I was learning DMR wrong! Here's why

[@airborneranger187]

I'm really glad to see you covering "lessons learned" both positive and negative. A lot of the time, the most lessons learned come from our failures, not our successes. On the learning and proficiency journey, the hardest thing to even say to ourselves, never mind an audience , is "I was wrong" but it's also the most valkuable.

[@TheTechPrepper]

You're welcome. That's what this channel is all about. I am glad that I did not throw in the towel early. The AnyTone 878 still has a few shortcomings for me, but it has enough features to make it worth keeping.

[@tomsmall6220]

Really appreciate the DMR info. The options seem endless, and having a little direction has been helpful. Thanks for sharing your work. 👍

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad it was helpful! It was my pleasure. This channel is about sharing the ride. Have a good one.

[@rkaag99]

one techy (comp-sci degree from the 80's) to another...wait until you set up your own DMR server; then replace the internet with your own mesh/RFWAN. This rabbit hole goes deep. Be well! 73

[@TheTechPrepper]

I can imagine. That will be a rabbit hole for another year.

[@rkaag99]

@@TheTechPrepperlet me know if i can help . There's tons of info out there.

[@hambilly-radio]

I learn something new about DMR and the Anytone 878 just about every time I watch a video like this. It’s such a highly customizable radio! Thanks for sharing about learning DMR wrong - I learned something.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to to hear it. It's always great when you can walk away with a new lesson. I almost gave up on this radio, so it was great to have that eureka moment and approach DMR radios differently than the traditional amateur radios. Have a good one.

[@SeparateSpectre]

Love the transparency, progress updates, and even the information about the helpful accessories you're working on. "How I (Really) Got Here"-type content is rare these days on YT. And learning any new CPS or radio paradigm is never a small undertaking!

[@TheTechPrepper]

I'm glad to hear it. If I'm frustrated, I'm sure that others are, too. The time to share it is when it's fresh in your mind.

[@SeparateSpectre]

@@TheTechPrepper Precisely. Such videos needn't be overly polished/produced, just honest, cogent presentations of the lessons you learned. Good stuff!

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@SeparateSpectre Hey, that's why I am a point-and-shoot KZbinr using a simple GoPro. I am too busy for all the fancy Hollywood editing. Glad to hear that the low production works.

[@Swamp-Fox]

Commercial CPS is in a different league than amateur radio programming software. With the flexibility to customize the way the radio functions comes additional complexity. A programmer who also understands what the end user does with the equipment is a valuable resource.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Exactly right. In this case, the configuration complexity is a feature.

[@JohnRobertsJR]

Love all of the field cards! Thanks

[@TheTechPrepper]

You're welcome. If you go back through the older member posts on BMAC, I similar cards for the Yaesu VX-6R and few other radios.

[@candyman__87]

Fully agreed... I've been swearing at Anytone CPS for years and keep going back to DSTAR for DV. The problem is the same as you, I'm approaching it as a ham, and not a commercial radio operator.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I was swearing up and down for the last two months and was about to sell the 878. Resetting my expectations with the DMR radios did the trick. Good luck. It will get easier.

[@Eric-W0EDG]

Good video and points. In my area there is the fleetmap and sample codeplugs that are maintained by a small group of volunteers. Some of those volunteers do radio fleet management professionally as well. But we still encourage people to learn their own radios and how to customize them to their own needs.

[@TheTechPrepper]

That is a wonderful service your local community. That's exactly the way it should be done. I am doing the same thing with the locals in my area. Thanks for sharing.

[@kc8owl]

Having the function field cards to use with commercial radios is a must-have in my opinion. You covered the multitude of function buttons on the AnyTone, but the other commercial radios are in the same boat. Think about the XPR7550 - it has 2 function buttons on the front and three more on the side. Each can do a long and short press. I usually use one or 2 frequently (like scan for example) and the rest infrequently (like talk around). Similar on the XTS series - 3 side buttons, a concentric switch, and an A/B/C switch on top. The cards are a must-have.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Field cards are coming for the XPR line next year. If you're a BMAC member and have the Motorola XPR 3500, 6550, or 7550, you're in luck.

[@timreasoner3744]

Key take away, make communications and your radio your own!! Great vid Gaston!!

[@TheTechPrepper]

I guess this could have been a 10-second video. ;-)

[@Davo759]

I love that you can configure the 878 all the way down to the display format. Can simplify it all the way down. I have it set up as zone for analog, encrypted, and reg DMR. The display I do channel name and zone and power level. Then side button cycles power level, and the button on top cycles between displaying the channel name or the frequency. I primarily use it for simplex

[@TheTechPrepper]

I like your configuration. It was great a "aha moment"...DMR radios are not like traditional amateur radios! Take the time to learn the complicated software and feature set, then customize the radio for how you need to use it. Cheers to another DMR simplex user.

[@Davo759]

@@TheTechPrepper allot of the info you find on DMR is centered around amateur use. For me it's just a good way to get a secure HT. On simplex I'll use "promiscuous" mode on RX and "allcall" on TX so I can hear all traffic on the channel and any HT on the channel that's dmr will hear my traffic. It's an easy way to do it so you don't have to make a group call with every persons radio id

[@Bluescout612]

Great points I really like your use of cards

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad you like them! More on the way.

[@thebnbaldwin]

Good video as always Gaston. The Anytone radios are the Swiss Army knife of radios, similar to the TH74D. These days you have to be 50% IT and 50% radio tech/operator do the more technical things associated with amateur radio comms.

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

True, but it was also true 100 years ago. Personal radio use (for some) has always been about expanding your limits and knowledge.

[@thebnbaldwin]

There was no computer when we were plugging TX/RX crystals in for frequency and reeds for PL tones. 😂

[@TheTechPrepper]

They are indeed a Swiss Army knife. If this thing had a similar case design as the VX-6R and bit more attention to quality control on the firmware side, this would be perfect. There's an idea! Are there any industrial material engineers that would be up for a project to design a new ruggedized case for the 878? Honestly, I do not know how non-technical people navigate the current radio scene.

[@the_mad_swimbaiter455]

Thanks for the guidance and cards my friend. I feel as though I'm not using my 878 to its full capacity lol. I mostly use it on my Hotspot at home to talk to guys in my club lol. Yes, the exact opposite of what you use yours for hi hi!

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's my pleasure. My failure is the community's win. I still have to dedicate some time to review all the options in the CPS. I am sure that I'll customize a few more things coming out of that exercise. Stay tuned for more notes and updated field cards next year. Hey, these radios are tools. It should be tailored for your needs. If you need your to talk to the Internet through a hotspot, do it. Cheers, bud.

[@the_mad_swimbaiter455]

@@TheTechPrepper its great, from that short video i realized i could monitor 2 talkgroups and ptt on both! Before, i had it set to only display one channel instead of dual, lol. Great lessons all around.

[@the_mad_swimbaiter455]

@@TheTechPrepper its great, from that short video i realized i could monitor 2 talkgroups and ptt on both! Before, i had it set to only display one channel instead of dual, lol. Great lessons all around.

[@TK-Radio-Adventures]

Commercial programming is a different mindset forsure. I love programming different types of radios to see what each radio can do. You're right. The amature side doesn't have as many options on the software side. I haven't programmed an anytone radio, but the tyt dmr radios are programmed similar to how you program a motorola. Definitely some head scratching at times, but i love it.

[@TheTechPrepper]

That's the attitude. With this new mindset, I am actually looking forward to exploring all the features in the CPS and understanding what is possible. The iteration of the customizations are something to look forward to now. Cheers.

[@TK-Radio-Adventures]

@TheTechPrepper it is a rabbit hole, and it goes deep, but it sure is a fun one.

[@jgaffney6]

Thank You K4YNA

[@PowderMill]

I LOVE + HATE AnyTone . Great radios, but definitely NOT rugged. They need to add MDC signaling for analog comms and it should be migrated into a larger and RUGGED housing. It’s still a bit flakey, especially with scan functions , but I love the dual-band (+fm receiver / + weather vhf RX) and the new USB-C chargeable batteries are a real game changer. (not as fast as Motorola or Hytera, but fine if you have charged spares)

[@TheTechPrepper]

Same here. I wish the AnyTone 878 and 578 had better build quality and an IP67 rating. At least they're multi-band, unlocked, and easier to program than the Motorola's. I have a few XPR 6550's and 7550e's. Thanks for the view and welcome to the channel.

[@Khakihacker]

Hi Tech Prepper, I’ve been following your page for a bit. Just got my own Baofeng and working on my amateur license. Do you have any documentation or a video on how to properly setup radios for a group, say your Prepper team of 5 friends in the same town. I am trying to get my family setup in an easy way. We would have to communicate within a 20m radius. Any help or guidance would be appreciated.

[@DonzLockz]

Great info Gaston. Why didnt you tell me this when I bought my 878 a year ago? 😂👍🍻

[@TheTechPrepper]

I would have, but I only recently opened the 878 and 578 boxes a couple months ago. They were purchased last November, but kept I them in a drawer as I knew that I did not have time to learn DMR. Better late, than never. ;-)

[@KS0JD]

The BTECH DMR-6X2 might be a cheaper alternative. I know the Anytone 878 has a better support model. Just a thought to pass along. 73

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for passing this along. Do you know if the AES-256 encryption is compatible across the AT-878 and BTech DMR-6X2? I use this radio with my business license now. 73

[@KS0JD]

@@TheTechPrepper I think it uses what they call extended encryption. Not sure if that is the same.

[@danielbachleda8150]

Anyone know anything about the Tidradio DP738?

[@henryslab]

Are you still changing out the 878 for the mototrbo 6556?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Negative. I have an FCC business license and need encryption. The 878 is much easier and cost effective to get going with encryption. These 6550s are going to be donated to my CERT group later in the year as I built some custom command and control software that allows tracking of deployed resources in the field.

[@gregrush6570]

I haven't seen any updates to your EmComm software development lately. Seems like forever. Is there anything new to share? I would love to see an update video to the latest video on this software tool to what has been developed in the months since.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I switched to doing updates just on the member streams due to time constraints. Occasionally, I've been dropping KZbin Shorts and Instagram posts. There's too much to cover in a single comment. Thanks for the interest.

[@markh2715]

sweet o/u shotgun

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks. It's just an entry level CZ US Teal in 16 gauge.

[@billgarand5663]

Sweet 16 FTW

[@ke8mattj]

Just curious: what sidearm are you using @1:30? As far as the video...yeah, I'm finding it hard with just DMR radios. Just checking one box in the CPS can sometimes change a lot of functionality and mess up a lot of things. I think we've been spoiled a bit as hams.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glock 17 Gen 3. My next step is to spend an afternoon and inspect every dialog, tan and settings. It would good to have a survey of what's possible.

[@ke8mattj]

@@TheTechPrepper Nice. It's definitely one of the most popular 9mms.

[@ChrisRomp]

Doesn’t the key lock on the Yaesu VX-6 also have different options for how it behaves? Not much different than the 878 IMO.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I am not sure about that as I have always fully programmed the VX-6R by hand from the front panel and then cloned it. I'll have to dive into the RT Systems software and take a look.

[@ChrisRomp]

@@TheTechPrepper I got around to checking: It's on page 20 of the manual, menu option 35, "LOCK": Key - front panel keypad locked Dial - top dial locked K+D - Key and dial (default) PTT - Locks PTT K+P - Keypad and PTT D+P - Dial and PTT ALL - Everything locked

[@antenas]

Tinha o que era bom Motorola para rádio que não tem qualidade

[@floid33556]

This has nothing to do with DMR.

[@JohnSmith-uy7sv]

Congratulations. I know as much as I learned in the first few seconds as I do now at the end. Just heard about this, this evening and what is up with this junk. I guess this is what our local fire departments and S.O. have all switched to because it is state wide for all agencies. I would need a college degree and some really good drugs... that I've never taken in my life. This makes no sense to me at all and what it is about..I loved my old cb radio. Who needs to do so much talking? is everyone a spy and the end of the world is near? I would want to know how to program my own radio. If I could not program my own radio and set it up, then it would be no good to me.

[@joecizin9357]

👍👍🚀🚀

[@zac_in_ak]

Tell me you didn’t read your manual without telling me you didn’t read the manual😂 to be fair I’m the nerd in my group who reads everything

[@TheTechPrepper]

AnyTone has a manual, but it only covers about 1% of the functionality. It's the complete opposite of what I'm used to coming from Yaesu radios.

[@zac_in_ak]

@@TheTechPrepper fair my VX6R manual is pretty beefy. Most of my Chinese radios have a pamphlet disguised as a manual

[@zac_in_ak]

​@@TheTechPrepper of the DMR hts do you like the anytone?

[@palehorse7377]

first thing you do is find someones ID and put that into your radio

[@vitogriffin8902]

Really shouldn't carry a radio on the shoudler strap. While it seems convenient, it's a terrible place for a radio to be.

[@TheTechPrepper]

This is the only way to run it with the current pack and belt setup. This position prevents an eye hazard.

[@vitogriffin8902]

@@TheTechPrepper for what you're doing, walking around on pretty flat ground with minimal vegetation, it's fine. After quite a bit of trial and error, I prefer to locate them in a position that works for a wide variety of activities and environments, and keep them there. Rock on.

[@mikemcdonald5147]

I would say perception is not reality lol. Here’s why. I can put on a white lab coat, dangle a stethoscope around my neck and hold a scalpel but this does not make me a brain surgeon. Also having a tactical beard, chest rig, Solomon shoes, 5.11 pants, doesn’t make you a navy seal. Hehe. So no perception is not reality. But good video otherwise. Thank you for sharing.

[@TheTechPrepper]

There is something to be said for the importance of a first impression. Many people have commented that they stop using DMR and DMR radios because of the perceived complexity. My point is simply that these DMR radios are complex, but it is by design. If you reset your expectations with this in mind, your experience will be more positive. At least that is my take away from the perspective of a frustrated first-time DMR user.

[@pache2112]

It's a generalization bro! Geez

[@nathanbieber2840]

can you help me find that 878 case? thanks in advance W0NLB