Really looking forward to this series. I am with you 100% on the Use Case. Been sitting on two 878UVII+ radios for awhile. Not much about them is intuitive in terms of digital programming for radio to radio or APRS. Thanks for your content. Always good 👍
I think you'll enjoy the next video. I personally set for myself very small objectives when going about programming it. I found BridgeCom Systems' RUclips videos on each topic very useful. For example, these were some of the questions that I attempted to tackle and answer when I first explored programming my D878 UVII Plus. 1. How do I unlock the keypad? 2. Where do I obtain the programming software? 3. How do I obtain a DMR ID? (it turns outs I did not need one since I am not connecting mine to the Internet). 4. How do I program an analog frequency for simplex use? 5. How do I program an analog repeater? 6. How do I configure APRS? .... 20. How do I program a digital simplex channel? ... As part of the process, I also asked myself.. 1. What is a codeplug? 2. What is a zone? 2. What is color code? 4. What is time slot? .... I'll walk you and the community through all these answers in the next two videos. Don't worry, I'll use plain English.
I'm a retired military comms guy...i have maintained and operated the most advanced encrypted commo systems in the U.S gov. I now find myself getting into HAM and DMR for the exact same reasons you stated in this video. Funny enough, with all my training and experience, the world of DMR is a whole different beast. Consider me subbed. I'm in for the ride!
That Anytone may surprise you with regard to "ruggedness". My friend "drop-tested" his from 45 feet up a tower. The Anytone hit the tower once or twice on the way down, and when it hit the ground, the battery was dislodged, but when he put it back together, it was good to go. One non-hamster feature of DMR that attracts me is control what radios (by device identity number) can communicate with each other. This is the opposite of the promiscuous mode that amateurs like to use, and is in effect a closed talk group. The AES256 is available for implementation during WROL situations. Also, regarding the prohibition on encryption on amateur frequencies-I cannot see a legitimate reason for that rule. No one is harmed by not being able to understand an encrypted message, with the possible exception of the sender if he is seeking emergency assistance and no one can understand him. This would also occur if I were speaking Norwegian or Klingon while requesting assistance.
The purpose of the Amateur Radio Service, per the FCC, is to advance the art and science of radio communication. It's meant to reach a wide audience, not to be someone's private chat line: there are other services for that, just as there are for broadcasting music (which also is prohibited on ham radio).
@@darylnd show me on the doll where the new technology hurt you. Pretty sure the tech prepper is reaching a wide audience via amateur radio content this platform. Also finding a way to avoid the traditional rag chewing content or misuse of the bands that the low cost radios have been causing, DMR is a great option. If I’m doing a contest, or activating a POTA/SOTA. I’d rather not have someone interfering with me. But since I’m not reaching that larger audience maybe I’m a “bad ham”. DMR also allows you to get out in the world with things like hot spots, if that so tickles your pickle. You have use of the bands as you see fit as long as you follow the rules. So if Im camping and decide to use DMR simplex with my buddies who are also licensed and nobody else is being interfered with, that is totally fine that I don’t want to “reach a larger audience” Get off your cross sir, we need the wood. He also said he is getting his commercial allocations for using encryption. So maybe you didn’t watch the full video. 🤷♂️
@@darylndThe FCC can shove it. The First Amendment very clearly establishes my Right to Free Speech and if I feel that Free Speech should be encrypted, so be it.
I'm a new ham and definitely not interested in becoming one of the ham nerds that make up about 90% of the hams out there. Thank you so much for being the only one out there really putting ham in the context of prepping.
I bought a couple basic DMR radios a couple years ago and they are still sitting in the box as most of the videos I've seen on how they work and how to program them were done by Amateur Extra Class hams who were more interested in showing how smart they are rather than breaking DMR down in simple terms. Can't wait to see the series you do as you've really demystified a lot of the other radio methods/platforms for us Technician Class hams can understand.
this is the best explanation I've ever seen of my frustration with DMR. I am currently a technician studying for general and I have no idea how DMR works because every time I find a video on it it's like you said, it's mostly people who just trying to show how smart they are rather than trying to teach you anything
THIS. Gaston is the anti-Gatekeeper IMHO. Context. Philosophy of Use. Decision Criteria. Alternative Evaluation. Alternative Selection. Optimise later. That’s how all successful projects and procurements are executed.
I got into radios 24 years ago and just now getting back into it. I always remembered the "Hams" as being "suit and tie" radio geeks. They're absolutely still like that I'm recognizing.
I just got my technician license with this exact goal in mind. So awesome to see there are like minded people in AZ. Hope I get to connect and pick your brain someday!
Looking forward to this series! I have a pretty basic TYT DMR radio I learned DMR on. I'm usually an RF only (no Internet for any service - maybe excepting APRS) but I've found a couple of useful "networked" DMR features I use occasionally.
Great to hear! Those are great radios to learn on as they come a great price point. The nice thing about the MOTOTRBO line is their over-the-air IP networking. The trick is going through the hoops to get the Customer Programming Software (CPS) and some cases dealing with an inflated price point for some of the accessories. Take care.
Thank you for this series. Even though both my wife and I are hams, we use 900 MHz ISM radios for short range secure comms. We use DMR and encryption. Between the unusual frequency and encryption it would be difficult for people to listen in. I do have a B-Tech DMR-6x2, so I look forward to hearing how you program your radio.
You're welcome. 900 MHz is a great option. There is a ton of 900 MHz gear on the secondary market for not a lot of money. The trick is going through process to obtain and learn the Custom Programming Software (CPS).
I have the Anytone 878uv2 plus, if you use AT-options you can open the frequencies to Transmit and receive 400-520 and 136-174, if you want the software also opens up the Anytone 878uv2 plus into a tri band 140-440-220 it is a tri band capable.
I just picked up a xpr6550 on ebay today. Ive been looking for a step up from the uv-5r. Your videos will be very helpful. Im hoping to build up from here. Useful knowledge and skills for preparation and not just as a hobby. Im looking forward to this series, thank you in advance
I am looking forward the rest of this series. I have seen the GMRS HTs that have texting and location sharing features? I think they could be a really good addition to a prepper groups communication plan.
Been tinkering with DMR for a while. I have a small battery operated system with a Maxon MDM-4424 inside with SRF. It’s effectively a waterproof field deployable repeater with 50 watts of power. You can get a second unit with a cable to link the two so you can operate on VHF and UHF. Something worth checking out, also don’t mind traveling if you would like to field test mine.
DMR makes a lot of sense even for analog users, or users that don’t foresee immediately jumping onto the digital bandwagon. The ability to group various sets of frequencies into user defined zones is powerful, and something that very few low-end analog radios can do. Programming such analog channels into a DMR helps ease the sometimes difficult transition into digital programming, as the user is still working with familiar concepts while simultaneously learning about the CPS in the process. Buying a DMR just to work a local DMR repeater or a personal hotspot is probably the worst way to go, as it entails drinking from a firehose of new concepts, acronyms, and programming complexity. Once you’re full immersed in it, you sort of wonder what all the fuss was about, but it can be intimidating going in cold. I’m looking forward to this series!
Opengd77 firmware on a rt3s is supposed to be the most painless DMR setup and reasonable price under $100. Haven't tried it myself yet but it should be in the mail in a payday or 2 whenever I can't keep ignoring it 😅.
Looking forward to this. To echo what I said earlier: might start a "business" just to do this. If only FCC would allow this legally without owning one. I would work extra hours at work just to pay for the license or even the ability to used that 'e' word that gets some riled up.
Good luck with that. If you file all the paperwork yourself you can actually obtain the commercial license for around $500 USD. The license is good for 10 years, so you can look at it as a 50 bucks per year. The only part outside of the FCC fee is paying a frequency coordinator in your area to help you find a available frequencies in your area.
One thing going for the AnyTone 878xxx series is the *insane* battery life when compared to most other ham HTs. Otherwise tons of pros and cons regarding DMR, System Fusion, D-STAR, analog, environment, etc. All depends on the particular use-case. Might also want to touch on the use of Ed Fong rollup antennas to massively extend the range of HTs, especially if you're not depending on repeaters.
I'm definitely interested! Especially with building out your own hardware and potential repeater. I have experience with the anytone radios not living up to the product descriptions, especially with aprs. The aprs implementation they use works over DMR consistently but not analog. I have no idea how you could utilize that with your own repeater or how you could go about that, but as you said the motorola devices have the features working so I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it all! thanks!
I've only tried analog APRS and I was not impressed. The amount of programming was excessive and man it's a pain to use from the user perspective. There are some serious usability bugs especially when you use it in a high volume packet area. It's nearly unusable on of the nets that I participate in where there are 500 operators checking in during the course of the day.
Looking forward to seeing and hearing your thoughts and plans. Ive been using Kenwood 863g, Motorola xpr 5580e and Anytone 878 for both digital and analog comms. Started out with the Anytone 878 for amateur radio and the Kenwood/Motorola for GMRS.
It's great to hear that you're looking forward to the roadmap. I'm new to the Motorola radios, so I had to lookup the XPR5580e. That looks like the 800/900 MHz. The MOTOTRBO working that I am doing applies to that radio! I hope to catch you on Monday's member stream as we'll dive more into this.
@@TheTechPrepper That Motorola is in the 900mhz band and can operate on 33cm ham. I'm also new to Motorola so there's a lot to learn. As an FYI I also have a "new to me" used Motorola GR1225 UHF (444-474 MHz) Repeater that I picked up at a ham radio swap meet so I've dived into the Motorola deep end. It's sink or swim, lol.
Good on you for not going on the hamster wheel of DMR. I'm going down the same route and figuring things out as I go with my btech. Thanks again, as always, for the content, brother. 🤙🏽
I have the 878uv and 878uvII. Encryption works on both. You have to update both the firmware and baseband on the UV I and the firmware if using UV II. It is not difficult.
Can you explain what you mean by broken implementation of AES-256? Mine interoperate with my Motorola and Hytera radios without issue using encryption. This is the first I'm hearing of this issue with using these all for a few years. Modern Motorola radios are dam near impossible to get AES enablement on them. It took me a long time to get that. How did you get it easily?
The current 3.01N firmware for the D878 UV II Plus uses a hardcoded value for initialization vector (IV). If you sniff enough cipher traffic, you can determine the plain text without needing the key. This is beyond most user's ability, but it is, in fact, insecure and broken, IMHO. I'm also very new to DMR and Motorola, but I'm fortunate that I'm on vacation and have been able to dedicate a lot of time to learning DMR. It also helps that I'm a software engineer, so I don't mind a bit reverse engineering and reading specs to figure this stuff out.
@@TheTechPrepper the current firmware should be 3.02. Just like old WEP with the IV issue I suppose. I wonder if it is fixed. There were some other dumb issues with using AES and the sub channel being on causing all kinds of transmission issues and delays in transmit. I disable sub channel when using AES because of it. I mostly run the Hytera for better support and easy AES use without issues. Moto really sucks for anything other than large gov users.
@@jhalscott Thanks for the additional details. Wait until you see what I built using ARS, LRRP and TMS for the MotoTRBO radios. It may change your mind.
@@TheTechPrepper I want to believe, but Motorola is super difficult to use for the consumer, or even most businesses, which is why we primarily use Hytera. It took me years to build a system where I could actually get proper support and software etc. from Moto. The future is open protocols layered on top of SDRs which is why Anytone and it's various OEM variants for Radioddity, BFTech, etc. are rapidly growing. Motorola is good for centrally setting up large gov services, but overly complex and difficult for the 99% plus of this community. T-Rex Arms had a series of DMR and radio videos and they essentially abandoned Moto for the same reasons.
You've got my interest. I've always avoided DMR because the networking/repeater use seems to me like a glorified Skype-Walkie-Talkie. I never considered simplex use.
I just want to make sure we're clear, you don't NEED networking or repeaters for dmr. That's some nonsense the Feng gang was pushing to scare folks away from quality comms
I can not for the life of me find a good video about getting a FCC license for a business. I am looking to do the same things but can not find the steps to do so.
The process was pretty painless. It's the topic of a future video. It required a little bit of money, but not bad when you consider that your license is good for 10 years and that you can legally run encryption now.
The SE Texas Amateur Club did a Boy Scout Jamboree/,Merit Badge GOTA station in Houston. Somebody brought an AT handi, DMR hotspot, HS battery, and a cell. Was able to connect with Scouts world wide with his station. Never saw a HS station in operation. Impressed. The MOTO radio. Guess it is OK. And long in the tooth. Can you get the thing fixed? Or they've like Sherman tanks?
Looking forward to this series. Should be a good one. Would love to see full repeater system build out. Also interested to see how these used Motorolas work out.
I've been enjoying your adventures into DMR. I only use it in the public safety world currently, however, I'm liking the text messaging and such so I may be picking up a few Motorola radios to do some work with.
Have you done any experimentation with the Retivis RT-29 for "semi-secure" comms? They have a "scramble" feature. Not a true encryption, but also not something a $20 baofeng could decipher.
Great video. Do you have or have made any videos on which Panasonic toughbook you recommend and why? I recently bought a hotspot and enjoying DMR. Do you have a DMR repeater in your area thats on Brandmeister? Would be cool if we could connect and talk. I'm up here in Vancouver BC.....73s VA7LFD
Yes. Here's the video that you are looking for: Panasonic FZ-M1 Toughpad - SHTF Gear Series ruclips.net/video/J3Rn-mCMfU0/видео.html However, I'm now also running the iKey keyboard with it. An update video is needed.
Would investing in some Baofeng DM-5R’s still count as a good break from the prepper thuggery? They’re a combo of Radioddity guts with Baofeng function. Would love to know your thoughts! This was actually a newbie option I looked into this week prior to this video, so great timing!!
There were a few points I think Gaston was making that fall under this label, but one of them was the fact that a relatively large number of people have been able to acquire analog radios that operate in the GMRS, FRS, MURS, and Ham bands. With this fact, his point was that achieving obscurity from these people is possible by using a digital mode which is far less common. So its not about who makes the radio internals in this case, but is instead about the mode of operation being a less common mode - in his case DMR simplex. The Baofeng DM-5r could fit into this category, since it supports a digital mode. However, if you dig deeper there are multiple reasons to avoid this particular radio. A Baofeng DM-1701 would be a better choice at $100, but the used Motorola 6550 shown at $120 would be a vastly better choice for the use case described.
Love your videos, just out of interrst do you guys have access to Tetra over in your neck of the woods ?, a couple of fellow colleagues & I are running both DMR & Tetra for the very same reasons that you are ( for securitt for when / if things goes south ). We've made a map up that we all have a copy of that we have drawn Grids Squares onto & have given thoes grids squares non recognizable names so that if things go to hell in a hand basket we can revert to either DMR & / or Tetra & refer to map locations as the grid square non recognizable names. We all come from "Operational" backgrounds so Tx's will be kept to a bare minimum with no names used over the air, ww have even developed a rehashed alphabet & numeric table so as to be able to give out phn No.'s & names without it making any sense to anyone else. Yes I know not quiet legal during peaceful times but in times of "National Emergency" no rules apply. Regards Wayne. P.
I Houston, I would say DMR is in second place in digi to VARA FM. But fitst as a voice mode. Other sustems like Icom and Yeasu DV are de facto dead in the H-Town area.
12:23 please talk about your business license, im actually studying security management in grad school (am broke because of it lol), but ive considered eventually starting a security company and having it use the 878 (ive had 2x for years) Basically for an ERT, ive seen downright stupid practices by companies on linkedin including companies posting pictures of their UV5Rs and calling themselves security professionals who are communications experts lol id prefer to not make similar mistakes
Love my anytome 878 yes you can do encrypted but you messages are not now using a Motorola xts 2500 or 5000 you can do encryption on your business aes 256 no issues and messages can be sent as well on encrypted channel p25 is your most secure way to go. Yes any newer p25 scanner will be able to pick up p25 and dmr dmr can be unencrypted very easy with sdr software. Even tho it’s supposed to be aes 256 anytome that will work with mototurbo
New subscriber here. I got my license in 2011, but simply dropped out of the hobby because of elderly parents and sibling. I have now reentered mainly because of the state of the world and wanting to be prepared in an area, communication and computers, that I feel I can add some value in case things go south. So, I am enjoying your sites and have watched many. I have a FT857D that I bought in 2011 for all the reasons that you have shared. I have an F60R simply because it is a tank and I can't break it. I am in the process of putting together a manpack and hope to be back operational in the near future. I do have one question. In case of and EMP or GMD, how could we protect our gear from being fried. Or, is that really a scenario that we need to be concerned with. I could build a faraday room, but it seems that would be a difficult proposition continuously deal with. I could also buy multiple radios, but that tends to be an expensive proposition. Since you are doing a lot of research and testing in the off grid communication, I would like to have your opinion. Thanks, Keith Finch
Welcome back, Kieth. This topic likely requires a video. There are a couple of EMPs scenarios. The recent solar storm, even at G5, turned out to be non issue as it only really impacts infrastructure with long running wires or metal that acts as electrical inductors. This includes long electrical lines, transmission lines, pipelines and railroads. As a precaution, I just disconnected my radios from the antenna and the electrical AC main. My understanding is that the grid operators are the ones that need to handle these events, but downstream users, like us, are only likely to experience secondary impacts like a powe outage. As for an EMP caused by a low altitude nuclear blast, that is a different story. I tend to be a realist and don't go overboard. Here's what I do: 1. I reserve my older radio gear, electronics, solar charge controllers, and batteries with a BMS as candidates for EMP protection. I call this my tier two gear. 2. I remove anything that can act as an inductor like the HT antennas and remove them. I also remove the battery. 3. These components go into individual EMP bags. 4. Lastly, I put all of those into a larger EMP duffle bag. It's not perfect, but according to the literature it should be effective. There's just not enough juice for the squeeze to build a giant Faraday cage. Take a look at the empdoctor on RUclips. I plan on trying some Faraday fabric for protecting the generators. Doing this on the vehicles is too much of a daily headache. I hope this helps.
You mention a business license for operating encryption modes legally. Can you expound on that a little? I am interested and would like to know what steps I would need to take ... :) Good content thus-far. Awaiting delivery of my Anytone AT-D878UVII PLUS (best option for DMR give the price-point and what I could find so far). May upgrade to something a bit more "beefy" down the road, but will have the 878 as a starting point.
I covered this on the member live stream. The easiest path is just to contact an LMR dealer in your area and have them handle it for you for one fee and per your requirements. That's what I did as I have no time.
@@TheTechPrepperThanks! Just sub’d to your YT channel, as I’m getting back into doing HAM stuff, learning how to USE the tools to supplement my outdoors time and a business I’ve had for a few years that relies on outdoors, stealth & comms. 878 on the charger now! FW update later, then programming channels & zones (AHAM). Will have to research DMR programming (I do believe you have a video on that 😁).
I have licensed VHF and UHF frequencies for nationwide and 120 km local coverage and have authorization for 13 different types of emissions. We use DMR with full digital encryption most of the time and the system works much better than any hamster system.
Motorola radios require using expensive Motorola programming software. That Anytone can be MARS-modded to work on MURS/GMRS/FRS/Dot/Marine freqs and when combined with its AES-256 encryption key capability & free programming software, a pair of them will be really useful when things go sideways in order to ensure no one is listening in.
Actually, you can legally obtain Motorola CPS free of charge now right down to the 25 KHz entitlement. All you need to do is register for an account with Motorola. The process can take a few weeks.
Motorola DTR radios use 900 ISM bands license free. They use digital voice and text with public channels similar to FRS/GMRS. Also private & group calls with encryption. All transmissions use Frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS). Easy to program in CPS, rugged , cheap and easy to repair. No SDR nor base/mobile can decode these modulations.
Nope. Decoding digital frequency hopping with encoded private groups for voice or text is next to impossible without the algorithms and long term monitoring
DMR isnt terrible to get into but its def a learning curve coming from Analog and P25 (ASTRO/ASTRO25). The biggest things is have the Digital Contacts and then Color Codes and Time Slots
Making the jump from analog to digital is not too bad if you understand the basics concepts that you described. There's also a simple logical approach to configuring the radio in the customer programming software. I'll cover this in the next video. It will be from the perspective of someone how just went through this initial learning process. Thanks.
I’m not familiar with business licensing and would like to hear about it in detail. Does one have to have a registered business to actually qualify? My assumption is that these “legal” inscription capabilities are still vulnerable to state actors otherwise they would not allow the public to have access.
great stuff. id encourage you to check out the btech 6x2- it offers all the same capabilities for half the price, which in my mind makes them handout/disposables. they arent as rugged as a motorola or hytera, but id argue are the uv5r of dmr.
That's a good point. I actually found an interesting feature in the Motorola MOTOTRBO radios that allows for networking the radio over RF using IP networking. With this feature, I'm able to do something interesting things with some custom software. I'll do a demo a few videos out.
Cool to see the FT-270 there in the beginning. I had picked one up cheap and had much better success doing 2M packet and Vara with it compared to any of my VX handhelds. I suspect it has something to do with the fact its a 2m only rig, doesnt have wide RX, etc.
5:20 -- just when you finish talking about how you're trying to reduce the risk of monitoring by the wider audience by using obscurity, you then go and choose the most ubiquitous digital mode. So within the digimode world, you have the widest possible audience of eavesdroppers. If you really cared about being niche, you'd choose DSTAR, because it's most prohibitively expensive in an HT.
Yes, DStar is more obscure, but there is no support for encryption. Also, there are some very powerful features in Motorola DMR implementation. I'm moving towards the MotoTRBO line.
You're dead on. I actually switched to handing out inexpensive MURS radios from Retevis with no front panel and 5-channels. You can get upwards of 5 units per $100 USD. Simple is what I want for the neighbors.
If you ever need any software or a code plug to go by with either p25 or anytone. Code plug. Also if you have your ham license while your able to by a hot spot and use dmr learn dmr world i listen to isrealas well as Pakistan, Egypt, Syria, and Russia, even though I cannot speak the language, I use my phone to do the translation, and it is very interesting what you will hear on the Russian DMR
My personal issue with upgrading my Feng Gang radio is that none of my buddies are willing to train skills with cheap radios. I'm convinced they will not use better radios either.
I'll cover this in a future video and walk you through the process that I went through. Personally, mine is shared-use of 5 UHF frequencies, covers 28 km, and covers everyone in my business or anyone doing work with the business. I'm also tied to specific emission types that allow for digital voice and data encryption.
yea the anytone costs to much ,,,so i went with the Retevis RB25 ,,,,,,no screen but its only $40 and is 10watts ,,,, and digital mode NBRE < retevis own DMR version !!! ,, so to listen u would need the same radio , talke group and code,, and it even has encryption ,,,,,,so someone would need an SDR ,,, that can some how work out the digital signal with out a plugin and then decrypt it LOL , so for the price of an anytone i got like 5 radios with better encryption and get 3-5 miles more distance
I have been following your channel for a while now. I am interested very interested in the path you are on, especially now. I want all the same functionality for the same reasons. I would like to join your buy me a coffee crew so we can talk in more depth. Basically I want to run the same quality gear as if I was still in the Marines but with a business license so I can access this restricted equipment in order to protect my family and community. I live in a small town and would like to strengthen our community through building a strong SHTF plan. We have very highly trained police but only a handful of them and a volunteer fire department. My goal is to augment these services by adding the ability to train likeminded and capable people on the community so we can effectively deal with the shit that is inevitably coming down the line. Look forward to learning more from you and see you for a cup of coffee soon! Maybe we can have a cup over zoom or whatever video chat for a proper intro. BTW I also just signed up for classes in Cybersecurity at Champlain College so as to make sure I can be as proactive as possible for what may come. Looking forward to speaking with you! - JC - OUT
@@bradl2636 I would have to re-evaluate it. The rugged factor is huge for me, so it pains me that I sold it. Unfortunately, for this year, I have decided to stick with the gear that I have, so I will not have time re-evaluate it. I already made a very large investment in time and money on the 878.
@@TheTechPrepper I’m only recently aware of the Ailunce and 878 so will follow your journey. The Ailunce seems very “Motorola-like” if that makes sense? I assume both units would be fine for private business license frequency use?
5:30 - Interesting that you went with a digital voice mode to avoid the FM Baofeng army based on increased cost providing an additional barrier to entry and the security through obscurity of digital voice, but then you chose DMR because it's more of a standard. When I was choosing radios for my local group 5-6 years ago, I deliberately chose Yaesu System Fusion as the LEAST popular digital voice mode to reduce the potential eavesdroppers.
There's is a broader strategy. I don't plan on using voice. I a proof-of-concept of out-of-band AES-256 cryptography built on top of the MotoTRBO. This is just for the first video. You can't do over-the-air networking with any of the amateur radio digital protocols.
@@TheTechPrepper - I should have withheld my comment until watching the entire video series. 😀 You'd alluded to that in previous videos. Looking forward to seeing where this goes. It's been quite a journey so far, and now it's heading away from Hamster Station, and that's fine by me. It *really* bugs me that we can't have secure private communications but our government can. My town was one of the many that got the DHS block grant to upgrade their COM systems and now they're all using mil-spec spread spectrum digital encryption... including the garbage trucks.
@@Liberty4Ever No worries. I typically have a very deliberate plan with my gear selections. It's hard to cram the entire vision into one video. Stay tuned. I looked at both C4FM and DStar, but when I saw some of the LMR applications for DMR, I felt that DMR would serve both the amateur radio and commercial needs at the same time.
@@TheTechPrepper Sweet, Thanks. I'm trying to get into radios/HAM and want to learn where I can spend the few pennies I have wisely. I greatly appreciate your videos and channel!
CPS2 if free from MOL. Just need to get a radio and cable. Outside of that the only thing you need to worry about is Entitlements for various options you may want
It's much higher than ham radio, but doable if you're up for some extra work. Motorola is now making the Customer Programming Software (CPS) available free of charge. A few people in my group have gone through the process of registering for an account, obtaining CPS and even getting things like the 25 KHz entitlement so that they can use these radios for analog use. Be warned, it's a process and not for everyone. Again, I'm in this to find the best tool for the job.
So what exactly are you prepping for i find a lot of people really don't have a clue what they will be getting themselves into if what yhey think they are preparing for happens
If you've seen more than a few of my videos, you'll notice that I set out to solve real world problems using a methodical approach. I see many issues in modern society that have the potential to be much larger problems in the near future. I've covered these scenarios in a number of member live streams.
@@TheTechPrepper ok I will go check them out I found this video looking for info on digital radios I hope I didn't sound like a ass that was not my intention But I have found myself in several situations over the years where just finding shelter food and water took a lot of time and energy. But I see a lot of these people who want to plan for the end of the world and think they are going to sit around and talk on a radio
@@seandrake7534 It sounded like that a bit. I appreciate you clarifying. You may be interested in this reality check video where I seriously questioned the prepper dream of retreating to the woods: ruclips.net/video/XP1Z67b7D24/видео.htmlsi=JaiZjkED986AviPr
@@TheTechPrepper but is there a way they can detect me if i just talk with my brother on the other end and dont use or bother any other channel? Like they cant smell my license just like that right?
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Really looking forward to this series. I am with you 100% on the Use Case. Been sitting on two 878UVII+ radios for awhile. Not much about them is intuitive in terms of digital programming for radio to radio or APRS. Thanks for your content. Always good 👍
I think you'll enjoy the next video. I personally set for myself very small objectives when going about programming it. I found BridgeCom Systems' RUclips videos on each topic very useful. For example, these were some of the questions that I attempted to tackle and answer when I first explored programming my D878 UVII Plus.
1. How do I unlock the keypad?
2. Where do I obtain the programming software?
3. How do I obtain a DMR ID? (it turns outs I did not need one since I am not connecting mine to the Internet).
4. How do I program an analog frequency for simplex use?
5. How do I program an analog repeater?
6. How do I configure APRS?
....
20. How do I program a digital simplex channel?
...
As part of the process, I also asked myself..
1. What is a codeplug?
2. What is a zone?
2. What is color code?
4. What is time slot?
....
I'll walk you and the community through all these answers in the next two videos. Don't worry, I'll use plain English.
@@TheTechPrepper Subscribed just for this. Thank you.
@@norrinradd8952 Welcome to the channel. More on the way.
Just got my 878 yesterday, this is going to be good!
I'm a retired military comms guy...i have maintained and operated the most advanced encrypted commo systems in the U.S gov. I now find myself getting into HAM and DMR for the exact same reasons you stated in this video. Funny enough, with all my training and experience, the world of DMR is a whole different beast. Consider me subbed. I'm in for the ride!
That Anytone may surprise you with regard to "ruggedness". My friend "drop-tested" his from 45 feet up a tower. The Anytone hit the tower once or twice on the way down, and when it hit the ground, the battery was dislodged, but when he put it back together, it was good to go. One non-hamster feature of DMR that attracts me is control what radios (by device identity number) can communicate with each other. This is the opposite of the promiscuous mode that amateurs like to use, and is in effect a closed talk group. The AES256 is available for implementation during WROL situations. Also, regarding the prohibition on encryption on amateur frequencies-I cannot see a legitimate reason for that rule. No one is harmed by not being able to understand an encrypted message, with the possible exception of the sender if he is seeking emergency assistance and no one can understand him. This would also occur if I were speaking Norwegian or Klingon while requesting assistance.
Please make contacts in Klingon. 😂
The purpose of the Amateur Radio Service, per the FCC, is to advance the art and science of radio communication. It's meant to reach a wide audience, not to be someone's private chat line: there are other services for that, just as there are for broadcasting music (which also is prohibited on ham radio).
@@darylnd show me on the doll where the new technology hurt you. Pretty sure the tech prepper is reaching a wide audience via amateur radio content this platform. Also finding a way to avoid the traditional rag chewing content or misuse of the bands that the low cost radios have been causing, DMR is a great option. If I’m doing a contest, or activating a POTA/SOTA. I’d rather not have someone interfering with me. But since I’m not reaching that larger audience maybe I’m a “bad ham”.
DMR also allows you to get out in the world with things like hot spots, if that so tickles your pickle. You have use of the bands as you see fit as long as you follow the rules. So if Im camping and decide to use DMR simplex with my buddies who are also licensed and nobody else is being interfered with, that is totally fine that I don’t want to “reach a larger audience”
Get off your cross sir, we need the wood.
He also said he is getting his commercial allocations for using encryption. So maybe you didn’t watch the full video. 🤷♂️
@@darylndThe FCC can shove it.
The First Amendment very clearly establishes my Right to Free Speech and if I feel that Free Speech should be encrypted, so be it.
@@rifleshooterchannel208I like the cut of your jib.
I'm a new ham and definitely not interested in becoming one of the ham nerds that make up about 90% of the hams out there. Thank you so much for being the only one out there really putting ham in the context of prepping.
I bought a couple basic DMR radios a couple years ago and they are still sitting in the box as most of the videos I've seen on how they work and how to program them were done by Amateur Extra Class hams who were more interested in showing how smart they are rather than breaking DMR down in simple terms. Can't wait to see the series you do as you've really demystified a lot of the other radio methods/platforms for us Technician Class hams can understand.
this is the best explanation I've ever seen of my frustration with DMR. I am currently a technician studying for general and I have no idea how DMR works because every time I find a video on it it's like you said, it's mostly people who just trying to show how smart they are rather than trying to teach you anything
THIS. Gaston is the anti-Gatekeeper IMHO. Context. Philosophy of Use. Decision Criteria. Alternative Evaluation. Alternative Selection. Optimise later. That’s how all successful projects and procurements are executed.
I got into radios 24 years ago and just now getting back into it. I always remembered the "Hams" as being "suit and tie" radio geeks. They're absolutely still like that I'm recognizing.
@@TheRealWadeWIts a sub-culture.
Thats all there is to it
@orpheusepiphanes2797 no doubt! No biggie. I got back into radios from a preparedness aspect and I'll call em if I need em lol
I bought an anytone . I upgraded from my beginner Baofeng. You definitely have to do your homework to use this radio properly. I love it.
Great video! As a ham mostly for preparedness, this is exactly the video about DMR I was looking for.
Glad it was helpful!
I just got my technician license with this exact goal in mind. So awesome to see there are like minded people in AZ. Hope I get to connect and pick your brain someday!
And Western Australia 🇦🇺 🇺🇸..!!!
Looking forward to this series! I have a pretty basic TYT DMR radio I learned DMR on. I'm usually an RF only (no Internet for any service - maybe excepting APRS) but I've found a couple of useful "networked" DMR features I use occasionally.
Great to hear! Those are great radios to learn on as they come a great price point. The nice thing about the MOTOTRBO line is their over-the-air IP networking. The trick is going through the hoops to get the Customer Programming Software (CPS) and some cases dealing with an inflated price point for some of the accessories. Take care.
Thank you for this series. Even though both my wife and I are hams, we use 900 MHz ISM radios for short range secure comms. We use DMR and encryption. Between the unusual frequency and encryption it would be difficult for people to listen in. I do have a B-Tech DMR-6x2, so I look forward to hearing how you program your radio.
You're welcome. 900 MHz is a great option. There is a ton of 900 MHz gear on the secondary market for not a lot of money. The trick is going through process to obtain and learn the Custom Programming Software (CPS).
This is going to be a great series!
Thanks. I'm having a blast with it, so I think you guys will enjoy it.
Awesome series. I hope you go forward with the business license how to. Thank you!
That's the plan!
I have the Anytone 878uv2 plus, if you use AT-options you can open the frequencies to Transmit and receive 400-520 and 136-174, if you want the software also opens up the Anytone 878uv2 plus into a tri band 140-440-220 it is a tri band capable.
I just picked up a xpr6550 on ebay today. Ive been looking for a step up from the uv-5r. Your videos will be very helpful. Im hoping to build up from here. Useful knowledge and skills for preparation and not just as a hobby. Im looking forward to this series, thank you in advance
Programming the XPR6550 is about 3 videos out.
is the motorola cps free or still have to pay for it?@@TheTechPrepper
I am looking forward the rest of this series. I have seen the GMRS HTs that have texting and location sharing features? I think they could be a really good addition to a prepper groups communication plan.
Been tinkering with DMR for a while. I have a small battery operated system with a Maxon MDM-4424 inside with SRF. It’s effectively a waterproof field deployable repeater with 50 watts of power. You can get a second unit with a cable to link the two so you can operate on VHF and UHF. Something worth checking out, also don’t mind traveling if you would like to field test mine.
DMR makes a lot of sense even for analog users, or users that don’t foresee immediately jumping onto the digital bandwagon. The ability to group various sets of frequencies into user defined zones is powerful, and something that very few low-end analog radios can do. Programming such analog channels into a DMR helps ease the sometimes difficult transition into digital programming, as the user is still working with familiar concepts while simultaneously learning about the CPS in the process. Buying a DMR just to work a local DMR repeater or a personal hotspot is probably the worst way to go, as it entails drinking from a firehose of new concepts, acronyms, and programming complexity. Once you’re full immersed in it, you sort of wonder what all the fuss was about, but it can be intimidating going in cold. I’m looking forward to this series!
Boofwang UV5G Plus can do group. 999 channels.
Yeah, a big reason I got the Retevis RT73 for it's channel capacity. DMR was kind of a bonus to me.
Opengd77 firmware on a rt3s is supposed to be the most painless DMR setup and reasonable price under $100. Haven't tried it myself yet but it should be in the mail in a payday or 2 whenever I can't keep ignoring it 😅.
I installed the mod and it's overall good.
Looks like a great series coming up, DMR and my Anytone are still a mystery to me. Looking forward to the series!
Looking forward to this. To echo what I said earlier: might start a "business" just to do this. If only FCC would allow this legally without owning one. I would work extra hours at work just to pay for the license or even the ability to used that 'e' word that gets some riled up.
Good luck with that. If you file all the paperwork yourself you can actually obtain the commercial license for around $500 USD. The license is good for 10 years, so you can look at it as a 50 bucks per year. The only part outside of the FCC fee is paying a frequency coordinator in your area to help you find a available frequencies in your area.
Your always so Thorough Brother Love your Videos Super Informative 👌
One thing going for the AnyTone 878xxx series is the *insane* battery life when compared to most other ham HTs. Otherwise tons of pros and cons regarding DMR, System Fusion, D-STAR, analog, environment, etc. All depends on the particular use-case. Might also want to touch on the use of Ed Fong rollup antennas to massively extend the range of HTs, especially if you're not depending on repeaters.
Very cool! I think digital modes would be a great fit for emergency comms. Looking forward to the series.
Glad you think so. Stay tuned. It's another tool to add to the toolbox.
I'm definitely interested! Especially with building out your own hardware and potential repeater.
I have experience with the anytone radios not living up to the product descriptions, especially with aprs. The aprs implementation they use works over DMR consistently but not analog. I have no idea how you could utilize that with your own repeater or how you could go about that, but as you said the motorola devices have the features working so I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it all! thanks!
I've only tried analog APRS and I was not impressed. The amount of programming was excessive and man it's a pain to use from the user perspective. There are some serious usability bugs especially when you use it in a high volume packet area. It's nearly unusable on of the nets that I participate in where there are 500 operators checking in during the course of the day.
Looking forward to seeing and hearing your thoughts and plans. Ive been using Kenwood 863g, Motorola xpr 5580e and Anytone 878 for both digital and analog comms. Started out with the Anytone 878 for amateur radio and the Kenwood/Motorola for GMRS.
It's great to hear that you're looking forward to the roadmap. I'm new to the Motorola radios, so I had to lookup the XPR5580e. That looks like the 800/900 MHz. The MOTOTRBO working that I am doing applies to that radio! I hope to catch you on Monday's member stream as we'll dive more into this.
@@TheTechPrepper That Motorola is in the 900mhz band and can operate on 33cm ham. I'm also new to Motorola so there's a lot to learn. As an FYI I also have a "new to me" used Motorola GR1225 UHF (444-474 MHz) Repeater that I picked up at a ham radio swap meet so I've dived into the Motorola deep end. It's sink or swim, lol.
@@czmg22 It can feel that way. I'm all for swimming. While the barrier to entry into Motorola is high, it's worth the pain. Happy Friday.
Good on you for not going on the hamster wheel of DMR. I'm going down the same route and figuring things out as I go with my btech. Thanks again, as always, for the content, brother. 🤙🏽
I have the 878uv and 878uvII. Encryption works on both. You have to update both the firmware and baseband on the UV I and the firmware if using UV II. It is not difficult.
Also the TYT 390 plus I've heard works with AES 256 and is dual band DMR ip68 for $120
Can you explain what you mean by broken implementation of AES-256? Mine interoperate with my Motorola and Hytera radios without issue using encryption. This is the first I'm hearing of this issue with using these all for a few years. Modern Motorola radios are dam near impossible to get AES enablement on them. It took me a long time to get that. How did you get it easily?
The current 3.01N firmware for the D878 UV II Plus uses a hardcoded value for initialization vector (IV). If you sniff enough cipher traffic, you can determine the plain text without needing the key. This is beyond most user's ability, but it is, in fact, insecure and broken, IMHO. I'm also very new to DMR and Motorola, but I'm fortunate that I'm on vacation and have been able to dedicate a lot of time to learning DMR. It also helps that I'm a software engineer, so I don't mind a bit reverse engineering and reading specs to figure this stuff out.
@@TheTechPrepper the current firmware should be 3.02. Just like old WEP with the IV issue I suppose. I wonder if it is fixed. There were some other dumb issues with using AES and the sub channel being on causing all kinds of transmission issues and delays in transmit. I disable sub channel when using AES because of it. I mostly run the Hytera for better support and easy AES use without issues. Moto really sucks for anything other than large gov users.
@@jhalscott Thanks for the additional details. Wait until you see what I built using ARS, LRRP and TMS for the MotoTRBO radios. It may change your mind.
@@TheTechPrepper I want to believe, but Motorola is super difficult to use for the consumer, or even most businesses, which is why we primarily use Hytera. It took me years to build a system where I could actually get proper support and software etc. from Moto. The future is open protocols layered on top of SDRs which is why Anytone and it's various OEM variants for Radioddity, BFTech, etc. are rapidly growing. Motorola is good for centrally setting up large gov services, but overly complex and difficult for the 99% plus of this community. T-Rex Arms had a series of DMR and radio videos and they essentially abandoned Moto for the same reasons.
Really looking forward to this series.
Stay tuned. More good stuff coming.
You've got my interest.
I've always avoided DMR because the networking/repeater use seems to me like a glorified Skype-Walkie-Talkie. I never considered simplex use.
It can all be done without internet,it is cheaper and easier with it.
Excellent. I'm really enjoying the utility for local simplex. I have no intention of getting a hotspot and connecting it to the Internet. Stay tuned!
I just want to make sure we're clear, you don't NEED networking or repeaters for dmr. That's some nonsense the Feng gang was pushing to scare folks away from quality comms
Yeah id imagine a digirig works for many radios
Some DMR like the TYT 390 Plus offer encryption. I think that is the reason I went that route. FCC rules do not apply in a SHTF situation.
I can not for the life of me find a good video about getting a FCC license for a business. I am looking to do the same things but can not find the steps to do so.
The process was pretty painless. It's the topic of a future video. It required a little bit of money, but not bad when you consider that your license is good for 10 years and that you can legally run encryption now.
@@TheTechPrepper that would be awesome to see that video be made. I want to get that setup asap.
Why would you want to do that ?
@@goosecouple why wouldn't i?
@@goosecouplelegally running encrypted comms.
Loving the new series! Very cool seeing DMR used as more than a gimmick.
That's why I avoided it for the last two years. I have no interest in connecting my radio to the Internet. I hope you enjoy the rest of the series.
I subscribed. I am looking forward to this series. Love the content. Keep up the good work. 73
The SE Texas Amateur Club did a Boy Scout Jamboree/,Merit Badge GOTA station in Houston.
Somebody brought an AT handi, DMR hotspot, HS battery, and a cell. Was able to connect with Scouts world wide with his station. Never saw a HS station in operation. Impressed.
The MOTO radio. Guess it is OK. And long in the tooth. Can you get the thing fixed? Or they've like Sherman tanks?
Looking forward to this series. Should be a good one. Would love to see full repeater system build out. Also interested to see how these used Motorolas work out.
I am working on the repeater system now.
I've been enjoying your adventures into DMR. I only use it in the public safety world currently, however, I'm liking the text messaging and such so I may be picking up a few Motorola radios to do some work with.
Surely for prepping you would need the largest audience possible.
The largest safe and loyal audience possible I think… ?
Have you done any experimentation with the Retivis RT-29 for "semi-secure" comms? They have a "scramble" feature. Not a true encryption, but also not something a $20 baofeng could decipher.
Baofeng makes a DMR radio... its pretty cheap too. But my Retevis does 220 and DMR Digitaly Encrypted :)
So enjoy what you are doing. Very interesting stuff.
Glad you enjoy it!
Great video. Do you have or have made any videos on which Panasonic toughbook you recommend and why? I recently bought a hotspot and enjoying DMR. Do you have a DMR repeater in your area thats on Brandmeister? Would be cool if we could connect and talk. I'm up here in Vancouver BC.....73s VA7LFD
Yes. Here's the video that you are looking for: Panasonic FZ-M1 Toughpad - SHTF Gear Series
ruclips.net/video/J3Rn-mCMfU0/видео.html
However, I'm now also running the iKey keyboard with it. An update video is needed.
Hope you knock these series out fast with todays climate...
Random question....what picture frame are you using for your Yaesu world map and what are the dimensions
Would investing in some Baofeng DM-5R’s still count as a good break from the prepper thuggery? They’re a combo of Radioddity guts with Baofeng function.
Would love to know your thoughts! This was actually a newbie option I looked into this week prior to this video, so great timing!!
There were a few points I think Gaston was making that fall under this label, but one of them was the fact that a relatively large number of people have been able to acquire analog radios that operate in the GMRS, FRS, MURS, and Ham bands. With this fact, his point was that achieving obscurity from these people is possible by using a digital mode which is far less common. So its not about who makes the radio internals in this case, but is instead about the mode of operation being a less common mode - in his case DMR simplex. The Baofeng DM-5r could fit into this category, since it supports a digital mode. However, if you dig deeper there are multiple reasons to avoid this particular radio. A Baofeng DM-1701 would be a better choice at $100, but the used Motorola 6550 shown at $120 would be a vastly better choice for the use case described.
Please make the video about how you got your fcc business license
Love your videos, just out of interrst do you guys have access to Tetra over in your neck of the woods ?, a couple of fellow colleagues & I are running both DMR & Tetra for the very same reasons that you are ( for securitt for when / if things goes south ).
We've made a map up that we all have a copy of that we have drawn Grids Squares onto & have given thoes grids squares non recognizable names so that if things go to hell in a hand basket we can revert to either DMR & / or Tetra & refer to map locations as the grid square non recognizable names.
We all come from "Operational" backgrounds so Tx's will be kept to a bare minimum with no names used over the air, ww have even developed a rehashed alphabet & numeric table so as to be able to give out phn No.'s & names without it making any sense to anyone else.
Yes I know not quiet legal during peaceful times but in times of "National Emergency" no rules apply.
Regards
Wayne. P.
My Anytone also suck but shout out hytera for picking up the slack in DMR
Does the SMS messaging require the other radio to be on the same frequency to receive the message in simplex?
Yes, it does.
@The Tech Prepper Can Kenwood radios do what you are talking about as far as the texting and micro-networking? Specifically the NX5200's?
What would you recommend for a DMR 50w mobile unit?
I have not made a decision. I am evaluating the AnyTone D578 and couple of the mobile units.
This is one of the series I am looking forward too. I also have been looking to leverage the features of DMR for prepping/SHTF.
I have DMR then i went to 900 p25 Digital much more private.. using Motorola 1500 hand held.
I Houston, I would say DMR is in second place in digi to VARA FM. But fitst as a voice mode.
Other sustems like Icom and Yeasu DV are de facto dead in the H-Town area.
looking forward to this series! Always thought digital was the way to go, I have a Motorola 900x hoping I can use it for a test case.
Hope you enjoy it! I've jumped to really advanced bits on Motorola side. I can't wait to share it.
12:23 please talk about your business license, im actually studying security management in grad school (am broke because of it lol), but ive considered eventually starting a security company and having it use the 878 (ive had 2x for years)
Basically for an ERT, ive seen downright stupid practices by companies on linkedin including companies posting pictures of their UV5Rs and calling themselves security professionals who are communications experts lol id prefer to not make similar mistakes
Love my anytome 878 yes you can do encrypted but you messages are not now using a Motorola xts 2500 or 5000 you can do encryption on your business aes 256 no issues and messages can be sent as well on encrypted channel p25 is your most secure way to go. Yes any newer p25 scanner will be able to pick up p25 and dmr dmr can be unencrypted very easy with sdr software. Even tho it’s supposed to be aes 256 anytome that will work with mototurbo
New subscriber here. I got my license in 2011, but simply dropped out of the hobby because of elderly parents and sibling. I have now reentered mainly because of the state of the world and wanting to be prepared in an area, communication and computers, that I feel I can add some value in case things go south. So, I am enjoying your sites and have watched many. I have a FT857D that I bought in 2011 for all the reasons that you have shared. I have an F60R simply because it is a tank and I can't break it. I am in the process of putting together a manpack and hope to be back operational in the near future. I do have one question. In case of and EMP or GMD, how could we protect our gear from being fried. Or, is that really a scenario that we need to be concerned with. I could build a faraday room, but it seems that would be a difficult proposition continuously deal with. I could also buy multiple radios, but that tends to be an expensive proposition. Since you are doing a lot of research and testing in the off grid communication, I would like to have your opinion. Thanks, Keith Finch
Welcome back, Kieth. This topic likely requires a video. There are a couple of EMPs scenarios.
The recent solar storm, even at G5, turned out to be non issue as it only really impacts infrastructure with long running wires or metal that acts as electrical inductors. This includes long electrical lines, transmission lines, pipelines and railroads. As a precaution, I just disconnected my radios from the antenna and the electrical AC main. My understanding is that the grid operators are the ones that need to handle these events, but downstream users, like us, are only likely to experience secondary impacts like a powe outage.
As for an EMP caused by a low altitude nuclear blast, that is a different story. I tend to be a realist and don't go overboard. Here's what I do:
1. I reserve my older radio gear, electronics, solar charge controllers, and batteries with a BMS as candidates for EMP protection. I call this my tier two gear.
2. I remove anything that can act as an inductor like the HT antennas and remove them. I also remove the battery.
3. These components go into individual EMP bags.
4. Lastly, I put all of those into a larger EMP duffle bag.
It's not perfect, but according to the literature it should be effective.
There's just not enough juice for the squeeze to build a giant Faraday cage.
Take a look at the empdoctor on RUclips. I plan on trying some Faraday fabric for protecting the generators. Doing this on the vehicles is too much of a daily headache.
I hope this helps.
@@TheTechPrepper Thanks for the reply. Good ideas. I will check empdoctor out. I will also continue to watch. KF5MBR
Baofanf uv 390 pluse . Can you talk about this radio ?
You mention a business license for operating encryption modes legally. Can you expound on that a little? I am interested and would like to know what steps I would need to take ... :)
Good content thus-far. Awaiting delivery of my Anytone AT-D878UVII PLUS (best option for DMR give the price-point and what I could find so far). May upgrade to something a bit more "beefy" down the road, but will have the 878 as a starting point.
I covered this on the member live stream. The easiest path is just to contact an LMR dealer in your area and have them handle it for you for one fee and per your requirements. That's what I did as I have no time.
@@TheTechPrepperThanks! Just sub’d to your YT channel, as I’m getting back into doing HAM stuff, learning how to USE the tools to supplement my outdoors time and a business I’ve had for a few years that relies on outdoors, stealth & comms.
878 on the charger now! FW update later, then programming channels & zones (AHAM). Will have to research DMR programming (I do believe you have a video on that 😁).
I have licensed VHF and UHF frequencies for nationwide and 120 km local coverage and have authorization for 13 different types of emissions. We use DMR with full digital encryption most of the time and the system works much better than any hamster system.
This is exactly how you do it. Nice work.
Motorola radios require using expensive Motorola programming software.
That Anytone can be MARS-modded to work on MURS/GMRS/FRS/Dot/Marine freqs and when combined with its AES-256 encryption key capability & free programming software, a pair of them will be really useful when things go sideways in order to ensure no one is listening in.
Actually, you can legally obtain Motorola CPS free of charge now right down to the 25 KHz entitlement. All you need to do is register for an account with Motorola. The process can take a few weeks.
Motorola DTR radios use 900 ISM bands license free.
They use digital voice and text with public channels similar to FRS/GMRS. Also private & group calls with encryption.
All transmissions use Frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS). Easy to program in CPS, rugged , cheap and easy to repair.
No SDR nor base/mobile can decode these modulations.
Can you point to online resources to do further discovery on this option?
I think it's a simple chip install/swap to decode those transmissions? Am I correct?
Nope. Decoding digital frequency hopping with encoded private groups for voice or text is next to impossible without the algorithms and long term monitoring
@egillis214 but is it hardware or software that encrypts the digital voice? I'm pretty sure it's both that work in conjunction with each other.
DMR isnt terrible to get into but its def a learning curve coming from Analog and P25 (ASTRO/ASTRO25). The biggest things is have the Digital Contacts and then Color Codes and Time Slots
Making the jump from analog to digital is not too bad if you understand the basics concepts that you described. There's also a simple logical approach to configuring the radio in the customer programming software. I'll cover this in the next video. It will be from the perspective of someone how just went through this initial learning process. Thanks.
I’m not familiar with business licensing and would like to hear about it in detail. Does one have to have a registered business to actually qualify? My assumption is that these “legal” inscription capabilities are still vulnerable to state actors otherwise they would not allow the public to have access.
Is the programming software for these DMR radios readily available?
Can you suggest a Panasonic tough book model that will meet all the pepper needs and not cost 4000.00?
great stuff. id encourage you to check out the btech 6x2- it offers all the same capabilities for half the price, which in my mind makes them handout/disposables. they arent as rugged as a motorola or hytera, but id argue are the uv5r of dmr.
That's a good point. I actually found an interesting feature in the Motorola MOTOTRBO radios that allows for networking the radio over RF using IP networking. With this feature, I'm able to do something interesting things with some custom software. I'll do a demo a few videos out.
@@TheTechPrepper oh no doubt. to be clear, i meant all the same capabilities as the 878.
Very interested. From Australia
Cheers from across the pond!
Cool to see the FT-270 there in the beginning. I had picked one up cheap and had much better success doing 2M packet and Vara with it compared to any of my VX handhelds. I suspect it has something to do with the fact its a 2m only rig, doesnt have wide RX, etc.
Where could one find the CPS for the XPR 6550?
5:20 -- just when you finish talking about how you're trying to reduce the risk of monitoring by the wider audience by using obscurity, you then go and choose the most ubiquitous digital mode. So within the digimode world, you have the widest possible audience of eavesdroppers. If you really cared about being niche, you'd choose DSTAR, because it's most prohibitively expensive in an HT.
Yes, DStar is more obscure, but there is no support for encryption. Also, there are some very powerful features in Motorola DMR implementation. I'm moving towards the MotoTRBO line.
Hello can you used this Panasonic touchpad to program radios
Absolutely. I dedicate a small Windows partition on my Toughpad for the purpose of using various programming software for programming my radios.
So can't you set a CTCSS Tone to hide when using Baofeng?
Boofwangs are for handing out to the neighbors. The Motorolas go to the Boys and the family.
XTS, XPR, and the Holy Grail APX
That's what I have mine for (and barter.) It's the only reason why I pick up a pair every once in awhile along with extra antennas for it.
You're dead on. I actually switched to handing out inexpensive MURS radios from Retevis with no front panel and 5-channels. You can get upwards of 5 units per $100 USD. Simple is what I want for the neighbors.
hey if the price is right I might buy it from you!
Don't forget about nxdn. Low barrier to entry, high barrier to monitor
If you ever need any software or a code plug to go by with either p25 or anytone. Code plug. Also if you have your ham license while your able to by a hot spot and use dmr learn dmr world i listen to isrealas well as Pakistan, Egypt, Syria, and Russia, even though I cannot speak the language, I use my phone to do the translation, and it is very interesting what you will hear on the Russian DMR
My personal issue with upgrading my Feng Gang radio is that none of my buddies are willing to train skills with cheap radios. I'm convinced they will not use better radios either.
How does the LMR licensing scheme work? One license can cover who and how many???
I'll cover this in a future video and walk you through the process that I went through. Personally, mine is shared-use of 5 UHF frequencies, covers 28 km, and covers everyone in my business or anyone doing work with the business. I'm also tied to specific emission types that allow for digital voice and data encryption.
yea the anytone costs to much ,,,so i went with the Retevis RB25 ,,,,,,no screen but its only $40 and is 10watts ,,,, and digital mode NBRE < retevis own DMR version !!! ,, so to listen u would need the same radio , talke group and code,, and it even has encryption ,,,,,,so someone would need an SDR ,,, that can some how work out the digital signal with out a plugin and then decrypt it LOL , so for the price of an anytone i got like 5 radios with better encryption and get 3-5 miles more distance
I have been following your channel for a while now. I am interested very interested in the path you are on, especially now. I want all the same functionality for the same reasons. I would like to join your buy me a coffee crew so we can talk in more depth. Basically I want to run the same quality gear as if I was still in the Marines but with a business license so I can access this restricted equipment in order to protect my family and community. I live in a small town and would like to strengthen our community through building a strong SHTF plan. We have very highly trained police but only a handful of them and a volunteer fire department. My goal is to augment these services by adding the ability to train likeminded and capable people on the community so we can effectively deal with the shit that is inevitably coming down the line. Look forward to learning more from you and see you for a cup of coffee soon! Maybe we can have a cup over zoom or whatever video chat for a proper intro. BTW I also just signed up for classes in Cybersecurity at Champlain College so as to make sure I can be as proactive as possible for what may come. Looking forward to speaking with you! - JC - OUT
Would a slightly newer radio like the XPR 7550 work similarly with your software etc?
Yes, the XPR 7550 works well. I picked a pair of 7550e UHF models to test. I'm trying to test those with the Bluetooth network interface.
have you changed your thoughts on using the vx6r ? I'm pretty comfortable with my modded version, but I'm open to going another route (DMR)
This is a completely different tool for different applications. I carry both the VX-6R and one of the XPRs (6550 or 7550) as my EDC.
Eeeh I have a xpr7550 don't know what I can do with it, but I have one
Great video
The Ailunce HD1 GPS is waterproof... did you consider that option
Yes. I owned one last year but gave it away when I hit 10K subscribers. I was not ready for DMR at that point.
@@TheTechPrepper Based upon what you have learned since would you consider it now?
@@bradl2636 I would have to re-evaluate it. The rugged factor is huge for me, so it pains me that I sold it. Unfortunately, for this year, I have decided to stick with the gear that I have, so I will not have time re-evaluate it. I already made a very large investment in time and money on the 878.
@@TheTechPrepper I’m only recently aware of the Ailunce and 878 so will follow your journey. The Ailunce seems very “Motorola-like” if that makes sense? I assume both units would be fine for private business license frequency use?
I would absolutely love for Yaesu to release an updated VX-6. GPS and C4FM, maybe some other things. (I would like DMR but Yaesu ain't gonna do that)
5:30 - Interesting that you went with a digital voice mode to avoid the FM Baofeng army based on increased cost providing an additional barrier to entry and the security through obscurity of digital voice, but then you chose DMR because it's more of a standard. When I was choosing radios for my local group 5-6 years ago, I deliberately chose Yaesu System Fusion as the LEAST popular digital voice mode to reduce the potential eavesdroppers.
There's is a broader strategy. I don't plan on using voice. I a proof-of-concept of out-of-band AES-256 cryptography built on top of the MotoTRBO. This is just for the first video. You can't do over-the-air networking with any of the amateur radio digital protocols.
@@TheTechPrepper - I should have withheld my comment until watching the entire video series. 😀
You'd alluded to that in previous videos. Looking forward to seeing where this goes. It's been quite a journey so far, and now it's heading away from Hamster Station, and that's fine by me. It *really* bugs me that we can't have secure private communications but our government can. My town was one of the many that got the DHS block grant to upgrade their COM systems and now they're all using mil-spec spread spectrum digital encryption... including the garbage trucks.
@@Liberty4Ever No worries. I typically have a very deliberate plan with my gear selections. It's hard to cram the entire vision into one video. Stay tuned. I looked at both C4FM and DStar, but when I saw some of the LMR applications for DMR, I felt that DMR would serve both the amateur radio and commercial needs at the same time.
@TheTechPrepper : Do/Can the Motorola's create a mesh network free from the internet?
I do not believe that the MOTOTRBO line supports mesh networking, but I am still new to the LMR and Motorola scene.
@@TheTechPrepper Sweet, Thanks. I'm trying to get into radios/HAM and want to learn where I can spend the few pennies I have wisely. I greatly appreciate your videos and channel!
sooo.. does DMR work through SATCOM?
Negative. It's simplex, through a repeater or through a hotspot (via the Internet). I've only used mine for short range simplex.
What is the barrier on programming thoso motorollas assuming i want to do simplex and local DMR repeaters ?
CPS2 if free from MOL. Just need to get a radio and cable. Outside of that the only thing you need to worry about is Entitlements for various options you may want
It's much higher than ham radio, but doable if you're up for some extra work. Motorola is now making the Customer Programming Software (CPS) available free of charge. A few people in my group have gone through the process of registering for an account, obtaining CPS and even getting things like the 25 KHz entitlement so that they can use these radios for analog use. Be warned, it's a process and not for everyone. Again, I'm in this to find the best tool for the job.
Does baofeng have dmr radios I think they do
Lmfao the Gang bangers in phoenix rocking baofengs Never seen a Gang Banger Use Any radio Bro 😂 5:00
So what exactly are you prepping for i find a lot of people really don't have a clue what they will be getting themselves into if what yhey think they are preparing for happens
If you've seen more than a few of my videos, you'll notice that I set out to solve real world problems using a methodical approach. I see many issues in modern society that have the potential to be much larger problems in the near future. I've covered these scenarios in a number of member live streams.
@@TheTechPrepper ok I will go check them out I found this video looking for info on digital radios
I hope I didn't sound like a ass that was not my intention
But I have found myself in several situations over the years where just finding shelter food and water took a lot of time and energy. But I see a lot of these people who want to plan for the end of the world and think they are going to sit around and talk on a radio
@@seandrake7534 It sounded like that a bit. I appreciate you clarifying. You may be interested in this reality check video where I seriously questioned the prepper dream of retreating to the woods: ruclips.net/video/XP1Z67b7D24/видео.htmlsi=JaiZjkED986AviPr
Dmr sounds like Donald Duck 🦆 and when out of range you ll sound like R2D2 😅
Great Stuff
question, can you use ham radio without license as long as you dont bother anyone else?
Negative. You can't transmit without a license. Listening is fine without a license.
@@TheTechPrepper but is there a way they can detect me if i just talk with my brother on the other end and dont use or bother any other channel? Like they cant smell my license just like that right?
Mototurbo also does aes 256
Yes and no. They refuse to allow AES 256 on the XPR series to push end users to other Moto radios. Outside of US, AES is available 🤷🏻♂️
@@otakurj unless things changed when i worked for Motorola it was things change tho but i know the ones we had was
If anyone needs software let me know Iv got tons and im not like most ppl that will say go google it