In this video, I take a closer look at one of the most common debates in ham radio:
👉 Do you actually need a hotspot for DMR?
There’s a persistent belief that DMR radios are “basically internet devices” and that hotspots are required. So I decided to test that idea and see if it’s possible to skip the hotspot entirely and still make contacts.
Using a Radioddity GD-168 (Anytone D168UV), I walk through a setup that connects directly to a network router and accesses DMR talkgroups without a traditional hotspot.
Along the way we’ll cover:
• What a DMR hotspot actually does
• How DMR radios connect to networks like BrandMeister
• Whether you can operate DMR without RF
• The role of internet vs RF in digital voice modes
• And why this topic causes so much debate in the ham radio community
If you’ve ever wondered:
• “Do I need a hotspot for DMR?”
• “Can a DMR radio connect directly to WiFi or Ethernet?”
• “Is DMR just internet?”
This video will definitely give you something to think about – like that it was published on April Fools Day.