[drats_users] Using D-Rats on a reflector

[Nate Duehr]

James Deuel wrote:

> Yes, maybe. I say, maybe because it happens a lot. There is something 
> wrong with gating. I tested my IC91AD listening to the local repeaters' 
> signal in analog. If I keyed down every 2 seconds 30 times with no RPT2 
> call sign, I got the repeater to respond 30 times. If I did this 
> procedure again with RPT2 set to "W4AES  G" with no connection to 
> another station or reflector, 2-3 out of 30 transmissions would not key 
> up the repeater, even while holding the PTT for 15 seconds. The repeater 
> would not key up until I unkeyed, waited a few seconds and then 
> rekeyed.  Add this bug to not waiting for the courtesy beep of a stopped 
> data tx and it can be difficult to know if you were heard or not.

I think you're ramming into the response from the Gateway of "RPT?" or 
"UR?".

Remember when you send to "CQCQCQ" with the Gateway in RPT2 field, the 
Gateway still LOOKS to see if there's a user on the network named 
"CQCQCQ" and responds with "RPT?" saying, "nope... your callsign route 
didn't work!" every time you unkey.

The reason everyone does "CQCQCQ" with the "G" of the local repeater 
system in RPT2 is that DONGLE users can't hear local traffic if you 
don't.  Any local traffic with say, "CQCQCQ" and NONE in RPT2, doesn't 
go to the Gateway, and Dongle users then can't hear it.

That response can take a second or two if the Gateway linux box is 
slow/busy/etc.  Every Gateway will respond at a little different "speed" 
to callsign routing requests and responses.

Nate WY0X