Unfamiliar with HotSpots and limitations of RD-5R/DM-5R and "WiFi HTs"

[W7ML]

I have never used a hotspot with either my Radioddity RD-5R or my Baofeng DM-5R, given that my local ham radio club has 3 DMR repeaters within the range of my home.

However, I read in the manual that there are hardware limitations in these radios that interfere with its usage as a HotSpot.

So please excuse me if I ask a "newbie" question, but as to this limitation:

Are you saying that neither of these radios can be connected to and use a HotSpot, even if the Manufacturer's Firmware is installed? Or only, that this ability is lost, once the OpenGD77 Firmware is installed.

Thank you.

[G4EML]

The limitation applies to using the radio AS a hotspot which is a unique feature of OpenGD77. You would then need a second radio to communicate with the OpenGD77 hotspot.

There is no restriction on using the radio WITH a hotspot supplied by someone else.

Colin G4EML

[F1RMB]

Hi,

Remember, you can't use a RD5R as a hotspot modem.


Cheers.
---
Daniel

[W7ML]

The limitation applies to using the radio AS a hotspot which is a unique feature of OpenGD77. You would then need a second radio to communicate with the OpenGD77 hotspot.

There is no restriction on using the radio WITH a hotspot supplied by someone else.

Colin G4EML

Thank you for that clarification.

Are you saying that the other radios using OpenGD77 can be an "all in one" radio/hotspot; and if so, does it accomplish this with just an internet connection with WiFi or is there still transmission on UHF involved.

I remember when Skype first become popular, Fry's was selling a handheld device that, once connected to WiFi, it could make Skype audio calls without a computer. It was an "all in one" appliance.

I've often pondered on why someone does not release a similar HT that can communicate on say Brandmeister TalkGroups with just Wifi?

[F1RMB]

You still didn't read the user manual... or try do document yourself... or even search for video on youtube...

[W7ML]

I did read the manual, thank you, but at 73 years of age, large amounts of small details do not stick as well as they did when I was studying electrical engineering and computer science when I was 19...

Yes, I did not search YouTube, as watching 23 minutes of a video to get a one or two sentence answer is not my preference.

I don't understand your comment about documents.

[F1RMB]

I'm not 19 neither, far from it.

In the manual, 7th line of the "Hotspot mode" section:

Code: Select all

The firmware can operate as a DMR (voice only) hotspot when connected via its USB programming cable to a Raspberry Pi running Pi-Star, or any other device that is running MMDVMHost.

Note:

Hotspot mode may be compatible with software like BlueDV, but your mileage may vary.

It is clear that it needs PiStar, or MMDVMHost, or BlueDV.

You have plenty video on youtube with guys showing how it works, plenty.

You even have a dedicated section about hotspot mode here (I just moved this thread there).

[W7ML]

Thank you, but yes, it is more fun to be part of a "community" who appreciates sharing information with others.

It is my hope, that at some point, I will have gleaned enough information, to be able to share it with others, here, too.

At 19, after being exposed to the "wonders" of the zener diode, I was also building "black boxes" for myself, family and friends, however!

[W7ML]

I've often pondered on why someone does not release a similar HT that can communicate on say Brandmeister TalkGroups with just Wifi?

This feature did exist in an Andriod app a few years ago...

Now, since you said "similar HT", there have been several DMR radio + Android smartphone combo devices out there, RFinder is the more popular brand and the more expensive one, but there are others. My local friends own the lesser known brand one. I haven't talked to them about it, but I assume the above app could have been used in these devices, and thus, do what you want to do: directly connected to Brandmeister "with just WiFi". (However, any other internet connection can do as well, not just WiFi, of course.)

...It is also a separate topic than what you originally asked, it's OT (Off Topic).

I never have had an android device, so I am unaware of your prior example; but thank you for making me aware of it!

Actually the RFinder continues to use "Radio Frequencies" with DMR so that it is not really what I was pondering.

And I "fixed" the title of this topic so that it is not OT.