This looks like an active topic, so I’ve now created Part 3 as parts 1 & 2 were auto closed .
This follows on from the thread at Sota-link Project Part. 2 - #99 by M1EYP
If anyone wishes to try out SOTA-Link while activating in the G/SP area, an FT-70D (courtesy of Yaesu UK) is available for free short-term loan. PM me for details of how to borrow it. A deposit is required - returned in full on safe return of the radio.
I will try using SOTA-Link on my two activations in a weeks time (June 1st) near Friedrichshafen (DM/BW-348 & 854).
73 Ed.
I think that the decision to limit a thread to only 100 posts should be rediscussed. No need for 1000, but something more reasonable for longer discussions. These interruptions after 100 posts are a nonsense for me. 73, DIZ
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Not just for you, but for others as well.
However, this matter was put to the SOTA community to decide democratically, and an overwhelming majority preferred the 100-post limit.
It would be disrespectful to that clear mandate to revisit the issue so soon.
I’m thinking of trying some 6m FT8 activations next week, and quite possibly using SOTA-LINK as a back channel to support the possibility of working SOTA chasers.
It should be pointed out that in that survey only a limited number of choices were given. If I remember correctly it was 100, 1000, no limit - I commented at the time that a 400/500 limit would (to me) seem to be better but the option wasn’t supplied.
What’s that old addage - you can’t please all the people all of the time?
I also proposed that the people creating the thread should have the ability to close it when it goes off-topic but apparently the system isn’t able to allocate that authority on a thread by tread, author basis only the admins can close threads.
Be happy with what we have - it’s inconvenient but only on about one in 50 threads (I guess - I haven’t done that stats - i have better things to do with my time).
73 Ed.
Hi all,
I have just spent more than 1,5 hours reading the entire thread in one go and I have to say digital gives headache. 
- Not only there are 3 modulation schemes, but each modulation has 3 different networks available.
- The biggest pain for the begginer is to understand which hotspot/repeater hardware does support what and how good.
- On top of that some systems are naturally linkable while other need some hacks to be interconnected.
- Additionaly most of the information on the internets is not up to date, I have noted that network support is being dropped or added as the software is being developed.
Can anyone knowledgable, please please please, review my list and add the supporting hotspots to each network?
DMR
- Brandmeister
- DMR+
- Marc
- PCS
C4FM
- Wires-X
- YSF
- FCS
D-Star
- REF
- XRF
- XLX
- DCS
The multimode hotpots I have noted are:
- MMDVM
- DV4Mini/Home
- openSpot/Shark
In our club there are some experiments going on with MMDVM while here you all seem to be using the openSpot, that is why I am asking…
BTW: How does PiStar relate to this? Can PiStar be used with DV4 and openSpot or is it MMDVM exclusive?
Marek OK1BIL / OE2BLT
Hi OK1BIL,
My non expert comments.
-
Yes these is a lot of variablity and plenty learn with DMR!
-
I use a Jumbo Hotspot. It’s I believe, an alternative to the MMDVM version.
-
PiStar is essentially the OS that runs on the Hot Spot to make it all work in the DMR world.
-
DMR is certainly fun to get invovled in and relatively cheap compared to other digital modes.
-
Keeping up with the latest version of everything is almost like having a second job
-
You can link the various digital modes using Hot Spots, so DMR can talk with DStar, P25, Fusion etc
-
Its really cool talking on a hand held in Sydney on DMR to a station in the UK who is talking on a hand held on Fusion.
Enjoy!
Compton
I agree. It’s far too complicated - and to make it worse many of the factions have fallen out with each other!
SOTA-Link has less options to get confused with:
Wires-X 44050 - C4FM - accessible from internet-linked Fusion gateways and repeaters
FCS4-73 - C4FM - accessible via hotspots (DMR possible with cross-mode hotspots)
Brandmeister TG973 - DMR - accessible via the Brandmeister Rf network.
These things are all cross-linked at my QTH.
There are other ways in but they are less common.
Unfortunately, that particular link is not at all straightforward as DMR and Dstar use a different VOCODER.
Thanks for the reply’s, I was interested in general compatibility matrix for all, hopefully someone provides one later.
Anyway, my own findings, related to SOTA-link:
- For DMR the most widely adopted network seems to be Brandmeister
- For C4FM the most widely adopted network seems to be YSF
MMDVM
- natively supports YSF network for C4FM
- supports Brandmeister network for DMR
- does not support FCS network for C4FM
- seems to be the go to platform of PiStar
DV4Mini / openSpot / DVMEGA
- natively support the FCS network for C4FM
- support Brandmeister network for DMR
- in the latest versions additionaly support YSF network for C4FM (DV4 since 2.3.2017, DVMEGA since 3.07, openSpot since ???)
This leads me to consideration that YSF is missing in the SOTA-Link at the moment. Looking around, in OE all repeaters changed to YSF from FCS on 28th Feb 2018, additionally there is Brandmaister DMR available. In OK our club is running MMDVM which provides YSF for C4FM and Brandmeister for DMR.
This entire research is to undestand what kind of equipment one needs to buy if starting on green field.
On one hand we have Yaesu FT-70DE dualband for FM+C4FM for 170€.
On the other hand we have Anytone D868UV dualband for FM+DMR for 152€ / 157€.
Then we have MMDVM vs. DV4Mini / openSpot / DVMEGA when one wants a hotspot.
APRS rumoured to be coming as a S/W update soon.
5W and the best available broadband (FTTC which is a bit closer than my nearest summit and about as reliable as the British climate 
).
I know it’s not really “radio”, but it was quite nice talking by HH to VK from the comfort of my sick bed the other week.
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@G3CWI Richard, are you planning to add YSF? I need to update my shopping list for Friedrichshafen…
I am also not very keen on buying something what seems to be phased out (FCS).
Hi Marek,
From Richard’s post further up the thread:
Wires-X 44050 - C4FM - accessible from internet-linked Fusion gateways and repeaters
FCS4-73 - C4FM - accessible via hotspots (DMR possible with cross-mode hotspots)
YSF is already part of SOTA-LINK and I have had several DMR - C4FM contacts over SOTA Link.
73 Ed.
Hi Ed,
I guess there is some confusion again.
Wires-X is the closed network run by Yaesu.
YSF is the open network run by the MMDVM community (potentialy compatible with all the other modems mentioned if configured to do so).
Marek
As I understand it Wires-X is as you say, the background network, the equivalent of Brandmeister or DMR-MARC in DMR.
YSF stands for Yaesu System Fusion, which I believe is the same as C4FM - and that is what is used from the HT or Mobile rig to communicate to a repeater or hot spot over the air. I believe YSF is also from Yaesu not the Open Source community. Did you mean to say FCS? MMDVM is Multi-Mode Digital Voice Modem and is a combined hardware and software development of a modem to handle several amateur digital voice modes used by certain hotspots such as the Jumbo hotspot and raspberry Pi based add-on cards to talk to Wires-X, Brandmeister and D-Star.
Perhaps I got this a little wrong - in which case I’m sure someone will correct me.
In answer to your question whether Richard will add YSF - my understanding is that the repeater he is running accepts YSF and as the SOTA-Link room is accessible from the yaesu Wires-X network through room 44050 if you can access a YSF repeater near you, you should be able to get into the SOTA-Link room,
Perhaps I have missed something?
73 Ed.
Hi Marek, the open spot forum asked a similar question (difference between YSF and FCS) Here
Wires-x I believe is simply Yaesu’s propriety radio/internet interface.
I access Richard’s room using a Yaesu Ft-70 through a SharkRF Openspot set to FCS
Ed - 500 was indeed one of the options. In fact that’s what it was originally set at, that a few people said was too low and more people said was too high. So the options offered were : 100 (reduce), 500 (no change) and 10,000 (increase - Discourse maximum).
The view expressed by the electorate was crystal clear. Obviously it doesn’t suit those who had a different view, but can we not just accept that this is what a clear majority of SOTAwatch users wanted?