If you’re shopping for your next VHF/UHF amateur radio, choosing between analog FM, DMR, Yaesu System Fusion, D-STAR, P25, and NXDN can be confusing.
Every digital format has its advocates, and every manufacturer promotes the advantages of its technology. But a more practical question is often overlooked:
How many people will I actually be able to talk to?
A repeater might support a particular digital format, but that doesn’t mean anyone is using it. Conversely, an active community of operators using personal hotspots could make a digital format popular even without extensive local repeater infrastructure.
To make an informed purchasing decision, we need to examine both the number of users and the available infrastructure.
And before comparing digital formats, we need to recognize one important fact: traditional analog FM remains the foundation of local VHF/UHF amateur radio.
Despite the growing popularity of digital voice, analog FM remains the standard choice for local VHF/UHF amateur communications.
From local clubs and weekly nets to mobile operators, simplex conversations, and public service activities, FM remains widely supported and accessible.
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) identifies FM as the voice mode of choice for local VHF/UHF operations.
Analog FM has some compelling advantages:
Analog FM also has limitations. Signals become progressively noisier as reception weakens, and it lacks some of the network routing features offered by digital systems.
Nevertheless, if your primary interest is communicating with local amateur operators, analog FM compatibility should be a priority when choosing your next radio.
Most popular digital amateur handhelds and mobile transceivers also support FM, allowing operators to enjoy both worlds.
There are two useful measurements when evaluating digital voice popularity:
User population: How many operators have registered for or actively use a particular format?
Repeater infrastructure: How many repeaters support the format, giving operators potential access without relying entirely on personal hotspots?
Unfortunately, no authoritative national database provides a directly comparable count of active U.S. amateur operators across all digital voice systems.
Here is what we can verify.
| Mode | Documented user-registration information | U.S. repeater listings |
|---|---|---|
| Analog FM | Widely used; no central user registry | Not separately quantified here |
| DMR | 314,506 registered IDs worldwide | 2,181 |
| Yaesu Fusion / C4FM | No comparable verified active-user total | 2,070 |
| D-STAR | No comparable verified active-user total | 981 |
| P25 | No comparable verified active-user total | 667 |
| NXDN | 18,012 IDs issued worldwide | 148 |
| M17 | No comparable verified active-user total | 21 |
Sources: RadioID.net registration statistics and RepeaterBook U.S. repeater statistics, October 2026.
Important qualifications: Registration totals are worldwide, while repeater counts are U.S.-only. A registered ID is not necessarily a unique or currently active operator. Repeater listings may include multimode or inactive systems. These figures therefore must not be interpreted as directly comparable market-share percentages.
DMR has an exceptionally large documented registration base and a substantial U.S. repeater footprint. It also benefits from an extensive selection of radios and worldwide internet-linked networks.
System Fusion has almost as many U.S. repeater listings as DMR. However, its repeaters may operate in analog FM, digital C4FM, or mixed-mode configurations. A Fusion-capable repeater does not necessarily carry significant digital traffic.
D-STAR maintains an established amateur radio community and infrastructure, while P25 and NXDN serve smaller, more specialized amateur interests.
The available evidence supports DMR as a major digital voice ecosystem, but it does not establish an exact percentage of U.S. amateurs who actively use it.
DMR was originally developed for professional two-way radio communications, but it has become a major part of the amateur radio digital voice landscape.
Its popularity is driven by several factors, including equipment affordability, wide manufacturer support, and extensive network connectivity.
DMR uses two-slot TDMA technology, allowing two independent conversations within a single 12.5 kHz repeater channel.
Networks such as BrandMeister and TGIF allow operators to access regional, national, and international talkgroups.
Personal hotspots further expand access, particularly in locations without nearby DMR repeaters.
Advantages: Broad equipment selection, inexpensive entry options, worldwide talkgroups, and considerable flexibility.
Disadvantages: More complicated programming involving codeplugs, talkgroups, color codes, time slots, and digital IDs.
Buying recommendation: DMR deserves serious consideration if your goal is to participate in a large digital voice ecosystem, particularly if you’re comfortable with computer-based programming and technical experimentation.
System Fusion uses C4FM digital modulation and was developed specifically for amateur radio.
Its greatest strength is usability.
Compatible radios and repeaters can use Automatic Mode Select (AMS), allowing them to recognize analog FM and C4FM digital signals. This makes it easier for amateur clubs to introduce digital technology while retaining conventional FM support.
Yaesu’s WIRES-X system connects compatible stations and repeaters through internet-linked rooms.
Advantages: Relatively simple programming, analog/digital flexibility, integrated equipment ecosystem, and strong repeater availability.
Disadvantages: Native Fusion operation is closely associated with Yaesu equipment, limiting manufacturer choices.
Buying recommendation: Fusion is particularly appealing for operators who want modern digital capabilities without DMR’s comparatively complex programming requirements.
However, confirm that your local Fusion repeaters actually carry C4FM traffic rather than operating primarily in analog FM.
D-STAR was developed specifically for amateur radio by the Japan Amateur Radio League.
It offers digital voice communications, callsign routing, reflector connectivity, and data capabilities.
D-STAR supports communication through compatible repeaters and internet-linked gateways, while selected equipment offers useful integrated features such as GPS and position reporting.
Advantages: Amateur-specific features, callsign-based functions, established reflectors, and mature equipment offerings.
Disadvantages: More limited equipment choices and potentially higher purchase prices.
Buying recommendation: D-STAR is worth considering if local operators use it, if you particularly value its callsign-routing capabilities, or if the features of an available D-STAR radio best meet your needs.
P25 and NXDN were designed primarily for professional communications.
P25 is strongly associated with public safety systems, while NXDN emphasizes efficient narrowband operation, including 6.25 kHz channels.
Both have found audiences among amateur operators interested in commercial-grade equipment.
These formats may offer robust hardware, but purchasing and programming suitable equipment can be more complicated.
Buying recommendation: Consider P25 or NXDN when you already know of an active local group or network using the format, or when experimenting with commercial communications technology is part of your interest.
Their smaller amateur communities can make them less attractive as a first digital voice purchase.
M17 is an emerging open-source digital voice system developed for amateur radio.
Its use of the openly available Codec 2 voice encoder makes it particularly interesting to operators who value experimentation, open standards, and software-defined radio technology.
Although its current repeater footprint remains small, it is a project worth watching.
For most buyers interested primarily in making contacts today, M17 remains a more specialized choice.
The growth of personal hotspots has changed how digital voice popularity should be measured.
A hotspot allows a compatible digital radio to connect through the internet to supported networks without requiring a traditional wide-area repeater.
This means the number of nearby repeaters may no longer be the determining factor when choosing a digital radio.
An operator with a DMR handheld and a personal hotspot can potentially access worldwide talkgroups from home, even when no DMR repeater is within range.
Similar network access arrangements exist for other digital formats.
However, internet-connected hotspots are not replacements for independent radio communications. They depend on local equipment, power, and working network connectivity.
Also, support for multiple network protocols in hotspot software does not mean a particular handheld can transmit every digital voice format over the air.
The answer depends on how you intend to use it.
| Your priority | Format to consider |
|---|---|
| Everyday local communication | Analog FM |
| Affordable worldwide digital connectivity | DMR + FM |
| Simple digital operation with analog compatibility | Fusion + FM |
| Callsign routing and D-STAR reflectors | D-STAR + FM |
| Commercial-grade radio experimentation | P25 or NXDN |
| Open-source digital development | M17 |
Before purchasing, consider three practical questions.
First, what are local operators using? Check nearby repeaters, but also listen to their activity. A quiet repeater offers little value regardless of its digital capabilities.
Second, do you plan to use a hotspot? If so, worldwide network participation becomes more important than the number of repeaters in your immediate area.
Third, what other features matter? Transmitter power, receiver performance, GPS, APRS, weather resistance, audio quality, and ease of programming can all be more important than the digital format itself.
Remember that most digital voice formats are not directly compatible. A DMR radio cannot ordinarily communicate with a Fusion or D-STAR station using its native digital modulation.
Traditional analog FM remains the common denominator for local VHF/UHF amateur voice communications, and I would hesitate to purchase a general-purpose VHF/UHF radio without it.
Among digital formats, DMR has a large documented worldwide registration base, extensive network support, and one of the largest U.S. repeater footprints.
Yaesu System Fusion follows closely in repeater availability and offers a simpler operating experience for many amateurs. D-STAR continues to offer distinctive features, while P25, NXDN, and M17 serve more specialized interests.
But popularity isn’t simply a question of counting repeaters or registrations.
The most valuable radio is the one that allows you to communicate with the people and networks you want to reach.
Before buying, listen, ask questions, explore the networks, and decide how you actually intend to use your equipment.
73, K4RJM