I promised we’d get to color codes. One of the features of DMR is the use of color codes to identify different user groups or individuals within a talkgroup. The color code consists of 4 bits, which can represent up to 16 colors. In practice, however, only a limited number of colors is used to avoid confusion. We save the confusion for calling it a “color” when it’s represented by a number. Repeaters use color codes “Rx CC” in the same way they use CTCSS and DCS tones. This prevents the repeater from keying up on every detection of the frequency the repeater receives on. A repeater can transmit a “Tx CC” so that your handheld only keys when the signal comes from the repeater.
