{"id":328,"date":"2015-08-31T06:03:57","date_gmt":"2015-08-31T06:03:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/?p=328"},"modified":"2015-08-31T06:32:13","modified_gmt":"2015-08-31T06:32:13","slug":"journey-into-ham-radio-and-dmr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/journey-into-ham-radio-and-dmr\/","title":{"rendered":"Journey into Ham Radio and DMR"},"content":{"rendered":"

For years I have hung out with “Hams” and been somewhat interested in the technology. \u00a0Guys like ka8jil, w9sn, w9smj, w9cjo, w9abh have all interested in me in ham radio. I remember many years ago, before cell signals were digital, being able to pull up to a car and watching my buddy Tom tune his radio in and listen on the cell conversation going on in the car next to us. \u00a0For educational purposes only of course. \u00a0It reminded me of the blue \u00a0and Red box days of telephone phreaking. \u00a0The days of the 300 baud modems and making init strings to make the best possible connection. \u00a0For me, and I think I am like many other folks, it wasn’t the draw to the hobby, but rather all of the moving pieces of it which kept me from taking the step into it. \u00a0Traditionally Hams have tuned and tuned their radio setups, with many building their own antennas. \u00a0I can see where tuning a “shack” to get the best you can get out of it can be a challenging and rewarding thing for many. \u00a0Picking the right hardline, connectors, and other pieces takes alot of research, and some trial and error to make it function cohesively. \u00a0Tracking down noise, little hums in your transmissions, and other things is a problem solving logic that can stimulate the brain.<\/p>\n

\"repeater\"<\/a>
Motorola DMR Repeater wb9arc<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But, I am not a true hardware guy. \u00a0I am more of a wizard at making it do what I want within the bounds of the software. \u00a0If I can make an add on to interface with something existing then thats as far as my interest goes. \u00a0This is what we were doing “back in the day” with blue boxes then moving on to the commodore 64. Being able to bypass copy protection, spinning up hardware keys to bypass restrictions, and stretching the limits of what the software could do with hardware add ons. \u00a0Then along came the Internet and dial-up modem banks, ISDN, T1s, etc. \u00a0All these were technology which could be pushed with “add ons” and “hacks” to something existing. \u00a0This is where my attention is really stimulated. \u00a0To me, Ham Radio has always been about taking all these different pieces and trying to make something work. \u00a0Kind of like getting a total random box of Legos and having to make a replica of the USS Ronald Regan aircraft carrier. \u00a0Sure, you can do it, but it’s going to take alot of effort. \u00a0Oh and BTW, you have to make it float when you are done. I think there is a large group like me who just wish to put something together from a kit, and then customize from there.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1196\"<\/a>
300 foot tower with ham antennas installed by the author<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So now, fast-forward to 2015. \u00a0A technology called DMR is really taking off. \u00a0Several of my HAM friends are enlisting my help to bring these repeaters live on IP networks and putting them on towers. \u00a0After awhile it really clocks with me. \u00a0This is kind of like the days of the USR Total Control modem banks. \u00a0You have a piece of hardware that does radio to IP conversion along with a few other functions. It communicates with a server over the IP network and an antenna on a tower.\u00a0DMR is a standard and has set guidelines on how it is supposed to function. \u00a0You aren’t inventing the wheel, but optimizing a setup within the bounds of what the repeater is supposed to do. \u00a0To me this is a big draw. You have a baseline of how it’s supposed to work, which takes much\u00a0of the frustration away which can be a very demotivating factor in any endeavor.<\/p>\n

\"10947293_10203860317650222_153078851919436001_n\"<\/a>
Tower works on a WISP\/Repeater tower<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are guys out there who are intrigued and love the RF side of stuff. \u00a0It is a science, but you can get so bogged down in it. \u00a0If you are making your own antennas you have to make sure all your wire lengths are just right, you use the correct solder, and all these 1000 other factors. \u00a0To me, that is not fun. \u00a0I admire these folks. It’s not that I want to put in the effort, I am missing the gene that experiences great joy in seeing an antenna I worked 2 months on finally go up in the air and kinda work. \u00a0I say kinda work, because I see time and time again having to adjust this or that or replacing this filter, or that connector. \u00a0To me that is frustrating. I like spending my time starting with a baseline setup and making that perform the best it can. Some say thats taking what someone else has already put together. \u00a0Heck yeah it is. \u00a0That is why I admire the tinkerer folks. \u00a0They give the folks like me a solid product i can go out and put to use because I didn’t spend those two months doing that piece of it.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0139\"<\/a>
Tytera DMR radio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I know many folks are seeing DMR as the hot and sexy new technology. \u00a0I am looking at it as something that is able to be duplicated over and over with minor tweaks. \u00a0This keeps things interesting, without having to start from scratch each time. \u00a0Instead of focusing on soldering, and programming PLC boards, you can now focus on site installation, and tuning new and existing installations. \u00a0 On the radio side you have the draw of programming radios to work with repeaters, and talk groups, and the like. \u00a0Repeaters have their own software to learn. \u00a0Again, you aren’t re-inventing the wheel, rather learning a system. \u00a0Within this system you can find ways to do things better, push the boundaries, and be involved in finding bugs and software suggestions.<\/p>\n

\"11041775_10204101933810475_5826557307480571534_n\"<\/a>
Installing antennas for w9smj repeaters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many other HAMS tell me since I am a network guy I should love packet radio and technologies similar to that. \u00a0Not really, I have that in the interconnected networks called the Internet. \u00a0More and more effort is being focused on making connections hardened and resilient that packet radio is more nostalgia to me than anything. \u00a0We were doing such things with 300 baud modems in 1987. \u00a0Maybe, at one point I will dip my toe into such things. \u00a0But, it will have to be in a way that is an add on to existing systems, not starting from scratch. \u00a0I would have to have a “packet radio kit” that I assemble and hook into something. the CBRIDGE software that DMR uses really started my wheels turning. \u00a0It was not radio related, but it was a piece that I could wrap my head around. \u00a0For those of you who don’t know, CBRIDGE is what allows the DMR repeaters to talk over the IP network. \u00a0So by learning that piece, it motivated me to learn about DMR in general. \u00a0One day my mind said “hey you can use this and not be frustrated because sunspots knock it out for a week at a time.”<\/p>\n

\"11701118_10204913908589337_71533226988685671_n\"<\/a>
w9smj antenna on a water tower install<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So, my advice for anyone looking at HAM radio who is not a tinkering type of person take a look at some of the other aspects of the hobby. \u00a0Things like DMR are “easy” to get into in relative terms. \u00a0You aren’t going out and buying a base unit, amplifiers, hardline, and spending hours tuning it all. \u00a0After you pass your test you can be up and running very quickly without soldering a single connection. \u00a0As technology evolves and is incorporated into the hobby, it opens up a new way to get folks like myself interested.<\/p>\n

73
\nkd9emp<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For years I have hung out with “Hams” and been somewhat interested in the technology. \u00a0Guys like ka8jil, w9sn, w9smj, w9cjo, w9abh have all interested in me in ham radio. I remember many years ago, before cell signals were digital, being able to pull up to a car and watching my buddy Tom tune his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[192],"tags":[194,193,195,196,96],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6VLMf-5i","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3504,"url":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/ham-radio-tower-shelter-install\/","url_meta":{"origin":328,"position":0},"title":"Ham Radio tower shelter install","author":"j2sw","date":"June 16, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "MTIN"","block_context":{"text":"MTIN","link":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/category\/mtin\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1976.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1976.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1976.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":383,"url":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/reading-list-up-the-tower\/","url_meta":{"origin":328,"position":1},"title":"Reading List: Up the tower","author":"j2sw","date":"November 9, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Steve Morris has taken all of his hard-earned lessons and put them all in one comprehensive book. It's over 220 pages of facts, techniques, hardware and lots of answers to your tower construction questions.","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2588,"url":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/frequency-does-matter\/","url_meta":{"origin":328,"position":2},"title":"Frequency does matter","author":"j2sw","date":"November 14, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Recently we installed a PTP 550 link for a client.\u00a0 This is a connectorized\u00a0version with 2-foot dishes on it for a four-mile link.\u00a0 Overkill you say, but the idea is the dishes make up the gain and not transmitter power.\u00a0 A much cleaner signal can be achieved which falls within\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cambium"","block_context":{"text":"Cambium","link":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/category\/cambium\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_0654-e1542167714867.jpg?fit=1200%2C1121&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_0654-e1542167714867.jpg?fit=1200%2C1121&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_0654-e1542167714867.jpg?fit=1200%2C1121&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_0654-e1542167714867.jpg?fit=1200%2C1121&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2028,"url":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/epmp-tip-of-the-day-gps-radio-inactive-and-active-software-banks\/","url_meta":{"origin":328,"position":3},"title":"ePMP Tip of the Day: GPS Radio Inactive and Active software banks","author":"j2sw","date":"January 24, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"http:\/\/community.cambiumnetworks.com\/t5\/ePMP-FAQ\/How-does-the-GPS-Sync-Radio-utilize-the-Active-and-Inactive\/m-p\/82855#M143","rel":"","context":"In "epmp"","block_context":{"text":"epmp","link":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/category\/epmp\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/IMG_1437.jpg?fit=941%2C706&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/IMG_1437.jpg?fit=941%2C706&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/IMG_1437.jpg?fit=941%2C706&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":289,"url":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/upgrading-epmp-gps-firmware\/","url_meta":{"origin":328,"position":4},"title":"Upgrading EPMP GPS Firmware","author":"j2sw","date":"May 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Beginning with System Release 2.0, users can upgrade the firmware of the on-board GPS chip present on the Connectorized Radio with Sync. To upgrade the on-board GPS chip on a Connectorized Radio with Sync: 1. Navigate to Monitor => GPS to check the GPS Firmware Version that is currently present\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"cambium\"","block_context":{"text":"cambium","link":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/tag\/cambium-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2654,"url":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/ignitenet-metrolinq-60-new-firmware\/","url_meta":{"origin":328,"position":5},"title":"IgniteNet Metrolinq 60 new Firmware","author":"j2sw","date":"November 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/support.ignitenet.com\/portal\/kb\/articles\/firmware-downloads-metrolinq-2-5 New Feature: Added 12 client support for 60GHz radio New Feature: Added MCS12 support for 60GHz radio New Feature: Added STP control New Feature: Added Jumbo frame support for 5GHz radio (up to 7912) New Feature: Added support for RSTP passthrough New Feature: Added L2 and L3 MTU control\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wireless"","block_context":{"text":"Wireless","link":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/category\/wireless\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/328"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=328"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":341,"href":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/328\/revisions\/341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mtin.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}