The new layout of the Galway Digital Network will spread the activity more evenly between the two Time Slots on the four Repeaters in Co Galway.
National Calling - is on the Irish Calling Channel TG 2722. TG 2722 is set up as a Static Talk Group on all National Repeaters. Any call on TG 2722 will be heard on all EI Repeaters at once.
Where possible QSY, once the contact is established, to TG 2723 which is located on Time Slot 1. This will free up the Calling Channel and Time Slot 2.
Please do not use TG2723 on Slot 2 of the Galway Network
Local Network QSOs and Calls via the Galway Digital Radio Group Cluster
TG 8 is the Local Galway Digital Radio Group Cluster. Any QSO or Call made on TG 8, when accessed on a Repeater in the Galway Network, will come out simultaneously on all repeaters in the Galway Network only. This reduces the traffic on the National Calling Channel and hence all other repeaters in EI. A similar cluster has been set up on the South Eastern Repeater Network which is exclusive to the South Eastern Area only.
Accessing TG 8 from outside of the Galway Network is possible by using TG 27255 if you are not in the coverage area of the Galway Network.
A Provincial Cluster TG7
has been set up for all repeaters in the Province of Connacht. Perhaps
someday there will be addtional repeaters in the Province and this
cluster will link the additional Repeaters plus the existing four in Co Galway. Access to this cluster, from outside of the region, is via TG 27250. Whilst this Cluster is not really beneficial at present, as activity increases it will become mre relevant.
TG 9 Local working only is available on Time Slot 1 or Time Slot 2. If one is in the coverage area of a single repeater it is possible to place a call via TG 9 which will relay via the local repeater. This will not be transmitted through the network and could be compare to making a call through an analog repeater.
Static Talk Groups on the Galway Digital Network are the following:
Basically if any activity should occur on these channels it wall always be heard
Time Slot 1
TG 2723 ...... Irish Chat Channel
TG 7 ............ The Connacht Provincial Cluster
Time Slot 2
TG 2722 ..... The Irish Calling Channel
TG 8 ........... The Galway Digital Radio Group Cluster
User Activated (UA) Talk Groups
These are Talk Groups that may be selected and called by the user. They are not static on a Repeater and so may be dialed up and once they become inactive they will be dropped after 10 minutes.
Recommended use
Time Slot 1 User Activated Talk Groups
TG 2724 ..... The DMR to Yaesu Fusion Link
Connect to Any International Talk Groups on Time Slot 1
Any International Talk Groups - where possible, if a long QSO is going to delvelop, QSY to TG 2723, on Time Slot 1, to free up the International Talk group which may be coming out on many repeaters in its own area.
Time Slot 2
Any UK Talk Groups - Where possible QSY to TG 2723 on Time Slot 1 if a long QSO is envisaged. This will leave Time Slot 2 free.
Roaming on The Galway Network
The Galway DMR Repeater Network is configured for IP Mult-Site Connect. Talk Groups, TG 2722, TG 2723, TG 8, and TG7 are static on all Repeaters in the Galway and it is, therefore, possible to Roam between the repeaters in the Network using on or more of these Talk Groups. This would effectively allow seamless transfer between repeaters whilst mobile throughout the network coverage. Roaming can be configured on commercial mobile equipment and some Amateur equipment. Anytone radios have a form of roaming but not in the IP Multi-Site Connect sense, but more like scanning.
APRS Operation via the DMR Repeater System.
All Repeaters in the Galway DMR Network are configured to pass any received APRS information received from mobile or base stations.
The BrandMeister DMR Server has built-in APRS capabilities:
- Position reports of Hytera and Motorola radios can be forwarded to APRS
- Telemetry events of Hytera and Motorola radios can be forwarded to APRS
- Private text messages can be sent to APRS call-signs
- Private text messages can be received from APRS network
- APRS Group bulletins can be received from APRS network
- APRS queries to DMR radio
Some Commercial and Amateur Transceivers have GPS/APRS facilities and the set up is well documented in their accompanying manuals
