The Easy WPSD DMR Hotspot

A plain-English, step-by-step guide to setting up a WPSD DMR hotspot the easy way: you supply just four things and everything else is pre-built. A noncommercial hobby project by N6JET.

Contents

Step 1 — Get your official FCC license copy (PDF)  [↑ Contents]

What this step is. Getting your DMR ID requires proof that you're a licensed ham — an official FCC document with your callsign on it. This step is just grabbing that document so it's ready when you need it.

Get the “Official Copy,” not the “Reference Copy.” Anyone can print a Reference Copy from the public FCC license search, but it isn't accepted as proof. You want the Official Copy, which only you can download after logging in.

How to download it:

1. Go to the FCC ULS License Manager and log in with your FRN (FCC Registration Number) and password.
2. Under My Authorizations, click your callsign, then click ADD — it moves to the “Authorizations to Download” list.
3. Download the file. It's a PDF with the words “Official Copy” in the background.

Save it somewhere easy to find — like your Downloads folder — because you'll upload it in Step 2.

Step 2 — Get your DMR ID  [↑ Contents]

What a DMR ID is. A DMR ID is a unique number (usually 7 digits) tied to you and your callsign. Every DMR network uses it to know who's talking. You only need one, it's free, and the same ID works everywhere — BrandMeister, TGIF, and the rest.

How to get one:

1. Go to radioid.net, create an account, and verify it through the email they send.
2. Start the DMR ID registration and enter your callsign, license class, and location.
3. Upload your Official Copy PDF from Step 1 as your proof of license.
4. Submit it. A volunteer reviews each request by hand.

The wait. Approval usually takes 24–72 hours. You'll get an email when it's done, and your new ID will show under “My IDs” in your account. Keep that number handy — you'll use it in the next two steps.

Step 3 — Set up BrandMeister & your hotspot password  [↑ Contents]

What this step is. BrandMeister is one of the two networks your hotspot will use. You'll create an account, then set a personal password that keeps anyone else from connecting as you.

Create your account. Go to brandmeister.network, click Register, and fill in the form, including your new DMR ID. Approval is done by hand, so it can take a day or two — watch your email.

Set your hotspot password:

1. Log in, click your callsign at the top-right, and choose SelfCare.
2. Open the Radio ID tab for the ID you'll be using.
3. Scroll to Hotspot Security and toggle it ON.
4. Type a password you choose and click Save.

You pick this one — write it down. Keep it to 20 characters or fewer and avoid special characters. After you save, the box looks empty again — that's normal. You'll need this exact password when you set up the hotspot.

Step 4 — Set up TGIF & get your security key  [↑ Contents]

What this step is. TGIF is the second network your hotspot will use. You'll create an account, then copy a security key that TGIF generates for you.

Create your account. Go to tgif.network and register. Use your callsign as the username — not your email address. Sign-ups that use an email as the username get rejected. After you register, click the verification link in the email they send (check your spam folder; give it about 10 minutes).

Copy your security key:

1. Log in with your callsign and password (again, not your email).
2. Click your callsign and choose User Security.
3. Find the long key shown under your DMR ID and click the clipboard icon to copy it.

You don't pick this one — the system makes it for you. Unlike the BrandMeister password, TGIF generates a long random key. Just copy it exactly as shown. You'll use it when you set up the hotspot.

Recommended Purchases  [↑ Contents]

A. Radio

B. Hotspot

Format the SD card & write the WPSD image  [↑ Contents]

What this step is. You'll put the WPSD software onto a microSD card. Good news: the writing tool formats the card for you as part of the process, so there's no separate “format” step — you just flash the image and it wipes and sets up the card automatically.

What you'll need. A microSD card (8 GB minimum; 16 GB is cheap and more than enough), the SD-card-to-USB adapter from the purchases list, and a computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux). Use a blank card or one you don't mind erasing — flashing wipes everything on it.

1. Download the WPSD image. Go to w0chp.radio/wpsd and download the disk image that matches your hardware (for example, Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, Pi 3/4, or Pi 5). It's a .xz file — leave it compressed; the flashing tool unpacks it for you.

2. Get a flashing tool. Download and install balenaEtcher — the WPSD team recommends it for beginners. (Raspberry Pi Imager also works.)

3. Write the image:

1. Insert your microSD card into the computer using the USB adapter.
2. Open Etcher, click Flash from file, and choose the WPSD .xz you downloaded.
3. Click Select target and choose your microSD card. Double-check it's the card — not another drive.
4. Click Flash and wait. It writes, then verifies. (This is also where the card gets formatted.)
5. When it finishes, eject the card.

One caution if you use Raspberry Pi Imager: do not use its “advanced options” to set a username or password. WPSD already has the built-in “pi-star” user it needs, and changing it will break things. You can change the password later from the dashboard.

Your card is now ready to drop into the hotspot and boot.

Install the SD card in the hotspot & power up  [↑ Contents]

What this step is. With the WPSD image written, you'll put the card into the hotspot and turn it on for the first time.

1. Insert the SD card. With the hotspot unplugged, find the microSD slot and slide the card in (gold contacts toward the board) until it's seated. On most units it clicks; on some it just slides snugly in.

2. Connect power. Plug the power supply into the hotspot, then into the wall. There's no on/off switch — it powers on as soon as it has power.

3. Let it finish its first boot. The very first boot takes a few minutes — longer on a Pi Zero. WPSD is expanding the card and setting itself up, and you'll see the board's lights blinking. Don't unplug it while this is happening; just wait.

What “ready” looks like. After a couple of minutes it settles down and the dashboard is up and running, ready to configure. That's the next step.