1. Press PTT, wait 1-2 seconds before speaking and
wait 1-2 seconds before you un-key.
You never know how a ‘spot’
or a repeater may connect to TG555. It
may be satellite, cellular, or a terrestrial service. Satellite and cellular will introduce
additional latency into the flow of traffic through the reflector. Adjust as
necessary based on the latency you experience. A quick PTT can in some cases cause the
first part of your transmission to be lost. Wait a bit before you release the
PTT button to ensure the last syllable of your sentence is passed through the
reflector.
2. Soliciting a call.
Call more than once if you
want to be heard. A single call might
not be heard or recognized. I notice
this frequently where someone keys up, says something, but I did not pick up
what was said. Please observe proper
repeater etiquette for monitoring and directed calls. If you ‘quick key’ and say your call it may
not pass your audio through the reflector (See 1 above).
- Directed call:
A directed call is one where
you wish to speak to a specific operator.
Say the call of the person you are trying to reach then say your call (his call – your call). If you say your call first, then you are
calling yourself while using another operator’s call sign.
Examples where W9KLS calls
W4NOC: “W4NOC this is W9KLS”, “W4NOC from W9KLS”, “W4NOC this is W9KLS
calling”, “W4NOC W9KLS”.
- Monitoring call:
Use this method when you
wish to let others know you are available for a QSO. Examples: “W4NOC listening”, “W9KLS
monitoring”. Calling CQ on a repeater
(or P25 Reflector) is not recommended.
3. Wait 2-3 seconds between transmissions.
This accommodates the delay
and allows another station to join. The
P25 Reflectors operate on a VPS in a data center. Latency is <1.5ms. Delay
through the reflector between stations is <1 second ‘P25 Repeater to P25
Repeater’ and about 600ms between ‘two hotspot’ users. Additional software processes in the
conversion from analog through the 419762 to the TG555 adds as much as 1
second.
4. Analog Asterisk/ASL nodes that connect to the
TG555/419762 ASLx P25 Gateway should disconnect when
finished.
We don’t want to receive an
angry email from the operator of another Asterisk/ASL node. TG555 is always connected to 419762.
There is a link below to see
what if any other Asterisk/ASL nodes are connected to 419762.
UPDATE June 2024: There are now two ‘analog/P25 bridges’ (ASLx 419762, ASLx 419763) and two
talk groups (TG554, TG555). Check the
dashboard to see which node is associated with which talk group. The 419762 operates over an IAX_Bridge instead of Asterisk-ASL and is running on the
VPS along with TG554, TG554, TG7 and the TG22625 reflector.
5. Transcoded analog to
digital audio can be unreadable if the received signal to the repeater is weak.
If your audio level is hot
or signal quality into the repeater is poor, these issues are magnified when transcoded. Proper
adjustment of the audio settings in a P25 radio is also important. Hot P25 audio may sound slightly distorted to
another P25 radio. But to a ‘spot’ or analog user, it will be muffled and
distorted to the point it may be unreadable.
P25 repeater users or ‘spot’ users should connect to the parrot (P25
TG10) and listen to your audio.
6. Internet latency and delay introduced by transcoding can vary.
It requires some practice to get used to it.
Enabling SmartPTT prevents doubling.
Using recommendation 1 above is also important. This can be a real problem when you have a
P25 station trying to converse with a station coming through the ASLx crosslink. The
P25 station may not wait long enough for a reply and key up on the other ASLx station. SmartPTT can help!
7. Please identify by voice.
Remember to identify every
10 minutes. An ‘unidentified transmission’
is considered illegal. When closing a
QSO with an international station, you must sign off by giving both your call
sign and that of the foreign station.
1. Why is an incorrect call sign or just numbers
displayed?
If the P25 signal is weak into the repeater,
the DMRID may be garbled and incorrectly decoded. Here is an example.
2. Why is an 'r' shown under the Gateway column?
This sometimes occurs when a
P25Gateway disconnects from the reflector. Why? I dunno.
In the example below,
seconds and milliseconds of the time stamp 10:54:44 was parsed into
the “Target” column and the transmission record is shown under ‘Gateway’ at the
moment the radio keyed up and steered the repeater P25Gateway to a different
reflector. The ‘r’ follows.
|
Target |
Gateway |
|
|
R |
|
:54:44 |
2Ø23-Ø9-26 14:54:44.83Ø Transmission started from W4NOC NB |
3. Why is my call sign not displayed when connected to
the reflector through the ASLx419762 P25 Gateway?
The call sign should be
correct when connecting to node 419762 will be displayed since it is now hosted
by IAX_Bridge instead of Asterisk-ASL. Node 41973 is still hosted by Asterisk-ASL/app_rpt. So your callsign will not be displayed when you connect your node
to 419763. (Updated July 3, 2024)
4. Why is the first or last syllable dropped?
Please read Recommended
Operating Procedures; 1 and 2.
5. I keyed up, threw out my call, but did not get a
reply.
Delay is introduced by the
software, hardware and the Internet (VPN, Cellular hotspots, Wi-Fi).
A 2-3 second key up may not
pass audio through the reflector. No one will hear you.
I have witnessed this while tailing
the logs with my XTS2500 on the desk beside me.
Read Recommended Operating
Procedures; 1 and 2.
6. Why did the reflector dashboard loose the Last
Heard and All Heard data?
The logs rotate at 00:00 UT.
Around here that’s 20:00EDT or 21:20ET.
The 555, 554 and 7 are running on a VPS in
7. How can I tell what Asterisk/ASL analog nodes are
connected to the P25-ASLx419762 or P25-ASLx419763?
Connected node numbers are
not passed through to the ASLx-P25 Gateway. So, it cannot be displayed on the
P25 Reflector Dashboard. Allstarlink Stats for 419762. Also see Stan’s Supermon (Asterisk-ASL nodes). Stan KI4FVI maintains a dependable web
dashboard for the analog nodes.
8. Why do I hear the call sign or telemetry from an
Asterisk/ASL node other than W4NOC?
Telemetry on Asterisk/ASL
node 419763 or IAX_Bridge node 419762 is suppressed
and will not propagate to other nodes.
Asterisk/ASL telemetry
(CWID, audio announcements, bing and bongs) with
exception of an emergency MUST NOT propagate to other nodes!
It is an easy fix and well
documented in the allstarlink and dvswitch-server
forums.
9. Why can't I connect to P25 TG555?
Using the INTERNET for
linking repeaters is not as reliable as you would expect. We do our best to keep the cellular hotspots
at the tower working and the VPN operational. When something fails, we resolve
it as quickly as possible. Using
cellular data as the transport medium for analog or digital linking is severely
flawed and unreliable. Cable ISPs are
no more reliable than cellular. I long
for the days when we could link repeaters with RF. But that is not practical and cost
prohibitive with TCPIP linking over long distances.
10. Are you using PI-STAR?
PI-STAR images are
outstanding for spots and MMDVM repeaters. The repeaters on this network are Quantars. The
PI-STAR team registers the P25 Talk groups and distributes the P25Host files we
all depend on. The x86 LINUX servers
supporting the repeaters are running the Asterisk/ASL2.0.0-6B DEBIAN-BUSTER
image and DVSwitch-Server. The P25 Reflector and ASLx-419762-P25Gateway
is a Pi3B+. It is running Asterisk/ASL2.0.0-6B RASPBIAN-BUSTER image and DVSwitch-Server. The
P25 Reflector was compiled on the same Pi3B+ from source available from noStar and the P25 Reflector Dashboard is courtesy of
M0VUB.
11. How do I connect to TG555?
Any device with a P25Gateway
can connect to TG555; P25 Repeaters a networked P25Gateway, spots, droidstar.
12. I selected TG 555 with my radio and my local
P25Gateway did not connect to TG555.
If you are on one of our P25
repeaters, they Startup on 555 and will respond to TG requests from your
radio. This is not true of all P25
repeaters. Check your radio
programming. Try a different TG, like
10200
13. How do I change talk groups through 9271375,
9277375?
Programming radios is a
lengthy topic. There are a couple of
ways to accomplish this with XTS, XTL radios.
My preference is to create a TG list containing a few talk groups; 555
Ga900p25, 10200
14. Is it OK to use talk groups other than 555
through 9271375 or 9277375?
Yes. The P25Gateways on these repeaters are active
and will accept TG requests from your radio.
If you do link to 10200 or another talk group, please select 555 on your
radio when you are finished with 10200, key up once and that will reconnect the
repeater P25Gateway to 555. The
P25Gateway should timeout after 10 minutes of inactivity on the other TG (such
as 10200) and reconnect to the assigned Startup, 555.
15. Is there a P25Reflector (Talk Group ID) for local
traffic or station-to-station through your repeaters?
Station to station traffic
always works. The P25Gateways associated
with our repeaters by default connect to 555.
They may be temporarily disconnected from any talk group or they may be
connected temporarily by a user to other talk groups such as 10200
16. Are nets permitted on this reflector?
Yes, weekly, bi-weekly,
monthly is fine. Go here to coordinate
a net on TG555 or other repeaters in this network and discuss it with
Stan. Monday and Friday evenings are not
available at this time.
17. I don’t have a P25 radio or a spot at this
time. How can I connect to the reflector
to experiment with P25?
A frequent member of the
TG555 group KD8VHU told us about DroidStar. Great tip! It is the absolute easiest way to
use your Android device to connect to TG555 and experience P25. The audio we hear over the P25 repeaters from
DroidStar Android users is very good. It is a great way to try P25 before you
buy.
18. What is the best radio ‘spot’ to buy or build?
If you are building it
yourself, the pi-star/mmdvm hat/radio modem. All you need is a Pi, simplex MMDVM Hat
(radio modem) and of course a digital radio (P25 or Yaesu C4FM). I built my homebrew pi-star spot for about
$70 with a used Pi (1) B+ from eBay and a MMDVM hat from Amazon ($23 right
now). There are several commercial
products on the market including ‘ready to use’ Pi-star/MMDVM_Hat
models in a nice case. Here is a picture
of a simple homebrew spot and a video. A video of the same
homebrew spot with a
fan.
19. I’ve tried P25 with my ‘spot’ or DroidStar and I’m ready to buy a P25 radio. How do I select a radio?
Research and ask questions
before you buy. We have operators using
Motorola XTL, XTS, APX and Astro Digital
Spectra. Consult batlabs,
repeaterbuilder, or radioreference
for information. Look up the model
number of the radio, get the flashcode and de-code it
to make sure it can operate P25.
Motorola XTL or XTS radios may have a ‘conventional only’ flashcode even though advertised as P25. Consider how you will program the radio. You will a need programming cable and the
programming software.
20. Do all repeaters in this network operate P25?
The 927.1375, 927.7375 and
442.125 are operating P25 and analog (mixed mode). These are ‘networked’ and have working
P25Gateways. 146.715 is analog but may
be connected to the TG555 over the TG555/Asterisk/ASL419762 or 41973 bridges. See 34 for updated information.
21. I have a question about Raspberrry
Pi?
Please reach out to Stan
KI4FVI.
22. I have a question about yaesu
f u sio n radios and using the MMDVMHost
YSF2P25?
Please reach out to Chris
K1KC.
23. I have a question about pi-star?
Throw out a question on the
reflector. The collective knowledge of
the 555 user group is impressive. Share
what you know and ask questions.
24. Can my Open Spo t3 (or
4) connect to private/local P25Reflector?
Yes it can. I can lead you through it but it is best to
consult the Help. Changing TG with your
radio through the OSpot is inconsistent. The use of terms is confusing and
incorrect. Contrary to the ‘Help’, SelCall is not supported by the P25Reflector. I have no idea what TG9 is used for and the
common Parrot TG10 is not used on the ospot. Instead they picked the UNLINK TGid 9999 to be the Parrot or ‘Local Echo’. Go figure!
25. How much cellular data will my spot consume?
On my test trip, I traveled
for 7 hours with my pistar based spot connected by
Wi-Fi to my cell. The phone recorded
29Mb data usage and the cellular provider recorded 23.49Mb data usage. Obviously I did not talk the entire time, but
I did use it frequently on that 7 hour trip.
26. Why did the node I connected to 419762 disconnect
automatically?
Beginning February 27th,
2024 the link inactivity timer (rpt.conf) is enabled
on 419762. It will disconnect all nodes
after 10 minutes inactivity. The
inactivity warning message will not play.
27. I cannot connect my Clearnode
to some P25 talk groups or to TG555?
You may need to update your
P25Host file. DVSwitch-server
which is the basis for this device includes a script to demand updates to the DMRid list and the host files. Refer to the seller’s documentation to run
the DVSwitch Mobile DVSM_Update
script. The P25Host file is a lookup
table that points the user selected TG to a domain name and UDP port. The master P25Hosts is maintained by the
PISTAR group. Your list of registered P25
talk groups should match this list.
28. What steps can I take to resolve broken or
distorted audio; drop-outs, switching talk group, no callsign
displayed, garbled?
Pistar based hotspot users should use the pistar-mmdvmcal and monitor the web console for ‘Loss’ and
‘BER’. Calibrating your portable radio
to your particular hotspot MMDVM radio is essential. Don’t assume that every radio you own will
calibrate the same. The ADF7021
transceivers used in most MMDVM radio boards do not respond well to high power
levels from your portable hand held radio.
I have noticed myself that if I use my mobile P25 radio transmitting to
the ‘spot’ high BER and Loss occur even with the mobile set to low (16W). If you receive reports of drop out, garbled,
‘R2D2’ or no callsign displayed, you may wish to
check your calibration and power level.
Those connecting to the 555 through repeaters will normally only
experience issues when operating in areas where coverage is weak. But they are the same issues. On occasion the issue can be associated with
the Internet quality at the repeater sites or the VPN between repeater
sites. It may not be a problem with your
equipment.
This example may be due to
poor Internet quality, Wi-Fi issues, radio not calibrated to the MMDVM radio
board, excessive power from the user’s radio, too far from, or too close to the
‘spot’. The audio heard by other uses on
the reflector during this period was broken, distorted, with drop-outs, and at
times no callsign is displayed. If you would like to see your traffic for a
given period, please provide the date and time UTC and an email address.
M:
2024-01-22 09:14:29.026 P25, received network transmission from ‘call redacted’
to TG 0 (TGID
error)
M:
2024-01-22 09:14:31.663 P25, network end of transmission, 2.7 seconds, 17% packet loss (High Packet Loss)
M:
2024-01-22 09:16:46.436 P25, received network transmission from 0 to TG 0 (DMRid/RadioID
corrupt, TGID error)
M:
2024-01-22 09:16:49.398 P25, network end of transmission, 3.4 seconds, 16% packet loss
M:
2024-01-22 09:17:05.995 P25, received network transmission from ‘call redacted’
to TG 555
M:
2024-01-22 09:17:08.338 P25, network end of transmission, 2.7 seconds, 7% packet loss
29. Other users on the 555 report hearing carrier and
seeing my call, but no audio when I transmit from my Ya
e s u radio to my ‘spot’ (YSFtoP25)?
Make sure your radio is set
to VW (Voice-Wide).
30. How do I create a private or local talk group in
my spot?
That’s a lot to address
here. For DVSwitch-server
users (such as clear node or Analog_Reflector) it is
easy. Go to /var/lib/mmdvm
and edit (nano) the file private_P25Hosts.txt. Add for example this tab delimited line: ‘7 georgia900p25.us 41001’. Then type ‘sudo systemctl restart
p25gateway’. Private or Local P25 Hosts
should be limited to the numbers 2-5,7-8.
For PI-STAR users, this describes the procedure. Some users report their ‘spots’ cannot use
private or local talk groups (see question 24).
You may wish to discuss that limitation with the manufacturer.
31. Who registers P25 Talk Groups or Reflectors?
PI-STAR manages the registry
and makes the list of reflectors or P25 Hosts available to all P25 Gateways
(spots, USRP clients, P25 repeaters, MMDVM repeaters). Instructions to register a new reflector are found here.
32. My radio is not recognized by the spot when I
transmit or my BER is high (>1%)?
Something may be off frequency,
WAY OFF. Frequency error is the root
cause of most of these issues. Use the pistar-mmdvmcal.
Don’t be surprised if your spot or radio is off frequency, or both. I have seen spots that have >1khz
frequency error. The worst one was the
most expensive. The TCXO used on some
MMDVM radio boards (MMDVM_HS_HAT or MMDVM_HS_DUAL) may be inferior. Portable radios are notoriously off frequency
as well. They may worsen as they age.
Don’t be afraid to adjust the offsets in MMDVMHost. I have a couple of MMDVM hats. One is spot on, the other has a frequency
error of -124Hz. But I can say that both are stable. Temperature variation inside the enclosure
and inferior TCXO definitely affect stability and accuracy.
33. I can’t connect to the P25Reflectors (555, 554 or
private 7). Has my IP been blocked?
In my experience
interference is unintentional and typically due to improper configuration of a
SPOT (radio/modem selection and/or selecting “Simplex or Duplex”). This can result in a ‘ping-pong’ effect. It can time out our repeaters connected to
TG5555 not to mention cause users to leave the talk group. A P25Gateway that is not properly configured
can literally bring the reflectors down.
TG555 is the main reflector.
TG554 is a backup to 555 in the event 555 fails or must be removed from
service. TG7 is a private/local
P25Reflector that is specifically for testing.
We do not normally connect our repeaters to TG554 or TG7.
The P25Reflector code is
simple. It reflects what it receives.
When we have a problem P25Gateway, we shut down the P25Reflector. Then we reach out to the operator. The last
resort is to block the P25Gateway IP. If
you think your IP has been blocked, contact K1KC or W4NOC. We will be glad to help. If you are developing a repeater P25Gateway
or configuring your spot and radio for the first time, please use TG7 or
alternately use TG554.
34. Can I connect my registered allstarlink.org node
to the ASLx/TG555 bridges?
Yes, they will accept
incoming connections from other allstarlink.org registered nodes. The 419762ASLx/TG555 bridge operates on the
same VPS as our P25Reflectors. The
419763ASLx/TG555 bridge is operating on home Internet and is less
reliable. You may not always see the
P25Gateways ‘419763ASLx’ or ‘419762ASLx’ connected to TG555 when viewing the
dashboard. This is not unusual. If you connect your node to either 419763 or
419762, they will connect to the TG555 or at times one of them may connect to
TG554. But both will never be associated
with the same TG. This would cause a
problem.
35. I don’t see ASLx419762 P25Gateway on the TG555
dashboard. If I connect my node to
419762, will it bridge to TG555?
If the ASLx419762 or
ASL419763 P25Gateways are not listed as connected to TG555 connecting your node
and keying up will force the P25Gateway to connect to TG555 or at times
TG554. As of TODAY June 22, 2024,
ASLx419762 will connect you to TG554 and ASLx419763 will connect you to TG555. Check the dashboard to see how they are bridged.
36. What is the purpose of TG554 when you already
have TG555?
At times it may be necessary
to remove TG555 from service for maintenance or other reasons. TG554 will serve as backup to TG555. Our group repeaters will continue to be
connected to TG555 under normal operating conditions. TG555 will remain our primary talk
group. You may use TG554 when you do not
wish your traffic to be transmitted to our group repeaters or perhaps you might
wish to take a long QSO off the main reflector and use TG554.
37. How can I look at the quality of my traffic as
received by the reflector?
The P25 Reflector is not
complex. Simply put, you will hear what
the P25Reflector hears.
The reflector log does not
provide much information about the incoming traffic, as in the example below
(Time is UT).
M: 2024-06-24 13:12:56.353
Transmission started from <callsign>
M: 2024-06-24 13:12:56.710
Transmission from <callsign> at
<p25gateway> to TG 555
M: 2024-06-24 13:12:56.899
Received end of transmission
M: 2024-06-24 13:13:42.629
Transmission started from <callsign>
M: 2024-06-24 13:13:42.639
Transmission from <callsign> at
<p25gateway> to TG 555
M: 2024-06-24 13:13:45.514
Received end of transmission
Since we operate an analog
bridge to P25 on the same VPS, the MMDVM_Bridge log provides
more detail. You can look at the
ASLx419763-TG555 or ASLx419762-TG554 P25 Dashboards which will show the LOSS as
received by the reflector. SEE AN
EXAMPLE for the same time period.
Take a look at this link. When
the 419762 cross-link to TG555 is active, you will see your traffic at this
dashboard and your ‘% packet loss’ is parsed from the associated MMDVM_Bridge log.
The most common cause of packet loss is frequency error and the second
is probably related to your ISP, cellular being the most unreliable. The 419762 x-linked to a P25Gateway, and the
3 P25 Reflectors TG555, 554 and TG7 all run on a Virtual Private Server (VPS)
in a datacenter. It’s pretty solid. We have had one outage at this datacenter in
the past 8 months.
38. Why can’t I connect to the ASLx419762 from my
registered Asterisk-ASL node? What is
different about this node?
419762 is a registered allstarlink.org node and
accepts calls from any other registered node.
Node or extension 419762 is not hosted by Asterisk-ASL(app_rpt overlay).
Instead it is hosted by an IAX_Bridge
(replacing Asterisk-ASL, app_rpt, DAHDI). When you call 419762 from your node, you are
making an IAX2 VoIP call from your registered allstarlink.org. It looks something like this: Incoming call
is established: Node12345 <> IAX_Bridge-Node419762 <USRP> Analog_Bridge <> MMDVM_Bridge
<> P25Gateway <> P25Reflector TG555.
at allstarlink.org.
IAX_Bridge supports these Asterisk CODECs: G.711 A-law or G.711 µ-law
38. I sometimes hear a short echo of my voice after I
unkey when using an MMDVM Repeater or Pistar spot?
Yeah, I’ve noticed that on own Pistar based spots and on a local MMDVM Repeater when I unkey immediately after I stop talking. The best way to avoid that is to wait 500ms to 1s after you stop talking to unkey. Our repeaters are real Quantar or Quantro P25 repeaters and we use DVSwitch-Server (Quantar_Bridge, MMDVM_Bridge, P25Gateway) instead of a Pistar image.
1. How is the analog to P25 audio quality?
The answer is ‘pretty
good’. Good quality analog into the
repeater will transcode well to P25. Poor quality or weak signal audio into the
repeater can be unreadable when transcoded to
P25. Node 419762 is connected to a
repeater node in
2. Can I improve the P25 audio quality of the XTS2500
under high background noise conditions?
When you are operating in a
noisy environment, the NMN6193(B/C) noise canceling microphone will resolve the
problem. This is a good mic for EFJ5100ES, XTS3000 as
well. Thanks to KD8VHU for the
recommendation.
Thank you for using
W4NOC, KI4FVI, W9KLS, K1KC
