TIDRADIO TD-H3 Identification send feature - how does it work?

[TrikeRadio]

Does anyone know anything about how the menu items 37 (PTT ID), 38 (DTMFST), and 39 (ANI-ID) work?
(I am using the GMRS mode BTW)

I have:
37 set to BOT (beginning of Transmission),
38 set ON
39 set to a numeric code I want to send.

(I'm not absolutely sure that 38 is related to the others but I think it is)
 

When I transmit I don't see that code show on the display of my other TD-H3. I also tried sending to a repeater and to another user with a Motorola radio, and he said my code was not showing on his radio (normally does for others who transmit to him through the repeater).
 

Documentation in the manual is pretty minimal and only tells you how to set the features, but there is no description of how it should actually work or what you might see and where on the screen.

TIDRADIO also has a video out about the menus 37 and 39 but in it, they just tell you the same thing the manual does and do not actually demonstrate it on the video.

* I'm just wondering if anyone else has used this feature and if so ... what am I missing to make it work? and how does it work exactly?

(smart alec responses will be chuckled at and promptly ignored - reasonable and real responses will be greatly appreciated) 
 

[SteveShannon]

2 hours ago, TrikeRadio said:

Does anyone know anything about how the menu items 37 (PTT ID), 38 (DTMFST), and 39 (ANI-ID) work?
(I am using the GMRS mode BTW)

I have:
37 set to BOT (beginning of Transmission),
38 set ON
39 set to a numeric code I want to send.

(I'm not absolutely sure that 38 is related to the others but I think it is)
 

When I transmit I don't see that code show on the display of my other TD-H3. I also tried sending to a repeater and to another user with a Motorola radio, and he said my code was not showing on his radio (normally does for others who transmit to him through the repeater).
 

Documentation in the manual is pretty minimal and only tells you how to set the features, but there is no description of how it should actually work or what you might see and where on the screen.

TIDRADIO also has a video out about the menus 37 and 39 but in it, they just tell you the same thing the manual does and do not actually demonstrate it on the video.

* I'm just wondering if anyone else has used this feature and if so ... what am I missing to make it work? and how does it work exactly?

(smart alec responses will be chuckled at and promptly ignored - reasonable and real responses will be greatly appreciated) 
 

Maybe it doesn’t really send it. I believe you have it set correctly although are you waiting slightly to allow the code to be sent before you speak?

Try it in the ham mode (assuming you’re licensed appropriately.)

[TrikeRadio]

52 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

Maybe it doesn’t really send it. I believe you have it set correctly although are you waiting slightly to allow the code to be sent before you speak?

Try it in the ham mode (assuming you’re licensed appropriately.)

There is nothing on the screen display examples in the manual about where such a code would even be displayed. I have tried a few things .. on simplex.. via a repeater... to different radios. wil try some different timings of keying I guess.

and no, I don't have an amateur license so, yeah won't be trying that yet.
 

[SteveShannon]

7 hours ago, TrikeRadio said:

There is nothing on the screen display examples in the manual about where such a code would even be displayed. I have tried a few things .. on simplex.. via a repeater... to different radios. wil try some different timings of keying I guess.

and no, I don't have an amateur license so, yeah won't be trying that yet.
 

I’ve not heard of ANI ID’s being displayed on the screen of another radio, although it makes sense that some devices can interpret them. Nor do I know if they are delivered through a repeater.  This has been discussed before on the forum but I don’t recall anyone having great success using them.  They’re more of a feature used by commercial radios and maybe the people here who deal with commercial radios can advise you more. @nokones, @Lscott, @gortex2, @marcspaz

Here’s a thread on radio reference that discusses the various settings and how they’re used referring, to a Baofeng UV-82.  It might be useful anyway.

https://forums.radioreference.com/threads/baofeng-uv-82-need-help-with-understanding-ani-id-signal-code-ptt-id.282829/

The post that appears to have the most helpful information about the subject is #10.  I haven’t tried any of this.  I’m curious what you intend to do with ANI-ID?

[Socalgmrs]

DTMF is not used very much in gmrs.  All radios using it must be set up the same way to be able to have it sent and received.  DTMF is not allowed on most repeaters since it’s an audible tone and would get super annoying real fast if all users had it turned on.  Each character has 2 tones, it uses 4-16 characters so 8-32 tones every time some one keys up would get a little crazy. 
it is used for station I’d but users would have to be looking at the radio then know what numbers belong to what person.   It is used for selective calling but again all radios would have to be set up this way.  Some radios have control and kill functions that use DTMF and it’s used to send data on data radios.    You can even log into hub nets if you a ham and have one local to you. But for your average person using gmrs radios especially on repeaters it has very little to no use.  

[Jonolvey]

10 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

Maybe it doesn’t really send it. I believe you have it set correctly although are you waiting slightly to allow the code to be sent before you speak?

Try it in the ham mode (assuming you’re licensed appropriately.)

I had a friend who had a fancy HAM repeater and depending on what codes your radio sent depending on what other repeaters your voice came out of is that what he's talking about I wish I could remember the name of it

[SteveShannon]

8 minutes ago, Jonolvey said:

I had a friend who had a fancy HAM repeater and depending on what codes your radio sent depending on what other repeaters your voice came out of is that what he's talking about I wish I could remember the name of it

That sounds like using DTMF to link to other repeaters.  On our 2 meter repeater DTMF tones are used to control other aspects of the repeater or to ask the repeater for things like voltage, temperature, etc.

[TrikeRadio]

So here are some things I have found out about menu times 37 (PTT ID) and 39 (ANI-ID):
(screenshots and descriptions are in CHIRP)

1. MOST IMPORTANTLY ... Neither setting seems to actually send any ID to other TD-H3 radios... nor does it seem to work sending to other radios like Motorola ones that have this ability. So basically all of this is pointless except for knowing it.
    
2. Menu item 37 (red circle with number 37) shows in the Memories tab and applies to eahc memory slot / "Channel" individually, so you can turn it to BOT (beginning of transmit) EOF (End of Transmit), BOTH or OFF differently on every memory slot you have saved.
    
3. Menu Item 39 (red circle with number 39) shows up in the  SETTINGS Tab and DTMF subtab . as ID CODE. Seems to apply to whole radio not per memory slot.
    
4. Menu Item 38 (red circle with number 38) shows in the  SETTINGS Tab and DTMF subtab as DTMF SIDE TONES and is a true false checkbox.. on or off. (not really related to the PTT ID.. Separate function that DOES work if you hi the * key, type in a code and hit PTT it will send tones for the characters audibly to the other radio) This turns on or off the sending radio's play back of the audio tones of the code. off it is silent for the sender but comes in on the transmission... on it plays audibly for the sender on clicking the PTT and also transmits the audible tones. - but I know no real use for this in GMRS except maybe of old ol repeaters that use this to be controlled by audible tone codes.
    
5. There are other settings below in the  SETTINGS Tab and DTMF subtab ( in CHIRP) which also seem to apply to the PTT id - but also do not seem to change anything, make anything work, or show up on the radio's own settings menu anywhere.
    
6. The DTMF DECODE ENABLE  can be checked and unchecked in CHIRP.. but will not save to the radio when uploaded... it always is UNCHECKED when you read it back in to chirp.
   
   So after all that... it seems to me that 37 and 39 and the other settings that only show in chirp are "vestigial organs" (like the appendix in your body) left over and not used elements which are reserved for future or don't actually do anything useful anymore.
   
   I would love to be proven wrong if anyone does know how to make this PTT id thing work universally or even just between two Tidradio units.. but it does not seem liike they really do anything.
   
   Like I mentioned above in point number 4.. menu 38 does control if you hear the DTMF codes you can enter using the * key... on it will audibly play them on the sending radio and the receiving... off will make it silent to the sender but transmitted to the receiver.
   
    

[marcspaz]

Bad news...  the ANI-ID and PTT-ID are worthless on most amateur and GMRS radios (including the TD-H3) unless you have a standalone DTMF decoder.  There is no decoder, built-in or otherwise, that will display the ID on the screen of the radio.  So, unless you like hearing sounds like someone dialing a touch tone phone every time you transmit, don't waste your time.

[TrikeRadio]

4 minutes ago, marcspaz said:

Bad news...  the ANI-ID and PTT-ID are worthless on most amateur and GMRS radios (including the TD-H3) unless you have a standalone DTMF decoder.  There is no decoder, built-in or otherwise, that will display the ID on the screen of the radio.  So, unless you like hearing sounds like someone dialing a touch tone phone every time you transmit, don't waste your time.

Yep... I gave up playing with it now... It was interesting to research it a bit anyway.

It is still funny to me that Tidradio has this video about it...

and he starts off saying, "Today we are going to be talking about two IMPORTANT FEATURES... "
and yet, it does not actually work or do anything!

[marcspaz]

15 minutes ago, TrikeRadio said:

Yep... I gave up playing with it now... It was interesting to research it a bit anyway.

It is still funny to me that Tidradio has this video about it...

and he starts off saying, "Today we are going to be talking about two IMPORTANT FEATURES... "
and yet, it does not actually work or do anything!

 

Yeah, I mean, if you are trying to use the radio to manage repeaters or links that support DTMF, it can be handy.  You can program the repeater controller to only allow specific ID's to connect.  So, you can user the ANI-ID as a preamble (BOT) to unlock the remote control, and the release PTT-ID (EOT) to enable or disable a feature.  A great example would be to enable or disable a repeater link.

It really was never intended for peer-to-peer use.