More DMR/ Digital voice questions.

[KILLERPARSNIP]

I'll get straight into them

1 - Can you connect from a Repeater into other repeaters across the UK in the same way as Echolink ?
2 - Do you have to be registered ( other than your ID) in order to do this ?
3 - How many registrations would you have to do ?
4 - When hearing a repeater can you immediately use it or would you have to program all the details in ? ( I'm thinking of mobile operation in unknown areas , Something CTCSS screwed up !)
5 - I would want all my connections to be done from a Radio ( This is Amateur Radio after all) is this realistically possible as most people I hear talking about it seem to use a hotspot so creating no real Radio foot print ?

Thanks all for answering my constant questions

[Octane Red]

Thanks all for answering my constant questions

No problem! Just sometimes takes a minute to find them when they are spread over so many threads and sections!

1 - Can you connect from a Repeater into other repeaters across the UK in the same way as Echolink ?

Yes. But this is dependant on the network your local repeater keeper(s) are using. We have already established this is the Salop cluster, for which there is limited information about online. A repeater can only connect to one network, but there are some limited interlinks between networks on a talkgroup by talkgroup basis. This really needs someone with the Salop cluster knowledge to advise on.

2 - Do you have to be registered ( other than your ID) in order to do this ?

No, your Radio ID 234xxxx or 235xxxx is enough to establish your identity on the networks.

3 - How many registrations would you have to do ?

Just the one, at radioid.net - I note they are now requiring annual verification keep an ID alive

4 - When hearing a repeater can you immediately use it or would you have to program all the details in ? ( I'm thinking of mobile operation in unknown areas , Something CTCSS screwed up !)

This is where it can get complicated, and many DMR users at this point look to others for help with a radio programming file that can be emailed / downloaded and transferred to the radio locally. There are 2 main sections of programming needed to successfully access a repeater.

First is the repeater hardware parameters. So a bit like analogue, in that it includes TX and RX frequencies. In place of CTCSS, its 'Colour Code', which confusingly has nothing to do with colours, but a number from 0 to 15. Those are the basic parameters needed to get a repeater to hear you.

Second is what talk groups you are going to use. Lets say its 235 - UK Calling. The channel on your radio needs to have this Talkgroup programmed in so that when you key up, the repeater routes your call into the network tagged as TG235. Then, any other repeaters programmed for 235 will start transmitting and relaying your call.

A third, slightly minor factor for programming, is which of the 2 timeslots to use on that repeater. It doesn't technically matter, but it can upset the keeper if there is an established protocol.

If you have a number of repeaters, and a number of talkgroups, then you can see the number of channels rises quickly. Say you have 6 repeaters and want to use 6 talkgroups, then that will take up 36 channels.

At first glance, this looks cumbersome, but there are techniques to simplify it. For example, rather than programming talkgroups into channels, you can simply use the keypad to 'dial' them. So, one channel for your nearest repeater, then if you want to use TG235, you simply dial 2-3-5 on the keypad then press the PTT. If next time, you want to use TG91, you dial 9-1 and press the PTT. A more elegant way, if your radio supports it, is to use roaming. With that, you can program the radio with all the repeater hardware parameters - TX/RX frequencies, Colour Codes and Timeslots. Then, the radio will search for the nearest and/or strongest repeater and latch onto it. So you could have a single channel for TG235, and as you move around, your radio will automatically hop, skip and jump around the repeaters as it loses one and finds another. But this is fairly advanced programming.

5 - I would want all my connections to be done from a Radio ( This is Amateur Radio after all) is this realistically possible as most people I hear talking about it seem to use a hotspot so creating no real Radio foot print ?

Completely. I have neither a hotspot, nor a mobile phone app (I don't even have a smartphone! ) Bearing in mind that depending on your location, repeater access with a handheld may not be as successful as a mobile with an external antenna. Many folk think DMR is handheld only, but a lot of us use mobiles, both at home and in vehicles.

Hope that is helpful.