How to use the Reflector System via
GB7ZI
A brief
introduction to DStar Reflectors.
Reflectors are similar
to the Conference Rooms used on analogue systems and at any
time any
number of DStar Repeaters in the UK and also from around the world can be
linked to a Reflector. This means that when you transmit through GB7ZI
when it is linked
to a
Reflector your transmission can be heard on all the other Linked
Repeaters.
For DStar users to
have access to a Reflector a program called dplus needs to be running
on their local Repeater Gateway. dplus enables DStar Repeaters that
are connected to the
DStar network to link to
Reflectors & other Repeaters directly.
GB7ZI has dplus installed and currently available to all registered users.
How to Link GB7ZI to a Reflector.
To Link GB7ZI to a
Reflector, firstly decide which Reflector & Module you want to connect
to, (a list is available at the end of this document) For example, if
you want to call through
the main
UK Reflector 5 Module A then you need to transmit the following command,
YOUR:REF005AL (The L in the 8th position commands GB7ZI to link to REFlector
zero zero five A)
RPT1:GB7ZI B (Port letter B 70cm, must be in the 8th position)
RPT2:GB7ZI G (the G for Gateway must be in the 8th position)
MYCALL:<your callsign>
< /STRONG>
If you are successful
GB7ZI will reply with an announcement "Remote System Linked"
and the
Text message "GB7ZI Gateway" will be displayed on your transceiver.
Now that you have
linked GB7ZI to 5A, you now need to return your transceivers YOUR:
information to CQCQCQ, otherwise GB7ZI will attempt to Link every time
you transmit
and will
constantly announce "System Already Linked"
To Unlink GB7ZI
from a Reflector transmit the following information,
YOUR: U (seven spaces and then U to Unlink which must
be in the 8th position)
It is a good idea
to save each setting into different memories in your transceiver.
The
following are only examples as you may wish to choose other Names for your
memories and save
them under different memory numbers etc.
Memory 1
Name :GB7ZI b (optional)
YOUR:CQCQCQ
RPT1:GB7ZI B (Port letter B 70cm, must be in the 8th
position)
RPT2:GB7ZI G (the G for Gateway must be in the 8th position)
MYCALL:<your callsign>
< /STRONG>
Memory 2
Name :ZIb 5A L (optional)
YOUR:REF005AL (The L in the 8th position commands
GB7ZI to link to REFlector
zero zero five
Module A)
RPT1:GB7ZI B (Port letter B 70cm, must be in the 8th
position)
RPT2:GB7ZI G (the G for Gateway must be in the 8th position)
MYCALL:<your
callsign> < /STRONG>
.
Memory
3
Name ZI UL (optional)
YOUR: U (seven spaces then the U in the 8th position)
RPT1:GB7ZI B
(Port letter B 70cm, must be in the 8th position)
RPT2:GB7ZI G (the G
for Gateway must be in the 8th position)
MYCALL:<your
callsign> < /STRONG>
So to link GB7ZI
to Reflector 5A, after checking that GB7ZI is not in use, switch from
Memory 1 to Memory 2, press your PTT and announce your callsign and
your intention to
link GB7ZI to
Reflector 5A.
After the link is
established switch back to Memory 1 and wait for a few seconds to check
that the Reflector isn't already in use then make
your call.
When you have
finished on the Reflector, to Unlink, switch to Memory 3, announce that
you are unlinking GB7ZI so others on the Reflector know that you will
not be able to
answer any
further calls. Then switch back to Memory 1 for normal use.
To Link to another
Reflector change 005A to other Reflector & Module characters. i.e the
main USA Reflector is 001 Module C, so the Link
command would be YOUR:REF001CL
To directly Link GB7ZI
to another Repeater
If you find that you
are involved in a prolonged QSO with another remote user via a
Reflector then it would be worth considering connecting direct to
their local Repeater and
leaving the Reflector clear for others to call
through.
To do this, both GB7ZI
and the remote Repeater must be Unlinked from the Reflector first
as
only one System can be linked at any one time. Say you wanted to continue
a QSO
with another station that is using GB7WF, ask the other user to
Unlink GB7WF from the
Reflector, then after Unlinking GB7ZI send the
following command,
YOUR:GB7WF BL (the B is the 70cm port designator that GB7WF uses, the L must be in the
8th position to Link
GB7WF to GB7ZI port B.
RPT1:GB7ZI B (Port letter B 70cm, must be in
the 8th position)
RPT2:GB7ZI G (the G for Gateway
must be in the 8th position)
The direct Linking only has to be done on one repeater not both.
When you have successfully Linked to GB7WF, you will hear the announcement
"Remote System
Linked". If you get the announcement "Remote System Busy" then the
other
Repeater has not yet been Unlinked from the Reflector so try again in a
while.
To continue your QSO
return to the CQCQCQ setting in YOUR: as per the example
Memory 1
above.
When you have finished
your QSO, the Unlink command in the example Memory 3 above
can be used
to Unlink GB7WF from the Remote Repeater.
Unlike analogue
repeaters, DStar Repeaters use the same callsign on different bands and
it
is the Port letter that refers to the band(s) that the repeater is
operating on.
A= 23cm, B= 70cm &C= 2M.< /STRONG>
So to connect to a
Repeater with a Port on 2M you would use the command,
YOUR:GB7MM CL to
connect to the 2M port on GB7MM.
.
Using the above
examples you can Link GB7ZI directly to any Gateway Repeater around
the World as long as the Remote Repeater is not
already Linked to any other System.
Remember to leave at
least three seconds after the beep before transmitting
through the
Reflectors/Remote Repeaters, this will enable others to call in, all the
Gateways on the Reflectors to reset their Timers & others to
Unlink their local
Gateway from a
Reflector if they so wish.
GB7ZI System announcements and their meanings
"Remote System Busy"
the remote Repeater that you are trying to Link to is
already Linked to another System.
"System already
Linked"
GB7ZI is already Linked, only one System
at a time can be linked.
"Remote System
Unlinked"
An Unlinking command has been
transmitted to GB7ZI.
"System Already
Unlinked"
An Unlink command has been transmitted
to GB7ZI when it is already Unlinked.
Reflectors
Please note that the module letters do not refer to
the Port letters used on DStar Repeaters.
Reflector: Module:
Location: Main Use:
REF001 A USA
REF001 B USA
REF001 C USA
REF002 A USA
REF002 B
USA
REF002 C USA
REF003 A Australia Emergency Use
REF003 B
Australia Permanent link for Port B repeaters
REF003 C Australia Australian
Nets:
REF004 A USA
REF004 B USA
REF004 C USA
REF005 A USA
REF005 B
USA
REF005 C USA
REF006 A UK Scottish Nets
REF006 B UK Scottish Nets
REF006 C UK Scottish Nets
REF007 A German language
REF007 B German language
REF007 C German language
Reflector: Module:
Location: Main Use:
REF008 A ITALY
REF008 B
ITALY
REF008 C ITALY
REF009 A
USA
REF009 B USA
REF009 C USA
REF010 A USA
REF010 B USA
REF010 C USA
REF011
A ITALY
REF011 B ITALY
REF011 C ITALY
REF012 A
REF012 B
REF012 C
REF013 A London, UK regional nets and tests
REF013 B London, UK regional nets and tests
REF013 C London, UK regional nets and tests
REF014 A Las Vegas, USA
REF014 B Las Vegas, USA
REF014 C Las Vegas, USA
Designed by D. Fradley