my jollies from worldwide contacts made on DMR, but I DO like that in MY region, we have access to a LARGE, NETWORKED, RELIABLE, STATIC FREE, local network. This network was partially built by hams who also work in the public safety sector. I am happy that ham radio utilizes recent technology to provide a near commercial or public safety level of local coverage and reliability. That is something to be proud of.
*There are many features available in the DMR sphere, which sadly the majority of hams don't standardize on. Locally, there was a squirrel on this system and DMR afforded the opportunity to "delete" this unlicensed user from accessing the system.
*Features such as text messaging, alerting a particular user OR group, location applications, etc are standard, which I think are pretty cool.
*I MOSTLY use our local repeater system for DMR on 40 watt mobiles or 4 watt portables. Its radio just the same.. The same principles apply to digital as analog.
*I have regular contact on local DMR repeaters on local talkgroups WITH NO INTERNET involved. Just a simple repeater QSO with another local in crisp and static-free digital glory from my mobile.
*In the beginning, DMR networks were limited to 16 repeaters. Now...it's virtually limitless..due mostly to hams. There is a worldwide network(s) for hams only available at the press of a ptt button. Now matter how you look at it that pretty darn cool.
* A good QSO is a good QSO whether over hf and a wire, a local simplex FM frequency or a Hotspot utilizing internet. You already have something in common with the other party...you are both ham operators. RF is RF. In 1900 Fessenden sent a speech transmission 1 mile across the bay. Now I can walk around my neighborhood with a little device I built and talk around the world or change the channel and talk over a 13 county region in crystal clear reception to my buddies. If that's not ham radio I don't know what is.
The way I entered DMR DID require skill, learning, and experimenting.
Many now unfortunately associate DMR with pre-configured hotspots and cheap Chinese radios....and DMR is SO MUCH MORE than that.
It amazes me how many folks say DMR is a "Cheater" mode when so many others can't even correctly program a simplex DMR channel.
WHY do I enjoy DMR? (user since 2014)
*I ENJOY DMR for local and regional reliable mobile and portable coverage through the majority of our large multi county metro area.
*I LEARNED HOW to CORRECTLY program a DMR radio. No premade codeplugs. Therefore I HAD to LEARN the properties of this mode which I ENJOYED which in turn made programming a breeze on any brand radio. In the process I also got up to speed on many current radio technologies in use by commercial and public safety users which I believe made me a better ham.
*There was a higher learning curve to programming and successfully using a DMR radio in the early years. (Not so much now, with preprogrammed radios, codeplug sharing, etc). Sense of accomplishment there!
*I BUILT (not bought) my 2 hotspots years before the Shake 'n Bake Ebay hotspots flooded the market. This included soldering, learning about Nextion Displays, Raspberry Pi's, loading images, Linux, and basic IT skills which are all VERY ham radio-ish skills. I am very proud of these professional looking, solid, little devices that I built that allow me to utilize my license to communicate. I also have gained skills on modifying commercial radios applicable to ham use, which led to a path of being an anti-appliance user for V/UHF use.
*I don't get my jollies from worldwide contacts made on DMR, but I DO like that in MY region, we have access to a LARGE, NETWORKED, RELIABLE, STATIC FREE, local network. This network was partially built by hams who also work in the public safety sector. I am happy that ham radio utilizes recent technology to provide a near commercial or public safety level of local coverage and reliability. That is something to be proud of.
*There are many features available in the DMR sphere, which sadly the majority of hams don't standardize on. Locally, there was a squirrel on this system and DMR afforded the opportunity to "delete" this unlicensed user from accessing the system.
*Features such as text messaging, alerting a particular user OR group, location applications, etc are standard, which I think are pretty cool.
*I MOSTLY use our local repeater system for DMR on 40 watt mobiles or 4 watt portables. Its radio just the same.. The same principles apply to digital as analog.
*I have regular contact on local DMR repeaters on local talkgroups WITH NO INTERNET involved. Just a simple repeater QSO with another local in crisp and static-free digital glory from my mobile.
*In the beginning, DMR networks were limited to 16 repeaters. Now...it's virtually limitless..due mostly to hams. There is a worldwide network(s) for hams only available at the press of a ptt button. Now matter how you look at it that pretty darn cool.
* A good QSO is a good QSO whether over hf and a wire, a local simplex FM frequency or a Hotspot utilizing internet. You already have something in common with the other party...you are both ham operators. RF is RF. In 1900 Fessenden sent a speech transmission 1 mile across the bay. Now I can walk around my neighborhood with a little device I built and talk around the world or change the channel and talk over a 13 county region in crystal clear reception to my buddies. If that's not ham radio I don't know what is.
The way I entered DMR DID require skill, learning, and experimenting.
Many now unfortunately associate DMR with pre-configured hotspots and cheap Chinese radios....and DMR is SO MUCH MORE than that.
It amazes me how many folks say DMR is a "Cheater" mode when so many others can't even correctly program a simplex DMR channel.
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danesgs
Member
Try Echolink, no radio needed!
DMR can be single site or simplex.
To me DMR audio quality is terrible. That being said, I do like linked repeater systems. While linked systems don't have to be DMR, it's the common thing now.
There are DMR transceivers now that have the bonus of having many memory channels on analog too.
There's the added bonus of it being a receiver for non amateur type I and II commercial systems.
Some of these digital formats might also have advantages or disadvantages of distance which can be interesting to test against analog. Maybe narrow NXDN gets out pretty good.
2 meter sideband can go a few hundred miles or so.
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