Digital Modes
My first foray into digital radio was with a purchase of an ID-51 a year or two ago. I didn't love it. My repeater options for D-STAR were poor and I had a hard time finding people to talk with using the mode. I don't like the voice quality of D-STAR. It sounds too robotic to me. I sold my ID-51 and bought a bunch of other gear instead.
From what I can tell, DMR and Yaesu Fusion sound largely the same. So while audio quality isn't an attraction to me, digital modes have gained a lot of popularity in Amateur radio. DMR in particular seems all the rage. The increase in user-base and the availability of hotspots make it super easy to use digital modes.
Digital voice has a couple of advantages: forward error correction, and advanced features. Error correction keeps your speech intelligible right up to the ragged edge of RF coverage. An FM signal will be filled with static and become unusable much earlier than a digital signal drops out. Digital modes include new features, like providing GPS, call-sign and other information along with your voice.
One advantage that isn't touted is battery life. DMR seems to be an efficient means of communicating.
I recently bought an Anytone AT-D878UV. It's very similar to the 868, but has a different screen. Looking forward to using it more. I like that it's dual band and also does APRS.
Hotspot
A popular way to have use your DMR radio is with a hotspot. This is a small device that has a radio and Internet connection. Your station is connected to another RF station over the Internet by the hotspot. See this video for info about hotspots.
I bought a Jumbospot. It only works in digital modes: DMR, D-STAR, Yaesu Fusion, etc. The Jumbospot won't work with your FM radio, but it's like having your own repeater for digital modes. If you don't mind spending more money, the SharkRF Openspot2 looks really nice.
The Jumbospot looks like a good value and I enjoy using Raspberry Pi boards for all sorts of things. If I tire of my Jumbospot I can cannibalize it for another project. It uses a Raspberry Pi Zero W, so it's quite small. I was surprised how small the total package is. The unit I bought includes an OLED display, a small antenna, and a metal enclosure for about $100. You can buy it as a partial or full kit for less money and assembly looks a breeze.
Get a DMR ID
You need a DMR ID before you can use DMR. Navigate to radioid.net to get an ID. I was able to get mine in under and hour on Christmas day, so it shouldn't take you long. DMR-MARC no longer manages DMR IDs, so don't bother following links to them for your ID.
Register for an account on radioid.net. When I registered, they automatically issued me an ID. Despite what some may say, you do NOT need a repeater ID for your hotspot, and you do not need a separate ID for each radio you own. I use my one-and-only DMR ID for my radio and hotspot.
Jumbospot Setup
Eric, has a great video on setting up the Jumbospot. KG4VDZ also has a video that includes a few other tips that might help. My Jumbospot came with a "quick-start guide" of sorts. It turned out to be unhelpful. Just associate your computer with the "pi-star setup" AP and go from there.
Brandmeister Account
You don't need a Brandmeister account to use your hotspot on their network. However, there are some advantages to creating an account at https://brandmeister.network/. One thing I learned from KG4DVZ is to link my hotspot with my Brandmeister dashboard. This will give you and other users more information about your hotspot.
See the screenshot below. My hotspot is listed at the bottom of the page. If you click on the link you can see more info about it.
