Update: 18 May 2026 18h45 - A big thank you to the following radio amateurs who assisted me with tests relating to the 49355 AllStar Node, ZS1I DMR Bridge, ZS1I DMR Repeater, DroidStar and BrandMeister connections. Highly appreciated and the Mossel Bay Network is now in optimal working condition after upgrading and new firmware installations.
- Christo N5VAN
- Matt ZS5MDT
- Zane ZR3VO
With your help it makes it much easier for me to ensure that the network is working as intended. Thanks - ZS1I
My Droidstar application worked great these past few years but I recently decided to see if there is any upgrade / enhancements to the application. I ran into an APK version of the firmware which already has the vocoder pre-installed.
Now before I tell you what additional functions this new version have, we need to get it installed on our Android phone.
Before continuing I must admit that the some of the info about installing DoidStar was obtained from Brian N1BGK who posted some information on how to install the Play Store version without the necessary Vocoder file on a forum. I adapted some of the information from the forum an my personal experience installing the APK version on my phone. I also provided additional information listed under ZS1I Notes.
The Droidstar version discussed in this tutorial is V0.44.16.3 - DroidStar DMR Android By VU3LVO-arm64_v8a_release_signed and was installed on the 17 May 2026. It works great!!
Below are prerequisites necessary in order to use DroidStar. You need:
1. an Amateur Radio Operator's license
Note: Registering with the TGIF Network is not prerequisite, but you might want to for future use. Here is the link: https://tgif.network/
DroidStar Android Installation
You install this App on your phone at your own risk. I will not be responsible if this App does not work on your phone or even worse you now have a "bricked" phone. You have been warned!!
If this is a re-install of Android it is advised to uninstall a previous version of DroidStar first. The Cache and Data ( Go to Settings - Apps - App management - Droidstar - Storage usage - Clear data and Clear cache) must also be cleared / deleted and any other DroidStar files that was not uninstalled. Every phone is different and I would advise that you search the Internet for a how to clear / uninstall files relating to your phone. I had no problem as my phone removed all files when I uninstalled the previous version. New user installations can just install the apk without clearing anything.
The easiest method is to install DroidStar to your Android phone from the Github Site available
HERE. Scroll down the page and select the following package:
You need to know whether your phone's microprocessor's architecture is 32bit or 64bit, and you may be required to enable a
feature on your phone called Side-loading. Here is a link explain Sideloading apps to your phone:
https://www.wired.com/story/install-apps-outside-app-store-sideload/ Google is your friend here. My phone has a 64bit architecture and this apk works well with my Oppo phone.
You will have to do your own research to make this determination. Download the apk package by clicking on it in GitHub.
To install the apk package just double click on the package normally under My Files in the Downloads Folder. You need to give permission to your phone to download and open the package.
Once DroidStar has been installed onto your phone open the app.
From the top menu are six options, you will only be concerned with the
first three.
Note: The Menu options you select will determines which parameters settings appear.
From MAIN menu
1. We'll will configure the setup for DMR operation. Select the home icon and then mode by tapping the down arrow and scroll to DMR, then tap DMR.
2. We'll configure the Brandmeister option. Select the DMR host by tapping the down arrow next to Host, scroll to BM_6551_South_Africa, then tap selection.
Note: The Timeslot and Color Code value defaulted to S2 and CC1, and there is no need to make changes.
3. Next we need to enter a Talk Group ID. Tap option TGID., then enter a Brandmeister Talk Group ID such as 65522 for the ZS1I DMR Bridge / Repeater TG.
4. Enable SWTX, SWRX and AGC by tapping the check box for each option.
From SETTINGS menu
1. From the top menu select Settings. Most of these parameter will be left as they are.
2. From the left side of the screen locate Callsign and enter your amateur radio call sign.
3. Enter your
DMRID, eg.
7689345. This is the numerical ID you were given when you registered with
RadioID.
4. Settings parameter ESSID is a numerical suffix appended to your DMR ID, eg. 7689345[02], the "02" signifies that this is 1 of 2 DMR devices configured with your DMR ID.
5. Settings parameter
BM Pass is the password you used when you set up your
Brandmeister Selfcare Hotspot Security. This is NOT the password to login to the Brandmeister Web Site.
6. If you registered with
TGIF you can enter that password in TGIF Pass.
Note: You can choose whether set your Latitude & Longitude, Location and Description.
7. Next the Vocoder - No need to install any vocoder as the apk package comes with the vocoder already installed. Leave the vocoder upload blank.
8. In the Settings menu, scroll down and find Update Hosts and Update ID files located just above the URL for the Vocoder. Tap Update Host, a message appears that says "Updating...", then click OK. Next tap Update ID files, click OK. You can check progress of these operations by selecting Log from the top menu.
9. First time users it will take 24 - 72 hours for the updating hosts and ID files. For those already using Droidstar it can take a few minutes to update. I found using my phones Mobile Network rather than WiFi speeds up the downloading considerably.
10. Return to the Main menu. If you were successful in installing and updating "TX Not Connected to network"
should now appear in the "blue button" at the bottom of the DroidStar
app. You need to connect. Press the Connect Button. It will change to Disconnect and in the "blue button" the following will be reflected: TX Connected ping cnt: 1 (This figure will increase if you stay connected.)
To transmit [key] tap the "blue button," which briefly displays "TX 1... in red. (This figure will increase if you stay connected.) ". To unkey, tap the "red button", and TX will appear in blue indicating
you ready to receive a transmission.
That it. You should now have Droidstar working. Congratulations!
ZS1I Notes:
The follow phone settings must be set for the optimal functioning of Droidstar:
Go to Settings - Apps - App management - Droidstar.
Manage Notifications: Set to Deny
Permissions: Allow Microphone - Camera not allowed - Allow Location
Battery Usage: Select Allow background activity
Important: Once you clicked on Update hosts and Update ID files and the files were installed there is no need to click on these tabs when Droidstar is working.
Thanks to everybody who assisted VU3LVO - Rohith in modifying Droidstar to enable new features and enhancements.
If your DMR ID and Password is incorrect you will receive the Error - Invalid DMR ID. You will also receive this message if the Update hosts and Update ID files have not finished updated.
Cannot connect - This does not happen often but try another BrandMeister Server as the one you are using might be down. Another reason is that Update hosts and Update ID files have not finished updated.
________
Customized DroidStar App -
New Release
I’m excited to announce a new
release of my customized version of the DroidStar app for both iOS
and Android! This update includes several new features and
improvements designed to enhance your experience:
New
Features:
Automatic Handle
and Country Display:
The app now automatically fetches the operator's first name
(referred to as the "Handle") based on their DMR ID and
displays it below the "Call Sign." The operator's
"Country" is also displayed next to the "Handle."
QSO Tab for Recent
Calls: A new QSO
Tab has been introduced, logging the 250 most recent calls (Last
Heard) with details such as Call Sign, DMR ID, TGID, Handle,
Country, and the logged time in local time. These logs are now
persistently stored, remaining intact even after restarting the app.
TX Button with Net
Status: Added a TX
button in the QSO Tab, which now also includes integrated Net
Status, providing real-time feedback on the connection status (Host
Connected or Not Connected).
Enhanced Export
Options: You can
now export QSO logs in CSV or ADIF formats. Additionally, you can
selectively choose specific log entries for inclusion in the
exported file. You can also share the exported file directly from
the app via WhatsApp, email, or any other app on your device.
"Last Heard"
on Home Page: The
app now features "Last Heard" as two rows on the home page
for quick access to recent transmissions. The AMBES notification has
been moved to the Settings.
Quick Access
Buttons in QSO Entries:
Added a button in the QSO entries that opens a menu to visit the
station's QRZ, BM, and APRS pages directly from the app.
Background
Functionality for Android:
Enabled background functionality, allowing the app to continue
operating seamlessly while switching between applications. This is
particularly useful for checking a station's QRZ page while
maintaining uninterrupted RX.
Simplified User
Interface:
Replaced the text "Main" with a "Home" icon for
a cleaner and more intuitive user experience.
Recent TG ID
Dropdown:
Introduced a dropdown that saves recently dialled TG IDs, allowing
you to select them directly from the dropdown menu, eliminating the
need to remember TG IDs.
Share Exported QSO
Log Files: Added a
"Share" option after Exporting QSO Logs. This will let you
share the files directly from the app via Email, WhatsApp or other
apps on your device.
Additional Links which include Droidstar for iOS
DroidStar for iOS (I have not tested this installation for iOS)
The instructions here are pretty thorough. It is important to read
the FAQ section of the website to understand how sideloading works. I
suggest enabling Wifi development on the iOS device, as explained on the
website. This allows you to load/re-load DroidStar without connecting
to USB.
If you find any errors in this tutorial or would like to make suggestions please let me know so I can update this content.
_________
Go to tgif.network and register as well.
READ THIS IT'S IMPORTANT!
The thing that fouls most people up on DroidStar is that the TGIF
Pass setting isn't the https://tgif.network/ site password, it is the
"hotspot security key" that you have to use, even if your not using a
hotspot. You can find this by going to https://tgif.network/ and
logging in with your call sign (not your email address) and your site
password, then at the top right hand side you will see your call sign,
click on that callsign, and select "user security", then you will see a
screen with your DMR ID and your Hotspot Security Key (If you don't see a
Hotspot Security Key, click the GREEN button with the clockwise
pointing arrows), copy the Hotspot Security Key using the BLUE button,
then return to Droid Star, and under Settings tab, go to TGIF Pass (I
know it's the wrong name, but that's the way the software was written)
and paste your Hotspot Security Key into the TGIF password field.
While your on https://tgif.network/ open up your https://qrz.com/
page, and under the Detail tab, find your latitude and longitude. The latitude is a positive
number and the longitude is a negative number. Enter that information
along with your location into the Droid Star Settings tab.
Once you enter the TGIF Hotspot Security Key into the TGIF pass
field, it might disappear but it will be written into your settings on
DroidStar.
Images: Click on images for larger view.
