Project · alpha · since March 2026

Multi-Radio

Nine communication systems in one device the size of a Raspberry Pi. Instead of a shelf of radios — a single SDR board, one button to change system and every setting entered online. It is the first SDR terminal in the ham radio world with hardware requirements this modest.

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Multi-Radio in action — TETRA, analogue, DMR, P25, YSF, D-STAR, M17, dPMR and NXDN, transmitting and receiving from one device.

In brief

What it is: A multi-system radio — one device working in nine communication systems
Hardware: Raspberry Pi + an SDR board (HAT); the board handles one mode at a time
Systems: FM (with AM and SSB), TETRA, DMR, P25, M17, D-STAR, YSF, NXDN, dPMR
Changing system: One button, the new mode ready in about a second
Control: Android app (Bluetooth or Wi-Fi), web panel with audio, touch control head
Setup: ISSI, MCC/MNC and talkgroups entered online — no programming cable, no codeplug
Project started: March 2026

What it does

Features

The list below is the same single project status shown on the catalogue card — including what has not yet been confirmed against a commercial radio.

Operating modes — working today

Analogue FM — receive and transmit, narrowband and wideband
AM and SSB (LSB/USB) — new analogue modes alongside FM
TETRA TMO — terminal registered to the network, checked against a Motorola EBTS and a TetraSpot
TETRA DMO — live monitoring of direct-mode traffic
DMR — two-way voice, confirmed on air against an AnyTone AT-D878UVII Plus
P25 — two-way voice, confirmed on air against a Harris P7100
M17 — two-way voice between our own stations; not yet tested against a commercial radio
D-STAR — two-way voice, confirmed on air against an ICOM ID-51
YSF (System Fusion) — two-way voice, confirmed on air against a Yaesu FT-991A
NXDN — full voice path (transmit and receive); not yet verified against a commercial radio
dPMR — full voice path (transmit and receive); not yet verified against a commercial radio
Mode switching at the press of a button — the new system is ready in about a second
Scanning across systems — the radio cycles through the modes and stops wherever someone is transmitting

Applications

Voice

Group calls on a TETRA network
Individual (private) calls
Conversations in DMR, P25, M17, D-STAR and YSF — transmit and receive
Monitoring TETRA direct mode, outside infrastructure coverage
Analogue FM communication from the same device

Data

SDS text messages with delivery reports
GPS position reports (LIP) — tracking on the map
Status messages — canned reports at one button press
Callsign, short messages and GPS position on air in D-STAR

Where it fits

An affordable terminal where a commercial radio costs too much
A monitoring and test station while building out a network
Learning and experimenting — full insight into what happens on air
Nine systems from one device, instead of buying several radios

Already working in TETRA mode

Network registration and TAA1 authentication
Attaching to talkgroups
Group and individual calls — setup and release
Voice reception (our own ACELP codec implementation)
SDS messages — sending, receiving, delivery reports
Status messages and LIP position reports
Live view of network parameters and received signal level
Login settings configured online — no cable, no codeplug

Already working in the digital modes

DMR: live reception — who is transmitting, to which talkgroup, on what frequency
DMR: voice transmission straight on air with a PTT button
DMR: your own ID, talkgroup, Color Code and power set from the app
P25: voice transmission and reception with the radio and talkgroup identifiers decoded
P25: your own NAC, talkgroup and transmitting identifier set from the app
M17: two-way voice with the callsign in every frame — checked between our own stations
D-STAR: two-way voice, callsign and short messages
YSF (System Fusion): two-way voice, confirmed against a real Yaesu radio
TETRA DMO: monitoring — who is transmitting, to whom, and on which network
NXDN and dPMR: voice transmits and receives on our own hardware — compatibility with a commercial radio still unconfirmed (no radio to test against)
Optional voice encryption in the digital modes (DMR and P25)
Scanning across systems, stopping on activity — dwell time per mode is configurable
S-meter and receive/transmit indicators in every mode

Control — phone, browser, panel

Android app — full control of the radio from your phone
Pick the link to the phone: automatic, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi
PTT, monitoring and a live view in every mode
Frequency, talkgroups and parameters changed without touching the station config
Cross-system scanning started from the app — with a view of the mode the radio stopped on
Web panel still available — the same features from a browser, audio included
Touch control head on the station — every mode and setting, without a phone or a computer
Bluetooth pairing opened deliberately and only briefly — nobody outside takes over the transmitter
Paired-phone management — device list and unpairing from either side
Battery (UPS) monitoring — charge level, charging state and power draw in the app
Remote restart and shutdown of the station from the app

In development

Verifying NXDN and dPMR against commercial radiosTransmission in TETRA direct mode (DMO)Voice transmission in TETRA network mode (TMO)Mutual authenticationPacket data transmissionDMR through a repeater (time slots)Running several modes at once"Plecki" back-plate module — the whole Multi-Radio station on the back of a smartphone, with its own battery and a 2 W amplifier (architecture and parts list done, schematic and PCB next)

Hardware requirements

Raspberry Pi · SDR HAT — that is all it takes to have a nine-system terminal. The board handles one mode at a time, so you switch between systems at the press of a button.

Questions

Frequently asked

How is Multi-Radio different from an ordinary radio?

An ordinary radio works in one system and needs vendor software and a cable to load its configuration (a codeplug). Multi-Radio covers nine systems, and every credential — subscriber number, network identifiers and talkgroups — goes in online, from a phone or a browser.

Do all the modes really work?

Voice transmit and receive works in all nine. Confirmed on air against commercial gear: DMR against an AnyTone AT-D878UVII Plus, P25 against a Harris P7100, D-STAR against an ICOM ID-51, YSF against a Yaesu FT-991A, TETRA against a Motorola EBTS and a TetraSpot. NXDN, dPMR and M17 run on our own hardware, but we have not had a commercial radio to test compatibility against — we say so plainly rather than leaving it out.

What hardware do I need?

A Raspberry Pi and an SDR radio board. That is all. The board handles one mode at a time, so you switch between systems with a single button — the new mode is ready in roughly a second.

Do I need a phone to use it?

No. The radio has a touch control head carrying every mode and setting, plus a browser panel with the audio. The Android app is a third route, handy in the field — and you choose the link yourself: automatic, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

Can conversations be encrypted?

In the digital modes you can switch on voice encryption (DMR and P25) and hand out keys. Without the key, a receiver hears nothing but noise. Keys are entered and switched from the app or the panel.

Does Multi-Radio look for activity on its own?

Yes. It can cycle through the modes and stop wherever someone is transmitting; you set how long it listens on each mode. Switching mode by hand stops the scan.

How do I get a Multi-Radio?

The project is in alpha and we develop it inside the TETRA Poland community. The simplest route is the community channel — that is also where the next stages get announced, including the "Plecki" back-plate module for a smartphone.

The rest of the ecosystem

Multi-Radio is the terminal. At the other end of the link stands TetraSpot — our TETRA base station on a Raspberry Pi — and around it Android and iOS apps, an ATAK tactical-map plugin and network analyzers. All of it is described in the project catalogue.

See the project catalogue →