1. A Comparison of Amateur Radio Digital Voice Systems
Presented By:
Mark Kleine N5HZR
SCARS April 2016 Meeting
Originally Prepared By: Roland Kraatz W9HPX
Charlotte Digital Radio Group
The future is digital. It will not replace FM any time soon. NexEdge is too new for us to cover now. 1

2. Topics Digital voice description Technical comparison
Operational features
Programmability
Radio choices
Oklahoma DV repeaters
Information sources
Q & A
Similarities & Differences. Presentation will be more in depth than the QST article, but not cover P25 and NXDN
See p30 April 2015 QST 2

3. What is Digital Voice? Audio to be sent is digitized in the user radio
Digital audio is processed through a vocoder to compress the data and add forward error correction
Data is chopped into uniform length packets
Header data is pre-pended to provide sync bits, routing instructions and user identity
Other data can be interleaved or substituted for the voice to send text, pictures or other files
Digital data modulates an RF carrier 3

4. Packet Structure View
All packetized data, but different structures. 4

5. Tech Spec Comparison
D-STAR
DMR
Fusion
Vocoder (see note)
AMBE+
AMBE+2
Forward Error Corr.
Voice Only
Modulation
GMSK
4FSK
C4FM
Multiplex Method
FDMA
TDMA
Transmission Rate
4.8 kbps
4.8 kbps x 2
9.6 kbps
Bandwidth
6.25 kHz
12.5 kHz
Channels supported 1 2
Standard Developer
JARL
ETSI
Yaesu
ETSI = European Telecommunications Standards Institute, JARL = Japan Amateur Radio League, DSP firmware can be upgraded in the future
GMSK = Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying
4FSK = 4-level Frequency Shift Keying
C4FM = Continuous 4-level Frequency Modulation
FDMA = Frequency Division Multiple Access
TDMA = Time Division Multiple Access
Note: Newer radios implement the vocoder in the DSP chip 5

6. Bandwidth Comparison
D-STAR is narrowest. 6

7. User Identification D-STAR DMR Fusion Registration required? Yes No
User identity
Call sign
Subscriber ID
ID displayed on radio’s display
Subscriber ID*
Other text display options
4 characters
20 characters
Adequate for FCC ID?
Yes†
* Call sign is displayed if the receiving station’s subscriber ID has been programmed in the radio’s contact list; otherwise subscriber ID appears.
† While voice ID is not required by law, it is still a good idea for the benefit of everyone listening. 7

8. Repeater Connect-ability
D-STAR
DMR
Fusion
Talk locally
Yes
Link to another repeater No
Multi-repeater connection
Reflectors
Talk Groups *
WIRES-X Rooms
Selection method
UR entry
Channel Dial
Room name or number
Direct Route to another ham
Echo test
Request link status
Call sign routing is rarely used in the US because gateways (G2, ircDDB, Quadnet) don’t cross communicate.
* “Reflectors” in Europe. 8

9. Radio Operating Features
D-STAR
DMR
Fusion
Memory selection
Dial or GPS search
Key Press
Dial
Repeater connection selection
Key press
Mode selection method
Memory stored
Key press *
Radio programming complexity
Difficult/Easy ◊
Difficult
Easy
Newbie learning curve
Steep
Fairly easy
User manual pages
425 (ID-51)
65 (CS-700)
340 (FT-2DR)
Newer radios are more complex; therefore more manual pages.
* Fusion radios have AMS (automatic mode select)
◊ Older D-STAR radios are more difficult to program. Newer ones are pre-programmed, but must be updated as repeaters change. 9

10. Narrow – Good Wide - Very Good
Signal Readability FM
D-STAR
DMR
Fusion *
Voice naturalness
Very Good
Good
Narrow – Good Wide - Very Good
Signal noise
Varies
None
Sync robustness
N/A
Fair
Sync recoverability
Poor
Best
* Fusion has two bandwidth voice modes. Wide sounds slightly better than narrow.
Sync robustness is the tendency to fall out of sync
Sync recoverability is the ability to recover sync quickly
The opinions shown here are highly subjective. Your opinion may differ.
Voice quality suffers every time you digitize and compress voice data. 10

11. Networking Characteristics
D-STAR
User controlability – substantial
Networking options – G2, D-Plus, ircDDB
Innovation ability – many efforts and accomplishments
DMR
Centrally controlled structure – inflexible
Networking options – c-bridge, hytera
Innovation ability – limited, but not impossible
Fusion
Yaesu controlled servers – inflexible
Networking options – WIRES-X
Innovation ability – limited, but hams are just getting started
For the end user, it’s the “networking system” that really make the difference in the protocols from the end user perspective. Systems built for commercial or Public Safety are optimized for their use of simple turn the dial and talk. Systems built for Amateur Radio are optimized for our use - programmability. As such, Amateur systems use call signs, allow repeater linking, and are “operated” by the end users. Commercial systems use subscriber identifiers, channels instead of linking, and are “operated” by Administrators.
Problem is there are too many options and reflectors/rooms 11

12. DMR Network Topology

13. Oklahoma DMR Topology
All 17 Oklahoma repeaters route through a Rack Space housed open source bridge
Oklahoma repeaters routes through Kansas K0USY C- Bridge
Since all of Oklahoma is on one bridge port, the 'PTT' channel actions are shared. One person kerchunks a channel and the whole state hears it.

14. D-Star Programming

15. System Fusion Programming

16. DMR Programming Frequency – Oklahoma all UHF (VHF is available)
Color Codes (Like analog CTCSS)
Time Slice (1 or 2)
Talk Groups
Local, Nationwide, Worldwide, OK-KS, Regional and more
Echo - Parrot

17. D-STAR HTs ID-31A ID-51A Plus Single band (70cm) 5W uSD card record
500 memories
Internal GPS
Repeater geo search
$295 new
Dual band 5W
uSD card record
1300 memories
Internal GPS
Repeater geo search
$450 new
The prices shown are what you can expect to pay from a “ham friendly” dealer for a new radio. Of course used radios would be cheaper. 17

18. D-STAR Mobiles Older – ID-880H Newer – ID-5100A Dual band 50W
1050 memories
$420 new
Dual band Touch Screen
50W
DR memories
Internal GPS & DPRS
SD card recording
Repeater geo search
$600 new
Touch screens are very intuitive and easy to use. 18

19. DMR HTs MotoTrbo – XPR-7550 Hytera PD782G-U1 440 MHz band 4W
Color screen
1000 channels
$ 700 new
440 MHz band 4W
Color screen
1024 channels
$ 545 new
These are commercial radios. 19

20. DMR HTs (cont.) Connect Systems – CS700 440 MHz band 4W 1000 memories
Chinese copy of XPR6550
$ 200 new
Chinese, but decent build quality. Hytera and Connect Systems radios both work with the DMR system. 20

21. DMR HTs (cont.) Tytera MD 380 Great audio 440 MHz band 4W
1000 memories
$ 134 new
Chinese, but decent build quality. Hytera and Connect Systems radios both work with the DMR system. 21

22. DMR HTs (cont.) Tytera MD 390 Waterproof Better Audio than MD 380
440 MHz band 4W
1000 memories
$ 180 new
Now just available
Chinese, but decent build quality. Hytera and Connect Systems radios both work with the DMR system. 22

23. DMR Mobile’s 440 MHz band 40W 1000 channels Color screen $ 600 new
MotoTrbo - XPR-5550
Hytera – MD782G-U1
440 MHz band
40W
1000 channels
Color screen
$ 600 new
440 MHz band
45W
1024 channels
Color screen
$ 530 new 23

24. System Fusion HT’s Yaesu – FT-1DR Yaesu - FT-2DR (new) Dual band 5W
Automatic Mode Select
900 memories
GPS & APRS
$300 new
Dual band 5W
Automatic Mode Select
1245 memories
GPS & APRS
Touch screen
$550 new
FT-2DR is due at dealers around mid-April. FT-991 $1650 HF cm 24

25. System Fusion Mobile Yaesu – FT-400DR Yaesu – FT-100DR (new) Dual band
Automatic Mode Select
1000 memories
GPS & APRS
Color Touch screen
$600 new
Dual band
50W
Automatic Mode Select
1000 memories
GPS & APRS
$400 new
FTM 400 $100 rebate expires 9/30/2015 25

26. Base Stations ICOM – IC-7100 Yaesu – FT-991 HF + 6M – 100W
2M - 50W + 70 cm - 35W
1600 memories
GPS
Touch screen
$1,100 new
HF + 6M – 100W
2 & 70 cm – 50W
Color TFT display
Automatic antenna tuner
Automatic Mode Select
1000 memories
GPS & APRS
$1,600 new 26

27. Other Digital Voice Suppliers
DV Dongle
Thumb DV
Internet Labs
D-STAR on your PC
$200 new
Northwest Digital Radio
D-STAR on your PC
Uses AMBE 3000
Other modes?
$120 new
These connect to any PC with a USB 2.0 port. 27

28. Other Digital Voice Devices
DV Access Point
DV Mega
Internet Labs
Hotspot repeater
Single band
2M $240 new 70 cm $260 new
Guus van Dooren PE1PLM
Hotspot repeater
Dual band
$180 new
To use the DV Mega on both bands requires an Arduino board. 28

29. Not near a D-STAR Repeater? Make your own – with this…29

30. Or this…
This is at our booth. 30

31. Or This... This is at our booth.
DV4mini for D-Star, DMR, Fusion, APCO25, DPMR and other digital
modes which are based on GMSK, 2FSK or 4FSK.
$145, including antenna 31

32. Raspberry Pi G4KLX GUI 32

33. D-RATS
Has , chat, file transfer capabilities via internet or D-STAR radio. Desirable for EMMCOM – send forms, lists, msgs, pics. 33

34. Oklahoma System Fusion

35. Oklahoma DMR Locations
15 DV repeaters shown, 12 are part of our group 35

36. Oklahoma D-Star Repeaters

37. For More Information
w5nor.org/information - This is our web site.
- for Raspberry Pi enthusiasts
- Web site for our area DMR repeaters & code plugs.
v7.pdf - Talk given by David Ranch KI6ZHD at 2015 Bay-Net meeting.
arvideonews.com/hrn/ - Ham Radio Now – watch episodes 161 & 195
– John Hays K7VE
Maryland-dstar has excellent info for setting up a hot spot. We also have Ken’s image. 37

38. Questions? 38