In summary, Brandmeister’s direction was never clearly defined. Over time, I grew increasingly frustrated with the inflexibility of a few individuals and the constant, often unreasonable demands from others. This occurred at a pivotal moment in my life when, with the birth of my daughter, my priorities shifted naturally and necessarily toward my family.
Brandmeister has been executed successfully by the development team, a team in which I once played an active role. Despite my efforts to bring structure and order, the persistent existence of information silos made it nearly impossible to break through certain barriers. Let’s be clear: some individuals always needed to be right, no matter the cost. In that environment, I found no place for myself, nor did I see a need to remain where my contributions were not valued.
A similar experience unfolded with the administration of the DMR registry, which I managed for a significant period. The sheer volume of administrative work was overwhelming and exhausting. Many failed to understand that this task was a voluntary effort, not a paid position, and it consumed what little free time I had. Expressions of gratitude were rare, almost non-existent. I dedicated countless hours to assisting fellow amateur radio operators, yet very few even offered a simple “thank you.” Over time, this ingratitude became intolerable, and I reached my limit.
The same pattern repeated itself with DMR radio. Initially, I saw DMR as a unifying force for the amateur radio community. It was exciting to witness operators who had drifted away from radio return with renewed enthusiasm, driven by this technology. That shared passion motivated me to contribute even more. But, as time passed, the very technology that once brought the community together began to fracture it.
The lack of understanding regarding the use of Talk Groups (TGs), combined with Brandmeister’s development team promoting features that exacerbated this fragmentation, led to the emergence of countless isolated groups. What could have been a cohesive, vibrant community instead became a collection of cliques hiding in their own TGs. This marked the beginning of the decline. Today, DMR is in an even worse state than traditional FM—reduced to a fragmented echo chamber for small, disconnected factions.
Here are my final conclusions:
- I left the Spanish Amateur Radio Union due to the blatant lack of real support for amateur radio, and I have no regrets. Like it or not, supporting something is not the same as turning your back on it.
- I have rarely reconnected to a Brandmeister DMR Talk Group. It simply no longer appeals to me, and I have no fond memories of people’s behavior in those TGs—or perhaps I should call them petty fiefdoms.
- I don’t miss dedicating all my free time to managing other people’s resources. Honestly, all I ever asked for was a simple “thank you,” and most of the time, I didn’t even get that.
But one thing is certain: I will continue working on radio projects and enjoying them. However, only on a smaller scale and with people who know how to appreciate your effort.