One of the most common questions that we see is, “Hey… I setup my hotspot/new radio and I have confirmed my CPS setup, but I don’t hear anyone on X talkgroup. What gives?”

You aren’t alone! DMR is certainly such a HUGE environment that sometimes, just like HF, you have to look around to see where signals are active. Many local, regional and state talkgroups are quiet most of the time. Occasionally you will be in an area where hams are active and monitor your local talkgroups. However, this isn’t always the case.

If you are new to DMR and wanting to try out your new gear, FIRST use Parrot on Brandmeister 9990, setup as a PRIVATE CALL. If this is successful, you’ll know that your gear is configured and working properly.

Next, go visit the Brandmeister dashboard and see what is trending. One great place to check for activity is the STATS page https://brandmeister.network/?page=callstats This page will show you recent trends.

Another good page to watch is http://hose.brandmeister.network/ Bear in mind that Hoseline is under rework frequently and may not be available when you go check it. So be patient, and checkback often. Hoseline, when working will show you are real-time view of who is talking and on what talkgroup.

Many of the networks (Phoenix, TGIF and DMR MARC) all have dashboards that report talkgroup activity. So be sure to look at the network dashboard you have chosen to use.

Without a doubt, the most active talkgroup is WORLD WIDE. Don’t be afraid. Hop on there are drop your call. You might be surprised who answers you!