VA3XPR Exploring the World of Digital Ham Radio
The repeaters on the DMR-MARC Canada network support a number of talkgroups, or virtual radio channels, for users within its coverage area to use. Any user that is tuned into a talkgroup will hear the traffic from all of other users on that talkgroup, which are usually intended to cover a specific geographic region or for a specific language. In addition, talkgroups are either designated as permanent or on-demand.
Permanent: These talkgroups are always active and any traffic on them will be automatically be broadcasted to all users that are listening on these specific talkgroups.
On-Demand: These talkgroups are inactive until a user initiates them by keying the PTT (push to talk) button on their radio while on that talkgroup. Once the talkgroup is activated, it will remain active until they become inactive for 5 minutes. To reactive the talkgroup, a user simply needs to key their PTT on the talkgroup again.
Talkgroup Specifications
| TALKGROUP NAME | DISPLAY NAME | TALKGROUP ID | TIMESLOT | CONNECTION | INACTIVITY TIMEOUT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | WW | 1 | 1 | On-demand | 15 min. |
| Worldwide English | WWE | 13 | 1 | On-demand | 15 min. |
| North America | NA | 3 | 1 | On-demand | 15 min. |
| Canada | CAN | 302 | 1 | Permanent | N/A |
| Echo Audio Test | Parrot | 9998 | 1 | On-demand | 5 min. |
| TAC 310 | TAC310 | 310 | 1 | On-demand | 15 min. |
| User Accessible English 1 | UAE 1 | 113 | 1 | On-demand | 15 min. |
| User Accessible English 2 | UAE 2 | 123 | 1 | On-demand | 15 min. |
| DMRPlus USA | DMR+US | 133 | 1 | On-demand | 15 min. |
| DMRPlus UK | DMR+UK | 143 | 1 | On-demand | 15 min. |
| Golden Horseshoe Area | GHA | 8 | 1 | Permanent | N/A |
| Local 2 | Local 2 | 9 | 1 | Permanent | N/A |
| Quebec | QC | 3022 | 2 | On-demand | 15 min. |
| Ontario | ON | 3023 | 2 | Permanent | N/A |
| Manitoba | MB | 3024 | 2 | On-demand | 15 min. |
| Alberta | AB | 3026 | 2 | On-demand | 15 min. |
| British Columbia | BC | 3027 | 2 | On-demand | 15 min. |
| New Brunswick | NB | 3029 | 2 | On-demand | 15 min. |
| Local 1 | Local 1 | 2 | 2 | Permanent | N/A |
Check out the Codeplug Files page for ready-to-go codeplugs with all Canadian UHF repeaters and talkgroups set-up for your DMR radio.
Talkgroup Descriptions
| TALKGROUP NAME | COVERAGE | DETAILS |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | All regions | This talkgroup is intended as a global, multi-language calling channel and is carried by most DMR repeaters in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. |
| Worldwide English | English speaking countries | This talkgroup is intended as a global, English language calling channel and is carried by DMR repeaters in English speaking countries. |
| North America | United States & Canada | This talkgroup is intended as a North American English language calling channel and is carried by DMR repeaters in both the United States and Canada. |
| Canada | Canada wide | This talkgroup is the Canadian national talkgroup and is carried by all Canadian DMR repeaters. |
| Parrot | North America | To use the Parrot Audio Test, simply key your radio on the "Parrot" talkgroup to initiate the connection and then speak into your radio using a normal voice. Within a few seconds, you will hear you audio echo back. This talkgroup is not intended for conversations. |
| TAC 310 | North America | This is an on-demand North American talkgroup that allows DMR users to dial in at will, without creating traffic unnecessarily on other DMR repeaters. Users just key their PTT to activate the talkgroup. After 15 minutes of inactivity, this talkgroup will no longer be active. |
| User Accessible English 1 | Worldwide | This is an on-demand worldwide English only talkgroup that allows DMR users to dial in at will, without creating traffic unnecessarily on other DMR repeaters. Users just key their PTT to activate the talkgroup. After 15 minutes of inactivity, this talkgroup will no longer be active. |
| User Accessible English 2 | Worldwide | This is an on-demand worldwide English only talkgroup that allows DMR users to dial in at will, without creating traffic unnecessarily on other DMR repeaters. Users just key their PTT to activate the talkgroup. After 15 minutes of inactivity, this talkgroup will no longer be active. |
| DMRPlus USA | North America | This is an on-demand North American English only talkgroup that is interconnected between the DMR-MARC and DMRPlus networks. Users of this talkgroup can communicate with DV4mini users who also connect to the DMRPlus USA talkgroup. |
| DMRPlus UK | Europe | This is an on-demand European English only talkgroup that is interconnected between the DMR-MARC and DMRPlus networks. Users of this talkgroup can communicate with DV4mini users who also connect to the DMRPlus UK talkgroup. |
| Quebec | Quebec | This talkgroup is carried by all DMR repeaters in the province of Quebec. DMR users outside of Quebec may connect their local DMR repeater to this talkgroup on-demand by keying their PTT. After 5 minutes of inactivity, this talkgroup will no longer be active. |
| Ontario | Ontario | This talkgroup is carried by all DMR repeaters in the province of Ontario. DMR users outside of Ontario may connect their local DMR repeater to this talkgroup on-demand by keying their PTT. |
| Manitoba | Manitoba | This talkgroup is carried by all DMR repeaters in the province of Manitoba. DMR users outside of Manitoba may connect their local DMR repeater to this talkgroup on-demand by keying their PTT. After 5 minutes of inactivity, this talkgroup will no longer be active. |
| Alberta | Alberta | This talkgroup is carried by all DMR repeaters in the province of Alberta. DMR users outside of Alberta may connect their local DMR repeater to this talkgroup on-demand by keying their PTT. After 5 minutes of inactivity, this talkgroup will no longer be active. |
| British Columbia | British Columbia | This talkgroup is carried by all DMR repeaters in the province of British Columbia. DMR users outside of British Columbia may connect their local DMR repeater to this talkgroup on-demand by keying their PTT. After 5 minutes of inactivity, this talkgroup will no longer be active. |
| New Brunswick | New Brunswick | This talkgroup is carried by all DMR repeaters in the province of New Brunswick. DMR users outside of New Brunswick may connect their local DMR repeater to this talkgroup on-demand by keying their PTT. After 5 minutes of inactivity, this talkgroup will no longer be active. |
| Golden Horseshoe Area | Golden Horseshoe area of Ontario | This talkgroup is carried by the DMR repeaters in the Golden Horseshoe area of Ontario, which includes the greater Toronto area, Hamilton and Niagara Peninsula. |
| Local 1 & 2 | Local repeater coverage area | Both the Local 1 and Local 2 talkgroups are only carried by the VA3XPR-1 and VA3XPR-2 repeaters in Toronto and Niagara Falls areas and are intended for local traffic within each repeater's respective coverage area. |