Playing with Pi-Star: Revisions
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Jun 13, 2019
Revised 1b) Some good resources for learning about Pi-Star
[XLX reflector changed from module E to L.]
- Pi-Star: official website△, wiki△, user forum△, support group△, and multi‑reflector△ (BM, DMR+, YSF, NXDN, P25: 31672; D-STAR: XLX303 L)
Jun 5, 2019
Revised 5b) MMDVMHost Configuration
Revised MMDVM Display Type > Type of display:
- Note 3: For info about Nextion Model 8 (supports touchscreen), see Rob's GitHub repository, Nextion_HAM-radio-screens/MODEL 8/ △, and the NEXTION DRIVER by ON7LDS FAQ△
Revised MMDVM Display Type > Port you're using:
- Modem for a Nextion Model 7 display connected to the Serial through-holes.
Jun 4, 2019
Revised section 1b) Some good resources for learning about Pi-Star:
- Pi-Star: official website△, wiki△, user forum△, support group△, and multi‑reflector△ (BM, DMR+, YSF, NXDN, P25: 31672; D-STAR: XLX303 E)
- Official Pi-Star Tutorial Videos△ by Craig, W1MSG
- DMR, Fusion, MMDVM and other DV NEWS△ by Ron, VE1AIC
Jun 3, 2019
Revised section 1b) Some good resources for learning about Pi-Star:
- Official Pi-Star Website△, Wiki△, User Forum△, and Support Group△
- Pi-Star Multi-Reflector△ (BM/DMR+: TG 31672; YSF, NXDN, P25: #31672)
- Official Pi-Star Tutorial Videos△ by Craig, W1MSG
- DMR, Fusion, MMDVM and other DV NEWS△ by Ron, VE1AIC
May 30, 2019
Revised the Controller Software option:
- Alternatively, if you'll be using only D-STAR mode, for example, with older hardware like DVAP or DVRPTR, select DStarRepeater.
May 27, 2019
Revised DMR Configuration
Revised the DMR ESSID option:
- ☆ DMR ESSID – If you are using an extended SSID (ESSID), select the extension. Note: Normally, you should make sure that you're logged into DMR in only one place, or else that you are using different CCS7/DMR IDs for each login instance (for example, if you're running DMR on one hotspot and YSF2DMR on another). However, on the BrandMeister, DMR Plus, and TGIF networks, you have the option of appending a two-digit extension (00 - 99) to your regular CCS7/DMR ID so that the network can distinguish between your logins. Some DMR Plus servers use single-digit extensions. Personal, low-power hotspots also can use ESSIDs (but repeaters don't).
May 24, 2019
Revised DMR Configuration section
Revised the BM Hotspot Security option:
- BM Hotspot Security – If you have enabled a Hotspot Security password in BrandMeister SelfCare (instructions△), enter it here to enable your hotspot to access the BrandMeister Network. This provides an extra level of security, preventing others from accessing the BrandMeister Network using your CCS7 ID.
Note: You can set up only one BM Hotspot Security per CCS7 ID (the first seven digits), so even if you set up multiple ESSIDs for one CCS7 ID, you can use only password for all of them.
May 21, 2019
Revised DMR Configuration section
Per another change in the Pi-Star Dashboard Configuration page, revised the DMR ESSID option:
- ☆ DMR ESSID – If you are using an extended SSID (ESSID), select the extension. Note: Normally, you should make sure that you're logged into DMR in only one place, or else that you are using different CCS7/DMR IDs for each login instance (for example, if you're running DMR on one hotspot and YSF2DMR on another). However, on the BrandMeister, DMR Plus, and TGIF networks, you have the option of appending a two-digit extension (00 - 99) to your regular CCS7/DMR ID so that the network can distinguish between your logins. Some DMR Plus servers use single-digit extensions.
May 20, 2019
Revised DMR Configuration section
Per a change in the Pi-Star Dashboard Configuration page, revised the DMR ESSID option:
- ☆ DMR ESSID – If you are using an extended SSID (ESSID), select the extension. Note: Normally, you should make sure that you're logged into DMR in only one place, or else that you are using different CCS7/DMR IDs for each login instance (for example, if you're running DMR on one hotspot and YSF2DMR on another). However, on the BrandMeister, DMR Plus, and TGIF networks, you have the option of appending a two-digit extension (00 - 99) to your regular CCS7/DMR ID so that the network can distinguish between your logins.
May 19, 2019
Revised General Configuration section
Updated screen image.
Per a change in the Pi-Star Dashboard Configuration page, added the APRS Host option (from the D-Star Configuration section) to the General Configuration section:
- ☆ APRS Host – Select your preferred APRS host, typically one of the rotating hosts or a nearby host server.
- Note: Per Tom, W1TG, in the Pi-Star User Forum△: There are over 80 different T2 APRS Hosts around the world. A really good "Best Practice" is to select one of the Automatically Rotating T2 APRS Hosts. The Rotating Host will always get you to a working Tier2 APRS Server and if that link fails for some reason it'll move onto another working server. T2 APRS Host Servers that provide the Auto Rotate Function:
- rotate.aprs2.net (World Wide)
- noam.aprs2.net (North America)
- soam.aprs2.net (South America)
- euro.aprs2.net (Europe)
- aunz.aprs2.net (Australia/New Zealand)
- asia.aprs2.net (Asia)
- Note: Per Tom, W1TG, in the Pi-Star User Forum△: There are over 80 different T2 APRS Hosts around the world. A really good "Best Practice" is to select one of the Automatically Rotating T2 APRS Hosts. The Rotating Host will always get you to a working Tier2 APRS Server and if that link fails for some reason it'll move onto another working server. T2 APRS Host Servers that provide the Auto Rotate Function:
Revised D-Star Configuration section
Updated screen image.
Per a change in the Pi-Star Dashboard Configuration page, deleted the APRS Host option from the D-Star Configuration section (moved to the General Configuration section):
- ☆ APRS Host – Select your preferred APRS host, typically one of the rotating hosts or a nearby host server.
- Note: Per Tom, W1TG, in the Pi-Star User Forum△: There are over 80 different T2 APRS Hosts around the world. A really good "Best Practice" is to select one of the Automatically Rotating T2 APRS Hosts. The Rotating Host will always get you to a working Tier2 APRS Server and if that link fails for some reason it'll move onto another working server. T2 APRS Host Servers that provide the Auto Rotate Function:
- rotate.aprs2.net (World Wide)
- noam.aprs2.net (North America)
- soam.aprs2.net (South America)
- euro.aprs2.net (Europe)
- aunz.aprs2.net (Australia/New Zealand)
- asia.aprs2.net (Asia)
- Note: Per Tom, W1TG, in the Pi-Star User Forum△: There are over 80 different T2 APRS Hosts around the world. A really good "Best Practice" is to select one of the Automatically Rotating T2 APRS Hosts. The Rotating Host will always get you to a working Tier2 APRS Server and if that link fails for some reason it'll move onto another working server. T2 APRS Host Servers that provide the Auto Rotate Function:
Revised DMR Configuration section
Revised opening paragraph:
How you configure DMR depends on the DMR Master you select. All of the Master choices include four basic DMR options—ESSID, Color Code, EmbeddedLCOnly, and Dump TAData—displayed below the selected DMR Master:
Updated all four Pi-Star images.
Per a change in the Pi-Star Dashboard Configuration page, added the DMR ESSID option:
- ☆ DMR ESSID – If you are using an extended SSID (ESSID), select the extension.
Note: Normally, you should make sure that you're logged into DMR in only one place, or else that you are using different CCS7/DMR IDs for each login instance (for example, if you're running DMR on one hotspot and YSF2DMR on another). However, if you're using the BrandMeister DMR network, you have the option of appending a two-digit extension (00 - 99) to your regular CCS7/DMR ID so that BrandMeister can distinguish between your logins. At least some DMR Plus servers support a single-digit extension.
Revised DMR cross-mode configuration section
Added a new introductory paragraph:
Pi-Star supports the capability to run DMR2YSF and DMR2NXDN cross modes. For more info, see Pi-Star cross modes△.
Moved remainder of DMR cross-mode configuration section to a new page. See: Pi-Star cross modes△
Revised Yaesu configuration section
Per a change in the Pi-Star Dashboard Configuration page, deleted the APRS Host option from the Yaesu Configuration section:
- ☆ APRS Host – Select your preferred APRS host, typically one of the rotating hosts or a nearby host server.
Revised YSF cross-mode configuration section
Added a new introductory paragraph:
Pi-Star supports the capability to run YSF2DMR, YSF2NXDN, and YSF2P25 cross modes. For more info, see Pi-Star cross modes△.
Moved remainder of YSF cross-mode configuration section to a new page. See: Pi-Star cross modes△
Added links to Pi-Star cross modes page
Added links in the opening TOC and the closing Quick links sections.
May 12, 2019
Revised D-STAR Configuration > Default Reflector option
- ☆ Default Reflector – You can select your default reflector, as well as whether you want Pi-Star to connect to it automatically when it starts up.
- Note: Per Tom, W1TG, in the Pi-Star User Forum△, you also can specify a reflector reconnect time in the Expert Editor > ircDDBGateway tab > reconnect1 setting, where you can specify a default time of inactivity after which Pi-Star will automatically reconnect to the default reflector: 0 = Never, 1 = Fixed (I'm not sure how this works), 2 = 5 min, 3 = 10 min, 4 = 15 min, 5 = 20 min, 6 = 25 min, 7 = 30 min, 8 = 60 min, 9 = 90 min, 10 = 120 min, 11 = 180 min. If this value is set to a time, it will "reconnect" even if it wasn't previously connected, for example, if the Default Reflector is set to Manual and you didn't manually connect to it.
Revised General Configuration > Radio Frequency > Band plan and POCSAG Configuration > Radio Frequency POCSAG > Band Plan
- Band plan: See your country's band plan and your local frequency use plan. For example, for the U.S., see: U.S. Band Plan△. For the U.S. State of Colorado, see: Colorado Frequency Use Plans△. For other U.S. States, see Amateur Radio: Repeater Coordinators△, a list by Thomas, W2XQ. See also the info posted by Ron, VE1AIC: Digital Voice frequencies△.
April 29, 2019
Revised DMR EmbeddedLCOnly option
- DMR EmbeddedLCOnly (Embedded Link Control Only) – The default is off. Turning it on disables the Talker Alias data that is sent by MMDVMHost. If you are experiencing audio drop-outs from some stations, you might want to try turning this option on.
- Note 1: Apparently, different stations and radios encode and decode Talker Alias data in different ways. One way this variance manifests is that some models of radios can experience audio drop-outs when receiving Talker Alias data from some stations.
- Note 2: Link Control data = ID headers, talkgroup, and private calls.
April 28, 2019
Revised DMR EmbeddedLCOnly option
- DMR EmbeddedLCOnly (Embedded Link Control Only) – The default is off. Turning it on disables the Talker Alias data that is sent by MMDVMHost. If you are experiencing audio drop-outs from some stations, you might want to try turning this option on.
- Note: Apparently, different stations and radios encode and decode Talker Alias data in different ways. One way this variance manifests is that some models of radios can experience audio drop-outs when receiving Talker Alias data from some stations.
Revised DMR DumpTAData option
- DMR DumpTAData – The default is on. Controls whether Talker Alias△ data is logged in the /var/log/pi-star/MMDVM-YYYY-MM-DD file. If you're not using Talker Alias, you can turn this option off.
Revised section 5d) DMR Configuration
Revisions reflect changes introduced in Pi-Star Dashboard v20190428, including the addition of an BrandMeister Hotspot Security option, and a change to the DMR+ Master list:
How you configure DMR depends on the DMR Master you select. All of the Master choices include three basic options—DMR Color Code, DMR EmbeddedLCOnly, and DMR Dump TAData—displayed below the selected DMR Master:
If you choose a BrandMeister Master, you'll also see the BM Hotspot Security password option, as well as links to BrandMeister Repeater Info and SelfCare:
If you choose a DMR+ Master, you'll also see a field for DMR+ Network Options:
If you choose the DMRGateway Master, you'll see options for three networks—BrandMeister, DMR+, and XLX—in addition to the basic options:
- ☆ DMR Master (a master server connects you to the rest of the system):
- If you want to use only a specific system – Choose a BrandMeister (BM) or DMR+ master, or the TGIF Network△. In this case, everything is simpler as you'll see only options specifically for the selected system.
- Note: If you use BrandMeister SelfCare△, optionally you can:
- Turn on Pi-Star's BrandMeister Manager module, which gives you access to key BrandMeister hotspot settings right from Pi-Star's Admin view. For more info, see the note: Pi-Star's BrandMeister Manager module△.
- Turn off sending APRS info via BrandMeister. For more info, see the note: Prevent sending APRS info via BrandMeister△.
- Note: If you use BrandMeister SelfCare△, optionally you can:
- If you want access to multiple systems simultaneously – Choose DMRGateway 1 as your DMR master, and then you'll see options for BrandMeister, DMR+, and XLX.
- Note 1: If you use DMRGateway, you can fine tune the settings for individual systems, which is discussed below: Expert Editor ⟩ Quick Editors ⟩ DMRGateway.
- Note 2: The DMR2YSF and DMR2NXDN masters are discussed below in the DMR cross-mode configuration section.
- Note 3: Using the TGIF network while using DMRGateway will conflict with BrandMeister because of the talkgroups used; however, if you're using a dual radio modem or repeater, there is a way to set up Pi-Star to make it work. For more info, see the Pi-Star User Forum post by Andy Taylor: TGIF Lands in Pi-Star△.
- If you want to use only a specific system – Choose a BrandMeister (BM) or DMR+ master, or the TGIF Network△. In this case, everything is simpler as you'll see only options specifically for the selected system.
- ☆ Set up the options for the DMR system(s) you enabled:
- BrandMeister Master – Choose a nearby master server.
- BM Hotspot Security – If you have enabled a Hotspot Security password in BrandMeister SelfCare, enter it here to enable your hotspot to access the BrandMeister Network. This provides an extra level of security, preventing others from accessing the BrandMeister Network using your callsign.
- BrandMeister Network Enable – Toggle the BrandMeister network on/off.
- BrandMeister Network – Click Edit Repeater to edit settings via BrandMeister My hotspots for your CCS7 ID.1
- DMR+ Master – Choose a nearby master server.
- Note: As of Pi-Star Dashboard v20190428 (and per a request of the DMR+ Admins△), only IPSC2 hosts are available.
- DMR+ Network Options= – Set up any options you want to use.1
- Note 1: If you don't want to auto-connect to any talkgroup (when Pi-Star is set up as a hotspot), use:
StartRef=4000;RelinkTime=60;UserLink=1;TS1_1=9; - Note 2: If you turn off DMR Mode via MMDVMHost Configuration, these options aren't saved, so when you turn on DMR Mode again with DRM+ or DMRGateway set as the DMR Master, you'll need to re-enter these options.
- Note 1: If you don't want to auto-connect to any talkgroup (when Pi-Star is set up as a hotspot), use:
- DMR+ Network Enable – Toggle the DMR+ network on/off.
- XLX Master – Choose the XLX master server you want to use.
- XLX Startup Module – XLX reflectors are set up with default module (A, B, C, etc.). Optionally, you can select a different module.
- XLX Master Enable – Toggle the XLX master on/off.
- DMR Color Code – Personal hotspots typically use color code 1.
- DMR EmbeddedLCOnly – The default is off. Per Andy Taylor in the Pi-Star Users Support Group: "this feature relates to some of the data passed in/out from some radios…. Some radios are affected by this (Connect Systems, for example) and some are not (Motorola). Most of us can take the default [off]."
- Note: Apparently, different stations and radios encode and decode Talker Alias data in different ways. One way this variance manifests is that some radios can experience audio drop-outs when receiving from some stations (I've heard of this affecting various models of radios and even one model of Motorola radio). If you are experiencing audio drop-outs from some stations, you might want to try turning this option on.
- DMR DumpTAData – The default is on, which enables "Talker Alias△" information to be received by radios that support this feature.
- Note: Apparently, this option controls whether Talker Alias data is logged in the /var/log/pi-star/MMDVM-YYYY-MM-DD file. If you're not using Talker Alias, you can turn this option off.
Revised YSF2DMR cross-mode configuration section
- Hotspot Security – If you have enabled a Hotspot Security password in BrandMeister SelfCare, enter it here to enable your hotspot to access the BrandMeister Network.
April 26, 2019
Revised section 10) Expert Editor
Added new option and rearranged options to match the UI:
The Expert Editor provides access to:
- Upgrade link
- Quick Editors:
- DStarRepeater
- IrcDDBGateway
- TimeServer
- Used by the ircDDBGateway service for time announcements.
- MMDVMHost 4
- DMR GW (Gateway)
- YSF GW
- P25 GW
- NXDN GW
- DAPNET GW
- Full Editors:
- DMR GW (Gateway)
- PiStar-Remote
- Provides configuration options for RF (Radio Frequency):
- The Pi-Star Keeper remote control system, an RF KillSwitch for repeater keepers.
- Some basic remote control ability via RF. For more info, see the note: Watchdogs, Remote RF commands, and Keepers△.
- Provides configuration options for RF (Radio Frequency):
- WiFi (wpa_supplicant.conf configuration)
- BM API Key
- See the note: Pi-Star's BrandMeister Manager module△
- DAPNET API
- Related to POCSAG.
- System Cron
- Hint for repeater owners: Andy Taylor posted the code for linking, fixed linking, and unlinking to reflectors via a cron job in the Pi-Star User Forum△.
- RSSI Dat
- Maps the raw RSSI values to dBm values to send to the DMR network.
- Tools:
- CSS Tool
- See the note: CSS Tool△.
- Built-in SSH Access window
- This is an implementation of Shellinabox, a web-based terminal emulator that runs a web-based SSH client. This can be convenient for some things, but it's best not to use it for running the Pi-Star Update process as it sometimes breaks it. Use an SSH app instead.
- CSS Tool
April 22, 2019
Revised General Configuration > Node Type
★ Node Type – Determines whether radios with callsigns (D-STAR, YSF), CCS7 IDs (DMR, P25), or NXDN IDs other than what is entered in the Pi-Star General Configuration Node Callsign, CCS7/DMR ID, and NXDN ID can access the hotspot. When selecting this, keep in mind the regulations in your country pertaining to the control operator function. For a personal hotspot in the U.S., you can set this to Public, but unless you actually intend to allow radios with other callsigns, CCS7 IDs, or NXDN IDs to access the hotspot, it may be best to leave it set to Private. See also Hotspot best practices△.
Note: Controls each mode's SelfOnly setting in Expert Editor > MMDVMHost.
April 20, 2019
Revised General Configuration > Node Type
★ Node Type – Determines whether radios with callsigns (D-STAR) or CCS7 IDs (DMR) other than the Pi-Star General Configuration Node Callsign or CCS7/DMR ID can access the hotspot. When selecting this, keep in mind the regulations in your country pertaining to the control operator function. For a personal hotspot in the U.S., you can set this to Public, but unless you actually intend to allow radios with other callsigns or CCS7 IDs to access the hotspot, it's may be best to leave it set to Private.
April 9, 2019
Revised section 6 note about regulations and best practices
Important! The regulations and best practices that apply to amateur radio—including use of frequencies, control of our stations, and on-air courtesy—also apply to our use of personal, low-power hotspots. It's our responsibility to understand and adhere to those regulations and best practices. My personal practice is that I power on my personal, low-power hotspots only when I'm monitoring and in control of them, adhere to my local band and frequency use plans, and leave adequate pauses between transmissions. For more about this, see Hotspot best practices△.
April 8, 2019
Revised 5d) DMR Configuration > DMR EmbeddedLCOnly
DMR EmbeddedLCOnly – The default is off. Per Andy Taylor in the Pi-Star Users Support Group: "this feature relates to some of the data passed in/out from some radios…. Some radios are affected by this (Connect Systems, for example) and some are not (Motorola). Most of us can take the default [off]."
Note: Apparently, different stations and radios encode and decode Talker Alias data in different ways. One way this variance manifests is that some radios can experience audio drop-outs when receiving from some stations (I've heard of this affecting various models of radios and even one model of Motorola radio). If you are experiencing audio drop-outs from some stations, you might want to try turning this option on.
Revised 5d) DMR Configuration > DMR DumpTAData
DMR DumpTAData – The default is on, which enables "Talker Alias△" information to be received by radios that support this feature.
Note: Apparently, this option controls whether Talker Alias data is logged in the /var/log/pi-star/MMDVM-YYYY-MM-DD file. If you're not using Talker Alias, you can turn this option off.
April 5, 2019
Revised 5c General Configuration > Hostname notes
- Note: You'll need to use the new hostname to open Pi-Star in a browser, for example: http://pi-star-2/ or http://pi-star-2.local/. However, this does NOT change the authentication user name, which remains pi-star.
- Important! If you run more than one hotspot at a time, in addition to using different hostnames, you must use different frequencies. If you don't, you can cause serious interference (looping) on the reflector, talkgroup, or room you're linked to, which prevents others from using those resources. You can get banned, sometimes permanently, from a resource for causing that kind of issue.
Added a hint to the end of 5k) Wireless Configuration
Hint: If you have one or more WiFi networks set up and choose to use an Ethernet connection instead of WiFi in location where both are available, you can temporarily turn off WiFi if you're running Pi-Star 4.x. Log into Pi-Star via SSH and then run: sudo rfkill block wifi. To re-enable WiFi, simply reboot Pi-Star, or run: sudo rfkill unblock wifi. Thanks to Tom, PA2TSL, for this hint△.
Revised 5d) DMR Configuration > DMR DumpTAData
DMR DumpTAData – The default is on, which enables "Talker Alias△" information to be received by radios that support this feature.
Note: I've heard that this feature has caused problems with some radios including the AnyTone AT-D878UV and one of the Motorola radios.
April 2, 2019
Revised 5c) General Configuration > Node Type text
★ Node Type – Determines whether radios with callsigns other than the Pi-Star General Configuration Node Callsign can access the hotspot. When selecting this, keep in mind the regulations in your country pertaining to the control operator function. For a personal hotspot in the U.S., you can set this to Public, but unless you actually intend to allow radios with other callsigns to access the hotspot, it's may be best to leave it set to Private.
Revised section 6 note about regulations and best practices
Important! Be aware that the regulations and best practices that apply to amateur radio—including use of frequencies, control of your station, and on-air etiquette—also apply to your use of a personal, low-power hotspot. It's your responsibility to understand and adhere to those regulations and best practices. My personal practice is that I power on my personal, low-power hotspots only when I'm monitoring and in control of them, adhere to my local band and frequency use plans, and leave adequate pauses between transmissions. For more info, see the regulations governing amateur radio in your country, for example, in the U.S., see CFR Title 47: Part 97 – Amateur Radio Service△. See also your country's band plan and your local frequency use plan, for example, in the U.S. State of Colorado: U.S. Band Plan△ and Colorado Frequency Use Plans△.
Added a note to section 6 about the Src (source)
Note 2: For Src (source), you'll see "RF" when you transmit from your radio to the hotspot, which your hotspot will then send out over the internet as data. You'll see "Net" when your hotspot receives a transmission as data from the internet, which it will then retransmit over RF so you can receive it with your radio.
Revised the section 8 Automated overnight updates text
Automated overnight updates – This type of update runs every night as long as your hotspot is on and connected to the internet. It uses standard Raspbian tools to update the radio binaries (MMDVMHost and DStarRepeater), gateways (DMRGateway, ircDDBGateway, etc.), hostfiles, and dashboard. If you are going to leave your hotspot on overnight, remember that you must adhere to the regulations that apply to amateur radio, including control operator rules.
March 24, 2019
Revised disclaimer re: focus on personal, low-power hotspots
Disclaimer: These are my personal notes based on setting up and using Pi-Star hotspots as a non-technical user figuring things out as I go along, as well as by learning from what others are sharing. These notes are focused on personal, low-power hotspots, not repeaters. I'm not affiliated with the Pi-Star project, except as an enthusiastic user. If anything needs correcting, please let me know△.
March 23, 2019
Added note to section 6 about regulations and best practices
Important! Be aware that the regulations and best practices that apply to amateur radio—including use of frequencies, on-air etiquette, and control of your station—also apply to your use of a personal, low-power hotspot. It's your responsibility to understand and adhere to those regulations and best practices. My personal practice is that I power on my personal, low-power hotspots only when I'm using them, adhere to my local band plan, and leave adequate pauses between transmissions. For more info, see the regulations governing amateur radio in your country, for example, in the U.S., see CFR Title 47: Part 97 – Amateur Radio Service. See also your country's band plan and your local frequency use plan, for example, in the U.S. State of Colorado: U.S. Band Plan△ and Colorado Frequency Use Plans△.