🧭 Basics
Where to start: how DMR communication works, digital modes, frequencies and the law.
Encryption in DMR: Basic Privacy, Enhanced and AES
We break down the three levels of protection in DMR — Basic Privacy, Enhanced and AES — and why you must not use them on the amateur air.
BasicsTalker Alias in DMR: your callsign name instead of a numeric ID
Talker Alias shows the speaker's callsign on the display even without a contact in your list — we explain how it works.
BasicsCTCSS and DCS: the tone squelch explained in plain words
We break down the CTCSS tone squelch and its digital sibling DCS: why you need a subtone, how to set it up and why it is not protection against eavesdropping.
BasicsDMR from scratch: time slots, talkgroups, Color Code and why you need a hotspot
We explain in human terms how digital DMR communication works and what a hotspot does to get your radio onto the wider air.
BasicsDMR vs C4FM, D-STAR and NXDN: how the digital modes differ
A comparison of the four amateur digital modes: vocoder, TDMA vs FDMA, openness of the standard and why DMR is so popular.
BasicsFrequencies and the law: ham, LPD, PMR — where you may operate (RF)
Allowed bands for the beginner: amateur (with a licence), licence-free LPD/PMR and why you cannot operate "just anywhere".
BasicsDMR ID: how to obtain and register it (RadioID and DMRhub)
Why you need a unique DMR ID, how to get a worldwide number on RadioID.net with a verified callsign, the format, timelines and extra IDs for hotspots — and how an ID is issued inside the DMRhub network.
BasicsCallsign and amateur radio licence in the RF: how to get one and why
How to get on the air legally: the qualification exam and categories, applying via Gosuslugi and the GRChTs, how a callsign is formed and the timelines. Without a licence — receive only, or LPD/PMR.
BasicsTalkgroups: static and dynamic — how to subscribe without getting in the way
How static TGs differ from dynamic ones, how to subscribe with a tap of PTT and why a group drops off after silence. Static TGs in the DMRhub panel, the Parrot 9990 echo test, unsubscribing with TG4000, and etiquette.
BasicsPOC stations and the app: DMR from a phone and Android radios
What POC stations are (PTT over Cellular) — "radios" running on Android and 4G over the cellular network, how they join a DMR network through a gateway, their pros and cons, and how the DMRhub app turns a smartphone into a network node with PTT.
BasicsHow to choose your first DMR radio: what a beginner should buy
Which band to pick, how budget and top-tier models differ (Baofeng, TYT, Retevis, AnyTone), whether you need open firmware — and which mistakes to avoid when buying.
BasicsPrivate DMR network or public: why we chose our own
BrandMeister is open and noisy; a private network gives you your own talkgroups, private IDs and control. How DMRhub differs from public networks and who needs it.
BasicsThe AMBE vocoder: how voice turns into DMR data
Why DMR sounds "digital": the AMBE+2 vocoder, a stream of bits instead of audio and why it is needed. How voice travels over the internet in the DMRhub network without transcoding.
BasicsReflector and talkgroup: what is the difference and why it matters
A talkgroup is a group address, a reflector is a "room" for linking nodes. How they differ, how a call is routed — and why DMRhub uses only its own TGs.
BasicsColor Code made simple: why the radio stays silent
Color Code is the "digital subtone" of DMR. What it does, why the radio does not open up on a mismatch and where to set it on the hotspot and in the channel.
BasicsBrandMeister or your own DMR network: what a beginner should choose
Global BrandMeister or your own closed DMR network? We break down the pros, cons and why experienced operators keep both in a single codeplug.
BasicsDMR without a radio: get on the digital air from your phone
Three ways to get on the digital DMR air without a radio or hotspot — and why the DMRhub app is the easiest way to start.
BasicsBest DMR radios 2026: from budget to top tier
DMR radios for 2026 from budget to top tier: GD-77, TYT, AnyTone. An honest look at the pros, cons and who should buy what.
BasicsDMR SMS: how to send and receive text by radio
Text messages in DMR: how they work, how to set them up on TYT/AnyTone/OpenGD77 and why they fail to arrive.
BasicsDMR glossary: TG, TS, Color Code, ESSID and other terms
In plain words: TG, TS, Color Code, DMR ID, ESSID and other DMR terms for the beginner.
BasicsDigital or analog radio: what to choose in 2026
DMR digital or analog: how they work, the pros and cons, and who should buy what in 2026.
BasicsLPD and PMR frequencies: full channel and CTCSS table (RF)
LPD and PMR446 channel tables, CTCSS/DCS subtones and the legal status of licence-free radios in Russia.
BasicsRadio range: what it depends on and why it is shorter than advertised
Why the real range of a radio is shorter than advertised and how to increase it.
BasicsA radio for the forest and hunting: how to choose and real-world range
VHF versus UHF, honest range in the forest and what to look for when buying a radio for hunting.
BasicsAmateur radio categories in the RF and exam questions
Amateur radio categories in the RF, the exam, the callsign and RES registration — a clear breakdown for the beginner.
BasicsDMR, D-STAR, C4FM (System Fusion) and NXDN: which digital standard to choose
Which digital standard to choose: DMR, D-STAR, C4FM or NXDN — we break down the technology and the practice.
BasicsHow to listen to DMR online: Last Heard, web audio and the app
Listen to the DMR air online without a radio: Hoseline, Last Heard, DroidStar and what DMRhub can do in the browser and on Android.
BasicsAPRS and GPS on DMR: beacons, positions on the map and how to set it up
GPS and APRS on DMR: how a radio sends its coordinates, what to set up in the codeplug, which models support tracking.
BasicsSimplex and duplex explained in plain words
Simplex, duplex, TDMA and DMR hotspots — clearly and without extra fluff.
BasicsDMR Tier I, II and III: how they differ and what radio amateurs use
The three levels of DMR: Tier I — consumer 446 MHz, no licence; Tier II — licensed TDMA with repeaters (the backbone of amateur radio); Tier III — trunking.
BasicsRadio from scratch: where a radio amateur should start in 2026
Callsign, first radio, DMR and a hotspot without a repeater — a guide for the beginning radio amateur.
BasicsHow your own DMR network works: master, hotspots, app and vocoder
Master, hotspots, app and vocoder — we break down brick by brick how your own DMR network works and how audio travels from radio to radio.
BasicsPrivate (individual) calls by DMR ID: how it works
An individual call in DMR — to a subscriber's number, not to a group. How it is addressed, why reflectors cannot do it and how to set it up.
BasicsAMBE vocoder on the server: DMR digital audio without a dongle
DMR voice is the AMBE+2 codec. We break down why you need a vocoder, why a dongle used to be required and what a software vocoder on the server gives you.
BasicsA radio in your smartphone: how the DMR app works
The DMR app turns your phone into a radio: PTT over the internet, background receive, private calls and SMS. We break down how it works.