Review Update: New PicoAPRS Model(s) & Firmware Update

Lately it seems the only attention APRS has been getting is if and how it is implemented on new DMR radios.

This is not fair, so let us look at some dedicated APRS only devices compared to some radios that offer location and message sharing capability.

PicoAPRS product is the smallest
APRS transceiver on the market

Location Finding: Different devices for different people

Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) is a technology 20+ years in the making that lets amateur radio operators use low speed data over narrow channels to share location and basic text status updates in a few formats.

Cool Thing:  It is also possible to use APRS for telemetry data, such as weather information or malfunctioning equipment status updates. APRS can also be used to track things, like a rocket or a balloon. This is the Amateur Radio version of "Internet of Things" before that was even a term.

Ham equipment vendors Yaesu (Fusion), Kenwood and Icom (D-Star) all offer different digital voice mode radios and none are DMR products which is the most popular digital voice mode today.

Pictured Left to Right - Kenwood TH-D74, Xiaomi Mijia,
TYT MD-UV380, Alinco MD-5TGP, Mobilinkd TNC2, PicoAPRS

Vendors such as Anytone, TYT, Retevis and Alinco support the ability to send GPS data that can appear on the APRS.fi website, but this is not really APRS in the traditional sense, but some call it D-APRS.

Hot Stuff: A good comparison of APRS to another form of location sharing was done from a hot air balloon this summer.

Location Battleground:  Get ready!!

Beyond amateur radio which is a licensed radio service globally, there are now unlicensed radios such as the GoTenna, Xiaomi Mijia and Motorola T800 that allows users to share location data with one another, but are far from as robust as what is possible via amateur radio at any level thanks to APRS but come close and are slightly easier to use as discovered a recent hamfest.

Non-Voice Capable APRS Devices

Two of the smallest and full featured APRS devices that are not voice transmission capable are the PicoAPRS v2 and MobileLinkd TNC2 which have been reviewed in the past on HVDN Review Lens.

The Mobilinkd device is more of an accessory gadget that physically plugs into most any two way radio with appropriate cable.

THe Mobilink TNC2 also requires a smartphone paired over bluetooth that runs an application to send, receive and view location of users or send messages based on the GPS built in to the smartphone. This is sort of messy but is an elegant solution....

APRSdroid application found on Google Play store

The PicoAPRS however is a totally self contained device that is a GPS, data radio and user interface in one even smaller package.

Taner, DB1NTO has made many improvements in his PicoAPRS product since its introduction and that is what we will explore. No smartphone needed or other radio needed!


What is the difference between the PicoAPRS v2 and v3?

For something already really small, Taner made it even smaller in the latest version while retaining every feature and even adding a few things such as a modular battery and even better precision GPS/GLONASS reception.

Can I connect the PicoAPRS to a computer?

Everything can be configured with the two buttons on the PicoAPRS.

If you want to customize a beacon comment, such as "Please call me on 146.520MHz or DMR TG 31630", that takes many button presses.

It is possible to do this instead via a terminal program such as TeraTerm. The otherwise very good PicoAPRS manual is somewhat lite on detail about this, so here are some simple steps for those that are not computer experts.

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Connect PicoAPRS to computer:  On the PicoAPRS, navigate to the menu called  "USB Mode" and change it to "Config". Then connect the PicoAPRS to your PC and it should install USB drivers automatically in many cases. If not, this is what you need from Silicon Labs.  

Configure a few things on your computer:  In "Control Panel" and "Device Manager" in Microsoft Windows, you can now see which COM port your PicoAPRS will use.

Now you need to configure TeraTerm by selecting the serial port connection that matches your PicoAPRS.

Next, open up the menu titled "Setup" and go to "Terminal" and configure to be CR+LF and check mark the "Echo" box.  This lets you see what commands you send to the PicoAPRS.

Finally, open up "Setup" again and go to "Serial Port..."  You need to select the same COM port your PicoAPRS is using and set the speed to 115200.  No other setting will work.  It needs to be 115200!!

Now, you are ready.  Press any key or the ? and you should get the below message returned to you which shows what you can configure from the computer with your PicoAPRS

To change the beacon message, just type *C* with your own text after it and press enter

Sidenote on other computer things:  On the PicoAPRS, you can also change the USB settings to give you GPS NMEA data. Go ahead and try it while still connected to TeraTerm. Changing to that mode will let you see something like this:

There are also many other applications that will let you use the KISS-TNC mode for even more advanced things. Some of these include PinPoint APRS and WinLink plus of course the old standby of APRSISCE32 but is not part of this review.

There is also a new "Serial USB" data mode too which has a lot of interesting potential if you want a total stealth data radio to go with you anywhere with your laptop.

Get to the point!!!  All I am trying to say is that the PicoAPRS does a lot more than look like a cute little ham radio toy.

New Feature In PicoAPRS Firmware v10 

While v9 software is the most current as of December 3rd 2018, v10 is not far away and will add a status message function in addition to beacon messaging.  This gives you two different types of status updates sent at different intervals from the PicoAPRS.

The new firmware will be available around Christmas time 2018 along with a new and even smaller product from Tanner called PicoAPRS Lite which is designed for use with airborne payloads.

Please keep an eye on his website for more detail at http://www.db1nto.de/ for the new firmware, details on the v3 and the upcoming new PicoAPRS Lite product.

NEAR-FEST: What is under the tarp?

Since 2006, amateur radio operators, electronics hobbyists and camping enthusiasts have been making the pilgrimage to New England to experience an interesting two day long event known as "NEAR-FEST"

What is under the tarp you ask?  Some interesting electronics with a military
history for sale at the 24th NEAR-FEST in Deerfield, NH on October 12-13th 2018

Held twice annually, every spring and fall at the the Deerfield Fairgrounds has been the home of a unique event called NEAR-FEST.

Part electronic swap meet, educational session, casual gathering, food destination and opportunity to purchase brand new and interesting radio related equipment offers a little of something for everyone in the family.

Over the years, the New England Amateur Radio Festival has attracted those from both far and wide.

The October 2018 edition was no exception with those spotted from Quebec, Ontario, Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Japan, Haiti, Puerto Rico and of course the entirety of the North Eastern United States!

Event attendees can camp on site in a tent, roll up in an RV or camper or stay at any number of area hotels. 

This makes it a very convenient "ham fest" as compared to other amateur radio or even "maker" oriented events.

New England Tech Trek gives another reason to not leave NEAR-FEST too early
if you are not interested in purchasing something which is one of the
top reasons to go to a "fester" like this bi-annual event 

There is no need for every attendee to contend with an early morning drive or risk there getting late out of fear vendors will pack up early.  Once someone is at NEAR-FEST, they are generally there for a while.

Everything from food, ATM machines and restrooms are available to prevent people from leaving 

Helpful NEAR-FEST Tips

It is recommended however, to bring a backpack to hang on to anything acquired at the "fester".  A bottle of water, comfortable shoes, various batteries, rain repellent are recommended to have on hand too.

Need a rain jacket before going to NEAR-FEST?  L.L Bean h
as you covered at its various nearby outlet locations.

Most of these "forgotten" supplies however can be purchased at an L.L Bean Outlet in nearby Concord or Nashua.  This may be especially of interest to those with interests such as QRP kayak portable, SOTA or other converged ham radio/other stuff sort of activities. 

Over the past years, more commercial vendors both at NEAR-FEST and other similar events take credit card payment, so save your cash to support the tail gate community.

Also, if going with friends, agree on what "secret channel" to use and program a few options in advance to your hand held radio of choice.  All of the common "simplex" channels may be in use, but its still good to have those programmed too.

Frequency Suggestions for NEAR-FEST

If you have a DMR radio, the NEDECN has pre-populated code plugs for all area repeaters of interest to NEAR-FEST attendees.

All you need to add are your simplex and "secret" channels along with configuring them in the correct zone, scan list or receive group. Some "amateur radio" suggestions include:

• Standard FM analog frequencies such as 146.520, 146.535, 146.550, 146.580, 446.000 and 446.500 with no PL tone.

• Digital voice DMR frequencies such as 145.510, 145.790, 446.075 and 445.925 saved with TG 99, TS1, CC1. 

• Your own "secret channel" using FM analog, DMR or some other mode like Fusion or D-Star on 433.0125, 433.920, 147.030 or 223.500

Various DMR radios by Anytone, TYT, Vertex, Motorola and a few others can
easily be programmed for NEAR-FEST thanks to NEDECN's informative website

You can also try one of the "unlicensed" channels for FRS and MURS in order to include your not yet licensed amateur radio friends. A great radio for events like this are the Xiaomi Mijia with smart location sharing reviewed in the past on HVDN.

This inexpensive radio not only is a great discussion topic, but also serves dual purpose for both amateur radio and unlicensed operation in one friendly looking design. No internet is needed for this to work, compared to trying to share location with Google Maps or verbally explaining your location over the radio.

Time To Learn & Get Edu-ma-cated... 

An exciting addition to NEAR-FEST recently is the second annual New England Tech Trek or NE(T)².

This mostly hands on educational event engages children as young as 8 years old all the way up to and beyond the age of 80 years old.

For those not familiar with amateur radio and its infinite list of complexities, NE(T)² helps capture some of what amateur radio is all about to prospective "hams", existing hams or those newly licensed thanks to exam sessions also available at NEAR-FEST.

This year, New England Tech Trek showcased a range of well known habits of the amateur radio hobby that have seen modern changes as well as purely new and innovative applications and technologies relevant to any communications focused hobbyist.

NEAR-FEST XXIV Report

Friday October 12th and Saturday October 13th were the planned days for attendees to enjoy the event and rain only impacted part of Saturdays festivities before the event officially came to a close at 3:00 PM Eastern Time.

Inside three buildings were vendors of brand new equipment and small components. Outside and scattered between various food stalls were tail gate and "tent gate" vendors selling everything from surplus "militaria",  antennas, computers, rechargeable batteries, VHF/UHF radios, HF amplifiers, microphones and test equipment.

Some of the commercial vendors or service providers at NEAR-FEST XXIV included:

• KJI Electronics
• Quick Silver Radio
• Radio Oasis
• Dave's Small Parts of Shokan, NY
• Tune Up Clinic by Andy WA2CDL 
• Ham Radio Outlet
• GEMOTO
• Connect Systems Inc
• Plus about 30 more....

Not Just "For Sale" Stuff

There also were organizations focused on various parts of amateur radio visibility scattered throughout these rain proof building to help raise awareness of different parts of the amateur radio community that are built upon like minded members.

The Nashua Area Radio Society was just one of the
organizations that made the NE(T)2 event possible at NEAR-FEST XXVI

Was the ARRL there?

Aside from the expected ARRL attendance via a small table, other leadership and influencers were at NEAR-FEST also making a much larger presence known.

One of the non-commercial sellers had a monitor
that said "My wife said to take all reasonable offers" 

Key organizations present included one of the longest operating female oriented amateur radio clubs called YLRL which showcased its bi-monthly newsletter called YL Harmonics.

Niece, KA1ULN  was enthusiastic to engage with those who braved the weather to attend NEAR-FEST XXVI and it was great to meet her in person.

A national women's only amateur radio organization promoting the hobby since 1934

Booths for various geographic focused clubs such as White Mountain Amateur Radio Club, Nashua Area Radio Society, and the New England Digital Emergency Communications Network to name just a few helped make this a great way to decide who else to spend precious "membership" dollars with too.

Many of these organizations use NEAR-FEST as a great way for its membership to see each other in person as well as to raise funds for club activities through the sale of surplus member equipment, spare parts and even member driven projects.

Craig, N1SFT, oversaw some VYL (Very Young Ladies) complete
a small kit that required soldering 

Pictures, please!

The mixed smell of pine needles and grilled pepper & sausage sandwiches permeated the damp fall air across the fair ground which added to the overall great atmosphere by a well run and planned event by those responsible.

Thank you for all your hard work and effort for yet another NEAR-FEST!

Here are some further photos and commentary related to the event.

Most Curious Antenna Award

At the fall NEAR-FEST of 2016, Steve K2GOG (Co-Founder of HVDN) was seen walking around with a high gain 2.4 GHz antenna which attracted a lot of attention.  For the asking price of $5, it was hard to pass that up. This can be found on his QRZ.com profile page

This year, he was on the look out for something else very interesting to add to the antenna collection, but decided to pass on this 900 MHz corner reflector antenna based on its size and price. This could have been easily modified for 440 MHz, 1.2 GHz or maybe even a lawn chair!

Best Convergence Hobby Tailgate Vendor Award

There is much to say about this photo ranging from the precision GPS antenna attached to the roof of the Toyota RAV4 with the license plate of  "Hiker" to the bumper sticker that could relate to the load of vintage test equipment or his other favorite activity that is not ham radio

Hiker Trash:  Certainly, you wont win any feather-lite
pack tips if trying to take any of this gear out on the trail

Most Popular NE(T)² Discussion Topic Award

Anything to do with satellite operation was a big topic of interest inside the NE(T)² as well as outside. The impressive antenna array used for satellite communication demo  that made use of crossed polarization  14 element 435 MHz Yagi, 7 element 145 MHz Yagi and a 20 element 1200 MHz Yagi on a azimuth/elevation rotator. This is one impressive (and expensive) antenna system!

This impressive satellite communications array is capable of receiving
very weak signals as well as for transmitting very high power for
long range line of site communication

On a much more simple and cheaper scale was the Elk Log Periodic antenna found inside the NE(T)² building. T\

This much less expensive but effective antenna can be used to make contact through low earth orbit satellites such as those covered in the popular "Amateur Satellite Basics: Where, When & What to listen for" article from March 2018.

Not to be left out with all the satellite communication focus is a
high altitude balloon presentation at the right of the small crowd.

Digital Mobile Radio Robustness Network Award

The New England Digital Emergency Communications Network connects over 80 different repeater sites over much of the north eastern United States in order to create a very robust communications network.  The KM3T and W1RCF repeaters located on the fun to (mis)pronounce Mount Uncanoonuc  are part of DMR-MARC which is a different network than the popular Brandmeister network.

Both DMR networks are mostly able to talk to one another though due to great interoperability between those responsible for these tremendous contributions to modern amateur radio communities globally.   NEDECN had many radios on display such as the popular Anytone AT-D868UV along with some Motorola equipment for sale by one of NEDECN's members.

NEDECN did a fantastic job or promoting DMR at NEAR-FEST and they even operated a repeater for NEAR-FEST communications.

Reach For The Sky Award

Any time a number of amateur radio enthusiasts gather is the time to see who has the largest antenna on a car.  Here is one example of an HF mobile operator with a 8 foot long vertical antenna on a station wagon. License plates have been blanked out to protect the identity of this super ham-heros!

The Not Just Ham Radio Presentation Award (Tie!)

Computer and Maker enthusiasts were represented by a presentation about what can be done with a Raspberry Pi.

And, for those looking to get out and do something fun with a Raspberry Pi or antenna project can experience hidden transmitter locating or "Fox Hunting".

A very effective directional antenna can be constructed out of PVC pipes, hose clamps and a measuring tape.

The Last Picture Award 

With the weather getting a little more wet on Saturday, even the "hard core" military ham radio crowd started to pack up early.

Mystery Picture Award

Care to take a guess as to what this is? Sound off in the comments...

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Review: Xiaomi Mijia Dual Band Location Enabled HT

At the low end price tier of amateur radio hand held units we call "HT's", most hobbyists often consider the analog Baofeng and digital Radioddity or TYT models as entry level for under $60-70 USD each.

Xiaomi, which is a well known Chinese smart phone vendor unable to enter the United States market due to "intellectual property" issues with Apple and others. However, they also have a wide range of very high quality products ranging from mobile accessories and other electronics that do not suffer the same issue.

If you like the latest and greatest gadgets, this might be a good article to read.

In early 2017, Xiaomi launched a dual band hand held radio as a mobile accessory to allow for communication not reliant on a mobile cellular network.  The Xiaomi Mijia radio functions as a walkie-talkie and a blue-tooth to radio gateway for longer range communications not possible via short range communications like the Wi-Fi enabled FireChat and Serval applications.

Interesting features offered by the Xiaomi Mijia Two Way Radio

This product is unique for the following reasons:

• Very easy to navigate and understand menu system 
• Bluetooth pairing to smartphone for advanced location sharing and messaging
• Unique memory management for licensed and unlicensed frequencies
• Up to 2W RF output on 144-148 and 400-470 MHz
• Share text messages, location and frequency with other users via APRS like functionality
• High quality FM broadcast radio reception compared to other HT units.
• Recharge by standard USB power cord
• Under $50 USD per unit

Highlights of Xiaomi Mijia

When the product launched in 2017, the radio and Android mobile application only had Chinese language menus. Aside from my own translation with help by a friend of a friend, a community of users has since influenced Xiaomi to release an English update which makes this a better product for those unable to read Chinese. This review as a result has been a long time coming needless to say.

The English User Interface Experience

The radio itself only has a few buttons. On the front there are three that match soft menus at the bottom of the radio display, a two way up/down button for additional navigation, a side mounted PTT and top on/off/volume control.

The display is a high resolution LCD display with white back lighting that may remind some people of basic mobile phones before the smart phone age. Way back when, Nokia seemed to have had the most intuitive mobile devices of the day. Xiaomi seems to have looked back in history to influence the user experience of the Mijia. 

Navigation is easy to understand with no cryptic explanations of certain features, especially some of the more advanced functions like location sharing.

One of many classic Nokia phones
with a similar display as the Xiaomi Mijia 

The Mijia easily pairs to a modern smartphone over blue-tooth. Compared to the Kenwood TH-D74 Tri-Band D-Star and APRS HT which retails for $600 USD and reviewed here a few months ago, blue-tooth functionality is much easier with the Xiaomi to use for things like firmware updating, messaging and memory management via the Android application called Mi PTT.

The Xiaomi Mijia interestingly enough is not really marketed to the ham radio community. 

Upon first use, you can only access low power 433 MHz frequencies that are also used by home weather stations and simple remote controls.

After you set up the Mijia with your smartphone however, it allows the user to unlock higher power transmit as well as expanded frequencies in the amateur radio spectrum.

This is a really smart way to get people interested in amateur radio in my opinion and keeps people who purchase a radio like this from accidentally transmitting where they should not, such as many documented cases with Baofeng type of radios that offer 136-174 MHz and 400-470 MHz coverage which create situations with users accidentally using first responder frequencies such as 462.975 MHz which is a common ambulance to hospital frequency across the United States.

The Xiaomi Mijia only allows 144-148 MHz coverage, but does permit expanded access to 400-470 MHz from the initial 430-440 MHz capability before expansion. In the United States, the UHF Amateur Radio band is 420-450 MHz in most parts of the country.  Elsewhere in the world, it is usually 430-440 MHz.  On VHF, outside the US and Canada, the VHF 2m band is only 144-146 MHz as a reminder.   This set up is smart by Xiaomi to show they care about compliance where other vendors do not.

While Xiaomi limited out of band transmit as best they can, it is still possible to transmit outside of the amateur radio spectrum on UHF band, so please be careful.

Memory storage is sorted into a few categories.  Preset frequencies for "Amateur Channel" and "Public Channel" offer low power options for local communications. The "Repeater List" group lets the user save different transmit and receive frequencies along with access tones call CTCSS or DPL. These are common terms in the amateur radio community.  Users of FRS type radios may know them as "quiet codes"

Easy memory management of the Xiaomi Mijia

It is even possible to save different VHF of UHF frequencies together in "Repeater List" mode which is not always easily done in many amateur radios unless using a computer to store them correctly, known as "split mode".

There is also a "Custom Channel" setting that permits any frequency to be entered, but not allow for repeater operation.  All frequency banks only store 20 channels each.

Beyond the use of simplex or "point to point" local communications or repeater operations for licensed amateur radio, another use case is the ability to use this radio for satellite operation in semi-duplex mode if you store the appropriate frequencies in the "Repeater List" storage bank. A basic article about this was released earlier this year on HVDN

An example would be to store the up-link frequency of 435.350 MHz with a transmit tone of 67.0 Hz in the "transmit" section and the down-link frequency of 145.880 MHz in the "receive" section in one of the 20 "Repeater List" slots.  Another example would be 145.8 MHz as the down-link and 144.49 MHz up-link which is in use on the International Space Station when over North America.  A special directive antenna would be needed to be heard by the satellite or space station, but you should be able to listen with even the included antenna.  Not bad for an inexpensive radio I would say.

Power In and Power Out

The internal battery which is not user accessible/replaceable is based on the common Panasonic 18650 lithium battery, so the radio can only output 2 watts compared to 5 watts or more with many comparable amateur handheld radios.

2 watts is often more than enough power for local and repeater based communications though, so is not that big of an issue for many users.

This 2 watt power level also encourages the user to experiment with different antennas to increase range without affecting battery life which is one of the fun aspects amateur radio enthusiasts enjoy.  Many of the unlicensed services such as FRS and MURS in the United States are not designed for this experimentation.

The antenna connector on the Xiaomi Mijia is known as a RP-SMA which is also the same as many of the Baofeng style radios. This is not as standard of a connector compared to the normal SMA connector found on a TYT, Yaesu, Alinco or Icom radios. A simple adapter can be purchased to convert the radio to use with other non RP-SMA antenna should you require it.

Xiaomi Mijia with supplied antenna connected

The antenna that comes with the radio is very short at less than 3 inches, but is optimized for the frequencies the radio is designed for. This can often not be said about the antenna that comes with a Baofeng type of radio though. Compared to a Baofeng UV-5R set to low power transmit, the Xiaomi outperformed it easily on both transmit and receive.

The Really Nice Features of the Xiaomi Mijia

The major function this radio offers its users is the ability to send location data and text messages plus create dynamic frequency destinations to allow many people to find each other and go to a different channel to avoid interference from each other.

Xiaomi Mijia showing the RP-SMA
antenna connector

Basic Location Functions

The Xiaomi provides a somewhat basic radar style location screen with the user location in the center of the screen and others in different radius shown at an approximate location and direction. For this to work, the radio needs to be paired to a smartphone with GPS enabled. You can view your own GPS coordinates on the radio which s not all too helpful, but you can also see the visualized basic location of other users relative to your position.

For those familiar with the TYT, Retevis and a few other DMR radios that include GPS, that feature is not very useful since radios like the popular MD-380 do not have this "radar" type of view.

The Xiaomi attempts a better approach to location sharing. The only better options are more expensive APRS enabled radios such as the Yaesu FT-2D, Icom ID-51 and Kenwood TH-D72 and D74 with none costing less than $300 and you need an amateur radio license.  The Xiaomi Mijia does this all for under $60 USD and offers license and unlicensed operation.

Xiaomi Mijia Basic Location "Radar Screen Mode" that shows other
users approximate location, distance and direction

Showing Latitude and Longitude after pressing the "Details" soft
button at bottom of display in "Radar Display Mode"

The bad news for amateur radio operators is the GPS data is not sent in standard 1200 baud AX.25 format that APRS uses. It seems the data speed is likely 4800 baud but is unconfirmed for now. This may be intentional by Xiaomi as to avoid competition with amateur radio vendors and potential interference.

Advanced Location Sharing and Text Messaging


When using the Mi PTT application on an Android smartphone is where things get interesting.

You can download free hyper detailed maps from Google for offline use where you may not have cellular network access or just use the maps in online mode where you have cellular network coverage.

Meet me at the white car in the second parking row? 
Yes, that level of detail is possible. 

This allows you to see specifically where your friends are each time they broadcast GPS location.

The Mijia lets you configure the radio to transmit automatically at a preset interval how frequently to share the location in order to conserve radio battery.

When the radio is paired with your smartphone over blue-tooth, the Mijia is used like a gateway to permit longer range communication when a mobile cellular network may not be available.

For those familiar with the GoTenna product, this is somewhat similar in function. The difference with the GoTenna is that it always needs a smartphone to perform any sort of communication since it has no built in two way voice function.

The original GoTenna as released after Hurricane Sandy to solve a problem. Cellular networks were not operable in the New York area and users could not communicate to each other. GoTenna used VHF MURS channels that are license free to send GPS location and text messages by acting as a gateway for your smartphone. The Xiaomi Mijia does the same function but is also a two way voice radio too. 

The Mijia is a walkie-talkie first compared to GoTenna so can be used without a smartphone, but gains much more functionality when used with a smartphone, just like a GoTenna.  Even if you do not have your smartphone, the Mijia still works like a walkie talkie to tell your friends verbally "Hey, where are you?  Not that parking lot, the other one. I am near the trail entrance."  Having a smartphone allows much more efficient communication though to just send the location so there is no confusion.

If you want to text message a friend, you just find them on the map on your smartphone and you can open up a messaging tool. Your radio then sends your text message typed on your smartphone over blue-tooth to your Mijia where it actually transmits over the chosen frequency from the Mijia.  Right now there is no function to share pictures over the Mijia, but that may be possible in the future if the files are compressed enough to be sent to other users.

The Xiaomi Mijia does not provide mesh networking like the latest GoTenna (Earlier version did not have that function), but comes close in that the user can let others know what frequency they are on by sharing that information on a common channel to ensure all users can eventually text and voice communicate together. This common frequency for what Xiaomi calls "Fast Teaming" was not initially changeable in earlier releases, but it seems that has changed with the latest firmware as of the time of this article.

Fast Teaming lets you find your friends
when on different channel

Think of this feature as if you had a 40 channel CB walkie talkie back in the 1980's.  If 2 of your friends were on channel 14  (27.125 MHz) and 4 others were on channel 38 (27.385 MHz), what would happen when when you missed hearing when people were moving frequencies.  This "Fast Teaming" function tries to solve that problem. You can send over a common channel that is secretly listening in the background at all times on the Mijia what frequency everyone is headed to and you can easily meet them there.   Those familiar with a Baofeng radio will know this function as "Dual Watch", but the Mijia does this much better by providing a useful application of it.

Other Features That Enhance Enjoyment Outdoors

The "Dual Watch" function already mentioned allows you to have two channels monitored at the same time of your choosing.  The Xiaomi also inputs a third frequency that is used for "Fast Teaming" also, so technically the radio will look at three channels rapidly for incoming signals.

On a more technical side, the Xiaomi Mijia internal design is based on the AT1846S and RDA 5802N chips found in many other modern radios but has always suffered a bad reputation as being fairly broad banded "software defined radio" that are easily overloaded by strong signals.

To solve this, better filtering for receive and transmit are needed and are commonly called the "RF Front End" in engineer language.

The Xiaomi Mijia seems to have incorporated better design principles compared to Baofeng and TYT radios and this also extends to the audio quality found in the built in FM broadcast capability.  If plugging in a pair of headphones to the bottom of the radio, stereo sound is output compared to the mono audio that other "ham radios with FM broadcast reception" provide. Transmit and receive audio when communicating are also very good and not what one would expect from a low price radio like the Mijia.

Another nice feature with the Xiaomi Mijia is the standard USB mini port found on all but the absolute latest Android smartphones using USB 3.0.  You do not need a special charger or cable for the Xiaomi whereas most all traditional "ham radios" do. Moreover,  ff you are a hiker, biker, camper, runner, etc and have a USB power bank, you could charge the Mijia from that same power bank, much like you would charge your smartphone from. 

What is not to like about Xiaomi Mijia?

Even though this may sound like a very positive review of this product, there are a few things not to like.

• Depending on where you purchase the radio from, you may need to figure out how to upgrade from earlier firmware to the latest English version. 

• Another issue will be finding the Xiaomi Android application since it is not currently available on the Google Play store in the United States.  

• You will need to likely enable "Developer Mode" on your Android phone and allow 3rd party unsigned applications to be installed if you find the application elsewhere on the internet such as here

Beyond the language and localization issues, the Xiaomi Mijia feels in the hand like a quality product costing much more.  It also does not seem like a "scary gadget" to those opposed to many confusing buttons or features.

The only major thing I would have liked was for inter-operable features with standard amateur APRS equipment, but that may leave some room for those that like to tinker with firmware.

Lastly, the USB connector seems to only allow for charging, not access to the radio itself. Firmware updates are done over blue-tooth, so that has to be where a "backdoor" into the Mijia exists and worth exploring.

Where to purchase?

Amazon offers many stores that stock the Xiaomi Mijia.  I had originally purchased from Alibaba as well as another Chinese wholesaler last year. The pricing in the last year has fluctuated a little, but not much.  The white models shown here were the only ones available at the time. The dark gray version seems to sometimes become available.

Translation:  China promotes ham radio to non ham radio people who see value radio. Why cant Amateur radio vendors offer a "stepping stone" type of product too?  

One thing that does excite me is that the Mi PTT app does promote that and offers basic licensing guidance for those interested in amateur radio.  Perhaps China is more forward thinking in promoting amateur radio than in the US through products like this.  Only time will tell if the US will try to bring a convergence lifestyle product like this to market....