Dummy Repeater

What is Dummy Repeater

In use, the entries in the UR, RPT1, and RPT2 controls are set to the same values as you would expect to program into a radio, the example above gives an idea of what is expected. The values set in the UR, RPT1, and RPT2 controls are stored by the program and are restored when the program is started again. Incoming transmissions appear in the Current area, and also in the list at the bottom of the screen. If any text is received from the user then that will appear also. The Repeater section shows data sent out from the gateway to the repeater which would appear over the air under various circumstances. To transmit, set the callsigns correctly, and press the Transmit button. This is a toggle button and so does not need to be pressed continuously whilst on air. It should be clicked again to go back to receive. When on transmit, a message saying “Transmit” appears with a red background on the GUI to remind you of your status, if hat message goes off while the transmit button has been pressed then that probably means that you have timed out (see later).

A log of actions and errors is to be found in the file DummyRepeater-YYYY-MM-DD.log where YYYY-MM-DD is the current date. This file is found in the users’ home directory, however it can be disabled by passing the –nolog command line option when the program is started. The program is configured by choosing the Preferences option under the Edit menu entry at the top of the screen. It is possible to control the transmit and receive functions of the Dummy Repeater from external interfaces, these are the same ones that are supported by the Analogue Repeater, albeit simplified. This is controlled by the Controller tab of the preferences detailed below.

#Software https://github.com/dl5di/OpenDV/wiki/Repeater-Software-Install

###The Callsign Tab This is where your callsign should be entered, the Callsign includes both parts of your callsign, the eight character main part and the four character extension.

The Sound Card Tab This tab is where the sound card that is used for the microphone and speaker is set up.

###The DV-Dongle Tab This is where the COM port where the DV-Dongle is connected is set. If in doubt as to which port is correct, go into the Hardware and Devices of the Windows Control Panel to find the one allocated to the DV-Dongle.

###The Controller Tab This is where the optional external interface can be set. The default is to have no external hardware control, but if set, the pin assignments are:

--table need-

For various reasons, the status of the squelch input line, and hence the Transmit signal is not displayed in the GUI when using the external hardware interface. It should also be noted that the end bleep as set by the Bleep Tab below, is not needed as the drop of the transmit signal from the Dummy Repeater should be enough to indicate that the incoming signal has ended. Therefore it is recommended that the end bleep be disabled when the Dummy Repeater is used with external hardware. Currently the timeout as set in the Timeout Tab below is not active when using the external control hardware so it is possible for an incoming transmission to timeout an attached D-Star repeater.

###The Timeout Tab Just like a real repeater, a timeout has to be set within the Dummy Repeater, the standard for D-Star is 180 seconds, and after this time the repeater will revert to receive automatically. The timeout only affects transmissions initiated within the GUI and not those controlled by the external hardware.

###The Message Tab Just like a standard D-Star radio, you can set the contents of the slow data text message sent over the air by the repeater. The limit is twenty characters, just like on an Icom D-Star radio.

###The Bleep Tab Since there is no squelch tail with D-Star, all D-Star radios include a bleep at the end of reception of a signal in order to indicate that it has ended, this software is no different. It is possible to switch the bleep off, as an indication of an incoming signal is available via the GUI, but leaving it on gives a more authentic D-Star experience! The frequency and length of the bleep were modelled on my Icom IC-91AD handheld radio.

It is recommended that the end bleep is disabled when the Dummy Repeater is being used with external control hardware.

DummyRepeater.exe [-nolog]
dummyrepeater [-nolog]