W0CHP.net

I operate an XLX Multi-Mode/Multi-Protocol Reflector/Gateway:

• It’s a DMR reflector/gateway/network: XLX493

  • Module E is bridged/peered with BrandMeister TalkGroup 3170603.
  • Module E is bridged/peered with TGIF Network TalkGroup 493.
  • Module F is bridged/peered with TGIF Network TalkGroup 539.

• It’s a YSF reflector/gateway: YSF-80364.

More modes may be added in the future.

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Table of Contents:

Modules Enabled

1. (A) NY/NJ/PA
2. (B) MN/WI/IA
3. (C) USA
4. (D) General Rag-Chew
5. (E) W0CHP-PiStar-Dash ¹
6. (F) The Elitist Hams

Module Notes

• Module E is the official chat room for my W0CHP-PiStar-Dash software. It’s bridged/peered with BrandMeister and TGIF Networks; so DMR users can simply talk in BrandMeister TalkGroup 3170603 and/or TGIF TalkGroup 493, and you will automatically be in the correct room/module.
• Module F is bridged with TGIF TalkGroup 539.

Connecting to / Using XLX493 with DMR

You can connect to my DMR reflector in Pi-Star by selecting XLX-493 as the DMRMaster. However, I recommend using DMRGateway…

• If you’re running DMRGateway in Pi-Star, XLX is by default, talk group 6 specific.
• DMRGateway users: simply make a private call to 68493 to connect to my reflector…
• The private call prefix to switch modules is 640nn (where nn is a module letter, mapped to a digit in the list above). Example:
  • Since the busiest module on my XLX reflector is Module E: W0CHP-PiStar-Dash, here is how you would connect to it in Pi-Star:
    • Connect to XLX493 in Pi-Star or by making a private call to 68493.
    • Make a private call to 64005 (where the last 05, represents the 5th letter of the alphabet…module “E”.)
      • If your Pi-Star has voice announcements enabled, you should hear it tell you that you’re linked to “XLX493 - E”.
    • Go to Talk Group 6 on your rig to talk on the selected module.
    • To disconnect from a module, make a private call to 64000.
      • If your Pi-Star has voice announcements enabled, you should hear it tell you that you’re linked to “XLX493” (note the omission of the previously-connected module)..

XLX on DMRGateway can be confusing to some. If you need assistance, W1MSG has a very helpful video on using XLX with DMRGateway on Pi-Star.

Connecting to/Using XLX493 with YSF

You can connect to XLX493 via YSF Mode/DMR2YSF/YSF2DMR in Pi-Star by selecting:

YSFHost “YSF80364 - XLX493”

Connection Cheat Sheet

This handy table depicts at-a-glance, how to connect and switch modules in both DMR and YSF with Pi-Star-based hot spots…

Module	Name	DMR (XLX-493 as master; TG-6)	DMR (via DMRgateway; TG-6)	DMR2YSF as master	DMR2YSF (via DMRgateway)	YSF DTMF	YSF DG-ID
A	NY/NJ/PA	PC 4001	PC 64001	-	-	#80364	10
B	MN/WI/IA	PC 4002	PC 64002	-	-	#80364	11
C	USA	PC 4003	PC 64003	-	-	#80364	12
D	General Rag-Chew	PC 4004	PC 64004	-	-	#80364	13
E (i)	W0CHP-PiStar-Dash (#)	PC 4005	PC 64005	TG 80364 (*)	TG 7080364 (*)	#80364	14
F	The ELitist Hams (@)	PC 4006	PC 64006	-	-	#80364	15
Disconnect	Disconnect from Module	PC 4000	PC 64000	PC 4000	PC 7004000 (Use PC 7080364 to reconnect)	-	-

Legend:

PC = Private Call

TG = Talk Group/Group Call

(*) = Kerchunk to link to the reflector before talking

(i) = This is the default linked module for YSF, etc.

(#) = BrandMeister users: call TG 3170603; and TGIF users: call TG 493, for the W0CHP-PiStar-Dash chat room (Module E)

(@) = TGIF users: call TG 539 for the Elitist Hams chat room (Module F)

Note: As you can see from the Cheat Sheet above, DMR and native YSF provide the most flexibility and control of modules. DMR2YSF does not (for now) and will default to module “(E) W0CHP-PiStar-Dash”, as configured on the XLX493 reflector.

XLX493 Reflector/Gateway Dashboard

No XLX server would be complete with a dashboard! [ XLX493 Dashboard ]

XLX493 Meta

The XLX493 reflector is currently running on a Debian server. It’s connected to a 1Gbit/s synchronous commercial fiber connection in my home “data center” with redundant connectivity (albeit, degraded to 100Mbit/s) as well as backup power.

Bridging to other networks/peers is accomplished with HBLink.

The server sits in its own VLAN behind my pfSense Firewall, and the web interface/dashboard is being proxied by an Apache HTTP instance on a FreeBSD server in a dedicated VLAN and DMZ.

No proprietary garbage is running this network/XLX reflector. Many thanks to Jean-Luc Deltombe (LX3JL) and Luc Engelmann (LX1IQ) for creating the wonderful XLXd software; and to Cort, N0MJS and Randy, AA6RH - for the venerable HBLink software I use to bridge XLX-493 to other networks.