Why Digital Mobile Radio for Preppers? DMR Series

In this video, I'll share with you how I plan to use Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) as a tool for more secure communications. We'll pick on the poor Baofeng UV-5R to make several points on why you may want to consider digital voice communications.

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* XPR6550 Radio: eBay

0:00 Introduction
0:38 How I select my tools
1:45 My reasons for DMR
4:01 What DMR sounds like to a Baofeng
4:20 Why does DMR help increase operation security
6:08 Other features of DMR
7:00 AnyTone D878 UV II Plus
8:58 Motorola XPR6550
9:55 How we are going to learn DMR

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#thetechprepper #dmr #prepper #baofeng

[tomsmall]

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 👍

[charlesm.]

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!

[_Mordion_]

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.

[jevasjunkbox]

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.

[HardcoreFourSix]

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.

[locotico]

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.

[daniellockhart]

Great video! As a ham mostly for preparedness, this is exactly the video about DMR I was looking for.

[jakelightle]

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!

[markt.]

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.

[sockeatinggolden]

Awesome series. I hope you go forward with the business license how to. Thank you!

[AntonioClaudioMichael]

Your always so Thorough Brother Love your Videos Super Informative 👌

[blankreganon]

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.

[brianmcdaniel]

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

[RavenwoodAcres]

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.

[EddieVfgi]

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.

[timreasoner]

Looks like a great series coming up, DMR and my Anytone are still a mystery to me. Looking forward to the series!

[calebbrown]

I subscribed. I am looking forward to this series. Love the content. Keep up the good work. 73

[tomperone]

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!

[TheGeekiestGuy]

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. 🤙🏽

[Stevenwtx]

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.