FAQ
Why allow commercial use?
Commercial use is the reason $40 DMR radios exist. If everything DMR were ham-only, a decent radio would still cost $500. The project authors don't make money from RadioFoundry, so nobody loses when someone else uses it in a product. The project doesn't sell DMR firmware. The goal is a decent firmware that everyone can use.
Why reinvent the wheel?
RadioFoundry covers most of these radios with one core under a license that lets anyone use it, so work on one radio helps every other.
Why another radio firmware?
DMR has many features that inexpensive radios rarely implement. They are useful for commercial applications and for amateur use.
How can I help?
Any way you can:
- Test and report. Run RadioFoundry on your radio and report what breaks. If the radio restarted, include the crash log from Settings > Advanced > Crash log (settings).
- Ask. Request a feature or a radio you'd like supported.
- Contribute. Send pull requests for code or docs (contributing).
- Donate or lend a radio. This helps the most, especially older models that are hard to find now, because every port needs the hardware on the bench.
The web flasher or the Codeplug Editor failed. How do I report it?
Click Report a Problem under the error message, describe what you were doing, and download the report. It's a zip file with the steps the page took, the errors and your browser's details. Email it to the developers or attach it to a GitHub issue. If the problem is reading or writing a codeplug, tick the box that includes it: a codeplug holds your callsign, DMR ID and contacts, so it's left out unless you add it. Developers can also open the browser's console (F12): every error is printed there with its details.
Writing a codeplug fails with "The radio refused to write the codeplug". What now?
If the radio came straight from its original firmware, choose Write to Radio again: the editor offers Prepare Radio, which erases the original firmware's data from the area RadioFoundry keeps its settings in. Without that, the radio refuses every write and forgets its settings when it's turned off. If the error comes back after that, use Report a Problem.
Why doesn't the release include the codec?
The AMBE+2 codec DMR voice needs is DVSI's, and RadioFoundry can't distribute it. Your radio already has it, in its stock firmware. rfoundry leaves it in place when it's already there, or takes it from your radio's stock firmware file on your own computer (Installing).
Can I use RadioFoundry without the codec?
Yes. FM works and DMR calls show on the screen. DMR data (messages, call alert, radio check) and hotspot mode work. DMR voice is off.
Will RadioFoundry damage my radio?
Flashing writes only the processor's application and codec sectors. The bootloader and the factory calibration are never written, so you can go back to stock (Installing). RadioFoundry is early software. Test it before you depend on it, and transmit only where you are licensed to.
Does qdmr work with RadioFoundry?
Yes, through a compatibility layer. qdmr's open-firmware driver reads and writes the codeplug (Programming the radio). On a radio whose codeplug sits where qdmr's driver can't write, use the Codeplug Editor (Radio reference).
Can I program the radio without installing anything?
Yes. The Codeplug Editor on the project's web site reads and writes the radio from a Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Edge, Opera) and builds the DMR ID database from RadioID.net (The Codeplug Editor).
Is basic privacy secure?
No. Basic privacy scrambles voice with a fixed key. It keeps casual listeners out, nothing more.