Too Soon For VP8000 Wants/Bug list?

[otobmark]

Yet another bug—not major
When in priority scan and radio has landed on and receiving traffic on a non-priority channel, the audio is being recorded (IRR function). The bug is that every time the radio looks back at the priority channel a new audio file is started (My look back is set to 1sec). If I press instant playback which I have set for last 7 all I hear is 7 clicks of it sampling the priority channel. I’m not a coder but I’ll bet this would be hard to fix.

 

[scanner1]

Just looking for DTMF on vhf conventional. It sound like the full number keypads may have it but not the limited keypad.

 

[AM909]

Just looking for DTMF on vhf conventional. It sound like the full number keypads may have it but not the limited keypad.

Right. The point was that, if it had DTMF autodial, the limited keypad (7/8/11-key) VP8000F2 could be used to send DTMF sequences from a menu list.

 

[otobmark]

WANT:
Ability to set “Normal/Selective” squelch either by channel or at least by system. Presently is only a Global setting. Some channels I want to respect TG and others I don’t.

 

[tweiss3]

The help file to be updated with information on the new features (DMR T2 site roaming)

 

[otobmark]

Site Roaming doesn’t appear to have a forced search function where you are trying to wake up repeaters or force move to different one. I use these two functions a lot as well as lock onto one repeater.

 

[tweiss3]

Site Roaming doesn’t appear to have a forced search function where you are trying to wake up repeaters or force move to different one. I use these two functions a lot as well as lock onto one repeater.

Well, considering it just came out yesterday, I was hoping the help file was updated. It has zero mention of DMR Conventional Site Roaming:

There is now a soft key and menu item for "Manual Site Search". I'm more confused how the site roaming is expected to be programmed to operate correctly. On the NX-5k, you create a "DMR Conventional Roaming" zone, where you put all the sites/repeaters in it, and then copy the zone for each talkgroup. Armada still only has DMR Conventional, and the only mention of DMR Site Roaming is under Systems - General Options 2. There isn't any indication how to group anything to work correctly, or where it is pulling the roaming data from (personality or zone or list), and there is not a way to create a DMR Conventional Roaming personality.

Unfortunately I'm still waiting for my hardware to get here, so I can't just sit down and try to figure it out.

 

[otobmark]

I'm more confused how the site roaming is expected to be programmed to operate correctly

There isn't any indication how to group anything to work correctly, or where it is pulling the roaming data from (personality or zone or list), and there is not a way to create a DMR Conventional Roaming personality.

Your create a scan list for the system. System>Lists>Priority Scan> then Add new list >Scan Mode>DMR Conventional Roaming.
You can create as many Roam lists as you want so will be able to make a lot of channels each with a different roam list.
Also, if your radio doesn’t come with the latest firmware then update that using previous CPS before connecting to the newest CPS. I kept getting errors when trying to update my radio firmware. I used a different computer with previous CPS for firmware update and then connected the radio to newer CPS without issue.

 

[tweiss3]

Your create a scan list for the system. System>Lists>Priority Scan> then Add new list >Scan Mode>DMR Conventional Roaming.
You can create as many Roam lists as you want so will be able to make a lot of channels each with a different roam list.
Also, if your radio doesn’t come with the latest firmware then update that using previous CPS before connecting to the newest CPS. I kept getting errors when trying to update my radio firmware. I used a different computer with previous CPS for firmware update and then connected the radio to newer CPS without issue.

This makes sense to me. Do you know if the scan roaming list will follow TX of the selected channel, or will it default to the TG of the roamed channel in the list? I guess the real question, do I need to treat it like the NX5K and make a zone and list for each TG, or can I buy myself some channels and do it all in 1 zone with all the sites/TS listed once?

 

[otobmark]

without testing I would expect that each channel uses its own settings including talk back. I doubt that you could universally change TG for all channels by changing the one displayed. You would need to individually change them.
Gotta run but I’ll give it some thought.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

I would expect it to perform and be configured like conventional voting scan on Viking radios...because it is essentially conventional voting scan.

 

[n7maq-1]

I open a case yesterday and had a manual in 15 minutes. EFJ Tech support was spot on.
From the manual.

"Feature Overview
The DMR Conventional Site Roaming feature is a form of roaming for conventional channels. DMR
Conventional Site Roaming systems provide wide area coverage with site selection achieved by
comparison of the signal strength (RSSI) received from the various sites that comprise the DMR
conventional site roaming system, without user intervention.
All base stations / repeaters (sites) that form part of the system must transmit the same information at
the same time, to allow the subscriber units to “vote” on which site has the best RSSI. To be effective,
voting in the subscriber unit cannot be achieved until all sites are transmitting at full power. A delay to
allow all sites to reach full power can be programmed into the subscriber units (Link Delay Time).
Each site is programmed in the subscriber unit as a channel, and all sites that form part of the DMR
conventional site roaming system are programmed into a roaming list. The subscriber unit scans
continuously, compares the RSSI on all sites in its roaming list, and utilizes the site with the strongest
RSSI.
To avoid unnecessary voting, the subscriber units can be programmed to utilize the first site on which
the RSSI is above a programmed threshold (Quick Site Roaming Level), rather than continuously scan
for the best RSSI level.
If there is very little system activity, the sites must be programmed to transmit at regular intervals to
provide a signal for the subscriber units to vote. In the absence of system activity, the subscriber unit
will initiate transmission on the last selected site, which may not be within range if the subscriber unit
has travelled some distance since the last system activity occurred."

 

[otobmark]

I’m not in an overlapping area to test Roaming at my home. What I wonder is if the radio displays the actual site (channel) that it lands on? The implied question about TG’s following the Displayed channel changes is probably no. You could have several channels with different TG’s in the roam list but the only reason to do so is if the linked system puts out same traffic on different TG’s on different sites. Still guessing here but for a roamed channel (site) to be considered it would have to be decoded as specific traffic (CC, TG, Freq). If you do weird things like having Receive Groups on some or all channels you’re roaming (with talkback probably) things might get entertaining. Using talkback is risky anytime because when hang time expires the TG reverts. I use it but am mindful of when repeater drops. For a long conversation I change the TG or go to a channel that has that TG. Nerdy stuff...
I did notice when I keyed up on Roaming Channel it took awhile for it to find a repeater and give permit to talk tone. If done right it has to try to wake up each repeater in list till it gets a strong enough channel. The “Quick Site Roaming Level” is something I should look into,

 

[n7maq-1]

Yes the radio will show the site that it lands on. I have not messed with it a lot yet but hope to some more next week.

Jim

 

[otobmark]

New feature request: Be able to do keypad search of lists alphabetically (like Motorola).

 

[cinsu]

Yes the radio will show the site that it lands on. I have not messed with it a lot yet but hope to some more next week.

Jim

Funny, I see on your profile you're in Oregon. I did some testing yesterday from Longview, WA to Boring, OR on the PNW Digital ham system, roaming worked quite well. I watched it switch from CWM to KEC to LVR to ARA to GRH to COL and back. Only thing I noticed, I manually put it on CWM and tried to transmit from Boring, forcing it to roam. It didn't find COL but if I did a site hunt it did and I was then able to transmit.

 

[otobmark]

WANT:
Ability to set “Normal/Selective” squelch either by channel or at least by system. Presently is only a Global setting. Some channels I want to respect TG and others I don’t.

I really do want this for P25. Basically I want NAC only squelch on per channel basis while having ability to send specific TG on TX. I have been using FFFF TG as a work around but I really need to be able to send a specific TG while opening on any TG. There have been several times now where different agencies sharing channels have been using different TG's. My Kenwoods and Motorolas have the ability to do NAC only squelch. On the VP8000 "Normal" is global and wipes out PL squelch on analog also which is usually undesired.

 

[W3AXL]

Does the "digital squelch" feature not accomplish what you're after?

 

[otobmark]

Does the "digital squelch" feature not accomplish what you're after?

Maybe. It defeats NAC as well which could be a problem on occasion…hmm maybe ok. Kinda wish there was a receive list like DMR. Smart thing is for me to try it and see if does the job.

 

[d119]

I really do want this for P25. Basically I want NAC only squelch on per channel basis while having ability to send specific TG on TX. I have been using FFFF TG as a work around but I really need to be able to send a specific TG while opening on any TG. There have been several times now where different agencies sharing channels have been using different TG's. My Kenwoods and Motorolas have the ability to do NAC only squelch. On the VP8000 "Normal" is global and wipes out PL squelch on analog also which is usually undesired.

We ended up finding and fixing a console programming issue as a result of the radios working the way you mentioned. It wasn't a major problem, but based on the way the VP8000 does things, we "Found out Real Fast" (-Dewitte) that we had an issue with the way talkgroups were programmed in our consoles, and fixed it.

If the radios worked the way everything else does, we wouldn't have known (or cared) about the problem.