1. Saturday, Mar 6 2010

2. Introductions Let’s get to know one another

3. Purpose Introduce new users to D-Star Refresh current users in procedures and practices Help with radio programming including programming examples Explain D-Controller functions and command structure Explain Linking, Routing, Reflectors

4. What IS D-Star? Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio Developed jointly by the Japan Amateur Radio League and ICOM beginning in 1999 Significant changes released in 2004 Defines two modes DD (Digital Data) – High-speed digital data – only on 1.2 GHz – not in very wide use DV (Digital Voice) – Voice (and a low-speed data channel) available on 2 m, 70 cm, and 23 cm We’ll be discussing the DV mode

5. Digital Voice Uses the AMBE CODEC, provided by Digital Voice Systems, Inc. Operates at 4800 bps 2400 bps for the voice channel 1200 bps for the Forward Error Correction channel 1200 bps for the low-speed data channel Approximately 6.25 kHz occupied bandwidth – a significant spectrum savings compared to 16 kHz occupied by a standard FM voice signal

6. Advantages and Disadvantages Range is approximately the same as a standard FM repeater, but with a difference Standard FM Repeater signals gradually degrade and get noisier with distance D-Star signals decode and sound fine until they “drop off a cliff” Marginal D-Star signals will “R2D2” D-Star radios cost somewhat more than comparable FM radios While an open standard, only ICOM is making D-Star equipment

7. More Advantages and Disadvantages CODEC is proprietary – this gives some people heartburn Programming becomes more difficult You can link to any connected D-Star repeater in the world with simple commands Linking is currently Internet based, reducing reliability in the event of a disaster There are many more advantages and disadvantages, but we’ll leave that for future discussions

8. Current NC D-Star Repeaters W4GSO – Greensboro, NC – 70 cm AK4EG – Burlington, NC – 2 m, 70 cm, 23 cm KR4RDU – Carrboro, NC – 70 cm KI4WXS – Charlotte, NC – 2 m, 70 cm, 23 cm KR4RAL – Raleigh, NC – 70 cm

9. On To The Good Stuff OR How to USE that new D-Star radio!

10. Some Definitions to Start Off Repeater D-Controller Gateway D-Plus Reflector Linking Routing DV-Dongle DV-Access Point Quick-Key

11. Callsign Fields MyCall UrCall Repeater 1 Repeater 2

12. How to Make It All Work Think of it like layers Normal FM repeater – Frequency, Offset, maybe Tone D-Star repeater – Frequency, Offset, ID (MyCall), Destination (UrCall), Repeater used (R1), Additional Repeater used (R2) All fields must be properly set to make it work like you want it to

13. Some Examples For regular day-to-day communications MyCall – K4HC UrCall – CQCQCQ R1 – W4GSO**B R2 – W4GSO**G This enables anything I transmit to pass to the Gateway – this includes connected Dongles, Access Points, Repeaters and Reflectors

14. For local ONLY communications (e.g. don’t want to interrupt conversations on a connected reflector) MyCall – K4HC UrCall – CQCQCQ R1 – W4GSO**B R2 – Blank or “Not Use” My transmissions WILL NOT be passed to the Gateway – will ONLY be heard on the local repeater

15. Linking vs Routing Routing defined in the D-Star standard Linking defined by D-Plus Routing is more cumbersome Every station wishing to participate must alter their settings to participate in Routing Linking requires a single command, then everyone set up for Gateway operation can participate Routing is blind – you can’t hear what’s going on at the distant end For these reasons, Linking is normally preferred over Routing

16. Routing – A BRIEF Overview Two types of Routing Callsign Routing (to a specific station) Source Routing (to a specific Repeater) One advantage of Callsign Routing is you don’t need to know WHERE the called station is – the call is routed to the last repeater where that station was heard (some delay in this)

17. Callsign Routing MyCall – K4HC UrCall – WG5Q R1 – W4GSO**B R2 – W4GSO**G Routed to last heard repeater/port WG5Q used To reply, WG5Q would need to alter his settings (using one-touch reply)

18. Source Routing MyCall – K4HC UrCall – /KR4RDUB R1 – W4GSO**B R2 – W4GSO**G Transmissions would output on the KR4RDU Port B repeater To reply, a station would need to alter settings Note the port is in the 8 th position

19. Linking – THE Preferred Way MyCall - Stays the same, all the time UrCall – Normally CQCQCQ Also used to Link, Unlink, Callsign Route, Source Route, issue D-Plus and D-Controller commands R1 – Always the repeater and port you are talking into – 8 digits R2 – Used for Gateway and (future) RF port forwarding – 8 digits

20. Link Examples MyCall – K4HC UrCall – REF017CL R1 – W4GSO**B R2 – W4GSO**G This will link the repeater to Reflector 17C Note L in the 8 th position This is the only time the port is moved from the 8 th position to the 7 th position

21. Link Examples MyCall – K4HC UrCall – KR4RDUBL R1 – W4GSO**B R2 – W4GSO**G This will link W4GSO B to KR4RDU B Note no space between KR4RDU and B Note L for Link in position 8

22. Link Examples MyCall – K4HC UrCall - *******U R1 – W4GSO**B R2 – W4GSO**G U in the 8 th position This will Unlink from any repeater or reflector

23. Command Examples MyCall – K4HC UrCall – W4GSO**E R1 – W4GSO**B R2 – Not Use Echos from D-Controller Also shows BER (Bit Error Rate)

24. Command Examples MyCall – K4HC UrCall – W4GSO**E R1 – W4GSO**B R2 – W4GSO**G Echos from D-Plus Also shows BER

25. Command Examples MyCall – K4HC UrCall – W4GSO*S0 R1 – W4GSO**B R2 – Not Use SAVES a message for automatic playback

26. Command Examples MyCall – K4HC UrCall – W4GSO*R0 R1 – W4GSO**B R2 – Not Use RECALLS (Plays) a recorded message

27. Command Examples MyCall – K4HC UrCall – W4GSO*C0 R1 – W4GSO**B R2 – Not Use CLEARS a recorded message

28. Notes on Channel Memories While you can manually change the values especially in UrCall for Linking, Routing and issuing commands, this tends to be cumbersome I have several “channels” programmed with the same frequency information, but to perform different functions W4GSO Gateway W4GSO Local W4GSO Link to Ref 17C W4GSO Link to Ref 02A W4GSO Unlink W4GSO Save Message W4GSO Play Message W4GSO Clear Message Plus others Memory Names identify what is what

29. More Programming Ideas Use Memory Banks for different areas Develop a naming convention that YOU understand Buy the Software, and make or buy the cables – your life will be much easier

30. Questions?

31. Thank You!