KD5PQJ-1, Is on 446.15MHz but sometimes on 145.05MHz VarAC currently version 7.0.8 but I can hop to 6.6 if needed. -12 is RMS gateway and KD5PQJ is my winlink mobile setup. Feel free to connect anytime.
Herbert KD5PQJ
Anyone know of a vara digpeater in the Austin area?
KI5MBP & n5tw having been running digital nets with varac and pinpoint digital on sunday nights during the williamson county ARES vhf voice net and have been using regular digipeaters.
Go to winnlink.org > tools > RMS maps check Vara or Vara Fm
Sid - WD5H
I’ve done some playing with VaraAC but mostly we are using PinPoint with VaraFM mostly in conjunction with an ARES voice net. Both are useful tools.
Tom N5TW
Tom,
Do you use VaraAC with repeaters?
Are you using analog or digital repeaters?
I can’t see anywhere in VarAC to specify VIA repeater?
Does broadcast work over repeater?
Rolf - from what I have found so far you can’t use repeaters. But I maybe incorrect.
I’ve played on VarAC using Vara HF. It’s a natural extension to Winlink via Vara HF for OTA messaging, etc.
No. Running VaraFM on a different frequency from the voice net…. We do use digipeaters for VaraFM to cover our big footprint. Note - you have to register VaraFM to use digipeaters.
Tom N5TW
Are you trying via analog repeaters or digital (dmr/dstar/ysf/m17…) best to try via digi if users
Turn them on… problem is when you share vara with 2-4 others callsign who do you use for digi. P2P is what I use but multi p2p in ear shot of each other will cause looping. Wide# should have been added to vara like aprs.
Herbert Crosby KD5PQJ
Hi Tom,
Can you suggest some VaraFM digipeaters in the Austin area, or where to find a list?
There is a digipeater column on the Texas RMS Status page here: PacStat Uptime Data (ecpi.com)
I copied a snippet of it below. For example, on the N5TW-12 RMS Vara FM station (the “M” column designates the mode and a V is a wide VaraFM station), N5TW-5 is the digipeater call. I don’t see any digipeaters listed for Travis K5SOC-10 may have one but none is listed.
Tom N5TW
All,
The real value I have seen in the ARES community is the VARA HF. During the MARS COMEX 22-4, MARS was tasked to deliver a rather long text message to all ARES teams during their SET’s. In region 6, this was very efficiently done using VARA HF P-P on 40m and 60m Amateur Frequencies. In all cases I simply addressed the text message to the expected ARES station and placed my rig on their SET frequency. In two cases, I was not at my rig when the ARES station connected and downloaded the message. This is very efficient and since VARA is ARQ the message was100% accurate unlike some other digital modes. The distances were across Texas.
73,
Lew W5IFQ
Thanks Tom.
I will try to experiment with VarAC on N5TW-5 on 145.030.
If anyone want to try to contact me I will keep VarAC running for a couple of hours.
I added N5TW-5 to “Digipeat via” under VaraAC Settings->Rig Control and VARA Configurations
In the past at least in the Houston area digipeaters on packet were -5 while the gateways were -10. With VARA FM the SSIDs have not been consistent, but most digipeaters are simply the same as the callsign+SSID. Mine is KD5YOU-10 for both gateway and digi callsigns.
I noticed that many digipeater callsigns are not listed on the Pacstat page, but either you can contact the gateway owner or just try something to see if it works.
73
John Denison
KD5YOU
And if SYSOPS send me their digipeater information, I will get that added to their status page listing.
Tom N5TW
Just about every hospital in Austin has amateur radio installed and we are looking for a few good volunteers to replace the laptops and up grade the sites from Packet/TNCs to Sound modems/VATA FM… CATRAC has new laptops for this…
Tom
I dobt see w5ktc-10 Vara FM gateway on the list. Do you need the info for your Page?
Mario
WO5O
Yes! Please send updates off list to me.
73 Tom N5TW
Its there in Calhoun county 8 entries below Williamson County. The “Notes” says there is a mismatch with the frequency.
73
John Denison
KD5YOU