I just wanted to throw it out there that I’m the owner of myGMRS.com, and we have been using app_rpt along with a fully-private registration server for the last 7 years. We were aware of the sensitivity of cross-linking GMRS to Ham (even accidentally) and have always kept our system 100% isolated from Allstar for that reason. One thing we noticed early on when we had both types of nodes on one server is that the URIx interfaces sometimes would get reassigned, so the one hooked up the GMRS repeater might suddenly enumerate onto the Ham node or vice versa. These were caught quickly but it drove the point home that the two cannot coexist on the same node because the risk of an accidental cross-link is VERY bad and cannot be allowed to happen.
Since we started, the FCC rules have been clarified a little bit to permit network interconnection but still ban PSTN use (for good reason). We have heard over the years that linking repeaters (emphasis mine) is permissible provided other rules are followed such as efficient use of spectrum (can’t tie up all 8 channels in a 20 miles radius for no reason), and no interconnection to the PSTN. Interestingly, there has been no discussion about simplex stations and linking with regards to GMRS. For that reason, my network completely avoids it and only permits actual repeaters to become nodes.
I don’t want to get into a discussion on this, but I want to mention that the two other networks on this page were created by people who have been banned from myGMRS due to bad behavior. They have opted to spawn off their own systems which is fine, but I want to mention that they DO NOT speak for the larger GMRS community and are certainly not the originators of app_rpt on GMRS using private registration servers.
To clarify a little bit on our use case, we take the latest AllstarLink version available, run some scripts to disable the registration and node list updating from Allstar’s servers, then substitute our own registration server and node list updating mechanism (a method nearly identical to AllstarLink’s in fact). At this point, we’re using the same software but no traffic is sent to or from the Allstar network.
We sell Raspberry Pi bundles with interface boards on our store and preinstall the software for anyone joining the network, since many people aren’t savvy enough to set it all up on their own. Then we encourage them to use the app_rpt resources available to them for learning how to manage their system.
We have set up over 70 nodes over the years, and some are no longer active or have switched to another network after we got them up and running. It’s a well-oiled machine for us, and one we are hoping to expand shortly by promoting more heavily on our site.
If anyone has further questions about our setup, you may direct them to me and I’d be happy to answer. Thanks so much to Jim and everyone who has stepped up to continue work on this great system over the years and not letting the project become abandoned.
I think with DMR taking over the Ham world in many areas, app_rpt is going to have to look to GMRS as a source of growth as more and more repeaters begin to go digital. For now, GMRS is still analog so linking via app_rpt is the best option right now. Interconnection with Zello is a popular request, which can be done with several hacks. It would be nice if we could support that natively with an app or channel somehow.
Here is our linking site: https://link.mygmrs.com/map
Rich Dunajewski
N2DLX / WQEJ577