Preferred way to setup Contacts and Channels

[footloosejava]

What is the purpose of Contact - Repeater Slot Override?

I assume that the preferred way to setup a repeater is:

1) Create a channel for TS 1 and TS2 (i.e. 2 Channel entries)
2) Create a TG List for the channels hosted on TS 1 and TS2 (i.e 2 TG Lists)
3) Create a Contact for each Talk Group and leave Repeater Slot 'disabled'.

Then when should a Contact have a time slot specified? For example, for DMR Simplex Frequencies, there is the TG 99 and TS 1 and Color Code 1. But then these can only be used on a Channel setup for Color Code 1, right?

How to organize things in a way that makes sense given the different DMR networks and specific availability of Talk Groups on each repeater? each DMR simplex?

[KC7RBW]

Then when should a Contact have a time slot specified?

On the dominant ( non-BrandMeister) repeater system in my area, most talkgroups are configured only on one timeslot. For example the 9999 Audio Test talkgroup is only on TS2 and the 9998 Parrot echo test is only on TS1.

Then I'd only configure one Channel per repeater and I'd only have to select the right contact to get the right timeslot.

[VK3KYY]

What is the purpose of Contact - Repeater Slot Override?

I assume that the preferred way to setup a repeater is:

1) Create a channel for TS 1 and TS2 (i.e. 2 Channel entries)
2) Create a TG List for the channels hosted on TS 1 and TS2 (i.e 2 TG Lists)
3) Create a Contact for each Talk Group and leave Repeater Slot 'disabled'.

Then when should a Contact have a time slot specified?

Its mainly for Mototola networks which have specific TGs routed on specific TS's

e.g. If you click the Matrix button on this website, which is the Australian DMR MARC / DMR+ network.

http://rpt.vkdmr.com

You can see all the TS1 routed TG's and if you scroll down you can see the TS2 routed TGs

So what I have is the Channel for each of the DMR MARC repeaters set to TS2 (for no particular reason really, except most TGs are on TS2).
Then I setup all the relevant TG's with the correct TS override

e.g.

TG 505 is on TS2 as are TG3801 - 3808
TG 5,8,3809 and 3810 (plus a few others ) are on TS1

I have a DMR _MARC TG list, (aka Rx Group list), with all those TGs assigned to it, and that TG List is assigned to all the DMR MARC repeaters

For the local BM repeaters, I have a separate TG List, which has different TG's e.g. TG 5051 - TG5057 are the same as DMR MARC 3801-3807 but the BM repeaters will accept these on either TS, so I don't give any of my BM TG's a TS override.

I guess some BM repeaters may only route some TGs on some TG's but not around here.

[footloosejava]

Thanks Roger. Trying to digest all that.

Here is a local repeater, with 4 network info types: PNW, DCI, CAN-TRBO, DMR-MARC.

http://www.nwarc.org/cms/?q=node/330

Looking at the master lists from each network type (to also add those channels), it creates a rather messy chart.

I'm tempted to just not assign any Time Slots to any of them, and then just make a list for that repeater's network because they all seem to be the same. And then that leaves the Contact entries that can be added to other TG Lists specific to each repeater's TS1 and TS2.

It seems rather chaotic with some networks having dedicated TS and others with the same TG not needing a specific TS for the channels.

I wonder if there is money in being a DMR Channel Setup Consultant?

[VK3KYY]

Thanks Roger. Trying to digest all that.

Here is a local repeater, with 4 network info types: PNW, DCI, CAN-TRBO, DMR-MARC.

http://www.nwarc.org/cms/?q=node/330

Looking at the master lists from each network type (to also add those channels), it creates a rather messy chart.

I'm tempted to just not assign any Time Slots to any of them, and then just make a list for that repeater's network because they all seem to be the same. And then that leaves the Contact entries that can be added to other TG Lists specific to each repeater's TS1 and TS2.

It seems rather chaotic with some networks having dedicated TS and others with the same TG not needing a specific TS for the channels.

I wonder if there is money in being a DMR Channel Setup Consultant?

Yep. The TS override does not suit all situations, and is mainly there to help people who don't want to have to remember the mapping.

[YT5HOK]

Roger,
While talking about this... Would it be possible to link Channel to its TG (contact) selected via CPS? TS is already connected, but can be overridden if needed.
Probably most of us (including me) have already programmed few channels per repeater in the way that when you select a channel, you have TG and TS set, no need to select anything else.
But now things are different, for example, when I change a channel (up/down) to go on TS2 of repeater, TG stays the same and I have to scroll (left/right) to select appropriate TG.
So, can you connect TG to a channel, like TS is connected? We can override it manually, but it's quicker to be set automatically (as it already is in our old codeplugs).
I hope you understand me...

[VK3KYY]

Roger,
While talking about this... Would it be possible to link Channel to its TG (contact) selected via CPS? TS is already connected, but can be overridden if needed.
Probably most of us (including me) have already programmed few channels per repeater in the way that when you select a channel, you have TG and TS set, no need to select anything else.
But now things are different, for example, when I change a channel (up/down) to go on TS2 of repeater, TG stays the same and I have to scroll (left/right) to select appropriate TG.
So, can you connect TG to a channel, like TS is connected? We can override it manually, but it's quicker to be set automatically (as it already is in our old codeplugs).
I hope you understand me...

Ok.

For me I have many repeaters which use the same TG, so I do not want it to change.

But I see for some people they want the TG that is assigned to the Channel.

The TG for the Channel ( the Contact ) is only used if the Tg List ( aka Rx Group list) is set to none, or is empty.

I agree it would be good to make use of the setting in the Channel that is currently called “Contact” as the Primary Tg.

However for me I would not want it to change if I have a Tg list set for that channel.

So we may need a setting in the Options which allows this to be configured by the operator

[YT5HOK]

Ok.

For me I have many repeaters which use the same TG, so I do not want it to change.

But I see for some people they want the TG that is assigned to the Channel.

The TG for the Channel ( the Contact ) is only used if the Tg List ( aka Rx Group list) is set to none, or is empty.

I agree it would be good to make use of the setting in the Channel that is currently called “Contact” as the Primary Tg.

However for me I would not want it to change if I have a Tg list set for that channel.

So we may need a setting in the Options which allows this to be configured by the operator

Hmm... I understand your point of view.

Just one thing, if I set TG List (RX Group) on Channel to none, how does that change behavior? Do I only receive from TG/PC set in contact field, instead of all in TG list, making it "promiscuous mode off" effectively? And does it influence changing channel, I mean, would TG change? I guess not.

One more thing, if you can, make that option, if not, just don't, or leave it as low priority. I can change my channel order and my behavior.

[VK3KYY]

The Rx Group does not work as a Rx Group (at least not at the moment)

The Rx Group has now been renamed to TG List, and only provides a list of TG's for the Left and Right buttons

The TG is complicated.

If you enter a number e.g. #123435 Green that value will be locked until you press Left or Right to select a TG from the TG List (Rx Group)

Interesting I found a by-product / feature that I didnt realise happened....

If you have entered a TG by pressing # 12345 Green, and want to go back to the Contact for the channel, Press # Green and it seems to revert back, but I think this was not actually by design

[gw0tqm]

But now things are different, for example, when I change a channel (up/down) to go on TS2 of repeater, TG stays the same and I have to scroll (left/right) to select appropriate TG.
So, can you connect TG to a channel, like TS is connected? We can override it manually, but it's quicker to be set automatically (as it already is in our old codeplugs).

I have just tried (and failed) to explain just this on the facebook group. I thought I was going nuts.

It may be I just have to get used to a new (and probably more efficient) way of coding my GD77 - I like the idea that I can use a single channel if I pin the TG/contacts to a slot.
My repeater (on phoenix) supports TGs on 801 802 810 820 etc through to 890. I use 9, 820 and 870 but I want to hear all of them. Previously I had three memories one on each TG - I still have them (odd that the memories were preserved when I reflashed the firmware) but now changing between them doesnt (as above) change the TG - scrolling from 820 to 870 requires 5 clicks. But it seems if I remove the RXgroup (as was called) from the 820 and 870 channels then the TG will change with me? Cool. This firmware makes taking the GD77 to new places viable again. Excellent.