Finally getting APRS Analog setup on my BTECH DMR-6x2

Posted in APRS by kd7jny - 2025-11-20

I am not sure why but I finally read how to setup Analog APRS on my BTECH DMR-6x2 HT radio. I want to say that I played with it before but for some reason, I do not think I ever read the setup instruction file that was included with the update that allowed the radio to beacon out packets.

Overall the setup was easy. The only thing I needed to do to get it working after I did the programming was to make sure the GPS was turned on and it got a lock. Once that happened when I hit the PTT it would beacon out a posit packet.

So in some ways this is like my old Kenwood TH-D7G, it will beacon out packets, of course with that thing, I had to supply my own GPS. This radio has GPS unit built in. The thing that this doesn't do of course is allow you to send APRS messages. It does not decode packets, so you have no incoming display of info. Basically the only thing it will do is make the radio a tracker unit.

Which is of course the cavet, if you just need a tracker then the setup makes sense. If you need more, then you are going to likely have to go with something else. Like say a Phone with APRSDroid, and some sort of TNC/or audio cable setup. I have used the BTECH this way and it works pretty good. Of course it's just a lot of equipment to have but it is a portable APRS setup, which is nice. APRSDroid is not the greatest software but I think it's the only one for an Android device. Still if you want more than to beacon out a position, then it a good option if you want to use an Android device.