Repeaters – Bring your Own to the Network

Here is how it’s done, what we need from you and what we can do for you as well as a bunch of other stuff in our effort to grow DMR in the Pacific Northwest. Hopefully this page will answer your basic questions. Please contact us at: Tech@PNWDigtal.net if you wish more information.

So what you need?

• A repeater; Motorola MotoTRBO, any model VHF or UHF, capable of IPSC networking
  • repeater must be full time IPSC on the PNW DMR network
  • cannot use DMM or come and go at will as in part time
• A site in our region; wide area or fill-in sites are acceptable
  • garage or other limited service locations may be allowed
• Internet connection
  • public facing static is best but a dynamic IP can work will work also
  • slow speed is fine, 30khz bandwidth is miniscule (same as audio needs)
  • must support the assigned UDP port inbound to your repeater
    • a NAT router may be needed and access to it for port forwarding, pin-holing or other UDP support
• RF system to support a repeater; typically a duplexer, isolator, quality feedline and quality antenna
  • much depends on your site requirements. 
  • Similar to any FM repeater installation but with an Internet connection required
• A frequency pair in the 2 meter or 70 cm Ham band suitable for your site.
  • coordinated pair is desirable ultimately but not mandatory to join
• A Radio ID is needed for your repeater (issued by RadioID.net).
• Your ability to put it all together and deploy your hardware.
  • If you need help with some aspects to deploy, ask us if we can help with equipment or information.

What we can provide you:

• All IPSC networking and backend support to put your repeater onto the PNW DMR network
  • In some cases, a collaborative effort where PNWDigital will supply all or part of the indoor hardware such as:
    • DMR repeater when replacing an existing repeater
    • DMR repeater, duplexer, isolator and polyphaser/local group provides site, Heliax, antenna and Internet
• A deck of talkgroups, much your choice but also with several required.
  • Your choice of talkgroup settings to suit, again with certain requirements
  • We can provide a test manager as a demo or longer term testing prior to joining
    • Get a feel/taste of our network before fully committing to join PNWDigital
    • Demo can help us work together for a custom talkgroup deck
  • If MMDVM based repeater then less choice as to talkgroups
• PNW Digital Web support for your repeater (see our website generally)
• A c-Bridge account to help your admins monitor your repeater…and the rest of the network
  • More detail on your repeater and our network than Callwatch/Peerwatch

Other considerations:

While the considerations below may seem onerous or restrictive, we want to be sure that you understand the worst case, typically there is more relaxed approach.

• We require that your repeater be “open” and welcoming to visitors and travelers.  A closed repeater does not align with PNWDigital’s goals
• Your repeater must be on the network full time (no analog or other networks or time sharing)
• Your users must use only the published talkgroups; no custom talkgroups allowed unless by agreement with PNWD and repeater owner.
• Your repeater and it’s users must conform to the commonly accepted DMR radio settings to keep the maximum compatibility possible for the smoothest trouble-free network operation. (no ARS services, use TXI if available, never use TX always, talker alias, etc)
• Your user’s TX audio levels must be maintained at typical levels; very low or high audio is hard on the listening audience.
• All user radios must have valid (RadioID.net issued) Radio ID’s and assigned to that user.  Do not use default 1 nor use someone else’s Radio ID.
• PNW supports EMCOMM and public service events and places priority there
  • Special talkgroups are available for local and statewide exclusive use for EMCOMM and other non-emergency training or public service events.
• Do not use active servers, other data services, Private Call nor Encryption unless authorized via our gateway services
• Your network access is not to be linked to other networks, services, providers of any kind
  • Access provided to your repeater is to go only to your repeater
  • No analog or FM linking, Echolink or cross-banding is allowed
• Basically, be a good Ham neighbor while using our Network infrastructure.
• Please no politics or religious discussions over the air, tends to be polarizing

Our resources:

• PNWDigital Website; chock full of everything about MotoTRBO/c-Bridge networks
• Resources for your users via the web
• APRS Digital Gateway // APRS analog and/or digital support
• IO Groups support
• Codeplugs for many different DMR radios that cover the DMR repeaters in our region

 We can help with Internet settings, router UDP pin-holing (port-forwarding), ISPC settings, Talkgroups, codeplugs and user/system management.  If you have your repeater already, we suggest you get it on the IPSC network sooner than later, let it burn-in, be sure that the IPSC networking is correct.  When you do make your way to your mountain-top, you will know that your ISCP networking is fine so if you have any issues getting onto the PNW network, you will know that your local Internet connection is the choke point.

We will provide you with the master IP, master UDP port and the network authorization key or MMDVM server information.  We publish all our information otherwise on this website.  Data is supported throughout our c-Bridge and across to many other c-Bridges though now, with many manufacturers, compatibility is more an issue. 

 The current line-up of talkgroups and their timers are shown on the talkgroup matrix and it is always the best source for determining what is available on the PNWDigital repeaters.

Some details, rules and other odd stuff

PNW Digital is now deploying a networking package consisting of a VPN router, PDU and an RPi.  This enables us to have our own 44 net static IP’s, remote AC power control over our repeaters and the ability to read/write the repeater codeplug.  We suggest you do the same if you wish to have these abilities and reduce site visits.

We encourage the use of a simple programmable power timer (off for 1 minute overnight to power cycle the repeater in case of loss of Internet connectivity) at a minimum, or better, an IP Power Switch ($90 plus; inexpensive to pricey examples: MSNSwitch UIS-6222b, IP9258, Web PS 7, NP-05, ICT180S-12 ) and that one be deployed with your repeater especially if your repeater will be located a significant distance away from physical control.  This will enable easy power cycling that may be needed from time to time but also and more importantly, it enables powering your repeater off so that network diagnostics can be run when we experience network issues.  Taking a repeater off an Ethernet connection remotely vastly simplifies locating a problematic repeater, router or Internet connection.  It is also useful as a router failsafe as well as remote control of other AC devices.  We are not asking for control of your switch but only that one be available to help you and us when things go wrong.

Client radios have many more operational settings than your repeater and that programming can have a major adverse impact if not programmed correctly.  PNW has published several standard network codeplugs for various makes/models of client radios that match our repeaters and MMDVM server settings.  We highly encourage you to clone or paste in our settings as an example of how best to program for PNW, not so much for the current repeaters, as the plugs tend to become stale.  Then copy one of the PNW zones for your own zone and then change the freq and color code for your use on our network.

More details on how to program your repeater and your client radios for our network operation are available.  We strongly suggest that you follow our programming details as it will help the entire network to run more smoothly.  Not all of our suggested programming follow Motorola default settings as we have developed these setting during our first 4 years of Ham TRBO IPSC experience.  So use ours unless you have more experience and if you do, please share it with us.  We are all about helping others and not keeping anything but our network keys, hidden from the TRBO community.

First Published: September 27, 2021 Last Updated: 1 year ago by Mike – NO7RF

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