Let me start with a confession: personally I don’t care much about digital modes. That doesn’t mean that I don’t keep track of the latest technologies, and (hopefully) this short review is proof of that.
DMR-logoI’m not going to explain in detail what DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) is, as there are many sources on the Internet that will do a much better job than I could.
For your convenience I uploaded a DMR primer, the link can be found at the end of this article. What I would like to do here is give you a basic idea of what you can expect, and – just as important – what not.
What you can expect
Talk around the world by using repeaters. The functionality isn’t much different from D-Star.
Optimal use of frequency space (time slots). DMR uses 2 time slots, which makes it possible to have one frequency harbor two QSO’s at the same time without interference.
Extensive encryption options to prevent eavesdropping (illegal for ham use). Unless you know one key (basic privacy) or two keys (extended privacy) other people can’t listen in.
On-screen call sign recognition. In order for this to work you need to update the subscriber ID list regularly. This will also open up the option to use ‘call routing’ (calling a specific station regardless of his/her location in the world). You can get your own subscriber ID here.
Sending and receiving text messages. Think of it as SMS on a cell phone. You can compose messages on the fly, or program a number of preset messages.
What you shouldn’t expect
A technology tailored to ham radio use. It’s not. DMR was conceived with commercial purposes in mind. You won’t find any dual-band radios, for example. If you want to have a mature, ham oriented digital system, go for D-Star instead.
Great audio quality. Seven out of ten times I wasn’t able to recognize familiar voices, not even from people I talk to on a daily basis. Most people sounded like they just had a root canal, with a truckload of anesthetics preventing them from forming words properly. It’s a bit less poor than D-Star, but opinions vary wildly.
100% compatibility between various brands. There are some minor differences between Vertex/Motorola, Hytera and this CS700, but making QSO’s will always work.
Plug & Play out of the box experience. If you open the box the radio is nothing more than a clumsy paperweight. You need to program it.
Using these things to the max without some basic computer knowledge. If you hate computers, DMR is not for you. The number of screens to-be-filled-in in order to make a so-called ‘code plug’ will initially make your head spin. Fortunately you can almost always download a ready-to-use code plug made by someone else.
