New DMR radio

The trusty Yaesu FTM-10 was sold in late 2021 and the proceeds used to fund a new VHF/UHF digital mobile radio, the TYT-9600 seen here.

The new radio was pressed into service initially in the flat in Jersey while I learned how to 'drive' the new technology (seen sitting rather well on the much older and more traditional Yaesu FRG-7700 communications receiver).  I'll be the first to admit I have much to learn here with code plugs and dialing into talk groups and other repeaters but I'm looking forward to trying it all.  

Programming the new DMR rig sounded reasonably straightforward, less so in practice! The programming disk was only for a PC so no good using the iMac, borrowed a pensioned off Windows 10 laptop from the office which ran the programming software fine but wouldn't connect to the radio and none of the drivers seemed to work. After much rummaging i found my slightly arthritic and wizzened over 15 year old Windows XP laptop, had to use a slightly older version of the software which has a couple of bugs but connected up to the radio and handles the programming just fine! Started with some 'easy wins' programming some simplex frequencies and analogue repeaters and it was time to get busy programming some of the more adventurous DMR repeaters and talkgroups!

Well to cut a long'ish story short this wasn't working for me, it was only really being used for conventional repeaters and escpecially when it turned out there were no local DMR repeaters in this part of Cornwall so I'd need to set up a hotspot and all that 'new-fangled' type of stuff.  Plus the original programming for code plugs was no longer in use so it needed new software and at that point I went..., 'REALLY?!?!'  So in 2025 it was sold (for what I'd paid for it!) and VHF comms were simplified again to something I'd actually use!