I will attempt to break down these concepts and place them into real world scenarios, in the hopes that future operators can read and understand how they work. I am not a DMR expert, but I am a big fan with some decent experience in the mode and some great teachers.
About me - I own and operate a DMR repeater in the state of Michigan, a Motorola XPR8300 running on UHF. I'm one of the NCS for the MichiganONE Statewide DMR Net and have a dozen or so DMR radios. I've had the pleasure of traveling around the state to give presentations on DMR and why it's the best mode in amateur radio hands down.
There is now a dedicated international talkgroup on BrandMeister for all your tests: TALKGROUP 98.
You can test the audio on your new radio or software as many times as you want, for as long as you want, without worrying to disrupt a QSO.
If you like helping fellow digital ham operators, please stand-by on this talkgroup whenever you can to provide assistance and feedback.
73’s and happy tests on talkgroup 98!
We have used option #2 for the local Kalamazoo repeater (KM8CC) and it's worked out fairly well. It allows a local TG to be accessible by the network, which is perfect for snowbirds or those who have hotspots but who cannot quite hit the repeater.
BrandMeister DMR repeater sysops: how to create a “local talkgroup” on your repeater
