DARC Digital Net

Facts to help understand the system:

• The Repeater uses FM Simplex or Yaesu C4FM digital protocols.  C4FM is the Yaesu digital mode.  YSF is Yaesu's 'Yaesu System Fusion' which allows a C4FM radio to connect to Wires X and the internet.  Confusion can occur as the Pi-Star hotspot also uses a YSF mode, which is not supported by Yaesu and was written by Amateur Radio enthusiasts to bridge the C4FM to other digital modes such as DMR, D-Star, etc.

• A Reflector is a digital mode 'talk room' that can be accessed via a Hotspot or via a bridged Repeater.

• The GB3AG Repeater is both analogue and digital.  It will receive and send in both simplex FM and digital Yaesu C4FM.  FM signals have priority over digital signals.

• The Repeater is linked to the GB DundeeARC Reflector so any digital transmission on the Repeater will be heard on the Reflector and vice versa.

• If you are near enough to the Repeater and have a C4FM radio, you only need to enable digital mode to connect to the Repeater.  Wires X only needs to be enabled if you are wanting to change the Reflector that the Repeater is currently connected to.

• If you are not close enough to the Repeater or do not have a C4FM digital radio you can connect to the Reflector via your own Hotspot using your digital radio.  This will allow users with DMR, D-Star, etc., to 'cross mode' onto the YSF C4FM system and connect to the GB DundeeARC Reflector, which they select via their Hotspot.  Therefore they will also be heard on the Repeater.

Connection examples:

• A C4FM radio in digital mode is close enough to connect to the Repeater.  It can then speak to other users on the Reflector who also have a C4FM radio in digital mode and to those connected to the GB DundeeARC Reflector with a digital radio.

• A digital radio is not in range of the Repeater but the user has a Hotspot.  The radio in digital mode (This can be C4FM, DMR, D-Star, etc.) connects to their hotspot.  This then sends the signal via the internet to the Reflector that they have selected in their Hotspot.  It will also handle any 'cross mode' required to connect to the Reflector.  If the selected Reflector is the #60253 GB DundeeARC Reflector, then a QSO can be held there or as the Reflector is also linked to the GB3AG Repeater, anyone connected to it using digital, can also talk to anyone on the Repeater.

• Wires X.  Wires X is a Yaesu system to connect C4FM radios via the internet to other Wires X users.  Each Wires X system has an ID which allows users to connect to other specific Wires X nodes.  Basically the Wires X system becomes a network of Reflectors.  Other digital modes such as DMR and D-Star, etc., cannot connect directly to Wires X, or to the GB3AG Repeater, so the Wires X system is connected to the MM0XET hotspot to form a multi mode bridge onto the Repeater.  Those with a Wires X unit can also connect to the system via Wires X.  In the Dundee ARC system, the Wires X system is purely used to bridge the connections and there is no need to connect to it directly for most users.