Configure a hotspot for VKDMR IPSC3
This guide is for Pi-Star and other MMDVM-style hotspots connecting directly to the VKDMR IPSC3 master. The cleanest setup is a single-mode DMR hotspot pointed directly at IPSC3, then confirm it appears on the live hotspot dashboard.
1. DMR only
Enable DMR and turn off other digital modes unless you have a specific reason to keep them running.
2. Select the master
On Pi-Star select DMR+_IPSC3-VKDMR-HAMNET. On WPSD select ipsc3-vkdmr.
3. Save and restart
Apply the hotspot configuration and allow MMDVMHost to reconnect to IPSC3.
4. Check the dashboard
After reconnect, confirm the hotspot appears on the live Hotspots page.
Select the IPSC3 master
For Pi-Star, set DMR Master to DMR+_IPSC3-VKDMR-HAMNET.
For WPSD, select ipsc3-vkdmr.
Recommended hotspot settings
- Set your callsign and your own DMR ID correctly.
- Set the modem and RF frequencies correctly for your board.
- Enable DMR Mode and disable other modes such as YSF, P25, NXDN, D-Star and POCSAG unless you have a specific reason.
- On Pi-Star select DMR+_IPSC3-VKDMR-HAMNET as the DMR master.
- On WPSD select ipsc3-vkdmr.
- Use colour code 1 unless you have a local reason to do otherwise.
- Configure the hotspot as simplex or duplex to match the hardware. IPSC3 detects and handles the difference.
Avoid DMRGateway unless needed
A direct MMDVMHost connection to IPSC3 is preferred. DMRGateway can be useful in experienced hands, but it adds another routing layer and can make the dashboard, source IDs, talkgroup selection and mode behaviour harder to understand.
If you do use DMRGateway, make sure you know exactly how it is rewriting or forwarding traffic. Unexpected things can happen when DMRGateway and IPSC3 are both trying to make routing decisions.
Custom MMDVM options recognised by IPSC3
IPSC3 recognises a small number of custom options in the MMDVM options string. Option names are case-insensitive. Multiple options can be separated with semicolons.
ScanExclude=505,3801,3802,8409
Prevents those talkgroups from being sent to that hotspot while the hotspot is in Scan Talkgroup 777 mode. This is per hotspot. It does not affect normal direct talkgroup use, camped talkgroups, private calls or other hotspots.
ScanInclude=3801,3802
Allows only the listed talkgroups to be sent to that hotspot while it is in Scan Talkgroup 777 mode. This is the reverse of ScanExclude and is useful when a hotspot should scan only a small set of groups. If a talkgroup is listed in both ScanInclude and ScanExclude, ScanExclude wins.
TalkerAlias=Y or TalkerAlias=N
Enables or disables outbound talker alias injection for that hotspot. It is off by default. When enabled, IPSC3 builds a UTF-8 alias from the radio ID database using callsign, first name and city where available, then truncates it to the DMR talker alias payload limit. Use this with caution because some radios handle talker alias poorly. If in doubt, leave it off.
DashboardToken=ChangeThisLongRandomValue
Enables limited self-service dashboard access for that hotspot. Once the user enters the token on the hotspot detail page, they can start or cancel scan mode and cancel the current dynamic camp for that hotspot only. The token is masked in hover/details output and does not grant operator access.
ScanInclude=3801,3802;TalkerAlias=N;DashboardToken=ChangeThisLongRandomValue
Unsupported options are ignored and shown as Options Ignored in the hotspot hover/details view so you can see exactly what IPSC3 accepted.
Troubleshooting checklist
- Check the Hotspots dashboard for your callsign, suffix, status, traffic counters, BER and RSSI.
- If the hotspot does not appear, confirm the DMR master is DMR+_IPSC3-VKDMR-HAMNET on Pi-Star or ipsc3-vkdmr on WPSD, and that DMR mode is enabled.
- If audio routing looks strange, remove DMRGateway and test with a direct MMDVMHost connection first.
- Use Parrot on TG 9990 to confirm your RF path and audio before reporting a network fault.
- When testing Scan Talkgroup 777, remember ScanExclude and ScanInclude are per-hotspot options and only affect scan output.