Baofeng DM-X DMR

Amateur Radio
384

Having yet to get my CPS to recognize my set, I’ve not explored if there’s a means via the CPS (there is for the CPS for the AT-878UV‘s).

If there’s a means, it’ll be via the CPS or (much harder) finding where the boot screen image is embedded in the firmware, then extracting it to figure out what you need to do to encode/compress a regular image file content into the same raw data format, ensuring you use no more data size than the size of the extract since it may already occupy max space in the FW.

Having got it into that same raw extract state, you can then test overwriting the segment in the uncompressed firmware image with your modded data, ensuring you start overwriting at the same base offset as the image section did.

Assuming this gets done, when you are flash the modded FW, you may find the flashing tool rejects it as invalid or the RTOS bootloader in the radio rejects it and halts. In either case, assuming you’ve not touched any other fW offsets, points to a checksum error and resolving that is a whole other game.

If you are lucky, the FW contains a read-only file system for an RTOS, like the encapsulated filesystem image within the extracted contents of a Pi memory card and maybe it’s mountable under Linux and you’ll find a contained image file (something like ‘bootpic’ maybe?) which could be replaced if the mounted filesystem image is made RW and returned to RO status before recompression and flashing.

It’s either idiot simple, or a hacking grade pain in the backside. But if it’s not in the CPS, the example you know of was a workaround based effort on the part of dealer and his/her cronies.

385

HI Chris: I read this Post from Pavel but Im unable to understand further. My technical Knoledge are way behind this.

https://www.twowayradioforum.com/t/baofeng-dm-x-dmr/7249/108?u=pcaillaux

386

He create something call: md1702-gfx and the description is: Added boot logo conversion to image and back + showing it

am I in the right direction?

387

That’s quite possibly what you need - I’ve only read the stuff about the other tools in the development for CP and CP programming on the 1702 and DM-X.

I’ll comment later when I have read the stuff properly, after playing with the new addition - the c4fm yaesu HT that arrived ten mins ago…

388

I had somebody ask if they could bring me two baofeng radios that they couldn’t programme, so I said fine. I tried the normal windows 10 computer and it couldn’t pick up the device. The driver was replaced (as usual) by Window’s insistence it had a better, more up to date one, and reinstalling the one that should work went fine - but then on starting the application, Windows put the wrong o9ne back again. I have three different CPS for the Baofeng 1700 (1701 and 1702), the 1801, and the DM-X. In the end - the 1702 software worked - after I arm wrestled with AVG which insisted it was a virus. I shut down AVG for ten minutes as it kept removing the files from the compressed original. It then automatically started up again each time I ran the install but eventually got it to function and it read the radios, and could write to them. The 1702 version did not mess about with the drivers. It took ages, but we got there in the end. Paul

389

HI Paul: the 1701 works with a software calls “CPS” and is not compatible with the 1702. the 1702 and the DM-X (also know as 1702B) use another software calls “MD” is a diferent foftware.
The 1702 aparently doesnt need driver because is a simple mini usb to usb cable.
the 1701 use a cable usb to double mini jack with a chip who needs a driver.

390

Yep - but the conversion is done in the radio, not in the USB - it still goes bing-bong and loads a driver.
The 1702 and 1701 are different but we now have 1700, 1800 and 700 series radios and it’s getting really confusing. I’m more annoyed with AVG recognising a false virus, but calls that are identified as going to the computer are obviously similar to how dodgy software installs itself on the quiet. Reporting these false positives to AVG helps but their response time is annoyingly variable, and they now make it very difficult to switch the thing fully off when you know it’s OK. They have a false positive reporter, but that doesn’t help you immediately. Paul

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391

Thanks, Paul, that gives me hope and scope when I finish playing with the FT-70D, and resume the Baofeng battle.

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392

In the end, I gave the customer all 3 CPS versions for him to take. While he was there he actually bought a couple of extra radios - so that was more than I expected.

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393

Well, Paul, you can’t knock it when you get a few extra units shifted in the process.
Hopefully, and i hope i don’t end up doing a Murray Walker here, they don’t end up being ongoing problems.

394

Still fighting the lack of comms over a stock usb cable & every supported MD (or rebranded late vers.) CPS, and noticed something when browsing the radio settings…

fw 2.02.023 & the back label actually states ‘DM-X’ not ‘DM-1702B’.

I kinda smell an incoming new curveball to the story so far.

I’ve been onto the eBay vendor, so maybe i discover something beyond the obvious, hopefully in less time than the set took to arrive, mind you with my eBay luck recently, it’ll probably take that long to get an acknowledgement.

I’m so glad i bit the bullet and bought the AT-878UV Plus when i got bored and losing the will to live during the ridiculous shipping time. In fact it took so long, and spent so much time in Customs, it would appear, twice, i half expected to find some inspection markings and a box and packaging that looked like the bomb squad had done a controlled explosion. Ok, it didn’t look quite that bad, but it sure looked like Customs had ‘inspected’ it at least twice. Maybe that would explain the missing cable and the fact the time/date was correct rather than at factory default. Mentioning Customs reminds me, the missing P25 set is still AWOL and seems to have dropped off the radar entirely - i suspect the worst.

Truth be told, i’m beginning to mentally write it off as a going concern and maybe just use in in VFO mode when a need a guinea pig radio for monitoring.

Time to dust off the 878 and FT-70D, give the IC-251 and FT-747GX an overdue cleanup and stop wasting time on trash maybe. ■■■■, i might even get around to refurbing the old TS-2400 handie i was gifted way before i got my UK license, or even finish the PLL VFO conversion on an much loved TS-700G. In fact, on the grand scale of things, the DM-X is a mere bored-mind curiosity at best.

Add in a backlist of about 1000 other projects, ranging from MCU and FPGA dev projects and SBC stuff all destined for revamping previous abandoned projects ditched because they weren’t achievable at the time due to cost/technology inaccessibility, and i might even make a dent on something before Christmas. On the bright side - i’ll be too occupied to be bothered by lockdowns and co-vid.

@PCaillaux - Oh, before i forget, haven’t had a chance to look at that 1702 project for linux yet, but did notice in one of the CPS’s listed on this page for the Baofeng that there was a custom picture/background facility, so implying an upload of image capability, it’s possible the startup image (factory one) that actually get’s loaded is a shadow copy and a soft copy exists where the custom one gets’s stored if custom is used. I’ll be damned if i can remember which example it showed up in, and currently my motivation isn’t favouring repeating the process at the moment. So i guess if you feel up to a bit of time wasting, you may find it yourself.

395

DM-X spawn of ■■■■ update - it’s clearly faulty, everything points to a fault condition at the radio end of the programming chain or a major firmware issue which is unresolvable if it won’t communicate.

Currently at war with vendor who, aside knows clearly zero about radio let alone LMR/commercial radio equipment and things like taking it to a local repair shop (as was suggested in a begging response trying to stop me actioning the matter) would both destroy it’s warranty and give the vendor a quick out route, but also that in a billion to one shot is was commercial viable to fix, getting it done at your local hole in the wall repair shop (who won’t have the right kit to verify they haven’t messed up the RF side with their butchery) would destroy it’s TA certification.

Not that the TA affects me, but if it needed to be used by a licensed LMR operator as a loaner or even I needed it commercially at anytime, it becomes an even more expensive mistake and commercially useless paperweight.

I’m afraid I may have to go full hellfire and brimstone in the dealings, but at this moment, if co-vid wasn’t a problem, be wanting to do something with it to him he’d never forget - assuming his defective mind had enough functioning grey matter to have mental recall ability.

So, folks, even if my DM-X story so far isn’t a big warning sign, I’m sure the mixed bag of experiences on this forum alone about the DM-X should be screaming ‘avoid like the plague’ if you’re not equipped with infinite patience and really can diagnose and resolve driver and USB issues without any real support and programming setup documentation that the author should be very ashamed of.

That pretty much closes my DM-X experience, I’ll post a final note when the vendor war ceases.

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396

Thanks for all this great discussion folks!! I’m currently just learning and getting into the DMR aspect of the hobby and I’ve ordered the DM-X as my first “trial” unit. If it goes well I will likely go to something a bit better like a uv878 possibly. I’ve been researching anything snd everything I can find on this unit as I wait for it to arrive from China :cn:. It should arrive in the next few days.
I don’t know what firmware it’s going to ship with. I was really hoping to have the Digital Monitor mode but I discovered the DM-X has a promiscuous mode but not nearly as comprehensive as the UV878 so it won’t search out as much info as the the 878. I’ve also just learned that the main DMR repeater in my area has been shutdown due to interference and horse play so it appears I’m going to have to purchase a hotspot. Anything you folks recommend for an inexpensive but half decent Hotspot? It doesn’t need to be wifi if that helps?
Anything else important you guys can think of that I should know, please feel free to lay it out for me. I got the dm-x as an entry level cheap unit as I wanted to try the system and technology before I started a major and expensive endeavour lol.
Appreciate you guys !
Thanks very much.
VA3NDP
Niagara Region, Ontario.

397

@VA3NDP hi, I’ve really no idea of your budget or prices out there - but I’d say, as an a Yaseu, Anytime and unfortunate DM-X owner, literally for analog and DMR, cut your losses and headaches out of the equation. The anytime at series DME dual modes dual banders are literally known good and respected painless items, that’s really a hybrid where it’s as usable as a ham set without jumping through hoops (worse case, you may have to unlock keypad frequency input due to new items being keypad locked to meet FCC requirements), but as a ham set that can be commercial used as well because of a genuine TA, for not much more than a DM-X, you can buy the non-BT standard version or if you want BT audio, the extra cost for a Plus version is actually a bargain. Paired with a CVC8 spec BT headset and it’s a pleasure as much as the audio on the radio’s speaker and mic.

As an experiment or curiosity thing, those all dancing DM-X’s are going to be an expensive short lived buy if you hit the notorious issues. Add in you’ll probably not be able to use it in Canada for commercial fallback use because there are TA issues with Baofeng gear under FCC rules, you’re better of buying a genuinely TA certified known good quantity and get years of fun vs pain and grief if you get a bad Baof or a marginal one.

If you must buy Baofeng for digital, go for a regular DM-1701 or DM-1702, which at least known solid stuff, rather than the DM-X (can end up being a DM-1702B or a DM-760 under it’s colourful skin, but sold as a DM-X either way by not usually reputable sellers on Amazon, eBay and sites like AliExpress and BangGood.

Just fair warning - unless you’re really happy to kiss goodbye to any real contractual tech support and be chasing windmills when you get a bad one.

I’m at war with a vendor over a DM-X at the moment, so I’m literally talking from harsh experience.

398

That’s some scary stuff right there but I very much appreciate the honesty. Unfortunately for me, I’ve already ordered the DM-X :frowning:
It’s on its way to my home now. I’ve been a ham for well over twenty years but this is the first time I’ve felt like tackling the world of DMR so I ordered that thing. After I ordered it, I researched like crazy (I know it’s backwards :joy:) and discovered exactly what you said. Order form a reputable dealer and get a proper HT. For now I guess I will just kiss my 140$ CDN goodbye and maybe look at ordering something better and reputable when I get a few extra dollars and if I decide to stay and play in DMR ham land. The more I learn as I research I think it could be a very nice addition to the hobby for me.
Thanks again for the advise. Maybe I wjll get lucky snd my DM-x won’t be a POS :man_shrugging:t2:

Cheers
Nick / VA3NDP

399

There’s always a chance you’ll get an OK or halfway well behaved one that’s actually what it’s supposed to be. But if it proves problematic, you still have VFO usage, so using it with time slot 1, tg 9 (basically manually add a contact with an 9 id and store and set as a group will at least give basic DV simplex use. Having been too caught up problem solving I never really looked closely enough to specifically give a how-to. Someone who’s had more time can probably fill the how-to gaps.

As I said, in an earlier post - my bored of waiting for mind to eventually hit the same dimension again purchase of the Anytone rapidly became a sound move in retrospect - truth be told, the DM-X fell into bored mind interest and potential sacrificial radio long before it ended up arriving - it’s the fact it’s faulty and I ended declaring war on an incompetent idiot ruined any residual interest rapidly.

Myself, been in and around radio communications, centered on ham and SWL since I was a young kid, but eventually got around to getting licensed in the 90s hence my relatively young ex-B class call sign. Interesting fact was that I took my exam at the same sitting (time of year) at the exact same place and the same age my father was when he sat his RAE, I also ironically got my call sign about the same number of days post exam results he got his G8 call in.

Somethings are definitely stranger than a fiction and that pure but parallel set of coincidences would be the stuff of fiction if it hadn’t been the case.

But when it comes to my buying an LMR grade handheld as my first digital venture, even that’s a parallel as his first vhf (am in those days) was an ex-taxi US made Hudson and my first purchased FM HT was a ham set that had been a variant of an LMR but set for VFO at factory and had an unlocked keypad - a then newly released vhf Alinco. First one I ever tried to modify, VHF wise was a low band VHF LMR made by Pye, of which I still use the then old factory service centre spec test gear.

But it’s no surprise such coincidence or coincidences happen in the hobby, given the nature of it.

Anyway, best of luck

400

Thanks. I did buy it from Wish by I did sblancher09@gmail.com purchase it form a very large and what appears to be a reputable establishment. Maybe I will get lucky but if not, it’s only 140$ so I will cut my loss and pickup an Anytone or TYT. I will send another note when she arrives and attach a pic as well so you can see what was sent.
73’s!
Nick

401

Well, at the very least, regardless of outcome, a pic may help someone - a pic of the plate where the battery fits (where the model no is) will help others, it may show ‘DM-X’ and have later, unlisted (as a release) fw like mine did.

I’ve since noticed, on a last ditch but no change effort, that despite showing no new virtual COM ports only an unattached USB printer entry, an STM (as in ST Micro, a make of microcontroller and other silicon) virtual com port support installs.

Noted, because it indicates the precense of a clone or actual embedded ST Link programmer which opens up extra bricked devices potential, since most ST based devices use an ST Link programmer and so potentially you could use a command line DFU mode reflash to restore using an ST uploaded. But it’s presence points to there may being an Arm based main MCU of ST origin or a clone of.

Anyway, it’s more of a finding than usual I guess - without dissecting the radio I can’t confirm the observations or conclusions in that respect.

402

Closing, hopefully, update on DM-X - the vendor has finally caved in admitted liability and hopefully the promised refund will transpire. How generous it was to not expect me to ship it back to Baofeng, so it will be Waste Equipment Regs disposed of and never re-enter circulation. Normally, when these things happen and I end up retaining the item, I take time to assess and fish gut them, but this time around - the motivation is as dead as the vendor’s rep.

So hopefully that’s my DM-X chapter and vendor war ended, because either way it was an expensive fight on principle where the real victim was my mental and physical health since I’m plagued by stress related issues.

Good luck to everyone else, and if you’re lucky that the creator develops of OpenGD77 creates a variant for the DM-1702B - you may be really able to painlessly exploit what should be a flexible transceiver without needing CPS to set half the functions easily.

Since I don’t really need another DMR set, I may look at a Wouxon 4m handheld or the wideband Rx 9K Pro Pack to replace an aged and battered early UV-3R (from back when they cost more to ship than the purchase price). Who knows, I may even just invest in bulk materials and start building colinears etc again - I always enjoyed the making of the critical bits of the chain where physics, crafting and quirkiness were an uncomfortable trio.

403

HI Pawel: Im triying to use your tools but is way ahead from me. Im basically triying to change to a custom bot screen, can you please help me? what do I have to do for see on my windows? Sorry Im weeks triying to find myself but … I give up.

Thanks