What exactly is this?

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kb5udf

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There are various digital radio networks that have backbones on the internet, such as DMR MARC, Brandmeister and TGIF, but come out on local repeaters all over the world.. Tradionally, to access these networks which give you talkgroups you needed a local repeater to do so.

Consider this example that applied in my area til recently:
Local hams want to get on the nationwide, statewide or other talkgroups, but we had no capable local repeater. The hotspot lets you take your own radio and the hotspot acts like a repeater connected to the internet.

More concretely, if hams without a repeater with network access want to access the networks they need a hotspot. For example, someone wants to access their statewide Brandmesiter talkgroup, but either don't have a local capable repeater or they don't want to tie it up; all they need is this hotspot and their own DMR HT.
 

spanky15805

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Copy that. Even with using the P25 or NXDN going "over the air" on a ham band?
 

kb5udf

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If I believe I understand your Q correctly yes; the MMDVM hotspot supports common digital modes. I believe the common/inexpensive MMDV /Pistar based hotspots have some translation ability across modes.
 

nd5y

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It shows a operating frequincy of 439.550.
You can change the frequency to whatever is appropriate for your area.
Some are capable of VHF or UHF depending the radio module used.

Most of the Raspberry Pi based hot spots run Pi-Star software

A good source of information on hotspots and Pi-Star is

A list of amateur radio digital network web sites is at
 

SuperG900

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That's the exact one I bought to get my Anytone 878 on the Brandmeister DMR network. 439.55 is a clean frequency where I'm at. The frequency configuration field will turn red to let you know if your within frequencies used by satellites, otherwise it will show green.
 

wowologist

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And btw if you hadn't gleaned the tidbit that an amateur radio license is REQUIRED for use, IT IS.
 

RFI-EMI-GUY

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A huge problem with these hot spots is that many hams are programming them into the amateur satellite sub bands and interfering with the HAMSAT's and ground stations. Before you turn one of these on, read the ARRL Bandplan and stay out of the satellite and weak signal sub bands.
 

wowologist

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Just for an FYI for those interested...
arrl-uhf-bandplan.jpg
( Band Plan )
This is the 70cm ARRL designated bandplan - albeit some local amatuer radio groups/areas have a different plan(s) for local/regional use...THE SATELLITE portion is non-changable and is done by international agreement.
 

nd5y

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There are other sub bands on 2 meters and 70 cm that should not be used for hotspots.
144.0-144.1 is CW only by FCC rule.
144.1-144.5 and 431.0-433.0 are generally reserved for weak signal modes.

Depending on how you (or the FCC) interpret the FCC rules, It might not be legal to operate hotspots (or other RoIP nodes) on frequencies where FCC rules prohibit auxiliary operation (144.0-144.5 MHz, 145.8-146.0 MHz, 219-220 MHz, 222.00-222.15 MHz, 431-433 MHz, and 435-438 MHz).
 

wowologist

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I thought the FCC already issued a MOU that hotspots in simplex mode are neither repeaters nor auxiliary stations, it's really just an network access point. Sort of like the "remote base" nomenclature of non-existance but we'll allow them anyway. As they neither repeat, relay nor control unless they are integrated with repeater apparatus then they become...repeaters. However the "duplex" version of the hotspot in and attached to repeater apparatus would fall under the repeater category in p97. (however if your using the duplex version in simplex mode but with TS1 on one channel and TS2 on another channel it is ...a hotspot(network access point) once again). To simplify it even further its RF>IP(NON radiated) not RF(radiated) to RF(radiated)
 
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