BTECH DMR-6X2 Dual Band Two-Way Radio - 7W VHF/UHF (136-174MHz & 400-480MHz) with USB-C Battery, Encryption, GPS, APRS & Voice Recording - Includes Accessory Kit with 2 Batteries - Perfect for Outdoor Adventures, Security Teams & Emergency Communication

The BTech DMR-6x2 is excellent value for the money (particularly since supplied with two batteries), providing all the DMR features desired, in a physically solid package that has good sound quality, receive and transmit. It is made by AnyTone, on the same hardware as their 878, and differs only in firmware and surface details - important because AnyTone is one of the higher quality Chinese manufacturers and QUITE POPULAR. This last means that there are many users of this radio "family", with lots of online advice (some of it even accurate!), pre-programmed code plugs available to download for many metropolitan or regional DMR repeater networks, etc. The BTech version shares 95+% of its programming and menus with the AnyTone 878 series, and can even accept code plugs programmed for the 878. You will have a popular radio that is well supported.The DMR-6x2 has a few useful firmware upgrades that distinguish it from the 878 series, most of which I can't recall right now. One is the scanning structure, allowing up to 8 (I think) scan lists for each channel. This makes it much easier to make up scan lists for different types of channels, then include several lists to provide the kind of scanning you'd want while working with each channel (repeater, simplex DMR/FM, HotSpot, etc.), also modifiable from the radio's keyboard menus. It has an excellent "promiscuous"/Digital Monitoring mode, to listen in on all the traffic on a repeater (and join in with any Talkgroup you hear). It has been out for a couple of years now, so has had time to "mature", with the pace of firmware updates having slowed from every month or two down to stability for many months. The features are stable and most bugs have been crushed. A good time to buy if you don't like long and tricky firmware updates.For the rest of this review I will assume that you are in my position, new to DMR but having familiarized yourself with the basic terms (Time Slot/TS, ColorCode/CC, etc.) . You don't have a HotSpot yet, and are just trying to tame the complexity of DMR (and the thin documentation of these radios) enough to get onto local DMR repeaters like you have before with regular analog FM. A usable Code Plug is your biggest barrier. I will refer to various features without explaining them completely (or perhaps not even accurately!), but once you know of them, you'll quickly learn more online or poking around in the CPS (radio programming software).Be sure you have the same firmware version in the radio as the CPS, a mismatch will cause trouble. Always start by downloading the default radio programming, saving it, and building from there - it contains radio setup information that the CPS does not contain at startup. You may want to use the N9GSG DMR Contact Manager (freeware) to help build and combine code plugs. You will likely want to EXPORT various lists and tables from the CPS as a CSV (Comma Separated Values) text file and edit it in a spreadsheet program to move in old FM repeater lists you may have from CHIRP, to combine or reorder Talkgroup Lists, etc., then IMPORT them back into the CPS. A free spreadsheet program like LibreOffice works fine, and only basic spreadsheet features are generally needed. One thing to watch out for when editing these tables, even in the CPS, is that they are a very crude database, linked by position. Move a Talkgroup in that table and the Channels you programmed to use it now use the wrong one. Same thing for most tables. It is easy to mess up a big complicated codeplug you've downloaded with an unwise edit (keep backups), or to mess up your own as you are building it. Start with only a few repeaters (and the DMR simplex frequencies) and experiment with downloaded Talkgroup lists, how you want to organize your Talkgroups ,Channels, Zones, Scan Lists, etc., so mistakes are easy to correct - before you "go big". Simple hints: a Channel is only usable on the radio once included in a Zone. Receive Groups are not that useful, at least right away, use Digital Monitor instead. It is OK to have unused spots in a table (e.g. you can leave unused rows between channels in case you want to add later in-place. Most tables will not allow duplicates (e.g. every Talkgroup number AND NAME must be unique, the CPS will warn you if you try to enter or Import duplicates). It is safe to add to the END of a table (or fill in blank spots you left), as that does not change the position of the earlier entries. Any Talkgroup can be entered from the keypad "on the fly" with Manual Dial (see later).DMR Talkgroups are a mess, there are many DMR networks beyond the big ones, Brandmeister (BM) & DMR MARC (MARC), and all add Groups from time-to-time. If you are lucky, a local one is well organized and offers codeplugs and programming advice for this popular radio. You can't program a Channel's Talkgroup without it being in the Talkgroup table. Hint: research the repeaters in your area and try to determine what DMR network each belongs to, and what their preferred/allowed Talkgroups are (Static/Dynamic for each Timeslot). Example: a couple of local repeaters were listed in RepeaterBook as being on the SF-TRBO Network, but no information was available, even on the somewhat outdated local repeater web sites. Turns out SF-TRBO was long gone and these repeaters are now on the Western States DMR Network, which once found has a nice web site with a map of repeaters and Talkgroup lists. With all these DMR Networks, there are local Talkgroups unique to them, or if the same number as another Network, may not be linked (to BM or MARC, etc.). Search for Networks and C-Bridges (Network hubs) where you can monitor DMR traffic via NetWatch/CallWatch.Hints: The Talkgroup list is available from the upper right red menu button (screen will have "List" above it). Put your most common "on the fly" Talkgroups at the beginning of the list, where they are available on the radio with minimum scrolling. (I have nearly 700 Talkgroups in my radio, just to have them available if needed.) Scrolling up goes to the end of the list, so often-used ones can go there too. The quickest way to select/activate the Talkgroup is by hitting PTT. The quickest way to go back to the Channel's default Talkgroup is to switch Channels away and back. You'll probably want to set the Talkgroup Hold Times to "Infinite", to hang onto whatever one you've selected as long as you want. Starting out, you'll want to avoid programming a Channel for every Talkgroup on every repeater, and this approach will allow you to operate and learn how you want to organize your Channels and Talkgroups to suit your style.Be sure to sign up for a DMR ID on RadioID (requires a valid ham license) and enter it into your radio. Don't be the guy who comes up on your local DMR repeater as 1234567 (the default ID number in the CPS). The Btech site offers download of the latest Caller ID list, which you'll want to load into your CPS and radio so you'll see who is talking. Talker Alias gives "backup" information (first name & callsign only) if someone is new and not in your current Caller ID list. To start, enable Talker Alias only for receive. Transmitting Talker Alias causes audio problems on some repeaters, and BM will insert transmit Talker Alias for you on that network (log into BM Self Care to edit it, their default is OK though). You still have to ID call sign audibly to meet FCC requirements.If you build your own Codeplug try starting out with just two channels per repeater, one for each TimeSlot, choosing a popular/Static Talkgroup (some Codeplugs use a channel for each Talkgroup on each TS, resulting in scores of channels per repeater). Listen with Digital Monitor to monitor everything. To call up a Talkgroup on your own, use the "Dial" function from the radio keypad, or "capture" one that is talking using the "*" (asterisk) key, and then join in as the QSO allows.Program the radio buttons to be useful, both Long and Short press (set the Long press time to 1 second). In my minimalist/startup regime, try these (Short/Long): PF1: Monitor/Nothing, PF2: Power/Nuisance Scan Reject, PF3-round button on top: Voltage/Reverse Repeater Frequency, P1-on front: AorB Display Primary/VFOorChannel Mode, P2-on front: Digital Monitor/Scan. (PF1 Long is not usable "under" Monitor, and Monitor cannot be Long.) Manual Dial of a Talkgroup is already available as as Long Press on "0" (zero). # (pound/hash) switches the Manual Dial between Group and Private Call. PTT activates the dialed Talkgroup. Hit * (asterisk) while listening to "capture" the currently active talk group to transmit on (be sure you are on the same TS). # key also allows you to save a Talkgroup as a channel (but edit it later for CC, TS, etc.). (Also: the P5 button acts as a "Back" button sometimes, when the red button above it is serving as another menu function.)Try programming a few "Hot Keys". The 1-6 Hotkeys are only available using the above buttons, which have better uses, so go with the "func+" keys (hold down upper left green "menu" key until prompt appears, then a keypad key). I suggest func+1 as Menu: Radio Menu, and func+3 as Call: Digital, 4000, Group. You might add func+2 as Call: Digital, 9990, Private. Talk group 4000 is the disconnect command for dynamic (temporary) Talk groups on repeaters and hotspots. 9990 is the Parrot Talk group on BM - after a brief delay it will echo back whatever you say, to test operation and audio quality (mic gain settings) - very useful. Note that to work it MUST BE a Private Call, unlike almost all other Talkgroups that are Group Calls (a 9990 Group Call will allow you to hear other users making your mistake, but not yourself!). Other networks have other Parrot/Echo Talkgroup numbers (as do hotspots) and some are even Group Call, so check on your local repeaters.Finally, an IMPORTANT TIP: When programming the radio, never transmit while connected to the computer; users have reported both computer and radio damage (keep in mind that APRS can trigger timed transmissions, make sure it is off). To avoid damage, power off the radio before connecting to the computer. Power on when the connection is complete, and the computer will detect the radio after the radio "boots". After programming, wait for the radio to settle down and "reboot". Once it is displaying its usual channel/frequency/time/etc info, TURN OFF THE RADIO, then disconnect the cables. It is very easy to hit PTT while connecting and disconnecting the programming cable.With this radio, a ham license, an ID signup, some online research of DMR repeaters and Networks, downloading some Talkgroup and Caller ID lists, and a basic programming of a few local repeater channels, you can get started with DMR. And no, just like Euclid remarked of geometry, there is no Royal Road to DMR, though some paths are simpler than others!If you still want to try DMR, buy this radio.