Frequently Asked Questions

Questions and statements that come up again and again, answered for WPSD Palisade, with where to read more. For WPSD (legacy), see its FAQ.

Essentials

Is there a user guide?

You’re reading it. It covers WPSD Palisade; WPSD (legacy) keeps its own manual.

Help! WPSD doesn’t work!

Start with Troubleshooting: the log of the program giving you trouble almost always says what’s wrong. Then read how to get WPSD help the right way, and bring your logs with you (see Getting Help).

I used WPSD (legacy). Where’s the Configuration page?

It’s split into pages, one per subject. Radio holds your station, the modem and each mode; Manage links reflectors and changes talkgroups as you operate; System holds the device itself. Search settings in the top bar (or press /) finds any setting by name and takes you to it. See The Dashboard and Radio Settings.

Your settings can come with you: restore your WPSD (legacy) backup on System > Backup & Restore. Before anything changes, the page shows what carries over, what’s adjusted, and what doesn’t. See Backup and Restore.

How do I find my WPSD on my network?

Open find.wpsd.direct on a phone or computer on the same network: it shows your WPSD device with a link to it (on a busy network, type its ID first). It works without knowing the WPSD device’s address, and where .local names don’t. See Finding your WPSD device and, to turn the listing off, Security.

A reflector, host or master I use has disappeared from the list!

WPSD’s host files are checked for availability before they reach your WPSD device: a reflector that doesn’t answer at that moment is left out. It comes back by itself once it answers again, usually within hours. See Host Files.

I added a reflector or master to a host file by hand, and my change was wiped out!

Expected: the host files are replaced each time they’re updated, in every mode. Add your own servers on each mode’s page in Radio, under Your reflectors (on DMR, Your masters and XLX reflectors). They’re kept apart from the downloaded lists, survive every update, and show first in every list. See Custom Hosts and Talkgroup Names.

I edited a program’s settings file by hand, and my change disappeared!

Also expected: WPSD Palisade writes each program’s settings file from the dashboard’s settings, and writes it again at every change. Put your change in Custom Settings instead: it’s kept, tried first, and switched off by itself if the program won’t run with it.

Why does the top bar say updates are waiting?

Your WPSD device keeps itself current in two ways. WPSD Palisade releases (the whole system, tested together) download in the background and, in Automatically, install in your update window (1:00 to 4:00 in the morning by default, your local time), between calls; in Ask me first the top bar says WPSD update ready until you choose. Operating system updates: security fixes install by themselves in their own window if Install security updates automatically is on; Raspberry Pi kernel and firmware updates wait for you to choose Install, and if one needs a restart, you choose when. See Updates.

Leave the WPSD device powered on, and updates take care of themselves.

What do the version numbers mean? Which channel should I use?

WPSD Palisade releases are numbered by the year and month they were built, then a count: 2026.11.0 is the first release of November 2026, 2026.11.1 the next. A higher number is always newer, and a number is never reused. It is the one number you’ll see: in the dashboard’s top bar, on System Information and Updates, and in the image’s file name. Unlike WPSD (legacy), which changed a little every day, Palisade comes in tested releases. Most releases are small WPSD-only updates that need no restart; those that change Debian or the kernel come whole, with one restart.

Each release reaches Beta first and Stable (the default) after it has proved itself there. Use Stable for a WPSD device you rely on, Beta to get releases earlier and help find problems. A release may reach some WPSD devices a few days before others, so Up to date while a friend has a newer one is normal. Choose the channel on Updates.

Do I have to flash a new card for a new Debian release?

No. With WPSD (legacy), moving to a new Debian release (Bullseye, Bookworm, Trixie) meant a fresh image. WPSD Palisade releases include their Debian, and a release that moves to a new one installs like any other, keeping your settings, profiles and history. It never installs by itself: you choose when. Only cards made before updates came in need flashing once (see Updates).

An update “didn’t stay”. What happened?

Every new release is tried first: the WPSD device restarts into it and checks that WPSD comes up, stays up, and is back on the network. If not within 5 minutes (or the power goes off while it starts), it goes back to the release it had, by itself, and nothing is lost. Details on Updates says what went wrong. Automatic updates skip that release; a newer one is offered when it comes. If it keeps happening, see Getting Help.

I broke something! How do I get back?

Start with the smallest step that undoes it:

  • A change you just applied: restore a snapshot of that program’s settings.

  • A setup you liked: switch back to its profile, or choose Undo changes in the profile menu.

  • A custom setting: turn it off, or turn all custom settings off (Custom Settings).

  • Everything: restore a backup, or use System > Device Reset, which can reset the radio settings or erase the WPSD device back to how the image shipped (Device Reset).

http://wpsd.local doesn’t load!

Your network almost certainly doesn’t support .local names (mDNS): common with some routers, guest or isolated Wi-Fi, and many Android devices. It doesn’t mean the WPSD device isn’t running. Open find.wpsd.direct instead, on a phone or computer on the same network: it finds your WPSD device and links to it. Or find its address in your router’s list of connected devices and open https:// followed by that address. Reserving that address for the WPSD device in your router (a DHCP reservation) keeps it from changing.

A new WPSD device isn’t wpsd.local but wpsd- and its ID, such as wpsd-5ca1ab.local.

If you renamed the WPSD device, it’s at its new name followed by .local. See Wi-Fi and Device Name.

A mode shows Failed, and everything looks set up right!

Check the clock first. Many digital voice networks turn away a device whose clock is far off, and a Raspberry Pi has no battery-backed clock: after a power cut it has to set its clock from the internet. System > System Information shows whether the clock is synchronized. Once the WPSD device has a working internet connection, it synchronizes within a minute or two.

If the clock is fine, read the gateway’s log: a refused password and an unreachable server look different there. See Common Symptoms.

WPSD (legacy) did X, and WPSD Palisade doesn’t!

WPSD Palisade is a new dashboard and a new way of running the WPSD device, not WPSD (legacy) restyled. Many things moved, were renamed, or are done differently, and matching the old version feature for feature was never the aim. If something seems missing, search this guide (or Search settings on the dashboard) for how WPSD Palisade does it, before assuming it’s gone.

Callers’ names or talkgroup names don’t show!

Every Raspberry Pi WPSD Palisade runs on can show them. Talkgroup names need Show talkgroup names on in Preferences, and the large caller panel needs Show the Live panel. Names come from the lists on your WPSD device, kept current by Host Files: check those have updated. For a US callsign missing from those lists, Look up US callsigns online asks WPSD’s callsign service. See Common Symptoms.

Hardware and compatibility

Do you have disk images for other hardware?

If it isn’t listed, there’s no image for it. WPSD Palisade’s image is built and tested for the Raspberry Pi models listed in Gathering the Hardware.

Does the original Pi Zero W (or Pi 1, Pi 2) work?

No. WPSD Palisade is 64-bit only, and those boards are 32-bit. If you like the Zero’s size, use a Pi Zero 2 W.

Does WPSD Palisade work on the Raspberry Pi 5?

Yes, as well as the Pi 4, Pi 3 and Pi Zero 2 W. See Gathering the Hardware.

Are the images ZUMradio, DVMEGA and BridgeCom put on their products the same as WPSD’s?

Yes. These vendors use the same WPSD images on their devices, made to each vendor’s requirements.

What are the “official” images for ZUMradio, BridgeCom, DVMEGA and others?

Images the vendors sanction as the official software for their devices. We work with them directly and make these images to their specifications: they’re the exact images the vendors install and ship.

Will WPSD Palisade work on my brand of hotspot?

We work directly with these commercial hotspot makers, and build images to their specifications:

  • DVMEGA (the original DVMEGA, from the Netherlands)

  • ZUMradio (USA)

  • BridgeCom (USA)

Any other WPSD device built on one of the supported Raspberry Pi models with an MMDVM modem board, on the Pi’s pins or on USB, will very likely work too, home-built ones included. The WPSD community helps with home-built hotspots. The modem boards known to work are listed in Gathering the Hardware; see also the recommended boards below.

Why don’t you have images for brand X?

We prefer to work directly with established commercial hotspot makers, and there are few really good ones. Their hardware and parts are of high quality, better than most of what crosses our benches, which makes for a better experience with both the software and the hardware.

Many other “brands” aren’t really brands: they’re small batches assembled from commodity parts, often around cloned modem designs (the “JumboSpot” and its many copies, and poor copies of DB9MAT/DF2ET/DO7EN and ZUM boards), which are of lower quality and less reliable. Those makers also don’t reach out to work with us, as the others have.

I want to build my own WPSD device. Which modem boards do you recommend?

Boards by DVMEGA (the Netherlands), ZUMradio (USA), LoneStar (by N5B0C, USA) and BI7JTA (China) are the best-quality boards we know of, and the ones we use ourselves.

Note

There are two companies using the DVMEGA name. The original, genuine DVMEGA is at dvmega.nl and sells through authorized resellers; we work with them directly. “DvMega LTD” in the UK is a different company, whose products we don’t know or use.

How do I update my modem’s firmware?

On Radio > Modem & Radio, the Firmware card shows what your modem runs and the newest firmware for it; choose Update firmware…. It takes about a minute, with the radio off. WPSD updates modems on the Pi’s GPIO header; a USB modem is updated with its maker’s tools. A board locked by its maker can only be updated by the maker. See Modem firmware, and calibrate again afterwards (Modem Calibration).

My TGIFspot’s Nextion display doesn’t do what it used to!

TGIFspots with Nextion displays ship with their own software changes, which drive some of the display’s extra functions. Those changes aren’t part of WPSD Palisade, so on WPSD Palisade the display works as a standard Nextion. Load a standard Nextion screen file, and choose its layout on System > Display (Displays). Beyond that, you’re on your own with these displays.

My Nextion shows the date in the wrong order (27/01/20 instead of 01/27/20)!

WPSD Palisade sets the system locale to en_GB.UTF-8 on purpose, so dates and times are formatted the same, unambiguously, on every device. A Nextion screen layout that shows the date in the “wrong” order for you has that order built in, instead of rendering the date itself. Ask the layout’s author to fix it, or use a better-written layout. Changing the system locale isn’t supported.

Dashboard and use

Why does my browser say the connection isn’t private?

Your WPSD device encrypts the dashboard (HTTPS) with a certificate it made for itself, and browsers warn about any certificate that isn’t from a public authority. It’s safe to continue (often under Advanced), and the warning doesn’t come back for that address. A listed hotspot also gets its own address, <id>.wpsd.direct, with a certificate browsers trust; while wpsd.direct is being tested those are test certificates, so the warning still shows. See Security.

Can I use the dashboard on my phone?

Yes, all of it. On a phone, the dashboard puts the calls first, and every page adapts to the screen: you can set up, manage and maintain your WPSD device from a phone as well as from a computer.

Can I use the dashboard on a screen plugged into the WPSD device’s HDMI port?

No: WPSD Palisade is an appliance, like your Wi-Fi router, and its dashboard is used from a web browser on another device. Many browsers can cast a page to a TV or other screen. For a screen on the WPSD device itself, see Displays; for a big view of the call on the air, use the Live panel’s full screen (The Dashboard).

A monitor plugged into the HDMI port shows the WPSD device’s console screen: the addresses to open the dashboard at, or, before it’s set up or when it can’t reach your network, what to do next. It stays current as that changes.

Can I listen to QSOs without a radio?

No. Your WPSD device connects your radio to the networks; you need the radio to hear them.

Some stations are too loud or too quiet. Can WPSD adjust the volume?

No, and it isn’t a missing feature: your WPSD device never handles audio at all. Digital voice modes carry data, not sound; audio exists only inside your radio and the other station’s, which encode and decode it. Adjust the volume on your radio. See Where your audio actually goes.

Can I change the colors of the Live panel?

The dashboard follows your device’s light or dark setting, or the one you choose for this browser in Preferences. Beyond that, its look is fixed.

I changed my callsign, name or address, and the dashboard still shows my old details!

The dashboard looks a caller up in this order:

  1. The WPSD device’s own copy of the DMR ID and NXDN ID lists, from RadioID.net. If the caller is there, that’s what’s shown.

  2. If not, and it’s a US callsign, WPSD’s callsign service, built from FCC data (if Look up US callsigns online is on in Preferences).

  3. Otherwise, no name or location is shown.

So if your details are old:

  • Update your registration at RadioID.net. This is the most common cause: updating the FCC or your country’s regulator doesn’t update RadioID.net; you have to do it yourself.

  • For a US callsign that RadioID.net doesn’t list, the callsign service can take several days to catch up with FCC changes.

QRZ.com isn’t used for these lookups, so QRZ showing your new details doesn’t change them. (QRZ is only where a callsign on the dashboard can link to.)

DMR

Why can’t I pick a single DMR master from one long list?

Your WPSD device connects to DMR through DMRGateway, so it can be on several networks at once: BrandMeister, SystemX, DMR+, TGIF, XLX and a custom one. Turn on the networks you use on Radio > DMR, and choose each one’s master. For a master that isn’t listed, use the Custom Network or add your own master. See DMR and DMR Networks and Talkgroup Prefixes.

How do I use DMR timeslot 1, or both timeslots?

Only duplex modems carry two timeslots. Simplex modems, which are most of them, carry timeslot 2 only. With a duplex modem, run Guided Setup: when it detects one, it turns on Duplex Mode and both timeslots. To set them by hand, see Duplex Mode in Station, Modem and Radio and Timeslots in DMR.

Do I have to use the talkgroup prefixes (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)?

Only for networks other than your primary network: its talkgroups are dialed as they are. Choose as primary the network your codeplug is set up for, and dial the others with their prefix. See DMR Networks and Talkgroup Prefixes.

My codeplug has no prefixes, and I don’t want to change it!

Make the network your codeplug is for the primary network: no prefixes needed for it. If you need routing the standard rules don’t give, add your own rules (DMRGateway Rewrite Rules).

What happened to Node Type (Private, Semi-Public) and the Access List?

Radio > Access Control has a private (only you) switch for each mode. On, only your own callsign and ID can use the WPSD device over the air in that mode; that’s the default, and right for nearly everyone. Off, any station heard over the air can use it. There’s no access list on the dashboard. See Access Control.

I run a repeater or public hotspot. How do I open it to everyone?

Turn private off on Radio > Access Control for the modes others use; no list of IDs is needed. Check your license allows an open station first, and consider setting up RF Remote Control so the keepers can shut it down from a radio.

Parrot on BrandMeister doesn’t work reliably!

If you’re also connected to BrandMeister from a DMR app on your phone or computer at the same time, that’s almost certainly why. Both connect with your plain DMR ID, BrandMeister can’t tell them apart, and Parrot and other calls go to the wrong one. Give your WPSD device its own ESSID on Radio > DMR, so it connects as a separate device, or disconnect the app while using the WPSD device. See DMR ID collisions and the ESSID.

Features and changes

Can you add feature X for me?

No. We don’t take feature requests: the WPSD team decides what WPSD Palisade does next.

How do I change WPSD’s code to do X?

You don’t: WPSD Palisade’s code isn’t open to changes. For settings the pages don’t have, use Custom Settings, which is supported.

My changes to WPSD’s own files keep being overwritten!

By design. WPSD Palisade runs on many WPSD devices and keeps them all on the same, supported software, so its own files can be replaced as shipped at any time. We don’t support modified installations, or help keep your changes from being overwritten. Settings belong in Custom Settings.

Software I installed keeps disappearing!

Don’t install anything into WPSD’s own folders: /opt/wpsd, /usr/local/bin and /usr/local/sbin are WPSD’s, and can be replaced as shipped at any time. Use a folder of your own under /opt.

Warning

We don’t support third-party software or changes to WPSD installations: you’re on your own. WPSD Palisade is an appliance as shipped. Please don’t ask for help with third-party software in WPSD’s support channels.