How to choose your first DMR radio: what a beginner should buy

You decided to get on the digital air — and immediately drowned in models, bands and cryptic abbreviations. Baofeng, TYT, Retevis, AnyTone; "UHF", "dual-band", "Tier II", "OpenGD77"… Let's break it down in plain terms: what actually matters for a first radio, where you shouldn't cut corners, and what a beginner doesn't need to overpay for.

First — three decisions, not a model

Before looking at specific radios, answer three questions for yourself. They'll rule out 90% of the unsuitable options.

1. Is it definitely DMR? What you need is a digital radio specifically in the DMR (Tier II) standard. Half of the "cheap radios from AliExpress" are analog FM and won't connect to a DMR network at all (more on this below in the pitfalls).
2. Which band? Most amateur DMR repeaters and hotspots work on UHF — the 70 cm band (≈433–446 MHz). If you're just starting and will be working through a hotspot, get at least UHF. If you also need 2 m (VHF, ≈144 MHz), look at dual-band models.
3. Do you like tinkering, or do you want "it just works"? This determines the choice between cheap radios with open firmware (plenty of room for experiments) and closed but "polished" top-tier units.

Three price tiers

Roughly, the DMR handheld market splits into three groups. Specific prices change fast, so go by the classes, not the numbers.

1. Budget / entry — single band (UHF)

The most sensible way into the hobby: single-band UHF radios. Cheap, and for many of them there is open firmware that lifts the factory limitations.

• Baofeng DM-1801, Radioddity GD-77 — inexpensive UHF radios that take OpenGD77 (convenient talkgroup entry, promiscuous mode, a responsive menu).
• TYT MD-380 / MD-390 — the iconic "380"; there's the md380tools firmware for it (the callsign database right on the display, Parrot). The MD-390 has a weatherproof body.

The downside of this class is usually a single band and simpler audio/build. For a "just to try it" first radio, it's an honest and inexpensive start.

2. Mid-range — dual band + freedom

If you want both 70 cm and 2 m right away, along with open firmware:

• TYT MD-UV380 and its "sibling" Retevis RT3S — dual-band (VHF/UHF) radios that also take OpenGD77. Inside is an STM32, with good potential for modding.

This is probably the best balance of "price / capabilities / openness" for an enthusiastic beginner.

3. Top tier — "all included", but closed firmware

When you want maximum out-of-the-box convenience and don't mind the cost:

• AnyTone AT-D878UV (and the II / Plus versions) — a dual-band handheld with GPS, Bluetooth, a huge built-in callsign database, a responsive menu and a tidy CPS. The firmware is closed (there's no "open" alternative), but everything "just works".
• AnyTone AT-D578UV — the mobile/base version of the same line, if you need a fixed or vehicle-mounted station.

What to actually look at when choosing

Beginner pitfalls — what NOT to buy

• Other digital standards. dPMR, NXDN, C4FM (Yaesu System Fusion), D-STAR are not DMR. A radio of one standard won't work in another's network. How DMR differs from its neighbors — in the article DMR vs C4FM, D-STAR and NXDN.
• Wrong band. A VHF-only radio won't help if the nearest repeater/hotspot is on UHF. Check where there's actually activity.
• An unknown "grey-market" clone. Choose models that have an active community and CPS/firmware support — otherwise setup turns into a quest.

Can you go without a radio at all?

Yes. If you don't want to spend on a "hardware" radio yet or just want to try how the network sounds, start with your phone. PoC stations and the app let you get on the DMR air over the internet: the DMRhub app turns a smartphone into a network node with PTT, private calls and DMR-SMS. You can always buy a radio later.

Compatibility with DMRhub

Good news: any standard DMR Tier II radio works with our network — DMR is DMR. To get on the air through DMRhub, you need to set your DMR ID and the needed talkgroups in the radio's codeplug, and the signal is fed into the network by a hotspot using our image. There's no need to buy any "special radio for DMRhub".