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DMR is fine by me.
- Thread starter Mudfoot
- Start date
I hope your replacement radios work well. I have been impressed with my 578s and run them in my vehicles. They are easy to deal with in the vehicle, with the programmable buttons on the face plate, and the useful functions on the microphone (I really like the dedicated zone buttons on the mic, since I have separate zones for ham radio, GMRS and public safety channels. Easy to change on the fly).
I am not one to run APRS (Big Brother is already tracking me on my phone, but I don’t want to make it easier for them), but I did try it when I first got the radios, and I was able to acquire satellites from inside my house almost immediately (near a window of course).
The Bluetooth feature connected to my aftermarket car stereo in my 2008 Nissan Xterra, and that is a great feature as well, as I can listen through the car speakers, and the PTT button works (but I like holding the microphone...c’mon ! ).
I am tempted to buy a third one from Ed, but I have a DMR repeater at my house (still in the testing phase...BM # 311894, and the old DMR repeater BM # 314239 (neither are under my call sign...again, Big Brother), along with a SharkRF IP server, a YSF reflector # 00094, two openSPOTs, a Raspberry Pi/DVMega hotspot running Pi-Star, and a couple BlueDV/DVMega bluetooth hotspots for iOS and Android. I really don’t need anything more than my 1 watt DMR HT at the QTH ! (and I hardly ever talk on ham radio
I am not one to run APRS (Big Brother is already tracking me on my phone, but I don’t want to make it easier for them), but I did try it when I first got the radios, and I was able to acquire satellites from inside my house almost immediately (near a window of course).
The Bluetooth feature connected to my aftermarket car stereo in my 2008 Nissan Xterra, and that is a great feature as well, as I can listen through the car speakers, and the PTT button works (but I like holding the microphone...c’mon ! ).
I am tempted to buy a third one from Ed, but I have a DMR repeater at my house (still in the testing phase...BM # 311894, and the old DMR repeater BM # 314239 (neither are under my call sign...again, Big Brother), along with a SharkRF IP server, a YSF reflector # 00094, two openSPOTs, a Raspberry Pi/DVMega hotspot running Pi-Star, and a couple BlueDV/DVMega bluetooth hotspots for iOS and Android. I really don’t need anything more than my 1 watt DMR HT at the QTH ! (and I hardly ever talk on ham radio
I hope your replacement radios work well. I have been impressed with my 578s and run them in my vehicles. They are easy to deal with in the vehicle, with the programmable buttons on the face plate, and the useful functions on the microphone (I really like the dedicated zone buttons on the mic, since I have separate zones for ham radio, GMRS and public safety channels. Easy to change on the fly).
I am not one to run APRS (Big Brother is already tracking me on my phone, but I don’t want to make it easier for them), but I did try it when I first got the radios, and I was able to acquire satellites from inside my house almost immediately (near a window of course).
The Bluetooth feature connected to my aftermarket car stereo in my 2008 Nissan Xterra, and that is a great feature as well, as I can listen through the car speakers, and the PTT button works (but I like holding the microphone...c’mon ! ).
I am tempted to buy a third one from Ed, but I have a DMR repeater at my house (still in the testing phase...BM # 311894, and the old DMR repeater BM # 314239 (neither are under my call sign...again, Big Brother), along with a SharkRF IP server, a YSF reflector # 00094, two openSPOTs, a Raspberry Pi/DVMega hotspot running Pi-Star, and a couple BlueDV/DVMega bluetooth hotspots for iOS and Android. I really don’t need anything more than my 1 watt DMR HT at the QTH ! (and I hardly ever talk on ham radio
how do you make a DMR repeater? Maybe a new thread on that??
short answer...
two mobile radios (in this case, two Motorola GM300s), a duplexer, and a Scott Zimmerman STM-32 board
http://www.repeater-builder.com/products/stm32-dvm.html
There are settings/jumper adjustments, etc. you must do for the particular radios you use, and you have to tune/adjust the STM-32 MMDVM board, but if I can do it, most anyone can do it. This is my second repeater I have built, and I have a third one to do for a local ARES/RACES group.
And the repeater at my QTH has been coordinated for DMR, but the STM-32 board is capable of DMR, C4FM, P25, D-Star, and NXDN. My previous repeater from a few years ago (built with the MMDVM Zum v1.01 board) did 4 of those modes. It is pretty slick !
two mobile radios (in this case, two Motorola GM300s), a duplexer, and a Scott Zimmerman STM-32 board
http://www.repeater-builder.com/products/stm32-dvm.html
There are settings/jumper adjustments, etc. you must do for the particular radios you use, and you have to tune/adjust the STM-32 MMDVM board, but if I can do it, most anyone can do it. This is my second repeater I have built, and I have a third one to do for a local ARES/RACES group.
And the repeater at my QTH has been coordinated for DMR, but the STM-32 board is capable of DMR, C4FM, P25, D-Star, and NXDN. My previous repeater from a few years ago (built with the MMDVM Zum v1.01 board) did 4 of those modes. It is pretty slick !
Ed does a great job setting everything up. I really like the AT-878 handheld. Very nice display. The speaker is the loudest I've ever heard on an HT.
Got the 578 and 878 all loaded up. The 578 is going in my Jeep. Waiting on my replacement for the defective 578 to use on the base.
Ed has the best price for the 578. He charges the same price as Bridgecom for the 878. Bridgecom is the better deal, as they include an extra battery.
Got the 578 and 878 all loaded up. The 578 is going in my Jeep. Waiting on my replacement for the defective 578 to use on the base.
Ed has the best price for the 578. He charges the same price as Bridgecom for the 878. Bridgecom is the better deal, as they include an extra battery.
So same way I made my gmrs repeater back in 2015. 2x GM300. I used the Idom IV controller at the time. The STM-32 is for doing the conversion to digital. Neat.
Yep, the Scott Zimmerman board is an upgrade to the MMDVM ZUM board I used back in 2016, because the ZUM board needed to sit on an Arduino Due board (to do the digital conversion and controller) and also a Raspberry Pi to connect to the internet and set up the MMDVM board. Interestingly, he has a firmware update that allows FM to be used as well, but I haven’t looked into it because the repeater we have is coordinated only for DMR (we have a narrow band frequency 449.26875). But because of that new band plan, our repeater was coordinated within a month, rather than the usual year or two for traditional wideband FM repeaters.
This STM-32 board sits on a Raspberry Pi and handles everything in one environment (digital voice conversion, controller, network routing) . You typically would use Pi-Star GUI interface to configure the board for the various digital voice protocols, and the network connections (DMR on Brandmeister, TGIF, DMR+, D-Star, CF4M on YSF or FCS, P-25, NXDN)
Zimmerman sells some pre-wired interface cables for various radios, which just makes things easier at this point. But in 2016, I had to figure out the wiring for the CM-200s we used in the repeater. I am all about making things easy these days.
This STM-32 board sits on a Raspberry Pi and handles everything in one environment (digital voice conversion, controller, network routing) . You typically would use Pi-Star GUI interface to configure the board for the various digital voice protocols, and the network connections (DMR on Brandmeister, TGIF, DMR+, D-Star, CF4M on YSF or FCS, P-25, NXDN)
Zimmerman sells some pre-wired interface cables for various radios, which just makes things easier at this point. But in 2016, I had to figure out the wiring for the CM-200s we used in the repeater. I am all about making things easy these days.
My 578 mobile is working out nicely. I'm lucky to have 4 DMR repeaters to use. I have one in each direction. Three are less than 15 miles and the Western site is 30 miles. I'm pretty much blanketed. The 578 is a good mobile, even if you don't use digital. The display is easy to see and the speaker has potent audio. I think every feature can be accessed by the microphone.
I've managed to get two of my friends interested in DMR. They both seem to enjoy it. They are in their 70's.
I've managed to get two of my friends interested in DMR. They both seem to enjoy it. They are in their 70's.
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Got refunded for the 578 with volume issue. Turned out to be a hardware issue. The other 578 was replaced with a new rig {came today) instead of repair. They didn't include a note on what the problem. Definitely weird buying two turds.
I'm very happy with the 578 now. I picked up a 878 handheld. It's nice having one codeplug for both units.Never was a big HT guy until getting the 878. Menu is simple, nice features and feels good in the had. To me, it has a commercial feel to it.
I'm very happy with the 578 now. I picked up a 878 handheld. It's nice having one codeplug for both units.Never was a big HT guy until getting the 878. Menu is simple, nice features and feels good in the had. To me, it has a commercial feel to it.
I broke down and bought a third Anytone AT-D578UV from Ed again. I had torn out my shack a few years ago, but just tossed up my old 11m ground plane for 10/11m radio (currently running a President Grant II in that position), a Tram 1477B dual band for the 578, and my Chameleon CHA MIL 2.0/ CHA MIL EXT for HF with my Xiegu G90, because I think I might need comms after November 3rd here in what used to be know as the “United” States of America.
The only other radio I have ever owned three copies of was the old Yaesu FT-857D. Same deal as now...one in each of my vehicles, and one in the shack. That is how much I think the 578 is a good radio for my needs (amateur use when/if I do that, GMRS and commercial. Pretty much anything from 136-174/220-225/400-520 for SHTF).
One complaint of the radio I have in the shack is that I find the volume level doesn’t go low enough for me on the lowest setting, before dropping out completely. Not an issue in the vehicles, but I find that a common issue on Chinese radios in the shack. Maybe the Chinese are hard of hearing, with the sound of 1.4 billion people living there.
I checked with some non-powered external speakers I have, and it was still the same, so I ordered another Uniden BC-23A amplified speaker, so I can turn down the volume from the speaker’s volume control to a very low level.
The only other radio I have ever owned three copies of was the old Yaesu FT-857D. Same deal as now...one in each of my vehicles, and one in the shack. That is how much I think the 578 is a good radio for my needs (amateur use when/if I do that, GMRS and commercial. Pretty much anything from 136-174/220-225/400-520 for SHTF).
One complaint of the radio I have in the shack is that I find the volume level doesn’t go low enough for me on the lowest setting, before dropping out completely. Not an issue in the vehicles, but I find that a common issue on Chinese radios in the shack. Maybe the Chinese are hard of hearing, with the sound of 1.4 billion people living there.
I checked with some non-powered external speakers I have, and it was still the same, so I ordered another Uniden BC-23A amplified speaker, so I can turn down the volume from the speaker’s volume control to a very low level.
Have you selected the "indoor" audio option? Works FB here. It allows finer tuning of received audio.