Metro groups are typically 2 to 5 repeaters all in the same rough area and can be used for QSO’s that are broader in coverage than Local 1. Metro 2 can be a good alternative to a statewide talkgroup or other very wide area talkgroups.
Metro 2 is rebadged from the old Local 2 (3166) but with linking to select other general repeaters in the same local area or areas of coverage. Local 1 remains unaffected.
Metro Groupings are Optional
Not every repeater will be linked into a Metro group. The purpose is to enable communities an a way that a pure Local 1 cannot but without the need to reach out statewide to which may be too broad. Metro can be both a local only (as it was previously) as their is no nearby repeater such as Yakima or Ocean Shores. While Ocean Shores are coastal towns or cities, they are not likely candidates for a Metro group. Very wide coverage repeaters are not likely to be in a group as their coverage is likely a community in itself.
The likely initial groups will be Portland/Vancouver Metro (already testing as Local 2), Seattle Metro and Spokane Metro. Repeater owners or interested parties may suggest other Metro groups if they wish. Portland/Vancouver has been operating on a Local 2 grouping for the past 5 months to evaluate the area linking idea and no issues surfaced.
Seattle Metro is an example (below) of how we may choose repeaters for the group
- Seattle Metro – obvious choice as it is a fill-in repeater
- Cougar – Covers Seattle well and is close to, and central to Seattle coverage, moderately high level site
- Tiger – Covers Seattle well though also many other areas at a higher level site , may not make the group
- Kubota – Fill-in repeater in Southeast Seattle
If you have suggestions, requests or input as to adding or modifying a group, please leave a comment below or Email the Tech Team at: tech@pnwdigital.net
Available / Tentative / Potential Metro Groups and their repeaters
- Gorge Metro Group (I-84 Group’s eastern-most group of repeaters)
- Biggs Junction
- Boardman
- Cascade Locks
- Hood River
- Rexx (special inclusion, MMDVM servers normally not included in Metro groups
- The Dalles
- Trout Lake
- m2d manager pending
- Idaho North Metro Group
- Coeur d’Alene – Blossom Hill
- Coeur d’Alene – Metro
- Idaho West Metro Group (Jeff, KB7SIJ, repeater owners request)
- Lewiston
- Saint Maries
- Inland Metro Group – (Southern California Repeaters) (temporary pending decision)
- Blue Ridge
- Santiago Peak
- Wrightwood
- Issaquah Metro Group
- East Tiger Mtn UHF
- East Tiger Mtn VHF
- Valley Camp
- Longview Metro Group
- Cathlamet
- Longview
- Rainier Hill
- Naneum Ridge Metro Group (Kittitas County)
- Naneum Ridge
- Ephrata
- NOTE: Raven’s Roost UHF & VHF may join after co-channel testing period
- NCS (Net Control Stations Assist)
- Baldi VHF
- Ned – MMDVM Server for Net Control Stations
- Ruston
- Oregon Central (tentative)
- Prineville
- W7GXJ (Future: HiDARG – Powell Butte)
- Palouse/Pullman Metro Group
- Palouse
- Pullman
- Pateros/Wenatchee Metro Group (tentative; pending Pateros coming online)
- Pateros
- Wenatchee
- Portland/Vancouver Metro Group
- Ariel
- Brush Prairie
- Corbett
- Greshem
- Mt Hood
- Oregon City
- Otis (MMDVM server)
- Pine Hollow
- South Saddle
- West Hills (AARG)
- Raven’s Roost
- Raven’s Roost UHF
- Raven’s Roost VHF
- NOTE: May combine with Naneum Ridge after co-channel testing period
- Salem Metro Group (potential group)
- Orchard
- Prospect Hill
- Seattle Metro Group (Created and completed 12-14-21)
- Cougar, E. Tiger (E. Tiger UHF is temporarily in this group, may split off to U&V only)
- Seattle Metro
Snoqualmie Metro Group (potential, pending decision)
- Rattlesnake
- Valley Camp
- Tacoma Metro Group
- Baldi 220
- BaldiVHF
- Baldi UHF
- Baldi 900
- Ruston
- Tulalip Metro Group (permanent; on same manager)
- East Tulalip
- West Tulalip
- Spokane Metro Group (group not yet decided, contact Rod KC7AAD if you have input)
- Krell UHF
- Krell VHF
- Lookout Point
- Ridgecrest
- Tri-Cities Metro Group (possibly to include Yakima and Prosser repeaters)
- Tri-Cities UHF – Jump Off Joe Mountain
- Tri-Cities VHF – Jump Off Joe Mountain
- Winthrop Metro Group
- Mazama
- Winthrop
- Yakima Metro Group (not yet approved)
- Yakima – Elephant Mountain (tentative)
- Prosser – Horse Haven Hill (tentative)
First Published: December 10, 2021 Last Updated: 4 months ago by Mike – NO7RF
Views: 2199
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I have spent hours trying to get my Anytone to work successfully on DMR. I think I have it mostly set up, but my pi-star doesn’t have a line for DMR security. Do I need to upgrade my device? Or is there a fix for this? My pi-star under DMR configuration says DMR options not security. I have done all of the updates to it.
@ KC7OO,
I’m not sure what you are looking for. I see that in my hotspot when I am connected to BM, there is a box under it marked “DMR security” however, When connected to PNWDMR Suzy that is not shown. These are two different systems so there will be changes.
You enter your identifying password for the PNW MMDVM while running the install script provided with your authorization email.
Have you tried your Anytone on one of the repeaters? Parrot is an awesome tool to let you know if it’s connecting or not. AND the MMDVM does have parrot as well.
Did this help at all?
Dale McKenzie
N7KLT – 3120771 / 3120776
@ Mke NO7RF,
Mike, any updates on the metro 2 groups?
Just wondering if/how the final (if any) settings have come out and where Nanumeum is?
Thank you Sir!
Dale McKenzie
N7KLT – 3120771 / 3120776
Dale,
Naneum is down with a blown PS, no additional access there until late spring to summer I am guessing at this point without hiring a snow cat or finding some snow machines.
Naneum Metro 2 was not linked to anything else. It is such a wide area box, that I didn’t link it to anything as I would for say Ephrata/Moses Lake or the Spokane boxes. But for now I added it to those 2 pending additional thought or input. Doesn’t matter fro some months yet obviously.
@ Mike – NO7RF,
Thank you for the update and info Mike!
I saw Naneum was down in the system status the other day and was a bit shocked to say the least. LOL Does the 578 not have a “repeater not found” setting such as my Btechs do? On my Btechs, when I try to talk to a repeater that is down, it tries to connect and tells me it can’t when there is an issue such as this. I got nothing from my 578. It acted like it was going through which is why I was so surprised to see the repeater down.
I looked through the CPS’s for both but, the only settings I can find are more toward the “roaming” features that can disrupt the system.
Dale – N7KLT
The Anytones provide a bonk (if you have tones enabled) and a pop-up message when a repeater does not respond to a key-up. The pop-up is default as far as I know.
What you describe sounds like what my Btech does BUT, my 578 doesn’t do that for me.
Ideas of what I might have missed or messed up?
My 578 doesn’t give any indication at all that Naneum is unreachable.
I’ve compared the tone settings and they match. I know that Anytone CPS looks at things different than my Btech (been there and what a nightmare!) but, I didn’t think it was that different. LOL
Well I’ll be darned. I “think” I might have figured it out but, not possitive until I test it.
I went into the channel settings and saw that for some reason it was set for “DMO/simplex” instead of “repeater.”
I didn’t think it would connect to a repeater set that way? I am changing it now and will update my radio when I can to see if that fixes the issue.
Thanks Mike!
Is your pi-star a “new” item in your station? Or is it an establish already working device?
As to your 878, you need to know if your hotspot is a simplex or duplex device if your frequency and color code are correct.
If hotspot is simplex (TX & RX same freq) make sure your channel is set to “simplex”
IF your hotspot is a duplex (TX & RX on different freqs ya lucky! LOL) then your channel needs to be set to “repeater”
OR your 878 will not connect correctly with the hotspot or repeaters (same issue).
IF your hotpsot is new as well, (is it a new Skybridge?), that will take some more details as well. Did you get your credentials entered correctly / Using correct credentials/ is it set up correctly (freqs / color code / time slot?
Hope this helps!
Dale McKenzie
N7KLT – 3120771 / 3120776
I have been using an ALINCO MD-5 successfully and have recently purchased an ANYTONE 878 UVII PLUS. can’t get it to work with SUZY. Any help with code plug and pi-star programming would be appreciated.
73′
KC7OO