Changing reflectors from radio screen

Help with YSF / Fusion issues
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N8ODV
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Changing reflectors from radio screen

Post by N8ODV »

This is a question about changing rooms/reflectors for YSF/FCS on the radio display using [X] button.

Equipment:
Radios:
FTM-400DR
FT2D
Hot Spot:
DVMEGA w/FW 3.19 on R Pi 3
Pi-Star Upgraded and Updated just tonight. (v3.4.16)

First off, I will say that only about half of the time will the FTM-400DR get a response from the Pi-Star, but I think that is a tuning issue with the modem/radio offsets. The FT2D seems to interact with Pi-Star almost always. Both radios exhibit the below issues.

Trying to use the [Search] function in Wires X mode, is where my issue is. I can do an [ALL] search, and it shows about 514 connections between FCS and YSF, it returns the first 20 entries, and stops.

If I turn the tuning dial for the next one down, the radio sends a request for the next portion of the list, and that will come on the display. The process will continue until the end of list (I think, never went past about the first 100 listings). Over 500 entries is a lot to go through if trying to find one near the end. For my example, that would be "US YSF616 WMTG" or "YSF004" for my purposes. In alphabetical order, these will be near the end of the list.

I can do a [Search] using a string of starting characters, but as in my first example, the search is only "US", I get stopped at the [SPACE] character. I'll blame this on Yaesu for not allowing a [SPACE] character in a Wires X node name. The [SPACE] bar/key is grayed out.
20180924_223702.jpg
20180924_223702.jpg (113.29 KiB) Viewed 11562 times
Anyway, a search for "US" returns 38 entries.
The attachment 20180924_223925.jpg is no longer available
Pi-Star sends the first 20 of them to my radio, when I hit the end of the 20, and turn the tuning dial down, the radio sends a request to the Pi-Star, and it responds, but sends back only the top 20 listings again, and I can't see the other 18 entries below. This I believe is an error in the Pi-Star structure.

I was going to try a workaround, by connecting to a reflector via the dashboard, and then hitting the [X] button to display the connection, and then save that to the [Category] feature on the radio, like shown in this video...[youtube]https://youtu.be/fvYz3W9XqaY[/youtube]

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But, I'm assuming here, a YSF reflector doesn't return a response like a Wires X node would. I can see the radio send out a command, but then I get the red popup that says "NO DATA", so I can't get to the next screen to add that reflector.

So, does anyone else have this problem? Or, does anyone have a suggestion for a work around to access these reflectors in a quick and simple way, using the radio screen?

Thanks in advance.
Image Bruce Sommer, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
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K4HPD
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Re: Changing reflectors from radio screen

Post by K4HPD »

Yep, same here. Very limited use form the radio trying to find a specific YSF reflector. There's no way to enter a YSF room using the hashtag " # " or lower case letters while using " Search and Direct ".
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N8ODV
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Re: Changing reflectors from radio screen

Post by N8ODV »

I've never tried to enter the hashtag or "#" symbol, so I tried tonight, and yup it's not there. Not much Pi-Star can do for that, if there is no key on the radio, it would be impossible to do anything other than using the web interface. It would be nice if people setting up YSF reflectors would use names that would be compliant with Wires X standards. Sadly, I doubt most people with established reflectors would be open to changing the name.

But you should be able to do lower case. On the 2 radio's I own FTM-400DR and FT2D, they work different, but will do it.

On the 400 there is a "Caps" key to switch case.

On the FT2D, if you keep pushing the letter key, it will cycle thru both lower case and UPPER case.

I don't have any knowledge of other Yaesu radio's, but I would think they should have some provision for that. Which radio do you run?
Image Bruce Sommer, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
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W1KMC
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Re: Changing reflectors from radio screen

Post by W1KMC »

Being I do not have a Yeasu radio, nor any YSF repeaters where I live[a firend of mine does] (I may be talking out my @$$ but:

Everything my friend says is in order to see the rooms on the radios you need the HMI-200 [we find he can grab what he wants from the YSF repeater he can reach and save to a category as stated above], that being said:

look under ysf tools on the main page of this site (pistar.uk) and in there is the list of YSF and FCS reflectors and how to connect via DTMF (although DTMF on pi-stars thend to be hit and miss [works sometimes]) -- for YSF rooms - Key and hold whil you dial digits e.g. #80767 and let go -- I cannot remember if a ending # is needed or not. -- for FCS I find that FCS00219 [Maine US] you key and hold A219 and let go a good one to try is A290 (Alabama Link)

See if this helps you. My suggestion would be to go through the list on this site and write down the rooms you frequent (or would like to try) and keep it by the radio (or if you CAN connect to it, then save it to a category.

SInce we have no YSF repeaters where I live, I refuse to buy a $300+ radio to play on a hotspot -- DMR2YSF does work, but you are loicked in your 'cell' (cannot change rooms (yet from what I am hearing, that may be changing)

Take my suggestions as you see fit and good luck.
I am no developer, guru, expert, nor do I claim to be or want to be. All advice I give is purely from experience and my efforts to help others.

W1KMC - Kevin M Carman
Bangor, ME
Jumbospot on a Pi0W
DMR 3123142 & 3123143
HHUS Trunk Ext 4329
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N8ODV
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Re: Changing reflectors from radio screen

Post by N8ODV »

W1KMC wrote: Thu Sep 27, 2018 1:07 pm Being I do not have a Yeasu radio, nor any YSF repeaters where I live[a firend of mine does] (I may be talking out my @$$ but:

Everything my friend says is in order to see the rooms on the radios you need the HMI-200 [we find he can grab what he wants from the YSF repeater he can reach and save to a category as stated above], that being said:

look under ysf tools on the main page of this site (pistar.uk) and in there is the list of YSF and FCS reflectors and how to connect via DTMF (although DTMF on pi-stars thend to be hit and miss [works sometimes]) -- for YSF rooms - Key and hold whil you dial digits e.g. #80767 and let go -- I cannot remember if a ending # is needed or not. -- for FCS I find that FCS00219 [Maine US] you key and hold A219 and let go a good one to try is A290 (Alabama Link)

See if this helps you. My suggestion would be to go through the list on this site and write down the rooms you frequent (or would like to try) and keep it by the radio (or if you CAN connect to it, then save it to a category.

SInce we have no YSF repeaters where I live, I refuse to buy a $300+ radio to play on a hotspot -- DMR2YSF does work, but you are loicked in your 'cell' (cannot change rooms (yet from what I am hearing, that may be changing)

Take my suggestions as you see fit and good luck.
Thanks for the suggestions, I may have to try harder at that. I have had problems getting DTMF tones to go over C4FM with a good BER. I get good BER with voice transmissions, but it goes wonky using DTMF. (usually around 5.0% BER for DTMF) I have read many things from others who experience a similar condition.

I plan to use the HotSpot in a mobile very often, so using the display on the radio would suit my needs best.

Pi-Star will display "reflectors" (not rooms) on the screen when using the [X] button, similar to how it would work with an HRI 200, but I would prefer not to add all the additional infrastructure. Unfortunately, Yaesu is out to make money, so needing an HRI 200 box, a second Yaesu radio and a Windows PC, is not only a major cost, but a lot of stuff to drag along.

Thanks again for the suggestion.
Image Bruce Sommer, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
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N8ODV
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Re: Changing reflectors from radio screen

Post by N8ODV »

ct1dvm wrote: Fri Sep 28, 2018 3:26 am The HRI-200 provides real wires-x network access with the Yaesu node radio and program. It is not related to pistar. There are no wires-x rooms directly accessible via pi-star, but certain FCS rooms which are pistar accessible do have bridges to wires-x.

Use DTMF to change rooms.
Please see my response just above this one, it pretty much covers the same thing I would reply here. Additional, I know I can't get to the entire Wires X system with Pi-Star, what I really want to do is connect to a few specific YSF reflectors.

Thanks for your reply.
Image Bruce Sommer, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
wd5eqy
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Re: Changing reflectors from radio screen

Post by wd5eqy »

At the risk of this just becoming an echo chamber, I too would like to change reflectors from my FT2D. I have found some quasi-answers:

- Pressing X (or DX) to get into Wires-X mode squirts a less-than-a-second burst from my radio. If your hotspot is listening to more than two channels (YSF and one other) the chances of the hotspot missing the squirt is large. Otherwise, you'll be [pushing the X, miss the YSF scan, wait for timeout] repeatedly until you hit the scan.

- I've not found a way to get the FT2D to send DTMF tones while it's in digital mode (Wires-X). It's only available in analog.

- The FT2D has at least two probably three letter-entering modes using a telephone-like entry pad. One cycles through upper and lower case, one has a shift-key allowing upper or lowercase entries, and one always uses upper-case.
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K4HPD
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Re: Changing reflectors from radio screen

Post by K4HPD »

N8ODV wrote: Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:14 am

But you should be able to do lower case. On the 2 radio's I own FTM-400DR and FT2D, they work different, but will do it.

On the 400 there is a "Caps" key to switch case.

On the FT2D, if you keep pushing the letter key, it will cycle thru both lower case and UPPER case.

I don't have any knowledge of other Yaesu radio's, but I would think they should have some provision for that. Which radio do you run?
Yeah, on the FT2D, no problem. On the FTM400, when doing a "Search and direct", I can't use lower case.
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N8ODV
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Re: Changing reflectors from radio screen

Post by N8ODV »

K4HPD wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 8:11 am
N8ODV wrote: Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:14 am

But you should be able to do lower case. On the 2 radio's I own FTM-400DR and FT2D, they work different, but will do it.

On the 400 there is a "Caps" key to switch case.

On the FT2D, if you keep pushing the letter key, it will cycle thru both lower case and UPPER case.

I don't have any knowledge of other Yaesu radio's, but I would think they should have some provision for that. Which radio do you run?
Yeah, on the FT2D, no problem. On the FTM400, when doing a "Search and direct", I can't use lower case.
I gotta be honest, I hadn't noticed that until you pointed it out, I guess I never tried to enter lowercase text in search mode before. Weird!
Image Bruce Sommer, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
N7JEH
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Re: Changing reflectors from radio screen

Post by N7JEH »

I got a ZumSpot for Christmas. I am trying to set PiStar up for Yaesu Fusion operation using an FT-70DR ht. I can connect to hosts if I put a node number in the "YSF Startup Host" by computer. I don't seem to be able to connect to them via my radio if I set the YSF Startup Host to "none. Am I missing something in the setup? I can't change Hosts that are already connected.

Thanks

Joe - N7JEH
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