I am very pleased to announce a new 2m D-STAR Digital Voice repeater, WB9FDZ is on the air on the Baraboo bluffs. The repeater is on 145.255 (-600 KHz).
The D-STAR internet gateway is not currently operating, but there will be an announcement when the internet gateway is on-line and how the registration process will work. The repeater antenna is currently at 225 ft. on the tower, but will ultimately be at the 385 ft. level on the tower on the 600 foot Barboo bluffs at ~ 1,000 feet HAAT. The 25- watt 2m D-STAR repeater feeds a 110-watt amplifier with 60 watts out of the duplexer into the antenna system. A picture of the repeater equipment rack is attached. We expect the repeater should have same fantastic coverage over south central Wisconsin, including Madison, as the existing YTARC FM repeater on 147.315 (123.0 Hz) at the same site. We've already had feedback the repeater signal strength is full-scale in a mobile in downtown Madison. The repeater is sponsored by the Yellow Thunder Amateur Radio Club (YTARC) and was constructed by Brad, KB9VMC & Steve, N9UDO. They should be congratulated for taking the leadership to put on the air south central Wisconsin's first wide-area D-STAR Digital Voice repeater. D-STAR Digital Voice technology offers unique capabilites such as noise free voice and concurrent low-speed data supporting GPS coordinate transmission & text messaging that will be useful for EmComm / ARES and public service activities. I've attached a list of Wisconsin D-STAR repeaters currently on the air and planned. If you'd like to learn more about D-STAR Digital Voice & Data technology I've attached an Introduction & Overview of D-STAR. You can find more information about D-STAR in the DIGITAL folder of the Files section of the Madison Amateur Radio yahoo group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MadisonAmateurRadio/ You can learn more about YTARC at: www.yellowthunder.org We would like to hear signal reports about the repeater's coverage. Look forward to hearing you on D-STAR. 73, Mark, WB9QZB
