Connect then Disconnect of REF at initial boot.

Help with D-Star related issues
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wx9kvh
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2018 5:57 pm

Connect then Disconnect of REF at initial boot.

Post by wx9kvh »

So I am noticing something odd with 2 hotspots, one is a duplex(Pi 3b), the other is a simplex(Zero W).

When I plug them both in for the first time for the day, it will show its connected to the set startup reflector, then it will disconnect from reflector(001 C), and in order for me to bring up the reflector from the radio, I need to select a different reflector to connect to, then switch back to 001 C. It will not respond to the UNLINK command until after I tell it to go to another REF.

These both have just been freshly supplied with new SD cards, and fresh installs of Pi-Star, and fully updated to the latest dashboard(20220204), and are on the latest version of Pi-Star(4.1.6) as of an hour ago due to some testing.

If this is normal, please let me know, if not, I'm wondering what can be done to fix it.

Thanks, 73 de WX9KVH.
M1DNS
Pi-Star Team
Posts: 1388
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 5:30 am

Re: Connect then Disconnect of REF at initial boot.

Post by M1DNS »

When you boot fresh each morning everything is in a state of flux. Not only does the pi have to boot all services, it also has to negotiate a connection with ur home network, get an ip add. All that kinda stuff. If you've got a startup reflector set thats going to add to that startup list.

Try a different way just to test tomorrow. Before you shutdown for the day Clear the startup reflector, then when you power on the following day when the install is up n running put out a link call via ur radio to see if it connects without issue.

Another test. Leave it run 24/7 for a couple days see if its connects correctly when you come to use it. The image is designed in a way that its intended to run 24/7.
and just unlink tgs, reflectors etc. when ur not actually using it. So its not sat there wantently spewing rf into the ether, but i realise some users dont want to run it that way.

Sent via smoke signals from my SM-G935F M1DNS (Admin)


Andrew M1DNS.
Pi-star Admin Team.
wx9kvh
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2018 5:57 pm

Re: Connect then Disconnect of REF at initial boot.

Post by wx9kvh »

M1DNS wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 10:31 am When you boot fresh each morning everything is in a state of flux. Not only does the pi have to boot all services, it also has to negotiate a connection with ur home network, get an ip add. All that kinda stuff. If you've got a startup reflector set thats going to add to that startup list.

Try a different way just to test tomorrow. Before you shutdown for the day Clear the startup reflector, then when you power on the following day when the install is up n running put out a link call via ur radio to see if it connects without issue.

Another test. Leave it run 24/7 for a couple days see if its connects correctly when you come to use it. The image is designed in a way that its intended to run 24/7.
and just unlink tgs, reflectors etc. when ur not actually using it. So its not sat there wantently spewing rf into the ether, but i realise some users dont want to run it that way.

Sent via smoke signals from my SM-G935F M1DNS (Admin)
If I leave it on over night, when I wake up in the morning it is indeed connected to the default reflector that is set in pi-star.

I will just leave it as is and have to keep in mind that to connect to reflectors at start up, I will need to change reflectors and then come back to the one I would like to connect to, no big deal, just wasn't aware if this was normal or not.

Also, in expert settings, for ircDDBGateway, what is the "reconnect1" field for that is right under "atStartup1" field? Mine is set to "0" on all of my builds, and was just curious what this option does.

Thanks again!
M1DNS
Pi-Star Team
Posts: 1388
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 5:30 am

Re: Connect then Disconnect of REF at initial boot.

Post by M1DNS »

Reconnect1 allows you to set a timed process which connects back to ur startup reflector.

if users move the connection around after say (if set to 20 mins e.g) if the install sees no furthur local keyups for that 20mins, reconnect1 will drop that connection and connect back to the default reflector (what you have select as the startup reflector)

Its mostly a 'repeater option' used within ircddbgateway. Where a sysop will allow his userbase to move the connection around but if they forget to move it back, or if he wants his repeater to priorites a particular reflector, he'd manually set that up there by entering the no. that corresponds to the hold off time.

It isnt usually configured or used by a hotspot user, but no reason why you can't, if you choose to.

So reconnect1 =

0 Never.

1 Fixed (rf users cant move the connection)

2 5mins. (holdoff counts down 5mins from last heard local keyup. then moves back to the set default)

3 10mins
4 15mins
5 20mins
6 30mins
7 1hr.

One other rarely known ability with this feature is if startupreflector is set to NONE

reconnect1 will drop a linked reflector chosen by the user after is defined time.

This helps stop a user connecting to eg. 1C and have the repeater broadcasting out a reflector all day long to noone actually making use of it.

Helps with the licensed listener/ not a broadcast license type of arguement.



Sent via smoke signals from my SM-G935F M1DNS (Admin)








Andrew M1DNS.
Pi-star Admin Team.
wx9kvh
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2018 5:57 pm

Re: Connect then Disconnect of REF at initial boot.

Post by wx9kvh »

M1DNS wrote: Sun Feb 06, 2022 8:34 am Reconnect1 allows you to set a timed process which connects back to ur startup reflector.

if users move the connection around after say (if set to 20 mins e.g) if the install sees no furthur local keyups for that 20mins, reconnect1 will drop that connection and connect back to the default reflector (what you have select as the startup reflector)

Its mostly a 'repeater option' used within ircddbgateway. Where a sysop will allow his userbase to move the connection around but if they forget to move it back, or if he wants his repeater to priorites a particular reflector, he'd manually set that up there by entering the no. that corresponds to the hold off time.

It isnt usually configured or used by a hotspot user, but no reason why you can't, if you choose to.

So reconnect1 =

0 Never.

1 Fixed (rf users cant move the connection)

2 5mins. (holdoff counts down 5mins from last heard local keyup. then moves back to the set default)

3 10mins
4 15mins
5 20mins
6 30mins
7 1hr.

One other rarely known ability with this feature is if startupreflector is set to NONE

reconnect1 will drop a linked reflector chosen by the user after is defined time.

This helps stop a user connecting to eg. 1C and have the repeater broadcasting out a reflector all day long to noone actually making use of it.

Helps with the licensed listener/ not a broadcast license type of arguement.



Sent via smoke signals from my SM-G935F M1DNS (Admin)
Wow, this is very useful information, thank you very much!
Ki6anr
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2019 7:37 am

Re: Connect then Disconnect of REF at initial boot.

Post by Ki6anr »

wx9kvh wrote: Fri Feb 04, 2022 9:41 pm So I am noticing something odd with 2 hotspots, one is a duplex(Pi 3b), the other is a simplex(Zero W).

When I plug them both in for the first time for the day, it will show its connected to the set startup reflector, then it will disconnect from reflector(001 C), and in order for me to bring up the reflector from the radio, I need to select a different reflector to connect to, then switch back to 001 C. It will not respond to the UNLINK command until after I tell it to go to another REF.

These both have just been freshly supplied with new SD cards, and fresh installs of Pi-Star, and fully updated to the latest dashboard(20220204), and are on the latest version of Pi-Star(4.1.6) as of an hour ago due to some testing.

If this is normal, please let me know, if not, I'm wondering what can be done to fix it.

Thanks, 73 de WX9KVH.
I am having this very same issue and cannot figure out what the issue is. It is not connecting to my default reflector on startup (REF030C) even though it tries.. Repeated attempts at clicking "Link" do not work and results in a "Not Linked" on the dashboard no matter how many times I click it. Doing a Unlink/Link has worked about 50% of the time when this does occur. Other times it does not work but connecting to a DCS reflector then back to REF030C will finally get it to connect.
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