OpenGD77 - No audio in DMR mode when light is green (not receiving)
I am using a gd-77 and a UV-380. OpenGD77 firmware 2024-05. Both are in DMR mode, tuned to a local repeater, and on the correct timeslot. The green light on the radio lights up, signal strength is high, but no audio. I tune to FM VFO without DMR and audio comes through fine. Still none on DMR. I did fix my issue, and this was how:
I pressed the talk button and started to hear stuff. I didn't realize I was not connected to Brandmeister channels until I hit the talk button.
Contents
Ignore the green light
Your green light indicating a signal does NOT indicate voice you can hear. It could be a user making a private call you can't hear. Basically ignore the green light in DMR mode on opengd77. Instead, use the brandmeister website to see if people are talking, then see if you hear it on your radio. Fewer people were talking than I expected, so I really thought DMR was broken, but it was not.
GD-77 has a button on the top.
UV380 press the S1 button above PTT and the OK button same time.
- Filter: none
- DMR Filter: none
- TS Filter: off
- CC Scan: on (tries to listen to all colors, optional)
Do a parrot test
After your filters are off, try doing a parrot test.
- Add a Digital Contact
- Private Call, 9990, Timeslot should match your repeater
- Add your repeater as a channel
- RX/TX, Color, Timeslot is your repeater info. Contact should be set to parrot. Empty TG.
- Tune to your channel and talk
- You should see "Echo Test" and a count while you talk
- You should hear your message a moment later
Test your DMR via website
This site displays active DMR connections and allows you to listen via the web. You are supposed to see your connection here when you make it.
- Add a new Digital Contact (echo test)
- Group Call, 9998, Timeslot matches your repeater
- Add a new channel
- Your repeater's RX/TX CC and TS. Set the Contact to 9998 echo test
- Tune to this contact, and open either brandmeister site (similar info)
- PTT and say hello while watching the website. You should hear/see yourself on 9998 echotest on this website
Obvious steps
- Check your channel
- RX and TX are often but not always offset
- TS is time slot, your repeater operator decides which timeslot it uses, so match that
- Color must match your repeater's color code
- Check your codeplug in Opengd77 CPS
- check your call sign is there
- Unplug the programming cable
- it wont output audio with it in
- Press the button to open a channel
- You cant just listen to stuff, you have to transmit to connect most repeaters to your desired channel
