How to send a text message to a cell phone using a DMR radio
Special thanks to Wayne Steury, N9EGT for these instructions.
APRS SMS Texting using your AnyTone 878
(BCU Show Notes – 3/24/2021) – N9EGT
The AnyTone 878 supports SMS (Short Messaging Service) and Digital APRS. With this you can use a service called SMSGTE to send and receive SMS messages to any phone device that supports SMS messaging. This works with the BrandMeister APRS talk group 310999.
For example, you can send a text message from your radio to your wife’s cell phone. She can then reply. You could be in radio range to a networked repeater yet not in cell phone range. Sending Text messages with your radio can come in handy.
FIRST — Go into your Brandmeister Self Care account and set up your SSID for your APRS call sign. In my case, since I’m on an HT, I appended a “-7”. See this link for more details about APRS SSID.
Also for the AnyTone, set brand to Motorola. See: http://www.aprs.org/aprs11/SSIDs.txt
https://brandmeister.network/?page=login&returnurl=%2F%3Fpage%3Dselfcare
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Go into your Anytone CPS and set up a Talk Group for SMS Texting. It will be a private call and the TG number is 310999.
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Add channel to your channel list.
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Add each channel to a ZONE.
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Write to the radio.
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Have a phone handy or a number available where you can send Text Messages.
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Select your local repeater channel you just created for SMS. Go into the radio menu and select SMS. Click New Msg. Using the keypad type in the following:
SMSGTE[1 space]@<phone number you want text>[1 space]<Your message here>
For example:
SMSGTE @5558675309 Hey, this is a new feature!
Click Confirm, then click SEND. You can then select from your TG list or manually key 310999.
The radio will then send the SMS and your phone should receive it. The SMSGTE acknowledge message may or may not be sent by the repeater.
To reply from your phone simply respond with @<call sign><-ssid>[1 space]<Your Message here> For example: @n9egt-7 I got your text. Thanks!
Use TG Disconnect (4000) to tell the repeater you’ve freed up the resource.