# Digital Amateur Radio # Digital Mode Logs Here are my [digital mode logs](https://nocodb.w5jer.com/dashboard/#/nc/view/708f8be5-e9b9-42ca-b631-221d8f97c2bb). I haven't been working digital very long but the more I do, the more I enjoy it as I learn. If you want to be added to my logs, please call for me (W5JER) on the YSF America Link or my reflector at [YSF50301 Digital Radio](https://w5jer.com/books/digital-amateur-radio/page/the-digital-radio-ysf-reflector-ysf50301 "The Digital Radio YSF Reflector YSF50301"). These logs are hosted on my Proxmox server with a NocoDB Docker container. If you want to shoot me a message on Discord before you call for me to make sure I am listening, you can do that. My ID is Geeked#1257.# Digital Amateur Radio for Dummies Learn the modes, methods and meanings of Digital Amateur Radio. # What is the Difference between YSF and FCS Reflectors? Both FCS and YSFreflector servers use different protocols to communicate with connected clients. The main difference between them is that FCS servers handle rooms numbered from 0 to 99 and you can select which room you want to use during connecting to the server. YSFreflector servers do not have rooms. FCS = Fusion Connect System YSF = Yaesu System Fusion YSF reflectors are usually put up by individuals, or groups for a specific use case. Either to host a local group or to bridge into a yaesu room to grow the amount of users that can partake by linking from hotspots. FCS is a server based solution created originally by the DL team that brought you the dv4 line of products as a connection point for their specific product users. Although the dv4 product line seems to be dead in the water the FCS was opened up to other developers for inclusion with their hardware. Both host specific group use, general use and bridged use. The full list of YSF reflectors. [https://register.ysfreflector.de](https://register.ysfreflector.de) A listing of FCS rooms can be found on [http://xreflector.net/](http://xreflector.net/) # Our Yaesu System Fusion Reflectors # The Digital Radio YSF Reflector YSF10001 Hello and welcome! This YSF reflector is free to use for anyone. I only ask that you please use English language and that you do not bridge the reflector to any other nodes, repeaters or the likes without asking permission first. I welcome all to the Digital Radio reflector! If you love tech like computers, servers, homelab and selfhosting, add this reflector to your memory bank and help me keep it active! If you are looking to contact me on my reflector here, please note I am only on the reflector from 9am - 11am and in the evenings from 6pm - 8pm EST. Otherwise I am usually perusing and searching for other reflectors. This does NOT mean the reflector is down. The reflector is always online and available to use whether I am there or not.

If you want to use the reflector for private use, please understand, no public reflectors are private and anyone can be listening at any time.

You can visit [the Digital Radio dashboard](https://ysf.w5jer.com) to see who is connected under the "Connected YSFGateways" section towards the top. The Digital Radio YSF Reflector is being hosted on my Proxmox server using [this docker image](https://github.com/neilbartley/ysfreflector-with-dashboard) which also includes [the dashboard](https://ysf.w5jer.com). ![](https://snip.lol/JipE3/JoKisAtu34/raw.png) As you can see, the docker container uses very little resources but this is yet to be tested on a heavy use case scenario. ![](https://snip.lol/JipE3/punEBAqe90/raw.png) I can easily manage the reflector via my Portainer dashboard. There are very few active YSF reflectors right now that are dedicated to tech. If you would like to help out in any way to bring people to the reflector, feel free to do so! Invite anyone who is licensed. # The -USA-TAC YSF Reflector 12345 The -USA-TAC reflector has been created to allow finishing long QSOs started on the America Link Reflector, while allowing new calls to take place on the wide-audience reflectors. This is not a call channel. [![11111111.png](https://w5jer.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/scaled-1680-/11111111.png)](https://w5jer.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-01/11111111.png) If you are familiar with DMR, you might know TAC talk groups are common. I wanted to carry that over to YSF to give people a place to carry on longer conversations. [https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Tac](https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Tac) - Tac or TAC is an abbreviation for "Tactical". - TAC is also an abbreviation for "Talk-Around Channel". As defined above, Tac and TAC broadly describe a dedicated or temporarily assigned, non-primary radio channel (repeated or simplex) or TRS-Talkgroup, used for at least one of the following general purposes: 1. Relieve radio congestion on the primary channel/talkgroup by moving heavy and/or event-specific radio traffic to the secondary Tac/TAC channel/talkgroup, 2. Improve clarity and safety for event-specific communications by providing a (possibly encrypted) dedicated or temporarily assigned channel/talkgroup free from unrelated radio traffic. 3. Improve direct unit-to-unit simplex communication when the repeater-site is out of range. Origin of the TAC channels on amateur radio DMR : [http://www.trbo.org/talkgroups/tac.html](http://www.trbo.org/talkgroups/tac.html) > TAC talkgroups are a project that provides a series of talkgroup(s) that can be used by 2 or more hams (on 2 or more repeaters) without necessarily busying out hundreds of repeaters and/or multiple IPSC networks. Consider it a routing method somewhat similar to STARnet, a PSTN trunk line or Tactical or a "go-to, on-demand channel" to be used after making contact on a wide area talkgroup such as North America, Comm 1, text message or by way of a schedule. It is not a calling talkgroup per se but a destination talkgroup. > Why call them TAC's? Tac is short for tactical, a term used in law enforcement and other public service agencies for unit to unit operations or communication so that the main dispatch frequency is not tied up for lengthy conversations. The idea is the same for DMR and other digital modes; that is, to provide talkgroups that do not tie up the main or wide area talkgroups which have hundreds of repeaters connected. This approach enables a few hams to chat without that negative impact to the main talkgroups while using the fewest possible repeaters to make the conversation possible The US-TAC 12345 YSF Reflector is being hosted on my Proxmox server using [this docker image](https://github.com/neilbartley/ysfreflector-with-dashboard) which also includes [the dashboard](https://tacdash.w5jer.com). We also host the [YSF 10001 Digital Radio reflector](https://w5jer.com/books/digital-amateur-radio/page/the-digital-radio-ysf-reflector-ysf10001). This reflector can be called on and we encourage any and all to use it! # Digital Mobile Radio More commonly known as DMR, Digital Mobile Radio topics and articles will be here. # Active DMR Talk Groups If you are new to DMR or just looking for activity on DMR, these are the talk groups that have the most activity with English as the commonly used language. ### Brandmeister Network World Wide TG 91 America Link TG 31656 East Coast Reflector TG 3129973 ### TGIF Network East Coast Reflector TG 9050 World Wide Chat TG 31226 You can also [check this page for active Talk Groups](https://tgif.network/activetg.php).