May 2017 - Allstar-Digital - lists.keekles.org

MMDVM and Vertex VXR-7000
by Michael Hebert 03 Jun '17

03 Jun '17

Group, I know this might be a little off subject. I have tried the MMDVM Yahoo group with no luck. Has anyone interface a Vertex VXR-7000 repeater to a MMDVM setup. I can't get DMR to work. The portable radio will key up 3 times then emit the long tone like the repeater is not there. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Michael KD5DFB

2 8

DMRlink, HBlink AllStarLink etc.
by Steve Zingman 27 May '17

27 May '17

I should have done this the first day of Hamvention 2017, but busy does not describe the last couple of weeks. Mike N4IRR and I have been working on updating and expanding the bridging ability of ASL, DMRlink and HBlink. The new applications are referred to as Partners. Partners by themselves don't do much. When 2 or more partners communicate, the partnership forms a bridge between different systems. DMRlink is the Open Source IPSC Master / Peer "stack" written in python by Cort Buffington, N0MJS. Applications are built on top of this stack. An example application built on top of the stack is the parrot. DMRlink provides the communications to and from IPSC. This can be a Motorola repeater or a Network device like c-Bridge or BrandMeister. We have added to the available applications, IPSC_bridge. This partner application communicates with DMRlink and provides a bridge to other systems. HBlink is the Open Source HB Master / Peer "stack" written in python by Cort Buffington, N0MJS. Applications are built on top of this stack. An example application built on top of the stack is the parrot. HBlink provides the communications to and from HB Repeater Protocol. This can be a MMDVM repeater, DVMega HotSpot, OpenSpot or a Network device like DMR+ or BrandMeister. We have added to the available applications, HB_bridge. This partner application communicates with HBlink and provides a bridge to other systems. The third partner is not quite new. New capabilities have been added and old capabilities enhanced. That partner is called Analog_bridge. It was formerly called DMRGateway. Analog_bridge accepts a stream of analog audio, uses a Vocoder from NW Digital to convert to AMBE and communicates it to a partner. That analog audio can come from ASL or a application running on a desktop computer. A deficiency in the method of signaling PTT assert / de-assert has been fixed. The name Analog_bridge better describes it's function. Some of you may have noticed Jonathan G4KLX just announced his gateway DMRGateway. Thank goodness there will not be any confusion in the names. Any Partner can communicate with any other Partner to form a bridge. Consider you want to bridge ASL to IPSC. (What ambe_audio and DMRGateway used to do) ASL <---> Analog_bridge <---> IPSC_bridge <---> IPSC Network. This works quite well with a simple Motorola Master / Peer configuration or a c-Bridge. With BrandMeister, there are limitations imposed. You need a BM administrator to configure the BM side of the connection. Any changes to TS or TG has to be coordinated with BM. Now consider another way to accomplish the same ASL to BM connection. ASL <---> Analog_bridge <---> HB_bridge <---> HBR Network. The HB_bridge connection is treated the same way a MMDVM is treated by BM. You as the sysop define what TS/TG is used. You can build it your way. I have spoken with Cort, The methods used to allow Partners to communicate will be expanded to include communications with other protocols and services. Cort is busy working on support for remote logging and display. Please be aware, this software is BETA. It's early in the cycle. There will be bugs and features need to be added. HBlink, DMRlink and other yet to be announced programs and tools. (D-Star_bridge?) Please understand we can not support every possible protocol, there are only so many hours in the day and some protocols would have to be reverse engineered. Oh, and some of even have lives. These are tools that allow you to enhance the systems you operate. They are NOT networks. Build it your way. After all, this is HAM radio. Analog_bridge, HB_bridge and IPSC_bridge will be posted to the repositories in a couple of days. I have uploaded some simple block diagrams to <http://dvswitch.org/files/DVSwitch/> I know some of this information is outside of the ASL Digital area. We will form a new more general list to discuss digital bridging in general. (YAML, Yet another mail list) -- "What are HB_bridge, IPSC_bridge and Analog_bridge?"

5 8

HBlink, DMRlink and IPSC Did he say IPSC?
by Steve Zingman 22 May '17

22 May '17

This is a little early since the code has not yet been checked into the repositories. Mike N4IRR and I have been working on adding the ability to connect HB Protocol systems (MMDVM, DVMega and OpenSpot) to connect to IPSC based systems (Motorola XPR, SL etc.) We have it working in beta test now. As with everything HBlink and DMRlink, there are many ways to configure connections. Some of the possible: 1: Setup a MMDVM based system to connect directly to a IPSC Master. (Each MMDVM system runs HBlink and DMRlink) 2: Run a HBlink Master for all your MMDVM based systems to connect to. Make one or more connections to a IPSC Master 3: Run a HBlink Master for all your MMDVM based systems to connect to. Add a IPSC Master for one or more IPSC Peers We have created a new naming convention that we think better describes each application function. They are referred to as Partners. Analog_bridge (formerly DMRGateway) uses the DV3000 to encode and decode AMBE frames to and from analog audio. This could be ASL or a local microphone and speaker. IPSC_bridge (formerly ambe_audio) communicates with a Partner and builds IPSC frames to connect to a c-Bridge or Motorola repeater. HBlink now has a new application. It is called HB_bridge. HB_bridge communicates with a Partner and builds HB frames to connect to a BM Master or a MMDVMHost based system. Examples: ASL <---> Analog_bridge <---> Partner c-Bridge <---> IPSC_bridge <---> Partner MMDVMHost <---> HB_bridge <---> Partner MMDVMHost <---> HB_bridge <---> IPSC_bridge <---> c-Bridge More to follow. More Partners to follow. The announcement of DMRGateway from G4KLX will add even more to this matrix For DVSwitch, 73, Steve N4IRS -- --- "What are HB_bridge, IPSC_bridge and Analog_bridge?"

1 0

Use a 3 amp or more PS when using a ThumbDV on a Raspberry Pi3
by (KP4TR)Ramon Gonzalez 16 May '17

16 May '17

All, I just went thru hell and back with the ThumbDV. Use a 3 amp 5V power supply on the Raspberry Pi3, especially with Wifi and bluetooth built in. I was using a 2 amp and with ThumbDV on a Rpi3 its not sufficient. Especially when the ThumbDv worked fine and 30 seconds later it distorted. Well thats about when the wifi starts looking for a connection, drawing power. See you all in Dayton!

3 2

Dayton Hamvention
by Steve Zingman 15 May '17

15 May '17

Well, the Hamvention is quickly drawing near. Next weekend in Xenia Ohio. AllStarLink will be share a flea market space with Repeater Builder. There will be folks from Repeater Builder, Masters Communications, SCOM INADVM DVSwitch and AllStarLink. We will be in the infield spaces 7623-7627 and 7723-7727. Stop by and say hi, shoot the breeze and lets discuss where we are and where we are going. I would like to suggest a dinner get together Friday night. I have no idea where. Maybe someone more familiar with the area can come up with some ideas. Lets discuss it Friday in the flea market. There will be some great demos of AllStarLink supporting products and other digital and analog technologies. There may even be a few surprises. 73, Steve N4IRS -- --- "What are HB_Bridge, IPSC_Bridge and Analog_Bridge?"

5 5

INAD Communications at the Dayton Hamvention 2017
by Kevin Custer 09 May '17

09 May '17

Along with the Repeater Builder & SCOM gang, INAD Communications will occupy some of the cluster of ten spaces at the new venue (7623-7627 and 7723-7727). We're at the end of an aisle in the infield. INAD Communication will be demonstrating the INADVM - - a MMDVM (type) digital voice modem. We will have a repeater on 441.700+ CC1. The power will be turned down and it will be on a dummy load for local only operations as we will be operating two other repeaters in this space. In addition, we'll be fielding questions and comments on the AllStar Link System, as several of the current directors of ASL will be here too. For INAD, Kevin - W3KKC http://www.inadvm.com/

1 0

Re: [Allstar Digital] Allstar and DV4Mini Console on same image
by Mark Guibord 09 May '17

09 May '17

Looks good Ramon I like it! From: Allstar-Digital [mailto:allstar-digital-bounces@lists.keekles.org] On Behalf Of (KP4TR)Ramon Gonzalez Sent: Sunday, May 07, 2017 9:40 PM To: Digital linking using Asterisk and app_rpt Subject: [Allstar Digital] Allstar and DV4Mini Console on same image Hello, Im fairly new to this group so I have something to post. I just modified the RAT-RC2 Allstar image for thr Rpi2/3 Acid image used for the DMRLink gateway made available by N4IRS and added the PIXEL GUI desktop, and the DV4Mini-compact software to use the DV4Mini dongle. So essentially I took my NANO-DV DIGITAL RADIO HOTSPOT I bought last year from Micro-Node and it can now run DV4Mini dongle and Allstar. Added a browser and default page is AllMon2. And it could run the DMRLink gateway if I needed to... Attached image....need to work on splash page...maybe..

4 4

INADVM REV2 is now available.
by Kevin Custer 09 May '17

09 May '17

The INADVM REV2 is now shipping. The price for the kit is $35.00 plus shipping. The assembled version is $55.00 plus shipping. More information is available here: http://www.inadvm.com/ For INAD, Kevin - W3KKC

1 0

Looking for Mentor
by Kevin Halton 08 May '17

08 May '17

I am a newbie with the idea of crosslinking modes but would love to learn how to setup my own system. I made a valiant attempt and fell far short of the goal. I am looking for someone who can guide me in setting up a crosslink between Allstar and DMR. I believe I have all the equipment required just lack the technical knowledge. Is anyone up to the challenge? I appreciate your time.

1 0

HB_ambe_audio testing
by Steve Zingman 08 May '17

08 May '17

Over the last couple of days we have been listening to The WAN and WIN analog networks through hb_ambe_audio. Thanks to those 2 high traffic networks, we got quite a workout sending analog audio to DMR. Mike rewrote the portion of the code that deals with signaling the presence of, or lack of, traffic from analog to digital. There is very little delay and each transition is positive. Our next step is to test high traffic in the other direction. I am sending DMR traffic from TG 3100 on BrandMeister and send it to 2100. Again in ONE direction only DMR ---> ASL. Let's see how this plays -- "Real programmers us vi, that's why I use nano"

2 2