Change of Operations

7/24/24 – 9:30am

    We are turning 4 Years Old and with nearly 800 nodes connected I’m pretty much getting out of the radio hobby. It is supposed to be fun which it hasn’t been for a long time. I stopped using Amateur Radio because of the ‘Sad Hams’. To many people thinking they are better then everyone else. I found GMRS and it was fun. Not the crappy CB radio but good people to talk to and have a light hearted conversation. But.. To many people ruin the hobby. Some try to put digital some think they need to improve the network by adding everything from Zello to their toaster. They think they need to link it to everything. They think it is there job to add stuff so others can join, but those people could just join themselves. Why can’t they just get on the air and talk to people like it was designed to do? Why do they need to change things? 

    GMRS is not for ‘Emergency Ops’! There are plenty of better ways to support that. If you can use GMRS to talk to friends and loved ones in a emergency that is great but you shouldn’t plan your life around it. 

    I tried to protect the system and make it so everyone could enjoy it and would be safe for any age group. So you would know who was on. Those days are gone. I took so much grief from people over the few little rules we had. When the network started there were really no rules. Just have fun and enjoy. Then came the people that wanted to change things. They wanted what they wanted and screw everyone else. We allowed Zello in the beginning and even hosted a Zello link. It was a great tool along with IAX for people out of range of their normal connection to still be apart of the network. But then the SAD GMRS groups came along and started creating huge network groups on Zello that were not even members of the network. Has anyone else noticed Zello is mainly a bunch of people wanting to talk just like CB but don’t want to get a radio. It got so bad with the interference and not known whom was doing what we had to stop it. Why couldn’t they just use it as a tool for themselves and other users. Oh what a bunch of crying from a few. One person even told me they were ‘Required’ to have a Zello link for EOC operations. Huh??? But the users that had Zello and was using it in a positive manor didn’t see how others were using it. How do you stop one and let another? That is just on type of thing I had to put up with while Volunteering my time.

The network became like Farmville on Facebook. First thing I did every morning was check to see if all was ok. I’d check multiple times daily, then before bed. For years it has it has consumed me. Pretty much dropping what I was doing to help someone with a problem.

That is why I am stepping away from radio. I may use it every now and then but I’m going to find a different hobby and spend more time with the family. Maybe something to do with programing and doing computer stuff. I have enjoyed learning the C language. To accomplish this and keep the network running I have to change a few things…

• No more Banned list of users. If they have a GMRS License they can have node numbers. Anyone currently on the band list will be cleared and they can join. Changed my mind. Screw the people that didn’t want to play nice to start with.
• No more general support. The support email and contact will be for account issues and registration issues ONLY (like name changes and ports…). All other will not be addressed or returned. When we first started we had to help a lot of users that were new because there was nowhere else for them to go. Now there are plenty of talented people on our Facebook Group that can help.
• The network is self policing. You police your own nodes and or HUBs. If someone connects to you and does something you don’t like tell them or bounce them. You always have the option to Blacklist them.
• You connect and do as you wish with your own node. If you connect your toaster to it and it screws things up well it is your fault. If you connect something that isn’t working correct and you want to connect to someone else have at it, but be ready for that person to bounce you and block you.

Yes you read right, Put Zello, DvSwitch or anything else you want online.

I am not going to spend my time hunting anything down anymore.

    For those many people that have made this network what it is today I say Thank You . This is going to make more work for you but I’m sure you can keep things under control on your stuff. I am truly sorry a few have ruined it for the others. Life is just to short for me to be miserable anymore. But it was never an option to just shut it down completely.

    In the last four years the network has grown. For the first few years we ate the total cost. People asked to help with the cost and we always turned them down. Then with retirement in the future and the network getting bigger we allowed donation. We never requested them, and this is NOT a request now. The network is fine. If things ever come to it not supporting itself then we will simply turn it off.

    This is not and never has been a money making venture. Look around we have no paid advertising. We don’t ask for a thing. We don’t sell anything. No links to anything to make money. Look at other pages, many with affiliate links. Stores to sell stuff. Try to sell parts. Anything to make money. We just wanted the best network for others to enjoy.

Don’t even think I’m giving up. I haven’t been beat. I’m just bored and want something else to do with my time. – Tony

Registration Server Problems

7/11/24 – 9:00am

The Registration server had issues this morning. It stopped reporting registered node. Thanks to a user contacting us it was repaired and put back online. It appears that our cloud service did some maintenance and one of our apps  didn’t like it. A simple restart of the app and all is well. Sorry if this effected you. We have added a ‘Pushover’ Notification to let us know with in a minute if something like this happens again. It is the first time in four years the registration server has had a issue so that is a pretty good record.

HUB Server Updates are done.

7/6/24 – 6:15pm

We have been trusted to try out the new Allstar Version 3 for a few months now and am very pleased with the product they have put out. The platform is very stable. It is based on Asterisk 20 and upgradeable and should be around for a long time. After trying out a HUB for a few weeks on some unsuspecting users everything worked great. With this information available to us we decided to converted all the HUBs GMRS Live supports to the new version and it works flawlessly. There are a few differences in the configuration of the RPT and such but nothing to difficult. We have even moved over the links from the VOIP Live monitor with no issues. That is not to say we won’t see some growing pains down the road but for as now it is all running as planned. It currently hosting a few IAX clients along with  17 HUBs including the popular 700. Lets see how well it can stand up.

Summer break

6/28/24 – 11:00am

Summer break was nice, It gave us a much needed stress break. On our travels we got to meet a great group of people from the RoadKill group when we stopped in Ponchatoula, Louisiana. We had planned on a couple weeks out and watched the network for errors the entire time but did not process any support emails. Thanks to Tone Rodriguez (WROR906), as he processed most request for node numbers and account changes during our break. We got back home early and started processing the remaining emails and are up to date. Thank You to everyone for your understanding while we took the break, but things are back to normal. – Tony & Kim

What happened

6/4/2024 – 6:00pm

Well it didn’t work out how we planned. The idea was perfect and the changes were perfect but the way Supermon is written it didn’t work. For some reason Supermon Adds the user ip address after the name. We think we have a better solution and it will even correct the staus information in the DVSwitch app. Sorry for jumping the gun. Just keep a eye out here and we will give you a better fix.

Everyone please hold up changing the IAX.

6/4/2024 – 2:30

Please wait while we try a new line so the Supermon page will display properly. You can make the change if you wish but we will be updating the command lines for extension.conf.

This is where to find information

6/4/2024 -1:15pm

As said before this is where we will make announcements. We have, for the last couple of notices, blanketed Facebook with a update to check here. We will be stopping that. If you want to keep up on what is happening in GMRS Live then check here often.

Users using IAX connections

6/4/2024 -12:00pm

ALL node owners that host IAX connection must change your extension statement.

Any user wishing to use IAX connections on their node such as DVSwitch or Zoiper and such must amend their connection command in extension.conf. You should instruct your users to have their call sign in there app under caller id. Following this doesn’t always tell where the users is at and all don’t do it. This is where you come in. If a user is allowed IAX connection and becomes a issue of any kind it is very difficult for us to determine whom has the issue. If a HUB owner has many connection and they need to determine who or from where a connection is that to is very difficult. With this new command all IAX connection will be identified by the node number they are connected regardless of what someone puts in their app. It will remove the possibility of anonymous activity.

Currently the connection line of the iax statement (if the node number was 12345) looks like this..

Changing

The above line needs changed and one line added above to add the node number to the caller id string.

Changing

The lines we use to announce the node connection and setup the correct caller id is, taking note the node number is in two places on the last couple lines..

Changing

Zello is no longer allowed on the Network

05/28/2024

Effective June 1st, 2024 Nodes that are connected to Zello in anyway will be deactivated until it can be shown that Zello has been removed. After a short grace period that remains to be decided any accounts that have nodes connected to Zello will be closed. This does not include IAX access such as DVSwitch. For network security there will be setup requirements users will need configure to have IAX (DVSwitch) connected to nodes. This is so we can protect the network as well as users using it. Those instruction will be coming in the following days. Until then just continue your IAX as you are.

Hours of operations

05/26/2024 – 11:30

Effective today the operational hours of GMRS Live support are from 8:00am to 11:00am eastern time, Monday thru Friday except holidays. No network work will be done outside those hours unless it is an emergency (like a server down). This includes email, phone, programing and Facebook. On occasion we may start early. All emails and requested work (account changes additions and corrections) are on a first in – first out bases and only between the hours above..

Outside connections and Linking (DVSwitch and Zello)

05/24/2024 – 08:02

We do not allow linking our network to other networks outside GMRS Live. It has always been that way. DVSwitch and Zello has always been allowed on your own nodes. GMRS Live is a RADIO linking project. We have always known that users can not be by their radio all the time and want access. That is when these tools come in to play. They are just that ‘temporary tools’, They should not be an alternative for full time way to access the network. That is what it has become, that’s not radio. If someone wants to use the network they should get a radio and use a local repeater or if they want access to what the whole network has to offer get a simplex node. If you have a node and sometimes out of range and you setup DVSwitch to use, when that happens that is fine. DvSwitch is a single connection (not a group), but again should not be used for full time access.

Zello is a different animal. We more and more seen users are not using it as a connection home but as network. Giving others access to the GMRS Live Network. Anyone can join Zello. You might say you screen who uses it, that’s BULL. We have had many issues with Zello. We had someone using Zello the other day and they said they screen everyone and everyone must have a GMRS License. I created a Zello account and logged on. 10 minutes later they gave me full access. No one had a clue who I was. Then I looked at the users list and saw people from all over the country. Also I saw other Zello groups in it. Who where they connected to? How many people were on those groups? Who were they shared with? This means they were their own network and was giving access. They have no way of knowing who is connected down stream to someone else. That is not what GMRS Live is about. That is NOT radio. This is not giving you access to your own node when your out of range. It is being used to give access to whom knows who. It is like the old days when a guy and girl went to the drive in movies and had 6 people in the trunk so they could get in the movies free. If someone wants to talk on this network then they should join like everyone else and be a member. Linking others outside the network is just degrading it for all of the members (you included).

It all boils down to Zello is going to be removed from GMRS Live. We have in the past had to many issues with people abusing it. When this happens it takes hours for us to figure it out and remove the issue. I don’t have time for that. Like I said above many are creating and using it as a network of their own. If you want to use Zello instead of Radio request your account with us be closed and go use Zello. If you feel you have a right to use Zello then do the same and close your account.

Once this gets fully implemented if Zello is used on a node the owner of the node will be removed from the network (all nodes, voip, Facebbook..).  Say what you like. Tell me how it is your equipment and you can do as you want with it. I will say you are right and go do with it as you wish. Same as us. This network is our equipment and it has no place for Zello. The users signed up to be members so they can use their ‘Radios’ and talk to others. There was little worry about the content because of the other users being like minded. But when a few introduce Zello and who knows what then the the security of the network fails. Some users have or had a Zello link and controlled it. It is really sad a few have to ruin it for others by abusing it.

DVSwitch will still be available but it is to be used as a alternate way for users to connect to the network. Not a full time connection. We are going to look at this more but one thing is that DVSwitch users must have their Call Sign and the Node Number (ie.. WABC123 – 611)  they are connecting to in their description. Whoever owns the node they are attached to is 100% responsible for their actions while using the network. If they act inappropriately or don’t display the Call Sign/Node the node will be deactivated.

So in closing if you think you just have to have Zello connected to your GMRS Radio then contact us and we will close your account.

DYNS DNS Server updated

05/01/2024 – 09:00

The updates to the DYN-DNS Server are complete. When we first added the server it was tied to the Registration Server. Any node that registered got added to the DNS Server. If a node was already on the server the ip was just updated. This was good being that if for some reason your node went offline your DNS would still work to the last known ip address. When we moved the server to its new updated home we didn’t like how it just kept everything for years even if a user wasn’t active any longer. We began just having currently connected nodes on the DNS server. This meant that if your node went offline then your DNS would no longer work. If it was a problem with asterisk then you could not use the DNS to remote in and you would be dead in the water. With our upgrades to the Registration Server we know put the information in the database and that is where the DNS Server pulls from. It searches the Database for ‘Active’ nodes and adds the information (if available) to the DNS. It does this every minute of every day. So if your ip changes or your node goes offline for some reason then the server will point to the last known ip address for that node. Each node is independent of each other.

VOIP Live Server Update

04/12/2024 – 08:30

Disk space was getting short  so I updated the server. Instead of taking it off line to just do the disk I figured might as well do everything while it was down. I doubled the.. CPU, Drive Space and Memory. This upgrade should carry us for awhile. It took longer then expected. Most all extension that were online before the upgrade are back on now. Everything appears fine. 10:57est

RSYNC Server

04/11/2044 10:35

Install and configure a RYSNC server. Will send individual user created node audio files. User will be able to create a file saying their node/HUB number and name instead of the standard Node 7 0 0 connected.

Work on new node list updater continues and this feature will be included.

Node List Fixed

04/10/2024 10:42

Node list is repaired an online.

Node List Offline

04/10/2024 10:30

Node list is offline. We moved a few things yesterday and must have broken the link. We are looking in to it and it should be back shortly.