Part of our Getting On The Air: Modes, Operations, and Making Contacts guide.
DMR is one of the cheapest digital modes to actually get on the air with, and you don’t need a nearby repeater to do it. There are two realistic paths in: buy a little hardware, or skip the hardware entirely and run DMR through an app on your computer or phone. Here’s both, with what they cost and where each one falls short.
Option 1: Buy a Radio and a Hotspot
This is the traditional path, and it’s still the one I’d point most new hams toward if they want a radio in their hand and a setup that works away from wifi. Total cost here is under $175, and you end up with gear you keep.
- Radio: Baofeng DM-1701, about $65. It’s a basic dual-band DMR handheld, nothing fancy, but it does the job of talking to a hotspot or a DMR repeater.
- Hotspot: AURSINC Upgraded MMDVM Hotspot, about $109. This is a pre-assembled MMDVM board with a screen, so you’re not sourcing a Raspberry Pi and a Jumbospot separately and wiring them together yourself.
The hotspot connects to your wifi and bridges your radio to Brandmeister or TGIF over the internet, so you get full DMR access from your desk regardless of what repeaters are nearby. You’ll still need to register a DMR ID, set up a Brandmeister and/or TGIF account, and program a codeplug into the radio. I’ve got the full walkthrough for all of that in Getting Started with DMR, and the codeplug side specifically in Building Your First DMR Codeplug.
Worth knowing going in: the DM-1701 is a budget radio, and it’s not going to feel as polished as something like an AnyTone. If you want to spend a bit more for a nicer handheld down the road, I’ve written up my budget DMR handheld pick separately. For the AURSINC hotspot, it typically ships with Pi-Star, which still works but is largely unmaintained at this point. I’d flash it over to WPSD as soon as you get it running.
Option 2: Use QSO One (qso1.net)
If you just want to hear what DMR sounds like and talk on Brandmeister or TGIF talkgroups without buying anything, QSO One is the easiest way in. It’s a free app for Windows and Android that connects straight to DMR (along with AllStarLink, EchoLink, System Fusion, and M17) with no hotspot, no MMDVM board, and no codeplug. Sign up with your callsign, install the app, pick a talkgroup, and you’re transmitting through your computer or phone’s microphone in a few minutes. I’ve written up a full breakdown of everything it does in What Is QSO One (qso1.net)?
The obvious tradeoff is that you’re not actually using a DMR radio. You’re keying up in software, which is fine for learning the networks, checking into nets, or staying in touch when you don’t have a radio on you, but it doesn’t teach you codeplugs, color codes, or timeslots, and it won’t help you if you want a DMR handheld for the field or your vehicle. Think of it as a zero-cost way to figure out whether DMR is worth the hardware investment, not a permanent replacement for a radio.
Which One Should You Pick
If you’re not sure DMR is for you yet, start with QSO One. It costs nothing and takes five minutes to set up. If you already know you want a DMR handheld in your go-bag or on your desk, the Baofeng DM-1701 and AURSINC hotspot combo gets you there for under $175 and it’s real hardware you’ll still be using once you decide to upgrade. Either way, once you’re on the network, DMR vs. D-STAR vs. YSF is worth a read if you’re curious how DMR compares to the other digital voice modes out there.