Virginia's Amateur DMR Linked Repeater Network
Virginia's Amateur DMR Linked Repeater Network
As you have noticed, the website looks a bit different and there will be some changes made to the DMRVA network. We expect to remove some unused talkgroups, add an additional one and announce a partnership with another repeater system. Stay tuned for the details on these upgrades. As always, we welcome input from users at anytime.
We hope to update this post in May with full details on this addition to the network.
The Linden repeater is back on the air and linked up to the network from the original location. Please send any reports about coverage / system performance.
The K4MJO South Hill area repeater has returned to service and is ready to cover stations in the area, including travelers on I-85, route 58 and other areas. Mobile coverage is solid in town as well as up north to Victoria and Kenbridge. The local talkgroup is patched into Richmond Metro. Please give Sammy a shout if you are in the area.
Last fall we reported that the Linden repeater would be going off the air permanently due to site issues. We are happy to report that we expect it to return to the same site/frequency during the month of April. It is currently on the air from a temporary location for testing.
Recently we have received several inquiries about how to best utilize the system, especially in the context of hotspot usage that ties up 25+ repeaters. We wrote about this earlier in the year as well. The major scenario is extended use of VA Statewide which is set full time to repeaters on several networks (DMRVA, AWSVirginia, K4USD, Brandmiester and potentially others).
We will work on some updated recommendations for how to best utilize the DMR network in Virginia but please recognize that your actions (and transmissions) travel well beyond your local repeater and/or hotspot. Until then, please review the talkgroup etiquette page for some basics. Please also be reminded that most of the resources on the network (repeaters, linking hardware, software etc) are privately owned pieces of amateur radio gear.
The DMRVA portable repeater will be deployed and operational in Hanover county soon to support the upcoming Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) activities from October 16 to 18, 2020. There will be an HF station as well as other activities. Using the callsign K4B, the Heart of Virginia counsel Battlefield District will operate from 13905 Hanover Quarter Rd Hanover VA23069. If you are in the area and want to offer your assistance, please contact KJ4NPB who can also provide full details on the configuration of the portable repeater, but listen for them on TG 907 primarily as well as other places.
An updated talkgroup matrix for DMRVA has been posted to the website. Please check the talkgroup matrix page for details and download the PDF if you like.
Note if you are looking for AWS information the latest they have provided is 2019.
One of our hosting providers has a scheduled maintenance window the evening of August 4th, beginning at 9pm. Some network services may be intermittent or unavailable during this time.
Updated codeplugs have been posted on the downloads page to use for programming your radios. Here is a summary of the changes – updates include Carters Mountain repeater with DMRVA TG lineup, Beaverdam repeater zone was updated to include DMRVA TG line up, minor edits to South Hill repeater TG to ensure VA StateWide Time Slot was set to “2”. Thanks to Joe, WB4EOT for his dedication and attention to detail in preparing these files.