Ребята, привет!
На данном форуме я новичок. Мы играем в страйкбол и приобрели данные радиостанции. Как правило, в страйкболе только 1% игроков используют радиостанции по максимуму. У модели Baofeng DM-32 функционал обширный, хотелось бы его задействовать хотя бы на 50%.
Но так как я вообще в теме радиосвязи нуб, хотел бы попросить у вас помощи. Никак не могу разобраться, как работает функционал GPS. Конкретно, как с помощью одной радиостанции найти другую. На одном из видео в YouTube видел, что можно вызвать компас, который должен показывать красную точку и расстояние до второго абонента. Но максимум чего мне удалось добиться, это просто отправка SMS с координатами на вторую рацию. Данный компас вызвать никак не могу.
Если среди вас есть, те готов поделиться знаниями, буду очень признателен. Какую прошивку поставить, либо как настроить контакты, группу, что бы это всё заработало.
Заранее спасибо. Скриншот с компасом прикрепляю.
First, quick context, because this is where most of the confusion starts and it is almost never malicious.
1) The real issue is authorization, not the radio
Buying a programmable radio and typing in a frequency does not automatically make it legal to transmit there.
That is how well-meaning players accidentally interfere with:
Licensed business and industrial systems
Amateur radio operators
Public safety adjacent systems
Sensitive areas near military installations
No one is accusing airsoft players of bad intent. The pattern I have seen for years is simple: inexpensive radios are easy to buy, programming software is easy to find, and regulatory knowledge is not part of the hobby culture.
That gap creates risk.
In the United States:
FRS is license-free, but analog voice only. Digital modes are not permitted.
GMRS requires a license and is still generally analog voice only. Digital voice modes like DMR are not allowed.
Amateur (ham) requires an individual license per operator. It is not intended for tactical team sport communications, and certain use cases are restricted.
Part 90 business/industrial can support organized activities, but requires proper licensing and eligibility.
If you are outside the US, you must follow your own country’s regulatory authority. I cannot speak for other jurisdictions.
2) About the DM-32 GPS “compass” feature
What you saw on YouTube is possible in some configurations, but it depends on how GPS data is being transmitted and interpreted.
Most DMR handheld GPS works like this:
The radio gets a GPS fix.
It transmits position data at a configured interval as DMR data.
That data is typically meant to go to a repeater, hotspot, or network that forwards it to a server or mapping system.
What it does not automatically do is provide universal, direct radio-to-radio tracking with a built-in compass unless:
Both radios are properly configured for compatible GPS data transmission.
The receiving radio can decode and associate that data with a specific contact.
The firmware actually supports a live bearing/distance UI.
If the most you can currently achieve is sending an SMS with coordinates, that is normal. SMS is just text. A live compass display requires recurring position updates plus firmware support for calculating bearing and distance to that specific radio.
3) About APRS.fi and DMR networks
ualava is essentially correct:
If you are using ham DMR networks for GPS position forwarding, you generally need:
A valid amateur license
A DMR ID
Network routing that forwards GPS to APRS-IS
A secondary device such as a phone, tablet, or computer to view aprs.fi
Even then, using a public amateur DMR network for tactical airsoft communications is usually frowned upon and often inappropriate under the spirit of amateur radio rules.
4) Why I care about this
I have been involved with radios for nearly 40 years across military, law enforcement, EMS, fire, and amateur radio.
I am also a former airsoft player.
What I kept seeing was not malicious behavior, but a predictable pattern:
Inexpensive programmable radios became widely available.
Players wanted better coordination.
Frequencies were copied from the internet without understanding what service they belonged to.
Interference risks followed.
That is one of the reasons I started working on my own project. The goal is not to sell gear or push a product. The goal is to create a cost-effective, legally compliant framework that would allow legitimate entities such as airsoft fields, training sites, or other organized businesses to use capable digital radios in a way that meets FCC Part 90 requirements.
If it becomes fully deployable, it would be targeted at legal business entities that obtain proper licensing, not individuals trying to bypass regulations.
The idea is simple:
These inexpensive radios are not the enemy. Lack of structure and regulatory alignment is the problem.
5) Practical reality today
If your group just wants simple, legal field comms in the US right now:
Use FRS radios for analog voice, or
Use properly licensed GMRS radios for analog voice, or
If you are operating as a legitimate business entity, explore properly licensed Part 90 solutions.
Anything involving digital DMR tracking features requires careful attention to what service you are operating under and what is legally allowed.
The attached image is an example of what I created with a backend server, Leaflet map and the GPS data transmitted by two Baofeng DM32 radios through a pi zero hotspot relayed to a master server.
Just a quick edit. One of the short comings of the Baofeng DM32 is the display visibility in bright sunlight. I loaded up the DM32_049Light.bin. In the noon time South Texas sun it still washes out, but now when I shade the display with my hand it IS a bit easier to read. So far so good!
What other changes are in the firmware? Is there a full changelog running about?