OpenSPOT hotspot update and user forums

Just checked latest firmware updates for my OpenSPOT1 hotspot, 1.42 has been released on 28th May,  some support for FCS mode. I need to update ASAP.I been experimenting with Fusion recently.

latest OpenSPOT1 firmware update

I was also interested in what issues going on with OpenSPOT1,  I found the forums here,  very nicely laid out, clearly defined  between products,, OpenSPOT1, OpenSPOT2 and OpentSPOT3 ,  I am impressed.  You select the OpenSPOT product you have and it provides a Search box to chose topics from the forums.

SharkRF OpenSPOT forums

history of Amateur Packet Radio in Australia and the 44.136.8.x and 44.136.9.x networks

I had Terry VK2JTP asking some questions about the old 44.136.8.x  and 44.136.9.x networks we used back in the 1980's in early days of amateur packet radio, I had some trouble looking for information,   but I did find out that Brian Kantor WB6CYT is now SK, Wally Lindstruth WA6JPR  is also SK.   It wasn't that long ago I looked up a few other callsigns like Phil Karn KA9Q and Bdale Garbee KB0G, Hank Magnuski KA6M to see where they were now days.
I learnt a lot from these guys, their contributions to amateur radio hobby and also to computing and electronics  is unmeasurable (or is that immeasurable). 

Anyway, found some stuff which I posting here for historical prosperity.

We were very lucky in those days, we had the Universities that provided the backbone for interconnecting these amateur radio TCPIP networks together around the world, helping promote experimentation and fostering learning. This is long before the existance of the world wide web and internet as we know it today.

this is just a sample of a few amateur radio stations locally that were experimenting with packet radio and  TCPIP back in 1980's ,  which I could confirm.

44.136.8.x gateway was via University of Technology Sydney ARC
44.136.8.1  gw.vk2ktj.ampr.org
44.136.8.2  gw.vk2rmb.ampr.org
44.136.8.6  vk2kfj.ampr.org
44.136.8.8  net.vk2ktj.ampr.org
44.136.8.16 nsw-wia0.ampr.org
44.136.8.24 vk2mb.ampr.org

44.136.8.39 vk2bq.ampr.org

44.136.8.x ampr.org


44.136.9.x gateway was via University of Technology Sydney  ARC
44.136.9.1 vk2rmb.ampr.org
44.136.9.2 gw.vk2rq.ampr.org
44.136.9.3 pc.vk2kfj.ampr.org
44.136.9.4 vk2hl.ampr.org
44.136.9.5 vk2yqa-1.ampr.org
44.136.9.8 net.vk2gva.ampr.org
44.136.9.9 gw.vk2gva.ampr.org
44.136.9.10 aurora.vk2gva.ampr.org
44.136.9.11 blackbird.vk2gva.ampr.org
44.136.9.12 nighthawk.vk2gva.ampr.org
44.136.9.15 bcast.vk2gva.ampr.org
44.136.9.16 net.vk2mb.ampr.org
44.136.9.18 pc2.vk2mb.ampr.org
44.136.9.19 pc3.vk2mb.ampr.org
44.136.9.20 pc4.vk2mb.ampr.org
44.136.9.21 pc5.vk2mb.ampr.org
44.136.9.22 pc6.vk2mb.ampr.org
44.136.9.23 bcast.vk2mb.ampr.org
44.136.9.25 xr.vk2rq.ampr.org
44.136.9.30 mwrs01.vk2mb.ampr.org

44.136.9.x ampr.org

44.136.10.x gateway was via Macquarie University ARC
44.136.10.0 net.mu.ampr.org
44.136.10.1 gw.mu.ampr.org
44.136.10.2 vk2tjf.ampr.org
44.136.10.3 vk2qz.ampr.org
44.136.10.4 vk2btq.ampr.org
44.136.10.5 ibm.vk2btq.ampr.org
44.136.10.6 gw.vk2mj.ampr.org
44.136.10.7 vk2mj.ampr.org
44.136.10.8 vk2daa.ampr.org
44.136.10.10 ipip.vk2gmu.ampr.org
44.136.10.11 marconi.vk2gmu.ampr.org
44.136.10.12 einstein.vk2gmu.ampr.org
44.136.10.13 eccles.vk2gmu.ampr.org
44.136.10.14 test.vk2gmu.ampr.org
44.136.10.15 gw.vk2gmu.ampr.org
44.136.10.16 gw.vk2gmu.ampr.org
44.136.10.20 mac.vk2xb.ampr.org
44.136.10.22 mu.vk2gnt.ampr.org
44.136.10.23 mu.vk2awz.ampr.org
44.136.10.24 mu.vk2ice.ampr.org
44.136.10.25 mu.vk2cbf.ampr.org
44.136.10.26 gw.vk2kfu.ampr.org
44.136.10.28 vk2kvc.ampr.org

44.136.10.x ampr.org

this might have been via ACU  I'm not sure now
44.136.7.1 earth.vk1zdj.ampr.org
44.136.7.2 pc.vk1zdj.ampr.org
44.136.7.4 laptop.vk1zdj.ampr.org
44.136.7.7 pvt.vk1zdj.ampr.org
44.136.7.10 slartibartfast.vk1zdj.ampr.org
44.136.7.11 backup.vk1zdj.ampr.org

I also remember Charles Sturt University  and Armidale University  were heavily involved too,
but I cant remember their subnets.

DMR Network from Galway, Ireland

I stumbled onto this blog, it was pretty impressive,  these guys are certainly enjoying their hobby.

One day I would like to visit Ireland and Scotland and Shetlands.

galway-dmr-network

ZL DMR Talk Groups (New Zealand)

Following on from my last post, here are some more extracts from the document I building up, while trying to formulate my VK DMR list, I kept stumbling onto the ZL Talk Groups, since several  VK and ZL Reflectors are closely tied together, (since they are our cousins across the pond), I added them to my list.  And if you want to see the Heard list on these  Reflectors, just google the XLX name.

What we have here are the Brandmeister and DMRplus talk groups for New Zealand  (ZL)

ZL  Brandmeister Talk Groups

530 :   ZL Call channel

5301 : Regional ZL1

5302 : Regional ZL2

5303 : Regional ZL3

5304 : Regional ZL4

53020 : XLX626 A

53021 : IFROAR

53029 : XLX299 B

53050 : XLX751  Gateway

53060 : TAUPO-ARC-NZART

53099 : XLX750 D  > YSF001, NXDN505, P25 10401, XLX389 D, BM5051

ZL  DMRPlus  Talk Groups

8 : Regional Repeaters TS1

153 : South Pacific  TS1

530 :  ZL call channel TS2

ZL DMRplus dashboard  http://dmrplus.arec.info/ipsc/

VK Brandmeister and VKDMR Talk Groups

It difficult getting an updated list of DMR and other digital mode talk groups,  as I mentioned in the past blog entries, with  the VK DMR channels getting changed on a regular basis, it was too hard keeping up,  but now the changes have stabilised and far less frequent, I slowly building up a list for myself, so I can update the codeplugs for my MD-380 and GD-77 handhelds.

Anyway, the most comprehensive list I found came from Adrian VK4TUX's Info page from his MultiMode Reflector/Gateway site,  which covers DMR, NXDN, P25, YSF, D-Star modes.

From here,  I started a document based on Adrian's list, adding, modifying it whilst experimenting. My primary interest in this is connecting with friends using other modes, (D-Star and P25) from my DMR devices.  Note: this list is geared primarily around VK hams (Australia-Oceania)

DMR  Talk Group Summary for VK

 (colour code=1 for all)            >  means  'linked to'

VK BrandMeister Talkgroups 

(BrandMeister Server 5051 VK)   Colour Code =1 (for all)

505  : Australia  call channel    Time Slot 1 ;   > TG4805

the following are all Time Slot 2 ;

5050 : XLX500 G    > TG4806             (formerly XRF500 D)
5051 : Australian Capital Territory   >   VKDMR 3801
5052 : Australia - New South Wales   >   VKDMR 3802
5053 : Australia - Victoria   >   VKDMR 3803
5054 : Australia - Queensland   >   VKDMR 3804
5055 : South Australia   >   VKDMR 3805
5056 : Western Australia   >   VKDMR 3806
5057 : Australia - Tasmania   >   VKDMR 3807
5058 : Australia - Northern Territory   >   VKDMR 3808
5059 : gateway to VKDMR-Room  > VKDMR TG3809
50501 : XLX389 A

50503 : XLX389 C

50510 : XLX510 D   > VK2GWY

50521 : IARS chat    (Illawarra ARS – VK2RUW)

50525 : P25 Bridge  >  VK3GWY, AllStar, P25, NXDN, YSF

50526 : CCARC (Central Coast ARC-VK2RAG-VK2RTG)

50531 : VK3 chat 1 (alternate to 5053)

50533 : SPARC (Southern Peninsula ARC – VK3BSP)

50539 : Nex-Gen

50566 : WICEN

50590 : VK2HK-2 Room  > Wires-X(24011,24012)
50591 : VK2GP-ND  > Wires-X (14066)
50592 : VK3KAY-Room  >  Wires-X
50593 : XRF740 C  > YSF001 Wires-X

50594 : VK2RFG Room  > Wires-X Node(14327), Wires-X Room(24327)

50599 : XLX389 D  > YSF001, NXDN505, P25TG4

BM DMR Dashboard

Online Audio BM Hoseline

Other Brandmeister Talk Groups on Time Slot 2
91 : WW call (WorldWide)

92 : EU call

93 : NA call

94 : Asia call

95 : ANZ call

907 : JOTA

973 : SOTA

9990 : Echo Test

VKDMR Network Talk Groups

1 : WW worldwide call  TS1

5 :  VK net channel    TS1

8 :  State linked repeaters TS1

9 :  local TS1

13 : WW English TS1

113 : User Defined TS1

123 : User Defined TS1

133 : USA  call  TS1

143 : UK call TS1

153 : South Pacific  TS1

505 : VK call channel  (repeaters and hotspots) TS2

3800 : all VK repeaters TS2

3801 : VK1 Repeaters TS2  >  BM 5051

3802 : VK2 Repeaters TS2  >  BM 5052

3803 : VK3 Repeaters TS2  >  BM 5053

3804 : VK4 Repeaters TS2  >  BM 5054

3805 : VK5 Repeaters TS2  >  BM 5055

3806 : VK6 Repeaters TS2  >  BM 5056

3807 : VK7 Repeaters TS2  >  BM 5057

3808 : VK8 Repeaters TS2  >  BM 5058

3809 : regional rptrs TS1  >  BM 5059

3810 : regional rptrs TS1

9990 : Echo Test  TS1 for hotspots, TS2 for RF to repeaters

These are STATIC TG’s,  no dynamic TG’s

99 :  VK simplex (439.200 and 146.650)

Deprecated TG’s :

2 : Oceania

9 : DMR+ TS2

91 : WW 91

100: Tech talk

4400 : UK link

4401 : UK link

VKDMR Dashboard - Repeaters  http://rpt.vkdmr.com/

VKDMR Dashboard - Hotspots    http://hot.vkdmr.com/#

DMR2P25 and P252DMR modes for Pi-Star MMDVM

Last time I checked the features  for DMR to P25 and vice versa, there was nothing, however, there have been some recent discussions of the Pi-Star forums,  it could be a possibility, fingers crossed, as I would like to see DMR2P25 implemented in Pi-Star MMDVM.

see the discussion forum below

Pi_Star DMR2P25 feature request

JumboSpot MMVDM board firmware upgrade

Upgraded the HS_HAT firmware  from version 1.3.3 to 1.4.17  on my JumboSpot MMDVM board,  by following the instructions on this Youtube video, it shows how to do the automated firmware flashing from GitHub, very easy.  This is separate to the Pi-Star software image and Pi_Star Dashboard updates.

JumboSpot MMDVM firmware Upgrade