D-Star D-STAR* (General)

Hi Colin

I have asked the chaps in the office for answers to your questions. Here they are.

1 & 2 . Yes you do have to register yourself with one or more callsigns. Your local administrator should do this.
3. You should deregister from your first repeater when a local repeater comes on line.
4. Not a present. There are no reporting pages at the momemnt but this may be coming.

Best Regards

Ian Lockyer M3INL

This is Colin, a new foundation licensee and soon to be proud owner of a 92 handheld. DStar interests me because of my IT and networking background of 20+ years....

In Practical Wireless there was mention of a requirement to register with the DStar repeater network as a general user but I am confused as to how to go about this. Most of the information I have found has related to Repeaters and Gateways, which makes sense. In the US on the Houston site there were details relating to repeaters and individual users IP addresses, but it wouldn't apply over here. So, these are the questions

1) Do individual stations need to register the callsigns with the network?

2) If so, where is the information as to how to do this?

3) If it involves registering with a repeater, as there are none close by does it matter if I choose one not too far away and then a nearer one comes on line?

4) Are there any general bits of Linux/Unix or MAC software that can be built upon for a user?

Cheers

Colin
M3WXH

Hi I am Brian and the proud new owner of an IC-E2820. Basically i had decided, after a couple of years inactivity due to a combination of equipment failure and a protracted bout of accute anorexia in my wallet, that i was able to divert some of my now aquired 'pension payoff' into the till of my local emporium. Toy time again hi. Anyway, after much deliberation wondering whether to stick the tried and trusted data modes on 20 with nice new 890 for instance. I thought no, i've got the tea-shirt there. How about 'And now for something completely different', as the pythons would say. What about this Digital Voice thing?. Mmmmm, don't want to catch another cold like the time i bought the Beta Max off of Micky Pearce though!. Maybe it wont take off, i ask myself. But then i say, well if everyone thinks that no-one is going to make a move right?. Right!. So i decided to 'Boldly Go'. I have the rig, now what. Forum. good start, pays to advertise. Repeater?. Nope, too far away at present. Simplex is the answer for me, so it's just a matter waiting for other bods to tune in to the future. Tune where, i ask myself. what frequency?. Now thats what i would like suggestions about initially. Where do i focus my attention for the call of the lesser spotted digi-bod. Incidentally, if i were to call cq on say 145.000 in digital mode, am i right in saying that non digi monitors would not hear it, thus not actually being upset by an alien intruder?. After contact one could qsy of course, but to where?. Any ideas would be welcome. Thanks 73 for now. Brian (g0hdi)

Hi Don
Thanks for the info and hope to be able to work on the repeater again soon..
Gerry

Hi Gerry

The frequencies are likely to change again as we are just using these to see if the drop out we experienced in the beginning was as a result of a mix.
Since the change we have not had any of the original problems but have experienced some loss in sensitivity.

My thoughts are that because the frequencies are now at each end of the band the antenna on site is not a good match at the RX frequency of the repeater.

Have been busy on other things for the last couple of weeks but soon we change frequencies back to the final resting place and see what problems that causes.

Regards

Don
G4TKR

MMmm
Something is amiss me thinks..
I used to be able to access the repeater ok even on mid power from my qth but since the frequency change i cannot?? VSWR is still the same and even on high power i still sound like a dalek (so i am told)
73s
Gerry

"I am a little confused. You can only access the Herne Bay Repeater if you have a D-Star enabled transceiver because it is only a digital repeater."

Hi Ian,

That's WHY I haven't bothered purchasing a D-Star enabled radio yet. The Herne Bay repeater is too far away from my home QTH to enable me access it, so who would I use a D-Star enabled radio to talk with if I can't use it to access an established D-Star enabled repeater?

The radio on it's own is of no real use without a D-Star enabled repeater local to me to access the internet or for increased coverage. Hence the reason I'm waiting to see what develops locally on the digital front.

Hopefully one of the local clubs or perhaps the Kent Repeater Group can be persuaded to add a D-Star enabled repeater in or near the Medway Towns?

Looking forward to Thursday 27th at the BRATS.

Richard

Thanks for kind words.

More and more information will be posted to the forums and news section about our developments with D-Star and I am sure there will be strong relevance for your needs. I know that a lot of voluntary emergancy groups in the States are using D-STAR.

Best wishes

Ian

Jonathan

Thanks for your message. I am a little confused. You can only access the Herne Bay Repeater if you have a D-Star enabled transceiver because it is only a digital repeater.

Our guys will be seing you next week, but the main focus will be on the IC-7800. They will bring along some D-Star units, however they are only D-Star users and have not been behind the development of D-Star in the UK. They will endeavour to answer any questions, but it may be the case that they will have to refer the questions to other people in our company.

All the best

Ian

Brilliant Site just hope we get more people on here. Being the Controller of Medway Raynet Group I am interested in D-Star and its application in emergency situations especially the data side and talk groups.
Hoping more information is going to become available especially on the gateway software and where I can get a copy from!

All the Best
73
Richard Mason
2E0RAM

This new D-Star digital technology is looking very interesting. Unfortunately I'm unable to access the Herne Bay repeater from my QTH so I've held back on deciding on whether to get any D-Star enabled radios. Maybe you guys can bring along some D-Star radios when you visit the BRATS club in Medway on the 27th of September?

It would be great to see them in operation and I know a lot of local operators are looking forward to seeing the presentation in general.

Gerry
Thanks for your kind comments. Since officially lanching D-STAR our team have been very busy fine tuning our product offering for interested repeater groups. Don Turner and Jerry Kelk have been working extremely hard and their progress will posted in various parts of the site. Not sure where they will sit at the moment...but as soon as we have it, they will be posted to the site.

All the best.

Ian

Nice looking site Ian..
Hope it all takes off with D-Star. The 2820 i brought is a great bit of kit cant wait to use it to it's full potential.
73s Gerry
G0PWX