Repeater with Offsite Internet
Feb 8, 2018 19:28:09 GMT -8
Post by k6jm on Feb 8, 2018 19:28:09 GMT -8
On the shoutbox, VA3WM asked: "Question for the group. Thinking to leverage an off site internet connection to RF link to an Icom stacked repeater site using a modem board like MMDVM with Due, a pi and a Motorola mobile. Is this feasible and what software would I need?"
I answered: "An ICOM stack has its own repeater controller and gateway, but you mentioned using an MMDVM modem, suggesting you'll not be using the ICOM gear and instead 3rd party open source gateway software like G4KLX DStarRepeater and ircDDBGateway. G4KLX supports "Gateway" mode for off-site internet. Basically at the internet site, you set up a G4KLX Hotspot the repeater can hear. I'll post details." Here they are:
Normally, you would run both DStarRepeater and ircDDBGateway at the remote repeater site, but in this case, you’d run only DStarRepeater.
Then at the internet site, your Hotspot would be running DStarRepeater AND ircDDBGateway. The DStarRepeater program should be configured to run in “Gateway” mode.
An example of how it would work once it’s all set up: Your friend has his mobile D-Star radio set up with a memory channel to issue a link to REF001C (URCall = REF001CL). He hits PTT and the radio on the hill hears that and repeats it out on the TX frequency. It can’t do the linking itself since there’s no internet up there.
At the internet site, the link radio hears that. The DStarRepeater in Gateway mode passes it to ircDDBGateway. That program issues the link to REF001C and the Hotspot begins transmitting the traffic, and this is picked up on the hill and repeated out. Your system on the hill now appears to be connected to REF001C, even though that actually is being done at the internet site. But to your friend, it appears the system on the hill is now connected to the reflector.
How (courtesy of Jim Thisdale, N1JMM):
All you need is the link radio at the internet site set to the repeater frequency just like a normal user. At internet site, a beam antenna is nice; adjust transmitter power down low and add cooling fan, as radio will get HOT. Run the repeater program at internet site in GATEWAY mode. Set the callsign to match the repeater. Disable the ACK message. Setup the gateway program. Start them up.
At the Repeater site, configure the Repeater program’s Reflector field in Gateway preferences to none, with a reconnect of Never, as this is handled in the gateway software at the internet connection site. Also, a status request is no longer valid as the gateway software does not know about the reflector connection at the remote site.
Make sure you have the proper ports (5 total, this has been covered on the ircDDBGateway Yahoo Group), open through your modem/router/firewall to the computer running the gateway.
Callsign on the repeater and on the repeater link should MATCH exactly. RPT1 Validate should be on.
You don't need or want the ircDDBgateway running at the repeater site when doing this method. Only run the DStarRepeater program there.
I answered: "An ICOM stack has its own repeater controller and gateway, but you mentioned using an MMDVM modem, suggesting you'll not be using the ICOM gear and instead 3rd party open source gateway software like G4KLX DStarRepeater and ircDDBGateway. G4KLX supports "Gateway" mode for off-site internet. Basically at the internet site, you set up a G4KLX Hotspot the repeater can hear. I'll post details." Here they are:
Normally, you would run both DStarRepeater and ircDDBGateway at the remote repeater site, but in this case, you’d run only DStarRepeater.
Then at the internet site, your Hotspot would be running DStarRepeater AND ircDDBGateway. The DStarRepeater program should be configured to run in “Gateway” mode.
An example of how it would work once it’s all set up: Your friend has his mobile D-Star radio set up with a memory channel to issue a link to REF001C (URCall = REF001CL). He hits PTT and the radio on the hill hears that and repeats it out on the TX frequency. It can’t do the linking itself since there’s no internet up there.
At the internet site, the link radio hears that. The DStarRepeater in Gateway mode passes it to ircDDBGateway. That program issues the link to REF001C and the Hotspot begins transmitting the traffic, and this is picked up on the hill and repeated out. Your system on the hill now appears to be connected to REF001C, even though that actually is being done at the internet site. But to your friend, it appears the system on the hill is now connected to the reflector.
How (courtesy of Jim Thisdale, N1JMM):
All you need is the link radio at the internet site set to the repeater frequency just like a normal user. At internet site, a beam antenna is nice; adjust transmitter power down low and add cooling fan, as radio will get HOT. Run the repeater program at internet site in GATEWAY mode. Set the callsign to match the repeater. Disable the ACK message. Setup the gateway program. Start them up.
At the Repeater site, configure the Repeater program’s Reflector field in Gateway preferences to none, with a reconnect of Never, as this is handled in the gateway software at the internet connection site. Also, a status request is no longer valid as the gateway software does not know about the reflector connection at the remote site.
Make sure you have the proper ports (5 total, this has been covered on the ircDDBGateway Yahoo Group), open through your modem/router/firewall to the computer running the gateway.
Callsign on the repeater and on the repeater link should MATCH exactly. RPT1 Validate should be on.
You don't need or want the ircDDBgateway running at the repeater site when doing this method. Only run the DStarRepeater program there.