OpenSpot4 vs PiStar: Which is Right for You

Рет қаралды 12,531

Жыл бұрын

n this video I give you a rundown of the OpenSpot4 vs the PiStar Digital Hotspots. So whether you are new to DMR, Yeasu System Fusion or DStar or not, I give you the information you need to make an informed decision for your hotspot buying journey.
MMDVM Board amzn.to/3eSQ63K
C4Labs Case amzn.to/3F0Ac1Z
Complete PiStar Kit amzn.to/3CTXnbE
OpenSpot4 www.sharkrf.com/products/open...
Ham Radio 2.0 PiStar Setup Video www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_r-bS0OJDNE&t=122s
Some of the links contained are affiliate links in which I get a small commission but it does not impact the amount you pay.

Пікірлер: 64

@kb7pts Жыл бұрын

I just recently found your KZfaq channel and wanted to say I appreciate your videos. I think you do a great job of just laying it out there and letting one draw their own conclusions. This is another great video and using today's prices really does help someone considering the hobby. I have both a Pi-Star and OpenSpot4 Pro and I have to agree with everything you said. I bought the Pi's back before and during the early stages of Covid back when they were cheap. Helped several locals build their own Pi-Stars. Sold some when the prices went up and helped offset the cost elsewhere. Wanted the OS3 when they were out but couldn't justify the cost at that time. Then missed out on them once discontinued because of the chip shortage. Ordered the 4 Pro shortly after the second release and a few others reported positive results. Been happy with it but was a bit of a cost. Not sure I needed the Pro and could have saved some money there. Decent prices can still be had if you shop around, they are on sale today straight from RfShark at the moment, or if you keep an eye on QRZ they do occasionally go on sale from someone who has decided Digital isn't for them. I use a Pi at work full time and the OS4 at home and while traveling. So it works for me for at least now. Again thanks for the videos and looking forward to others.

@houseofhamradio Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words Rob. I try to provide value to those in the hobby.

@sgtrock6465 6 ай бұрын

Thx for the informative video As an 80 yr young ham; learning a new technology is fun! The hot spot allows us shut ins to still enjoy the hobby! 73's

@houseofhamradio 6 ай бұрын

Whatever keeps you on the air and operating. One thing about the ham world is that it is ever changing. 73 Bob

@TK-123 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for helping me decide!

@houseofhamradio Жыл бұрын

Happy to help!

@user-oe1it8en4q Ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing. I am new to Rasberri PI and appreciate your input.

@houseofhamradio Ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@ambitiouslawn1678 9 ай бұрын

Excellent break down. I have both. I purchased pistar first and then purchased the OpenSpot. I gravitate to the OpenSpot the most because I use it at the house and portable wherever I go. The pistar seamlessly runs in the background 24/7 at the house and I can go to that frequency whenever I want. If you’re only using it at the house, pistar is fine. If you want portability, 100% get the openspot. If I started over, I would buy openspot first.

@houseofhamradio 9 ай бұрын

agree 100%

@albert7ii Жыл бұрын

Hi Bob... just stumbled on your channel. Thank you for an excellent video. Having sworn never to get any type of "spot" I last week caved in and got the 4 PRO because of the black friday discount. Am a total RAW novice in DSTAR and DMR so my very very preliminary observations may not apply. Somtimes it sounds like folks are underwater and are breathing an oxygen/helium mix like very deep sea divers. Other times, the audio is decent... it varries a great deal I find. The other thing Bob I note, people not leaving gaps in their overs. Result? You can't get in. Lastly and strange... I have a QSO with someone... after a few overs.... person does not come back cannot figure out why... and then 3 minutes later I hear him talking to another station. While it is possible that he just no longer wants to talk to me... somehow I doubt that this is the case? Be that as it may... the PRO is here to stay, but real C4FM to C4FM remains supurb quality to which the Open Spot cannot hold a candle... but.... Your Miliage may vary.? Thanks again for a very usefull and informative video Bob, your time and effort in making and editing it is much appreciated. I subscribed. Albert. EI7II

@houseofhamradio Жыл бұрын

Thanks Albert, yes, the quality varies wildly as you have to look at the full comms chain. If a guy has a radio and goes to a hotspot that goes through the Internet to a server that goes to another hotspot to the other radio... there is a lot there and many places that can cause issues. Bottom line is we can do worldwide comms with a handheld radio which is pretty cool.

@williamarnold4349 Жыл бұрын

I've got 2 pi-star hotspots and haven't gotten either to work! I bet you can guess my next purchase! Great video, thanks.

@houseofhamradio Жыл бұрын

The Pi-Star hotspots are a little more difficult to setup than the OpenSpot platform. That being said, you should still be able to get the pi-star working.

@williamarnold4349 Жыл бұрын

Both are imported from China bought on Ebay with zero customer support

@DonzLockz Жыл бұрын

I have a PiStar and like the OpenSpot4 but will never pay that outrageous price tag. I'm happy with DMR and no need to transcode to D-Star. Good info in your video.👍 p.s. I bought my PiStar premade last year for only AU$130 but they are over $200 now. I can't afford an OpenSpot4 and I also prefer a screen. 🍻🤓

@houseofhamradio Жыл бұрын

The PiStar is a good device which is why I kind of put them on even footing based on the individual needs/wants. The price of Raspberry Pi these days has made it a much closer cost match. If/when the Pi prices get back to normal, it will be a much easier decision. Actually, right now, SharkRF has the OpenSpots on sale for $50 off.

@uncledelvid6204 Жыл бұрын

Great video !! Thanks

@houseofhamradio Жыл бұрын

Thanks, glad you liked it

@herksen Жыл бұрын

Hi Robert! REALLY enjoyed your video! I already use several kinds of hotspots, I started my DV adventure with one of the dinosaurs of the hotspot world: the UP4DAR. Awesome build-quality and versatile FW. And after that I was curious about the the (then) upcoming Pi-Star craze, and bought a MMDVM kit, and it turned out to be cheap Chinese junk with failing microSD cards, with even an enclosure that fell apart when I only looked at it too long, lol. And finally I got news about openSPOT, the ‘Ultimate Hotspot’. I entered the SharkRF adventure with an openSPOT 2, and all the ‘generations’ of openSPOTs after the 2nd generation: 3’s and recently two 4 Pro’s). The openSPOTs are the big winners! Fast boot-time, small and not vulnerable, and just put them in your pocket and walk outside and talk with amateurs worldwide, without any hassles. You mentioned some great OpenSPOT ricks features that I didn’t know yet, so I thank you for your efforts to put together this really informative and HONEST video, and I subscribed! 73 de Robbert TA2/PA3BKL (aka TA2IX) The dutch guy, living (it up) in Istanbul, Turkey

@houseofhamradio Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback Robert. I am a fan of the OpenSpot too as it is simple, small, battery included, etc.

@GreggK6EGG Жыл бұрын

thanks for the info!

@houseofhamradio Жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it. Hope it helps you out.

@careerprofessional 5 ай бұрын

Great video - good info

@houseofhamradio 5 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@dennistate5953 Жыл бұрын

Thank you!❤

@houseofhamradio Жыл бұрын

You're welcome 😊

@thomashardy9994 Жыл бұрын

I was a bit surprised by the price of a pi-star, but it seems to work. I’m applying for my DMR ID number so I’ll be able to use DMR and YSF with one device.

@houseofhamradio Жыл бұрын

Best of luck. Both DMR and YSF can be a lot of fun as you can talk around the world with other hams regardless of propagation.

@alvarogaitan2529 7 ай бұрын

great job thanks 73

@houseofhamradio 7 ай бұрын

Many thanks!

@heinzpilot Жыл бұрын

I bought the Openspot 4 pro. It's expensive, but for me, I thought it would be the best option for me.

@houseofhamradio Жыл бұрын

Thanks Scott, That is really what it is all about. Getting what is right for you. Other than that, there is no right or wrong answer.

@ke6igz Жыл бұрын

If you need to cross mode transcode get the OpenSpot. If not get Jumbo spot running pistar.

@houseofhamradio Жыл бұрын

agreed but there are a couple other use cases where I think the OpenSpot wins out. If you travel a lot and want to use on battery, the OpenSpot is more convenient.

@500gwr 6 ай бұрын

Great video! I have a Skybridge which works great but is not really portable. I am looking for something to travel with me and the open spot 4 sounds just the ticket. Now to find where to purchase one..

@houseofhamradio 6 ай бұрын

Yes for portability, the Openspot cannot be beat. You can only get them direct at www.sharkrf.com/products/openspot4/ 73 Bob WV7W

@Doonit_hard_way_since_65 3 ай бұрын

It depends.... if you are a primative-pete appliance operator that is not good with understanding poorly doc'd software, and unable to figure it out on your own, or don't completely understand your format, and the requirements to make it work, the open spot is the one you need. If you are able to build something, thoroughly understand the digital format you are attempting to utilize, able to use new software, and figure out a problem then save a few bucks, and use an MMDVM/pi-star, the experience of learning/mastering something with little help is worth it.

@houseofhamradio 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the additional perspective. Totally agree. One other thing I really like the OpenSpot for is with its size and built in battery, it is well suited to take on the road and use anywhere paired with a cell phone hotspot. You can do that with a PiStar just more clunky in form factor.

@Doonit_hard_way_since_65 3 ай бұрын

@@houseofhamradio The open spot is a far more refined product. Agree, the portability is cool. It's easy for a new tech to master, and they seem to last forever. I have yet to kill one. Much to be said for just unpacking it, inputting a few set-up numbers, and it's running. I always hold my breath when starting/restarting a pi-star.

@nrnoble 5 ай бұрын

Yeah, OpenSpot is like a prebuilt computer from a major brand vs building one yourself. OpenSpot works right out of the box and easier to maintain, the PiStar requires more work to get setup, but offers more flexibility for experienced users.

@houseofhamradio 5 ай бұрын

agree with all. Neither is better or worse just different.

@Gnarlington 6 ай бұрын

Is the openSPOT4 Pro just for listening or can you connect it to your HT radio and "pretend" you actual hit a Dstar repeater?

@houseofhamradio 6 ай бұрын

OpenSpot can do both transmit and receive. It is basically a bridge between your HT and other DMR, YSF or DStart systems that are connected to the internet.

@Gnarlington 6 ай бұрын

@@houseofhamradio Wow! This is what I want then! I was thinking about a Zun but that is tethered to my computer and not my phone (for internet).

@lonniedomnitz1720 Жыл бұрын

Dumb question?… can i buy only a OS4P and NOT have to buy or own any digital radio to transcode and only use the app to gain access to all modes? (No transcoding)

@houseofhamradio Жыл бұрын

it is my understanding that the OpenSpot 4 Pro can work without a radio and just use the app. I don't know how well it works as I have the regular OpenSpot 4.

@1MinuteFlipDoc Жыл бұрын

BlueDV plus a ThumbDV dongle (100 bucks).

@gregoryaisemberg2037 8 ай бұрын

Friend, can I have a mobile set up with an HT and the OpenSpot4?

@houseofhamradio 8 ай бұрын

So long as you have some sort of network connectivity for the OpenSpot. They actually work well with cell phone hotspots. Also, your HT needs to be either DMR, YSF or DStar capable. best of luck

@cchalfantusa 8 ай бұрын

Mind blown that openspot stores the brandmeister key as a cookie. Just seems fragile.

@houseofhamradio 8 ай бұрын

Thanks, wasn't aware about Brandmeister key. The build is actually very solid. More so than my openspot.

@nrnoble 5 ай бұрын

Are hotspots real HAM radio? No doubt, purists will answer 'No it is HAM radio", which is technically probably true. Yet, life and tech move forward and if HAM radio is to progress forward then sudo-HAM radio probably needs to be accepted as a form of HAM radio. Hotspot will never replace over-the-air HAM, or even dominate, so its not a long term threat to traditional HAM radio.

@houseofhamradio 5 ай бұрын

I am sure there were those that said repeaters aren't real ham radio. I am also sure there were those that said IRLP isn't real ham radio. And there are those that say that hotspots aren't real ham radio. I am not saying that they are right or wrong and the are certainly entitled to have their opinions just like those that enjoy using any of those technologies as part of the hobby.

@ManuelPinner 6 ай бұрын

Pi Star is a lot better then the Open Spot, the internal Battery only lasts Two Years after that, Once this Battery goes then Open no longer works, The Pi Star don't have this Problem,

@houseofhamradio 6 ай бұрын

I am not sure I completely agree with you. It is all a matter of perspective and what you are looking for. Both units have there merits and there downsides.

@AmazingSteelers1933 4 ай бұрын

Not true. If you want to put a new battery in you can or just always use it plugged in and it will last as long as a pi star. To say it no longer works is flat out wrong.