This is an update of the SvxReflectors know as https://UKWide.svxlink.net, https://North.America.svxlink.net, https://Au.svxlink.net and the YorkshireNet – https://svxlink.qsos.uk/
All four Reflectors are now currently linked by Svxlink©-Federation software,which is a pre-release version of svxreflector©.
It allows each of them to be independently administered, but permits by protocol the sharing of all talkgroups bi-directionally.
As most of the talkgroups are formed by the MCC number according to the country of origin, the talkgroups are ‘owned’ by one reflector and peer-shared with the others. So North America owns talkgroups beginning with 310 and 302, and shares them. UKWide owns talkgroups beginning with 234 and 235 and shares them, and so on.
Applications to join the Svxlink Community
For the Federation of Reflectors go to any of the links above and click ‘Join-up’ which will start a partially automated process to obtain the requisite password. Other Reflectors will require different methods.
Svxlink-Bootstrap
This software is recently developed for ANY user of SvxLink©, with nearly most options for configuration and SvxReflector connection. This includes the Protocol 3, where the user is required to provide certificate information to connect to that Reflector. The Federation is a Protocol 2 Reflector system. Previous versions of SvxLink versions 19 or earlier are not supported. Version 19 does not support talkgroups. OS Bookworm and OS Trixie are supported with the current version of SvxLink© version 26.05.1 by Tobias Blomberg SM0SVX.
The AllStarLink Talkgroups
Soon all the AllStarLink Talkgroups seen on the Dashboards will have their own SvxReflector©, and they will ‘own’ and share them with the rest of the Reflectors.
The AllStarLink talkgroups are provided for your participation and enjoyment. AllStarLink Nodes are different in that they are Hub-Centric. SvxLink© has no Hub, only a ‘passive’ connection system that provides the infrastructure. Each Node/Repeaters and its users have the choice then to connect where they need, either as a local talkgroup or as one of the AllStarLink Node Talkgroups. You can find the active Nodes that become highlighted in the Reflector Node Monitor from the links provided earlier. There is also a full list of talkgroups with which to call around the network.
Talkgroups
You will have seen from previous articles, that each repeater or node can have a series of MONITORING_TGS. This does not mean that they are permanently on. The reverse is true. When a signal is detected, by the activation of a talkgroup on one node on a specific talkgroup that is monitored in the way by several others, then all the node and repeaters monitoring this talkgroup will activate, and rebroadcast the activity across all the now-active repeaters.
It would be beneficial for all repeaters and nodes in a specific domain to have a single MONITORING_TGS talkgroups, like 310 for the USA, so that in the event of an annoucement all the nodes and repeaters will be hearing it together, unless already active on a pre-existing talkgroup. But I can understand that if repeater keepers do not wish to, then that’s fine too. The same for repeaters in the same state or the same region to have a common talkgroup to enlarge the community, when a repeater becomes active. For the UK it’s 235, for Australia it is 505.
By default the DEFAULT_TG = 0 which means unconnected or as the voice announces states – “Talkgroup Reset”. However if you wish a repeater to start on a particular talkgroup, then there is no reason not to. However if you have other MONITORING_TGS listed, then add + or ++ to the backend of the talkgroup number that will signify a higher priority eg. 23560++. GB3AE Repeater opens with TG23560 as the DEFAULT_TG that when activated, wakes MB5HT and MB5NT repeaters in the same region.
My only concern of late, is the failure to identify oneself when activating a repeater – Kerchunking – for want of a better word. Please make the effort to at least say your callsign – please?
For the most part every node or repeater on these networks is operating in stand-alone mode. There is no central command structure. The users dictate the activity. If the repeater is quiet, it is because no-one is using it. The SvxLink© Networks have to be driven to work as they are intended. No network activity – no QSO’s, so users need to make the connections to active talkgroups to widen their talking pleasure.
A Bit about EchoLink
We have decided that nodes and repeaters that have EchoLink enabled on their systems should retain MUTE_LOGIC_LINKING=1, as owing to EchoLinks own rules we should not rebroadcast them in the network, as we are, by definition, a conference. This setting disconnects the EchoLink-active node from the rest of the svxlink network during the activation of that EchoLink QSO, and restores it when EchoLink disconnects. By keeping it this way, it also reduces the risk of Reverberative Interference, if two stations would connect to the same EchoLink conference at the same time and the same talkgroup. We cannot predict this situation, but we simply cannot permit it to occur.
Applications
There are a number of Apps in circulation for Android and some for iOS. HamLink, QSOLink, Latry and probably more, and another Multi-Mode App QSO-One will be joining the selection when the developer has made the appropriate changes.
While I’m not a fan, they have become part of the svxlink community. They are not manufactured by SvxLink or me.
You apply for a connection in the same way as a node, and use your callsign-T to signify the use of the App.
Why Federation?
This is purely to maintain protocol with the provided software. We have used SM0SVX’s software, with an experimental add-on that I constructed and have provided a pull request back to the source repository. To manufacture an svxreflector or to use a product from another source without a pull request might be thought of as disloyal or impolite to the originator Tobias Blomberg SM0SVX. It is his software after all.
Another product might seem equally practical, but for the purpose of our group of reflectors I ignored any reference or observation of it, in forming svxreflector-federation-pr.
Enjoy your connection, however you achieve it.