2023 – DMRVA

2024 Talkgroup Matrix released and other system news

2024 will mark the eighth year of the DMRVA system which has grown each year to provide coverage to users in Virginia. Our linked repeater system is 100% digital and is uniquely operated by a mix of individuals, clubs, staff from DMRVA and now with collaboration from N4HRS as we bring two networks closer together to create the best experience for DMR users.

So, it was time to publish a new talkgroup list and system info. The 2024 Virginia Talkgroup Matrix lists the combined 28 repeaters between DMRVA and N4HRS systems and all available talkgroups. On all repeaters you will find the local, echotest and VA Statewide talkgroups active at all times along with several PTT talkgroups. The list of available talkgroups has been revised to emphasize Virginia centric capabilities, including access to regional TG’s in various parts of the state. You’ll have access to several nets throughout the week including the new Virginia Statewide net, SWVA net and the Tidewater net.

Several legacy TG’s have been retired and removed from the system as they were no longer active or the feeds from outside networks had been deprecated. If they were previously programmed into your radios, you can remove them as they will no longer pass traffic. These TG’s are PRN, Tac 1, 310, 318, 319, DCI Bridge, MidAtlantic, and Southeast.

If you have questions, please click to contact us or join the Virginia Statewide Net each Sunday starting January 2024. Happy Holidays!

Join us for a new net on the Virginia Statewide Talkgroup

A new net will be held starting January 7, 2024 on the VA Statewide talkgroup (TS2 TG3151). This net will will meet weekly on Sunday at 2100 hours local, with KI4LLA calling the inaugural net. This net will be held on the 28 repeater sites of DMRVA and N4HRS repeater networks and is not available through brandmeister or hotspots. The purpose of the net is to promote use of the linked DMR repeater system in Virginia and demonstrate the substantial coverage that the system has throughout the state. The net will also be used to share announcements about the system. Stations throughout the coverage area of the system are invited to participate. Please share with other amateurs who may be interested. For a list of other nets accessible on the system, please visit the Virginia DMR Nets page. To determine which repeater to use for this net, visit the talkgroups page.

Welcome to DMRVA

DMRVA is a Virginia-based, Commonwealth-focused digital mobile radio linked repeater system for amateur radio. For updates on the status of the system and repeaters, check the posts below often.

If you have questions please drop us a line.

73,

Jay – KD4BPZ
James – K4JK

New Mountain Lake repeater system joins DMRVA system

The second jointly managed repeater between N4HRS and DMRVA teams came on the air recently in Mountain Lake, VA. Located in Giles County at over 4300 feet in the Alleghany mountains, this is currently the highest and the farthest west site on the air for users. It will provide coverage to new areas including Pulaski, Dublin, Radford, Blacksburg and Christiansburg that are not well covered by the Roanoke area systems. This repeater frequency is 444.250 and the CC is 9. The talkgroup line up is the typical DMRVA TG lineup for the moment. As always we are looking for reports from stations who are able to use the system. Please drop us a line and let us know about your experience.

Richmond Marathon Event on Richmond Metro Talkgroup on November 11th

DMRVA is pleased to support the Richmond Marathon on Saturday, November 11th 2023.

A directed net with race related traffic will be held on the Richmond Metro talkgroup (27500, TS1) on all Richmond area DMRVA sites (Richmond, Petersburg, Beaverdam, Powhatan and New Kent) from approximately 0630 – 1500 hours. This will be a primary channel for the event with 442.55, 145.43 and 146.88 repeaters also being used.

Stations not involved in the race are asked to yield use of TS1 for the period of this event, including the echotest feature. Feel free to monitor. Virginia Statewide (TS2) will be available for general use.

New Farmville/Leigh Mountain repeater joins DMRVA system

The first jointly managed repeater between the N4HRS and DMRVA teams came on the air a few days ago in the Farmville/Prince Edward County area. A Motorola XPR8400 was installed to replace older hardware that had intermittent issues. The system remains on 444.325 MHz (CC 9) and is connected to a DB-408 antenna (top left). This system will provide coverage to stations along route 360 between Appomattox and Amelia counties as well as along portions of route 460, 60, 15 and others. Stations in Buckingham, Cumberland, Charlotte and Lunenburg will also be able to access the repeater. Initial testing has been very positive. We are looking for reports from stations who are able to use the system. Please drop us a line and let us know about your experience.

Richmond area DMR coverage is back!

Well, it has been quiet over here for a while, so here is some real good news.

Over the weekend the Richmond area DMR repeater was moved back to Midlothian alongside the other W4RAT repeaters. The repeater is in the same configuration as it was in 2022 and the antenna is at around 580 feet. Coverage should look roughly like the previous coverage maps.

We’d like to say thanks to a few RATS club members (and leaders) for their support including KN4SYE, KG4PEQ, and W4MAF. We’ve joked before that one of the key elements to strong repeater performance and excellent coverage is relationships with key people. In reality, this couldn’t be more true. Also, because the old logo from the club doesn’t get much use anymore, we chose it for this post (and it’s pretty damn cool too).

As a reminder, the Richmond Metro TG is linked full time to many other sites in the region, including Petersburg, Powhatan, New Kent, and Beaverdam. We believe this brings some of the best coverage to RVA. Please enjoy.

Yearly Archives: 2023