It’s perhaps a surprise to remember that radio, as in broadcast and communications systems is more than 100 years old. Yet it’s arguable that the development of the radio – much of which was performed by the great Guglielmo Marconi and his team – is among the most important inventions in world history.
Radio waves are part of what is known as the electromagnetic spectrum, and this covers all forms of electromagnetic waves, including radio, UV, visible light, X-rays, and more. We don’t want to detail the spectrum, as we want to talk about one specific area of communications radio.
To paint the picture of how digital mobile radio – DMR – came to be, we should first look back at Marconi’s aim in developing communication radio. It was not necessarily for entertainment, but for long-distance communications – ships at sea, for example. DMR, however, is mainly about short-distance communication, and it’s best thought of as a digital version of the familiar ‘walkie-talkie.’ Let’s explain it in more detail.
What Is Digital Mobile Radio?
Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) is a digital version of one-to-one radio communication systems. There are more sophisticated uses, and we’ll touch on that later. It is a European-developed system that has gained many users in recent years in various areas of commerce and industry. You can see some examples of digital mobile radio explained in the handsets at that site.
When portable ‘walkie-talkie’ radios were first introduced, they found use in various environments. Anywhere in which one person needed to contact either others or a base station could make use of analog radios of this type. Many still use analog, but DMR is rapidly being picked up as the preferred system. It has many benefits over the analog option, including being clearer in sound, smaller in size, and offering longer battery life.
While we have said that DMR is used primarily for short-distance use, it can be used for much longer distances thanks to the many ‘repeater’ stations that can bounce a signal further across the world. Be aware that DMR is not ham radio (otherwise known as amateur radio.) That is an entirely different concept using shortwave radio for long- distance communications. There are three ‘Tiers’ of DMR usage, so let’s briefly cover them.
What Are The Three Tiers Of DMR?
DMR uses what is known as the ‘Motorola TRBO Protocol.’ You may know Motorola from a mobile phone you once owned, and they remain among the world’s biggest radio communications companies. This protocol converts voice transmissions into a digital format that can be sent to the Radio Frequency (RF) network.
You speak into the handset as you would your phone for the layman, and the message goes to whoever you have on the same frequency. Let’s look at the three tiers:
Tier 1 – DMR differs from ham radio; Tier 1 allows unlicensed users to communicate on public frequencies. This tier is used by individual users and smaller business operators who only need communication over a short distance. An example could be a security guard in contact with a base unit.
Tier 2 – Licensed users looking for more distance and power may use the Tier 2 DMR system. The frequencies are not public and therefore secure, so this will be used by persons or businesses who may be transmitting potentially sensitive information.
Tier 3 – This is a more sophisticated tier that allows for the transmission of voice and data packages and is used by businesses and organizations looking for greater reach.
As we can see, there is plenty of versatility in the DMR tiers, so who are the users of DMR, and would it be a suitable choice for your business or other services?
Who Uses Digital Mobile Radio?
The many uses of DMR are not restricted to business use. Many people use this system as a recreational tool, much as ham radio operators do with shortwave sets. With repeater stations worldwide, it is entirely possible to get a DMR set that you can use to communicate as you would a shortwave ham radio set. There are also chat rooms that have been set up for fun, which many users are subscribing to. However, its business use that we want to look at, and the scope for DMR is enormous.
Here are some of the areas in which DMR radio sets are often used:
Industrial sites such as construction, large factories, and warehouses need to keep in touch with others at a distant point or communicate with a base unit. DMR is the perfect choice for large manufacturing plants where coordination is needed remotely.
Agriculture is another area of commerce where a DMR system will be of great use. A worker in one field can communicate with those a distance away with a DMR set, saving time and money in remote operations.
Sports Stadia can cover a vast area, and those can use DMR at one location to communicate with others where necessary.
Large Municipal Buildings such as government buildings, schools and colleges, and other establishments use DMR for security and other staff to quickly and easily transmit messages.
Major Stores, Office Blocks, And Shopping Malls are users of DMR for many different purposes, including security and logistics.
Any instance in which one person needs to communicate with others or report remotely to a base station can use DMR with excellent results. So, do you need a DMR set?
Why Would I Need DMR?
If you run a business that would benefit from a radio link between employees on the premises or within the grounds, then DMR is certainly the system to look for. For tier 1 use, you do not even need a license; you simply buy a handset such as those we linked to above and get your call-sign online, and once registered, you’re ready to go.
The way radio technology has developed has led us towards the more efficient systems that DMR provides, and you may simply want to get into it for fun. Many people do, and as the frequencies for tier 1 handsets are public, there’s plenty out there to tune in to.
DMR makes an interesting radio-based hobby and is an important communications tool in the many areas we have mentioned and plenty of other sectors in commerce, industry, and other entities. Check out DMR handsets now and see how they could benefit you.
