The CS-700 by CSI is a very capable radio and at a price point of $180 is perfect for someone looking to explore DMR.  The $180 price is only available directly from CSI and only to licensed amateurs.

Another bonus of the CS-700, the USB guts of the programming mechanism are in the radio, not the cable.  So while you fabricate your own cable, I would highly recommend buying one when you order your radio for the whopping price of $5.  Programming software is freely available on the CSI website.  There is a YouTube video on the programming process.  It is quite well done.  You can find it here.  I purchased my radio while on vacation, and downloaded the software from their website.  Following the directions in the video, I had my code plug ready before my radio ever arrived.  My radio was waiting for me when I got home, and I dropped my code plug into it and I was on the air.  This is a bit different because Motorola requires you to read a radio before programming it.  You can’t just create a new file.  This was a welcome change.

For those familiar with the Motorola XPR6500 series, you’ll notice a lot of similarities.  From the startup and power down messages to the tones played for each of those actions.  The menu is practically identical to the 6500 as well.  The radio is not a Motorola, however.

Battery life is good and the radio comes with a drop-in, rapid charger.

The best thing about this radio, is you can get support from a Yahoo Group or directly from CSI.  When I ordered my radio, I spoke directly to Jerry Wanger, CEO.

In my exploration of DMR, I’ve owned the following radios:

Motorola

1. XPR6550
2. XPR4550
3. XPR7550
4. SL7550

Hytera

1. PD362 – For Sale: $275
2. MD782G
3. PD782G

Connect Systems

1. CS700 – Amateur Radio Operator price is $180 direct from CSI.  If you’re a licensed Amateur, do not buy it anywhere else and pay more!

Kirisun

1. DP770

As I get some more experience and use these radios in various ways, I’ll post more about each one.  If you have any questions about a particular radio, I’m happy to answer what I can.

September was a bit of a slow month due to our regular vacation to Gatlinburg, TN and a business trip to South San Francisco.  However even with losing two weeks out of the month I still found some time for experimentation.

DMR, or Digital Mobile Radio, is a new mode that seems to be growing like wild fire.  Others may recognize MotoTrbo which is Motorola’s take on DMR.  While stlll maintaining basic compatibility with non-Moto gear, there are features that may not work when using non-Moto radios with Moto repeaters.  However, I have yet to find any such incompatibilities.

Indianapolis got it’s first DMR repeater online while I was on vacation.  It’s a UHF machine on 441.200+ (Color Code 1) and has fairly good coverage.  As this repeater participates in the DMR-MARC network, it is a Motorola Repeater.  The DMR-MARC Network currently only allows Motorola repeaters (XPR8300, XPR8400, etc.) to join because other manufacturers (Hytera for example) do not have a compatible version of their IP Site Connect.  Additionally the MARC stands for Motorola Amateur Radio Club, so even if a Hytera repeater were compatible, I’m not sure the politic would allow it to join, but there are talks of trying to do just that.

The interesting thing about DMR is that it takes a standard repeater frequency pair and splits it to two time slots via TDMA.  So a stand alone repeater is capable of carrying two simultaneous voice/data channels at one time.  Those times slots can be further split up into talk groups, although only on given talk group can be active at a given time.  The standard offering here in Indiana looks like this:

TS1:

TG1 – Worldwide

TG3 – North Amertica

TG13 – Worldwide English

TG310 – TAC-310

TS2:

TG2: Local

TG719: Eastern Indiana

TG3118: Indiana Statewide

TG3169: Midwest Regional

For this who are carefully playing at home, you’re probably wondering how two time slots and eight talk groups work.  The answer is as you suspect, only one talk group can be active on a time slot at any given time.  So while tie model is a based a bit on over subscription, what I see happening is that the broad contacts are made on TS1 and perhaps then transitioned to TS2.  I’ve been playing with DMR for the last two weeks and have found it enjoyable and rarely have I been “bonked” when trying to use the system.

I’m currently working with several radios including:

Motorola XPR6550 Handheld

Motorola XPR4550 Mobile

Connect Systems CS700 Handheld  (Available to licensed amateurs for $180)

Hytera PD362 Mini Handheld

Hytera MD782G Mobile

Hytera PD782G Handheld (still on it’s way)

Kirisun DP770 Handheld (still on it’s way)

My experience has shown the mode to offer very reliable and good quality voice with great range.  I’ve done a lot of ops from an HT with a stubby duck inside of a car miles from a repeater with great results.

For those of you who might be experimenting, I’m usually monitoring the Local TG2 on the W9AMT repeater.  And in the spirit of things, if you have any questions regarding the mode or specifically any of the radios I’ve worked with, please feel free to let me know.  I’m happy to share what I’ve learned.  I’m also updating my website on a regular basis with my findings.

Let’s hope by this time next month we’d not putting down the HT’s and picking up the snow shovels!

Clearing out my inventory to make room for some new DMR gear.

Wouxun KG-UV6D

Motorola XTS 3K/5K Advanced XTVA

Motorola Saber 2 UHF

Motorola HT-1000 UHF (2)

Motorola DTR 550 (2)

Indianapolis has it’s first DMR repeater online.  W9AMT (441.200+) using Color Code 1.  The repeater is a member of the DMR-MARC world wide network and carries multiple talkgroups across it’s two time slots.  I have eight talk groups programmed into my HT across both time slots.  For reference:

1. TS1/TG1 : DMR-MARC World Wide
2. TS1/TG3 : DMR-MARC North America
3. TS1/TG13 : DMR-MARC World Wide English
4. TS1/TG310 : DMR-MARC TAC310
5. TS2/TG2 : DMR-MARC Local
6. TS2/TG719 : DMR-MARC Eastern Indiana
7. TS2/TG3118 : DMR-MARC Indiana Statewide
8. TS2/TG3169 : DMR-MARC Midwest Regional

My first radio, the Connect Systems CS-700, was ordered while I was still on vacation.  I was able to work out most of the programming so that when i arrived home, all I needed to do was connect the new radio to my laptop and download the radio template that I’d been working on.  I also added the N9CZV systems in Muncie, IN and Lynn, IN.

I chose the CS-700 based upon it’s amateur radio price of $180.  The programming cable was $5 and shipping was $10.  So for $195, I had the radio shipped and ready to rock and roll.  The software and drivers area available on the CSI website.

I suspect that I will expand my DMR inventory over the next few weeks

If you’re interested in DMR, I’m happy to share what I’ve learned as well as details on radios that I have.  Just shoot me an email!

I received an email from ryankd0uyd@outlook.com in response to a wanted ad I posted on eham.net.  After being ask to send an USPS MO to an address in a different state that the QRZ registration, I was immediately suspicious.  In checking QRZ, I noticed a different email address, so I reached out via that address and made contact with the real Ryan.  He confirmed his call had been hijacked and informed me that someone in Canada was taken for ~$200 last week, probably by the same scum bag.
The address where I was told to send the payment is as follows.  After a little googling, it appears that address has been used for other scams:

Maryjo Mellor 
5700 windy gorge street Las vegas, 
Nevada 89149

Potential Scammer warning signs:

• Request to send payment via Western Union
• Request to send payment to a different address than listed on QRZ or FCC ULS
• Use of one of the many free email services (not a conclusive indicator, but when combined with other warning signs, take heed).

 The first half of the month was primarily devoted to putting the final touches on the Raspberry Pi presentation for the Indianapolis Ham Fest.  Both Ed and I finished up the live demos we were going to be presenting and made sure that everything was in order.  I really enjoyed the opportunity to present and look forward to future opportunities.

     Dick McKenna (W9FG) who is a member of the Indianapolis HamFest Association told me that we had ~55 people at the seminar, which was the most of any seminar held that day.  We’ve been ask to consider presenting again next year and were also ask by a few local clubs if we’d be interested in bringing the presentation to their club meetings.  So if we can coordinate schedules the “Meet the Raspberry Pi,” may become, “The Raspberry Pi Road Show!”

     That pretty much wraps up July.  After the HamFest was in the books, life kept me busy for the rest of the month.

     See you next month!

A few months ago, I was approached by members of the Indianapolis Hamfest Association about doing a presentation on the Raspberry Pi at this year’s Hamfest.  Naturally with anything like this, I immediately thought of Ed, my fellow ARRL VE/Technical Specialist.  Today we were called the Ham Radio Mad Scientists of our generation.  As I think about that, I can’t disagree.  Ed and I work very closely together on a regular basis experimenting or trying new things within this wonderful hobby of ours.

That brings us right up to today.  The weeks/months since I was initially ask have flown by and today was the day.  I’m happy to report that what I’m now called, “The Raspberry Pi Road Show,” was a great success.  The road show moniker was adopted as we were as immediately after our presentation about doing it for another Central Indiana Amateur Radio Club.  So it seems we’ll be taking it on the road, which is quite an honor.

Today, we had 55 attendees and the audience remained interested and engaged throughout the entire presentation.  I was a bit surprised at the number of people in the audience who owned a Pi.  That allowed me to quickly move through some of the technical specs of the device and concentrate on the projects that Ed and I have been working on.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ed for his help. We made a great team and it wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun without him.

If by chance, you’ve found yourself here because you were one of the attendees, first off thank you very much for attending.  Over the next few days, both Ed and I will be gathering together the various materials that we used for the projects and making them available both here and on Ed’s website.

Hello July! This year is flying by….

June saw the arrival of a new-to-me service monitor. I picked up an HP 8935 from a vendor I met at the Dayton Hamfest. The 8935 will replace my CT System 2100 and add some much needed functionality to the bench.

My ham radio time last month was centered around two major projects:

1). Continued work on the Raspberry Pi presentation that K3HTK and I will be hosting at the Indy Ham Fest

2). Planning and preparation for the N9AG Field Day activities

The N9AG ran a 4A designation which each station being manned by a club member.  We had a few guests that showed an interested prior to Field Day kicking off, but I think the threat of weather scared most of them off.  As I was loading up the jeep on Saturday morning in the rain, I wasn’t sure how the day was going to play out, all in all, it wasn’t bad.

That pretty much sums it up for this report.

I, along with Ed (K3HTK) are now listed as elmers covering Indiana for the Broadband Hamnet project.  We’ve had some time to play around with the project and are hoping to generate some interest in it and get more people involved to perhaps get a mesh network setup here in Indy.

The issues that I was working with Westmountain Radio on with the RigBlaster Blue were unable to be resolved.  I returned the unit for a refund and will be sticking with SignaLink for my digital mode.

Received the following from the NH Ham with the visually impaired aunt who the N9AG VE Team assisted in her grandfathered upgrade to General:

“Bill, I just wanted to drop you a note and give you a big “thank you!” from me.  The VEs never get enough thanks from the HAM community.  Without new HAMs, the hobby would die out.  You guys make it happen, and you do it on your own time.   You guys honestly make me feel a little guilty.  I should follow your lead and get out there and do a little more work as a mentor, or perhaps a VE.  Anyway, thanks for helping Carmela.  You were kind and helpful way beyond the call of duty!”

I attended the Dayton Hamvention for the very first time, along with K3HTK and K9ZX and of course the XYL.  I had a blast.  We spent our two days outside in the flea market, and still did not get through all of it.  The weather, as those of you who were there know, was less than cooperative.  No major purchased there, but I may have a nice Service Monitor coming soon from a contact I made while there.  Looking forward to next year.

I upgraded my mobile setup to include an IC-7100, which replaced two radios (IC-706MKII and IC-2820).  I’m really liking the IC-7100.  I’ll put some more details together when I have some time and post them on my website (www.nf9k.net).

Beyond that, I was able to get IRLPVCon running on the Raspberry Pi platform.  That particular Pi runs IRLP/EchoLink for my two repeaters.  Thanks to Dave Cameron for putting in the work to convert the package over.

Thats all I have for this report.  73 until next month.