Newbie Stuck

[kd2lh]

Hi Mike,

The "Duplex" hotspots have two complete software defined radios on the MMDVM Duplex board they use. This allows them to send and receive at the same time as well as keep the timing of both functions in synchronization.

Because of this, they can operate on two timeslots. It needs two radios because you can be receiving on one timeslot at the same time you are transmitting on the other timeslot. Two independent conversations or one conversation and a data stream.

But.... you can't receive and transmit at the same time on the same frequency full duplex. This is why there are two radios and separate receive and transmit frequencies. This is 4FSK TDMA not spread spectrum. When operating on a single transciever (simplex mode) everything is half duplex, transmit alternating with receive. This can happen on one frequency, but only support a single timeslot. Traditionally we setup most simplex hotspots on timeslot 2.

Therefore you must set it up as a repeater on two frequencies. Those frequencies (because of the radio design) must be at least 5 mhz apart.

Most frequency coordinators setup some frequency pairs for digital hotspot usage in each call area. In my "4" call area, one of them is: 440.600 (hotspot transmit / handheld receive) / 445.600 (hotspot receive / handheld transmit).

You're getting closer to getting things working. don't get frustrated. Just take it one step at a time. Think of it as DMR University. You've got some very good mentors on this board, even though it's focused more on the firmware being developed than usage. The nice thing about the BBS is that you won't be the only one to read this now, or in the future.

It's both interesting and useful to setup a separate browser window on a second instance of the PiStar Dashboard side by side on your desktop. Put one of them onto the Admin page, and the other on "Admin" then "Live Logs" mode. The live logs watch the control and content messages going between the MMDVM board and the MMDVM Host component of the PiStar computer.

[AL7AK]

Thanks guys. I may get this some day. I first thought that by essientially connecting a whole state worth of repeaters together that there would be horrible contention for the system but now I know that DMR is so hard to get running that there are not very many people using it!!!!

So Daniel, I first screwed up putting every device at 442/447 then I received nothing. Then I realized the rx/tx pair had to be reversed between the hotspot and the radios duh! So I put the hotspot at 447/442 and I can receive again on the radios.

Still not quite clear on your comment about the OpenGD77 needing only one channel per freq. I see that you created one channel "hotspot". So on the OPenGD77 display the top line must be contact, the middle the TG and the bottom the channel? I thought the two top lines were the A/B. So I will think about this some more and play with a single channel and figure that out.

KD2LH, Ah I could not wrap my head around "duplex" so that makes sense that they are not "full duplex" in the traditional sense but dual time slot.
SO with the changes I can receive on both radios and when I try to use Parrot I get "RF" log entry in my Pi-Star dashboard. So now I know that the DM-1801 is indeed transmitting. But I get no echo. That may be because I am not sure what to do with TG and contacts when using Parrot in private call.

I am very grateful for your help. I left messages on a number of DMR forums but they are not very active and have never gotten a reply.
I owe you to guys a beer for sure.

AL7AK
Mike Kelly
Hayward, WI USA

[F1RMB]

Thanks guys. I may get this some day. I first thought that by essientially connecting a whole state worth of repeaters together that there would be horrible contention for the system but now I know that DMR is so hard to get running that there are not very many people using it!!!!

So Daniel, I first screwed up putting every device at 442/447 then I received nothing. Then I realized the rx/tx pair had to be reversed between the hotspot and the radios duh! So I put the hotspot at 447/442 and I can receive again on the radios.

Still not quite clear on your comment about the OpenGD77 needing only one channel per freq. I see that you created one channel "hotspot". So on the OPenGD77 display the top line must be contact, the middle the TG and the bottom the channel? I thought the two top lines were the A/B. So I will think about this some more and play with a single channel and figure that out.

KD2LH, Ah I could not wrap my head around "duplex" so that makes sense that they are not "full duplex" in the traditional sense but dual time slot.
SO with the changes I can receive on both radios and when I try to use Parrot I get "RF" log entry in my Pi-Star dashboard. So now I know that the DM-1801 is indeed transmitting. But I get no echo. That may be because I am not sure what to do with TG and contacts when using Parrot in private call.

I am very grateful for your help. I left messages on a number of DMR forums but they are not very active and have never gotten a reply.
I owe you to guys a beer for sure.

AL7AK
Mike Kelly
Hayward, WI USA

Just checked your codeplug, your parrot contact is wrong, it's PC 9990, not TG 9999


Cheers.
---
Daniel

[AL7AK]

Definitely seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

I now see my transmission attempt in the DASHBOARD "RF" source with my Callsign and the correct contact TG9990, but no response from the Parrot site.

I can receive properly now on both radios DM-1801/OPenGD77 and my RT90. I can hear others using Parrot TG 9990.

Daniel, I created two channels one for Hotspot TS1 and one for Hotspot TS2. I need to label my contacts so it is clear which TG's require ts1 or ts2.
Then I assume I choose the Timeslot/channel via up/down arrow, choose the contact left/right arrow.

Cheers
AL7AK
Mike Kelly
Hayward, WI USA

[AL7AK]

Daniel, I have set it to private call first and then tried groupcall neither works. Maybe I just don't understand how to use a private call contact.

[AL7AK]

Also when I see others using 9990 in the PiStar Dashboard it shows TG 9990

[F1RMB]

Also when I see others using 9990 in the PiStar Dashboard it shows TG 9990

Nope, it's PC 9990

Parrot.png (4.53 KiB) Viewed 4300 times

[F1RMB]

Also when I see others using 9990 in the PiStar Dashboard it shows TG 9990

Send me the new version of your codeplug, I'll check it.


Cheers.
---
Daniel

[F1RMB]

Also when I see others using 9990 in the PiStar Dashboard it shows TG 9990

Send me the new version of your codeplug, I'll check it.


Cheers.
---
Daniel

BTW, you can enter the Personnal Call ID pressing '#' twice on the GD. And try this on TS2 first.


Cheers.
---
Daniel

[LY1RF]

Looks like pc9990 works on some masters and don't on others