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Digital Voice & MMDVM Hotspots

Pi-Star, WPSD, M17, AllStar, Echolink, BrandMeister — DMR / D-STAR / YSF / NXDN hotspots and ham-voice-over-IP.

The "ham radio Internet" category. MMDVM hotspots (a $30 board + a Pi Zero) bridge your handheld digital-voice radio to internet talk-group networks like BrandMeister (DMR), REF/XRF (D-STAR), YSF Reflectors. AllStarLink / EchoLink do the same for analog FM. M17 is the open-source successor protocol gaining traction in 2025–26. Cross-link with Ham Rig Control (Hamlib), Pi Models, Pi Classic Projects, SDR Trunked & Public Safety (DMR/P25 RX side).

MMDVM hotspot operating systems

  • ★ Pi-Star — Andy MW0MWZ's all-in-one Pi distro for MMDVM hotspots. Web UI, supports DMR / D-STAR / YSF / NXDN / P25 / M17, BrandMeister / DMR+ / TGIF / XLX / REF / XRF / FCS / YCS / AllStar Link. The default since ~2018. Closed source-ish (mostly GPL bits with custom dashboard). Active maintenance has slowed since 2023; users migrating to WPSD.
  • ★ WPSD (W0CHP Pi-Star Dashboard) — Pi-Star fork by W0CHP; active 2024–26 successor. Modernized dashboard, more reliable updates, expanded mode / network support. Free; donation-supported.
  • DVMega Cast / BlueDV — alternative hotspot OSes; smaller ecosystems.
  • Pi-Star clones / forks — many; WPSD is the one to pay attention to.

Hotspot hardware

  • ★ MMDVM-Pi (DV-MEGA, ZUMspot, JumboSPOT, MMDVM HS Hat) — hat / dongle for Pi Zero W / Zero 2 W / 3B+. $30–80; supports all major modes; the canonical hotspot. ZUMspot (Bruce KI6ZUM) and the WIRES-X variants are the gold standards.
  • OpenSpot 4 / 4 Pro (SharkRF) — paid (~$300/$400); standalone hotspot (no Pi); no software / OS to maintain; just plug it in. Closed firmware. The "set and forget" pick.
  • DVMega + raspberry-pi-zero-w — older / classic; functional.
  • Heltec MMDVM Mini — newer cheap hotspots (~$50); ESP32-based; lower TX power but standalone.

Network / talkgroup ecosystems

DMR

  • ★ BrandMeister — open community DMR network. Talk groups for any region / topic; the largest DMR network. Free; register at brandmeister.network.
  • DMR+ (IPSC2) — alternative DMR network; common in Europe; less centralized.
  • TGIF Network — open talkgroup-focused DMR network.

D-STAR

  • REF reflectors — original Icom-derived D-STAR reflector network.
  • XRF reflectors — alternative open D-STAR network.
  • XLX reflectors — bridge multiple D-STAR networks; modern.
  • DMR2YSF / DSTAR2DMR bridges — cross-mode bridging via XLX / XCAT.

Yaesu System Fusion (YSF)

  • YSF Reflectors / FCS Reflectors / YCS Reflectors — three competing/complementary YSF networks.
  • WIRES-X — Yaesu's own (closed) YSF network.

NXDN / P25

  • NXDN Reflectors — small but active NXDN network.
  • P25 Reflectors / XLX P25 — niche; growing.

M17 — the open digital voice protocol

  • ★ M17 Project — fully open digital voice + data protocol; Codec 2 voice (open) instead of AMBE+2 (patented). Reflectors (M17-USA, M17-M17, etc.); growing community. Compatible with MMDVM hardware via firmware update. In 2025–26 saw real traction in Europe, US East Coast, ham fests. Open source under GPL / CC.
  • OpenRTX — open firmware for MD-380 / TYT MD-9600 / Radioddity GD-77 DMR HTs, replacing the closed DMR firmware with M17 + DMR support. The hardware route into M17. GPL.
  • m17-tools / mvoice — desktop M17 clients.

Voice-over-IP (analog)

  • ★ AllStar Link — open Asterisk-based linking system; build a node from a Pi + a USB sound card + a hat, link to thousands of repeaters worldwide. Free, FOSS. Active and growing in 2026.
  • Echolink — closed-but-free; older system; iOS / Android / Windows clients; 100,000+ users worldwide. Still alive.
  • IRLP — older Internet Repeater Linking Project; closed; classic; less active.
  • Hamshack Hotline — VoIP phone number for hams (not strictly radio); free.
  • DroidStar (Android) — connect to BrandMeister / REF / XLX / YSF / M17 from your phone over the internet, no radio needed. The "I'm at the airport, want to chat on the home repeater" app. GPL.

DV (digital voice) on the rig

  • Yaesu YSF — built into Yaesu radios (FT-70D, FT3D, FT5D, FTM-300/400/500, etc.).
  • Icom D-STAR — built into Icom (ID-31/52, IC-7100, IC-9700, etc.).
  • Tytera / Anytone / Radioddity / Connect Systems DMR HTs — $80–250 DMR handhelds, by far the cheapest entry into digital voice.
  • AnyTone AT-D578UV — popular dual-band DMR/analog mobile.
  • MD-UV380 / MD-9600 with OpenRTX — open-firmware DMR + M17.

License / pricing notes

  • Pi-Star / WPSD / AllStar / DroidStar / OpenRTX / M17 — FOSS (GPL).
  • Echolink / IRLP / WIRES-X — closed, free for licensed hams.
  • OpenSpot 4 — closed paid hardware ($300+).
  • BrandMeister / TGIF / XRF / YSF Reflectors — free networks; require ham license + DMR ID (radioid.net).
  • Codec licensing. AMBE+2 (DMR / D-STAR / YSF / P25) is patented (DVSI); commercial implementations license it. Open hotspot firmware uses mbelib (legal-grey) for receive-side decoding when needed.
  • M17's whole point is escaping AMBE+2 — uses open-source Codec 2 (David Rowe VK5DGR). Big deal for the community.

Practical guidance

  • DMR ID required. Register at radioid.net; needs a copy of your ham license. Free, takes a day. Same ID is used across BrandMeister / DMR+ / TGIF.
  • Talkgroup discipline. Don't park your hotspot on TG 91 (Worldwide). Pick a regional talkgroup or a reflector matching your interests.
  • Frequency choice. Hotspots use 70 cm (~440 MHz) simplex by convention; pick a frequency clear of repeater inputs / outputs in your area. Common: 438.800, 439.000, 433.000.
  • Pi-Star vs WPSD. WPSD is the active fork in 2026; new installs should go directly to WPSD. Existing Pi-Star setups update fine.
  • Standalone vs Pi-based. OpenSpot 4 = no maintenance, no Wi-Fi-config-from-phone hassles; ~$300. Pi-based = $50, infinite tinkering, you maintain it. Both reach the same networks.
  • DroidStar without a hotspot. Useful for travel / dorms; DroidStar talks straight to the network from your phone over IP.

Pick this if…

  • Default 2026 hotspot OS: WPSD (or Pi-Star if you have a working install).
  • Standalone hotspot, no Pi: SharkRF OpenSpot 4.
  • Cheapest hotspot: ZUMspot or MMDVM-HS hat on a Pi Zero 2 W.
  • No radio at all, hotspot from phone: DroidStar.
  • Open digital voice protocol: M17 (and a Radioddity GD-77 with OpenRTX firmware).
  • Linked analog FM repeater system: AllStar Link.
  • Phone-to-EchoLink: EchoLink Android / iOS app.
  • Cheapest DMR HT to start: Anytone AT-D878UVII Plus ($250) or Radioddity GD-77 ($110).

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