Digital –Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio

(30 hours of semi-trivia – presented in 30 minutes)

Jim Lang / KD9GY

D-STAR

•What is it ?•Who might like it ?•How to get started ?•What do all the terms mean ?•Where can I use it ?

D-Star – What is it ?

D-STAR (Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio) is a digital voice and data protocol specification developed as the result of research by the Japan Amateur Radio League to investigate digital technologies for amateur radio.

Initially developed in the late 1990’s!

D-Star – What is it ?•Method of moving voice packets encoded

by the AMBE vocoder, locally, regionally, or globally.

D-STAR Network

Who might like it ?•Do you like VHF & UHF communications?•Do you like DX ?•Do you like Echolink ?•Do you like Packet ?•Do you like Computers ?•Do you like APRS ?•Do you like writing software ?

•No D-Star Radio Required▫DV Dongle

•D-Star Radio Required▫DVAP (DV Access Point)▫D-Star Hot Spot▫D-Star Repeater

How do I get started ?

How do I get started ?•Step 1 – Hardware

▫Choose your access method•Step 2 – Registration* (NSRC or SUHFARS

locally)▫Register your call sign▫WARNING !▫Ask for recommendations on where to

register•Step 3 – Talk

Registration Requirements

D-STAR Network

NOTREQUIRED REQUIRED

Definitions•AMBE – Advanced Multi-Band Excitation•DV – Digital Voice•DD – Digital Data•Hot Spot•R2D2•D-RATS•Reflector

Look inside the radio

AMBE

2.4kbpsdigitized voice +FEC Controller

4.8kbps(3.6 voice +1.2 data)Modem

GMSK Signal

Analog Speech

D-STAR Network

Look at DV Dongle

AMBE

Computer

Analog Speech

D-STAR Network

IP Encapsulation

NOTE: No Radio Present !

Look at DVAP

D-STAR Network

Look at DVAP

D-STAR Network

Typical range:Several hundred feet

Look at Hotspot (GMSK Modem)

D-STAR Network

RepeaterRange – Same limitations as analog repeater

MoenComm.com

$129 total costOptional speaker / mic - $10AMBE 3000 chip

Works on Windows and Raspberry Pi

Jim Moen – K6JM

NW Digital (www.nwdigitalradio.com)

One or the other – NOT both!

Existing Illinois Network

This is only a partial screen shot of the Midwest activity.

Go to: www.dstarinfo.com and click on “Repeater Maps and List”

The Missing Link – ‘Reflectors’• Repeaters for Repeaters• Chat-Rooms

• REF 01C - Dstar’s MegaRepeater• REF051C - Chicago area / Northern Illinois• REF051D - Central / Southern Illinois• REF051A - Emergency Traffic (Illinois???)• REF 1B - Illinois D-Star net (Wednesdays 9

p.m.)• REF 14C - Ham Nation ‘after show’ net• REF 19B - Wisconsin net (Sun & Wed, 9 p.m.)

But Wait – There’s More!•“DCS” and “XRF” Reflectors too•DCS 006R - Lake Zurich (KC9VUF)

•*51C connects to REF 51C•# disconnect•D618 connects to DCS 006R•0 (zero) status of link•B10B X Reflector XRF 10B

Resources• http://dstarinfo.com• http://dstarusers.org• http://www.moencomm.com

▫http://www.k6jm.com/hs-setup.htm• http://groups.yahoo.com

▫dstar_digital▫gmsk_dv_node▫DStar-Gateway

• http://dutch-star.eu• http://ok-dstar.blogspot.com• #DSTAR YouTube channel• IcomAmerica.com/dstar• http://www.dv3kdongle.com/DV3K_Dongle/Home.html

Icom radios

Kenwood tri-bander w/Dstar???March, 2016???

Summary•D-Star has a bit of a learning curve•Digital is different from analog•It’s been a LOT of fun!•More to come, along with System Fusion,

DMR and other digital modes

Questions? Comments?? Gripes???

Thank You!