DMR Codeplug Builder

Builds a codeplug for the BTECH DMR-6X2 PRO and writes it straight to the radio over USB, with no CPS needed, on Windows and on a Mac. You manage talkgroups, repeaters and your hotspot in a simple GUI (or start from a map wizard that pulls in the repeaters near you); Radio > Write codeplug to radio shows what will change, saves what was on the radio first, sends the new codeplug the way the CPS does and checks it. Radio > Read codeplug from radio brings what is on the radio into a project. If you would rather use the BTECH CPS, it also writes the CSV files plus a .LST file list that the CPS imports in one step.

• Windows 10 and 11: runs on the .NET Framework 4.8 that Windows already includes; nothing to install. Download W6OZZ-CPS-windows-x.y.z.zip from Releases.
• Mac (Apple Silicon and Intel): an Avalonia app over the same engine, published as a pre-release (W6OZZ CPS x.y.z for Mac (preview)). Reading and writing the radio has been tried on a real Mac. Install steps and what has been tested are on the release page and in docs/MAC.md.

Unofficial. This is an independent hobby project. It is not made by, endorsed by or affiliated with BTECH, RepeaterBook, RadioID.net or BrandMeister. Check what it writes before you load it into your radio, and keep a backup of your codeplug (a CPS .rdt file); you use it at your own risk.

Writing straight to the radio (no CPS)

With the programming cable connected and the BTECH CPS closed, Radio > Write codeplug to radio... reads the radio, writes this project's channels, zones, talkgroups, receive group lists, scan lists and radio ID into it, shows what will change, and after you confirm sends it the way the CPS does and checks it. The radio's settings stay as they are, except that it offers once to turn on Send talker alias (so other radios and network dashboards show your name), if it's off. What was on the radio is saved first (Documents\DMR Codeplug Builder\Radio reads), and Radio > Restore codeplug from a backup... writes any saved read back. Keep a CPS codeplug file (.rdt) as well, just in case. Radio > Read codeplug from radio opens what's on the radio as a project. The Read from radio and Write to radio buttons at the bottom right of the window do the same.

On a Mac the radio shows up as /dev/cu.usbmodem...; if it is not found, Radio > Radio port... lets you pick the port, and Help > Diagnostics shows what the Mac sees. (Restoring a backup has not been tried on a Mac yet.) Backups of the radio are kept in ~/Documents/DMR Codeplug Builder/Radio reads. Reads and writes use the same protocol on Windows and on the Mac.

Always keep a CPS backup (.rdt) of your codeplug before the first write. A write replaces the channels, zones, talkgroups, receive group lists, scan lists and radio ID in the radio with what is in your project.

Using it

From scratch: File > New codeplug (or Set up a new codeplug on the start page) is a five-step wizard on a built-in world map: pick the states or countries you use (their DMR repeaters download from RadioID.net in the background), look up your DMR ID from your callsign, click counties/states/countries to take their repeaters (or tick single repeaters on a list), choose how zones are made (per county, city, state, country, band, or one zone), then pick talkgroups per zone. Repeaters bring the talkgroups their owners list on RadioID.net (named from BrandMeister's list); talkgroups ticked for a zone go on every repeater in it, including ones added later. Repeaters > Add from map... does the same for an existing project (Find online... is the older list by state), the Zones tab has the same per-zone talkgroup editor, and Talkgroups > Browse BrandMeister... searches every BrandMeister talkgroup.

1. Run CodeplugBuilder.exe. It reopens the project you used last (or the one .cpb file next to the program); otherwise the start page offers the wizard, an import from the CPS, or opening a project.
2. Repeaters tab. Add DMR repeater or Add analog. Type the receive frequency (the repeater output); the transmit frequency follows the usual band offset, which you can change.
   • Zone: pick an existing zone or type a new name. Every repeater with the same zone name lands in that zone automatically, in list order.
   • Talkgroups: pick talkgroups on the left and click Add on slot 1 or Add on slot 2. Each one becomes a channel named prefix + talkgroup (for example W5FC Texas), shortened to 16 characters when needed (common abbreviations first, such as TX for Texas, and numbers at the end are never cut). Type in the Channel name column to use your own name; clear it to go back to automatic.
   • Untick a repeater in the list to keep it in the project but leave it out of the codeplug.
   • Add NOAA weather adds the seven weather channels (receive only). Add simplex adds the 146.520 and 446.000 FM calling frequencies and five DMR simplex frequencies (441.000, 446.500, 446.075, 145.790, 145.510; color code 1, slot 1, talkgroup 99) in a "Simplex" zone. That DMR list is widely shared but not official: change it to what your area uses.
3. Hotspot tab. Tick Include my hotspot, set its frequency (Offset Simplex for a simplex MMDVM hotspot), color code, and the talkgroups you use on it.
4. Talkgroups tab. The master list (the CPS Talk Groups list). Add, rename, change IDs (repeaters follow), import from a CSV, or add common BrandMeister talkgroups.
5. Zones tab. Zone order on the radio, renaming, which channel each zone opens on, and the talkgroups every repeater in a zone carries.
6. Settings tab. Your Radio ID name and DMR ID, receive group lists, scan lists, polite transmit, and limits. Polite transmit (on for new codeplugs) sets DMR repeater channels to TX permit "Same Color Code", so the radio won't key over a call already on that repeater's slot; the hotspot and DMR simplex stay on "Always". The problems list also warns about channels that transmit outside the amateur bands (a MURS or GMRS channel without Receive only), and about a hotspot or DMR simplex channel in a satellite sub-band (145.8-146, 435-438 MHz) or on an APRS or calling frequency. Caller names (off by default) adds DigitalContactList.CSV with DMR users from RadioID.net (the whole world, countries or US states), so the radio shows who is calling. APRS (off by default) adds APRS.CSV with your callsign, SSID and frequency. Importing either replaces that part of the CPS's codeplug; after an APRS import, check the CPS's APRS screen.
7. Click Radio > Write codeplug to radio (see above), or, to go through the CPS, click Export > Export CSV files for the CPS (Ctrl+G) and save the .LST. The CSVs are saved next to it.
8. (CPS route only) In the CPS: open your codeplug, Tool > Import > Import From File List, pick the .LST, click Import, check a few channels, then write to the radio.

The import replaces the CPS's Channel, Zone, Talk Groups, Receive Group Call List and Radio ID List, plus the Scan List when scan lists are on (the default for new codeplugs; off for one imported from the CPS, so the scan lists you made there stay). Everything else in the codeplug, such as optional settings, APRS and the digital contact database, stays as it was.

If the file list won't import, use Tool > Import and load each CSV yourself, in this order: TalkGroups, ReceiveGroupCallList, RadioIDList, Channel, ScanList, Zone.

Starting from what's in the radio

In the CPS, read the radio, then Tool > Export > Export All (Default CSV FileName). In this program, File > Import from CPS export... and pick the exported .LST. Digital channels on the same frequency and color code become one repeater; the biggest simplex group of digital channels becomes the hotspot; analog channels, zones and channel names are kept.

How it works

• The CPS's own rows are the template. Generated rows are copies of rows the CPS exported, with only the fields this program manages changed (name, frequencies, power, bandwidth, tones, contact, color code, slot, receive group list, TX prohibit, and TX permit with polite transmit on). Columns it doesn't manage keep the CPS defaults. The built-in layout comes from a CPS 1.22 export; if a CPS update changes the columns, export again and use Settings > Load from CPS export....
• Names link everything. This CPS's Zone and receive group list files refer to channels and talkgroups by name only, so every channel name is made unique (a number is added if two would clash) and kept to 16 plain ASCII characters, without | or ".
• The VFO A/B rows (channel numbers 4001 and 4002) are always written, pointed at contacts that exist.
• One receive group list per DMR repeater (its group-call talkgroups), so its channels play every talkgroup the repeater carries on that slot. Turn this off in Settings to hear only the channel's own talkgroup.
• Zones larger than 250 channels are split into numbered zones.

Confirmed and not yet confirmed in the CPS

• Confirmed (CPS 1.22e): the 5-file .LST imports in one step, and each imported list replaces the CPS's list (no leftover channels). Channels made by hand in the CPS are therefore removed on import, unless you turn on Settings > Keep channels, zones and talkgroups made in the CPS and point it at a fresh Export All of your codeplug: then they're written back as they were (same channel numbers), with the zones, talkgroups and lists they use. Channels keep their numbers between generations either way.
• Confirmed: a codeplug that brings new talkgroups imports cleanly and exports back unchanged.
• Confirmed: scan lists (one per zone) import cleanly and export back unchanged. They copy the settings of a scan list made in the CPS. With scan lists off, scan lists you made in the CPS stay as long as their channels keep their names.

Building from source

• Windows: open CodeplugBuilder.sln in Visual Studio 2022 (".NET desktop development" workload) and build Release, or run dotnet build src/App/CodeplugBuilder.csproj -c Release.
• Linux: bash build.sh [path-to-CPS-export] (needs the .NET 8 SDK and Mono's reference assemblies; see the script). The optional export folder turns on the round-trip tests.

Output: src/App/bin/Release/net48/CodeplugBuilder.exe.

Tests: dotnet run --project tests -- [path-to-CPS-export]. Without an export folder the round-trip tests are skipped. GitHub Actions builds and tests every push (.github/workflows/build.yml); pushing a tag like v1.4.0 makes a release "W6OZZ CPS 1.4.0" with W6OZZ-CPS-windows-1.4.0.zip (the exe, its config and docs/README.txt; release.yml). Set the same version in both .csproj files first.

Command line

CodeplugBuilder.exe --generate "My 6X2 Codeplug.cpb" OutputFolder [--format CpsExportFolder] [--merge CpsExportFolder]
CodeplugBuilder.exe --import CpsExportFolder "My 6X2 Codeplug.cpb"

A log file is written next to the output (a Windows GUI program has no console).

Working on it

docs/DEVELOPMENT.md has the build commands, how the code is wired and the rules that keep the CSVs importable; docs/HANDOFF.md has the design decisions, the full CPS CSV format notes, what has been verified, and a prioritized list of improvements. docs/MAC.md covers the Mac version.

Layout

Folder	What's there
src/Core	The engine, no UI: models, CSV reader/writer, CPS format, generator, importer, validation, online data parsing, the map atlas and automatic zones, direct radio access (Radio/), built-in CPS templates and Geo/atlas.gz + Geo/roads.gz
src/App	The Windows Forms GUI (start page, wizard, map, tabs, radio read/write)
src/Mac	The Mac version: an Avalonia GUI over the same engine (also runs on Windows and Linux)
tests	Engine tests (a console runner). The key one imports a real CPS export and regenerates it, checking Channel, Zone, TalkGroups and RadioIDList come back identical
tools/GeoBuild	Builds src/Core/Geo/atlas.gz and roads.gz from the public boundary, road and place files (zips in tools/geodata, not in the repo; see HANDOFF 4c)
tools/RepeaterList	Writes one CSV of DMR repeaters per US state from RadioID.net's map and BrandMeister's device list (a data check, not part of the app)
tools/package-mac.ps1	Packages the Mac version as .app bundles from Windows
docs	DEVELOPMENT.md (build, rules, architecture), HANDOFF.md (background, format reference, verification status, roadmap), MAC.md and MAC-TESTING.md (the Mac version), README.txt (goes in the release zip)

Projects are saved as readable JSON (.cpb). The built-in map uses US Census and Natural Earth data (public domain) and GeoNames place names (CC BY 4.0).

Data sources and credits

• DMR repeaters and users: RadioID.net (repeater lists, DMR ID lookup).
• Talkgroup names and repeaters on the network: BrandMeister.
• DMR and analog repeaters: RepeaterBook. Data courtesy of RepeaterBook.com. Repeaters > From RepeaterBook downloads the DMR and/or analog repeaters of up to 5 states at a time with your own RepeaterBook token: sign in on RepeaterBook, open API Apps, generate a token for this program, and paste it in Settings > RepeaterBook (there is no shared token in the program). Downloads happen only when you click Download; listings are kept in memory only while the dialog is open, and only the repeaters you add go into your project. RepeaterBook doesn't list DMR talkgroups, so DMR repeaters get your zone's talkgroups or a starter set. The program ships no RepeaterBook data and has no bulk download, map or browsing of RepeaterBook data. Your token is never written to projects, exports or logs: on Windows it is stored encrypted for your Windows account, on a Mac in a file in the app's settings folder that only your user account can read.
• Map: boundaries from the US Census Bureau and Natural Earth (public domain); highways from Natural Earth; place names from GeoNames, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

License

MIT, see LICENSE.