Tom: Fusion is it's own digital mode different from the rest.
Yaesu offered dual band fusion/analogue repeaters in 2015 for such a good 
price that many clubs bought several of them.  It is somewhat unfortunate 
that the repeaters are made up of essentially two mobile radios and some 
controller circuitry...instead of a properly built repeater.
Yaesu has a couple radios capable of fusion, but of course they are still 
pricy and uncommon...DMR radios are much cheaper and easier to get ahold 
of...even more so than DStar, so I see DMR becoming the standard digital 
mode just due to availability and cost...as we all know, hams tend to be 
cheap lol.
You can buy a very nice DMR handheld for $200 or less shipped to your 
door...the yaesu fusion HT is still well over $300.
DMR also has more potential and a far larger network across the world at the 
moment.
Yaesu tried this before with the wires concept, which did well in Japan but 
never took off anywhere else...now they are trying fusion which I fear will 
have the same result.
They come late to the party most of the time and other systems are better 
developed and nicer to use.  To try and develop the fusion network they 
were, perhaps still are selling dual band fusion repeaters for $600 or so. 
If enough clubs buy these, and many many of them have across north america, 
perhaps fusion will get off the ground.  But Yaesu will have to quickly 
start offering several different models of radio capable of using fusion to 
get it going.




73
Colin, V A6BKX
-----Original Message----- 
From: Tom Behler
Sent: Sunday, January 3, 2016 9:36 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Help me out, please

Thanks, Pat.  I was wondering the same thing.

Here in my local area, we are still all analog, although there are some
folks who are starting to play with the digital modes.

For example, our club just bought two of the 2-meter/440 Fusion repeaters
from Yaesu, and I know they have digital capability of some kind.  However,
I'm not sure what that capability is.  Perhaps DMR?

If anyone knows, please advise.

For now, I'm sticking with analog.

Tom Behler: KB8TYJ


-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Pat Byrne
Sent: Sunday, January 03, 2016 10:59 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Help me out, please

I am playing catch up!  Is DMR another scheme in addition to Dstar and the
Yaesu digital offering?
If so, then are there three competing scenarios?
Thanks.
Pat Byrne, K9JAU