Changes coming to some of the Hoosier DMR network

Greetings fellow hams and DMR enthusiasts,

Over the past few months, the Hoosier DMR trustees have had some discussions among ourselves and have given lots of thought to the future of our involvement with DMR and the future of the Hoosier DMR network. We’ve consulted many of the major DMR players and network administrators to gain their insight and have also sought input from the users of our systems as well to see what direction to take. We have evaluated the current connection and looked at what other cBridge based networks and DMR linking technologies have to offer and what they are doing to better enhance the overall DMR user experience. After careful consideration and many, many hours of discussion, some of us have come to the decision to take a different approach with the technology and will be transitioning our DMR repeaters to the BrandMeister network. The repeaters transitioning at the time of this communique are as follows:

KC9TKJ – Bloomington, Floyds Knobs, Morgantown,
Nashville, Scipio

K9IKQ – Terre Haute

K9NZF – Lynn

W9AMT – Greenwood (Johnson County), Indy UHF, Indy VHF, Indy 900, Muncie

WX9HC - Danville

The motivation behind this in not personal nor political in in way, those of us transitioning simply share the same feelings and agree that this transition is what’s necessary moving forward to retain and continue to grow interest in the DMR technology for amateur use. While we understand that this change may be inevitably hard at first, please know that this move will provide a new, more versatile offering to the Indiana DMR community as well as allow the repeater trustees each to manage content and operate our repeaters on a local level. The BrandMeister platform supremely supersedes anything a cBridge based connection can or ever will provide DMR users and DMR repeater trustees. 

BrandMeister is also manufacturer agnostic, meaning both Hytera and Motorola repeaters can interconnect and operate in the same environment and with the implementation of the MMDVM, it can support homebrew repeaters as well. Another exciting feature is the integration of  digital voice platforms like the DV4Mini and the OpenSPOT Shark RF. BrandMeister also offers integration of GPS equipped radios reporting to APRS.fi, the Hoseline and Hoseline Archive (http://hose.brandmeister.network/), an intensely versatile user dashboard (https://brandmeister.network/), and automatically generated coverage maps using technology from CloudRF.com make BrandMeister a platform that caters more to the amateur radio operator. 

So, what’s the transition look like for the users? What you see below is a base template we’ll be offering in an upcoming codeplug release. We are working diligently with some of the master codeplug builders in the state to have codeplugs available to post so that it’s a smooth transition as things go live. People can add or delete talkgroups as they wish or use it as it stands. BrandMeister makes it that the user is in control of the content they wish to use, unlike the cBridge that says, “Here’s what you get, take it or leave it”. When the network was developed and the cBridge was built, simplicity and uniformity were key to its success, but that was over 3 years ago. So much has changed in DMR since then, and will continue to change. Either we accept and adapt to that change or DMR will shrivel and die. It’s just like AM versus SSB for our forefathers in the hobby. Change is inevitable. Thankfully, because of the flexibility BrandMeister offers, only a few talkgroups need changed in subscriber units.

The talkgroups in GREEN below will remain functional in radios
that are currently programmed to the old Hoosier DMR matrix.

Talkgroups in RED will need reprogrammed/changed.

Slot 1

BrandMeister World Wide English - TG #91 – PTT (15 min TOT)

BrandMeister North America - TG #93 – PTT (15 min TOT)

The Bridge - TG #3100 – PTT (15 min TOT)

Midwest/Region 9 - TG#3169 – PTT (15 min TOT) moving to slot 1

TAC-310 - TG #310 – PTT (15 min TOT)

Brandmeister Parrot - Private Call #9990 (changing from group call 9998)

Local Slot 1 - TG #2 -Full Time (true local)

Slot 2

Indiana - TG #3118 - Full Time

Illinois - TG #3117 – PTT (15 minTOT)

Ohio - TG #3139 – PTT (15 min TOT)

Kentucky - TG #3121 – PTT (15 min TOT)

Michigan - TG #3126 – PTT (15 min TOT)

TAC-311 - TG #311 – PTT (15 min TOT)
Local Slot 2 - TG #2 - Full Time (tied to other local repeaters)¹

^{1 -} Locals can still be tied together in BrandMeister using the “Cluster” feature

As we close, we’d like to thank all the users and supporters who have made Hoosier DMR the global phenomenon that it has become and the standard in which many other networks use to build from. We feel that this move in no way changes that and we will continue to be a shining star within the DMR community. Change is inevitably hard and scary, but together we will push through this and continue to be a stellar DMR network.

And finally, a huge thank you to Steve Jones, W9SMJ, not only for allowing us to use his cBridge, but for his guidance and support of the DMR technology. If it were not for him and his involvement, DMR in Indiana would not be where it’s at today. We hope that choosing to move to this new platform in no way impedes our relationship with Steve. He is a great ally to have, not only for DMR, but as a fellow amateur radio operator.

Please forward this on to anyone you wish.

God speed to you all and 73