What is the difference between DIGITAL and Analogue radios?
Understanding Digital (DMR) vs. Analogue Radios (Motorsport Context)
My goal here isn’t to get too technical — to highlight the key differences as they relate to motorsport use.
The simple explanation is this: when your voice is transmitted over a digital radio, it’s converted into a stream of 1s and 0s (data) and sent as part of the radio signal.
Back in the early days — even as far back as the world wars — communication was often done using Morse code, which used tones to represent letters and numbers. The strength of Morse code was that it could still be heard clearly, even in poor conditions where normal voice transmission failed.
Similarly, digital radios work by sending 1s and 0s as audio tones, which improves clarity and helps your message “get through” even when signal conditions aren’t ideal.
One way to think of digital radio is that instead of having a skilled person at each end who can understand Morse Code, the radio is doing the work for you. Now you get all the benefits of the extended coverage, but don’t have to know anything about coding systems like Morse Code.
This is a highly simplified explanation, but it provides a general overview of how a digital radio works.
With Digital radios, what happens when we have fringe area or bad coverage?
How Digital Radios Differ from Analogue Radios
When using an analogue radio in fringe coverage areas, you’ll often notice words dropping out or parts of sentences missing as the signal weakens.
In a digital radio, the process is a bit more advanced. There are three main components that make it work:
Codec: Converts your voice from audio into digital data (1s and 0s).
Radio: Transmits those 1s and 0s between radios.
Decoder: Converts the digital data back into clear audio on the receiving end.
One clever feature of digital radios is that the codec sends about 50% more data than is needed to rebuild the conversation. This extra information allows the decoder to fill in any gaps, maintaining clear communication even in fringe areas.
The trade-off, however, is that once you reach the edge of coverage, communication typically drops out completely — instead of gradually fading like it does with analogue radios.
Can Digital Radios help with Ambient Noise Issues (like a screaming engine)?
As described above, the CODEC is responsible for turning voice into 1s and 0s. Another advantage is the ability for the CODEC to only listen to the human voice and ignore engine noises.
Because of this, Digital radios are often easier to hear the voice from both the driver and the pit crew perspective.
What other Benefits with Digital Radios could we take advantage of?
Deterministic Transmissions
Digital Radios (DMR – Digital Mobile Radios) can also send information along with your voice when encoding your voice—information such as which radio is sending the transmission and which radios should be receiving it. The most common configuration is that when you transmit, everyone hears what you have to say. However, with DMR, you can direct your transmission to a specific radio or a group of radios.
For example, you could have everyone on one frequency but divide them into groups such as flag marshals, tow drivers, officials, and grid marshals. When someone transmits, they can choose to send their message to one or more specific groups, rather than broadcasting to everyone.
Battery Life
Digital radios often deliver significantly longer battery life than analogue models. This is because they transmit efficient digital tones instead of continuous voice signals, meaning the transmitter doesn’t need to work as hard or stay active as long to send the same message.