> I agree. Each situation is so vastly different that no one can say > with any certainty a mode will out preform another. We need all > of the ammunition that we can have at our disposal. > Emergency communications is NOT a contest or competition between > modes. > Its what we do, not with what we do it that counts.
After considerable experience on D-Star nets, both via dplus links and Icom's multiplex facility, and in callsign routed QSO's, I am of the distinct opinion that D-Star communciations are fairly unreliable. Dropped streams are frequent. Folks double on each other and knock each other out. For strickly local nets with five or more folks, analog outperforms D-Star hands down. Icom's multiplex facility is as bad or worse, and cumbersome to set up. Comparison to wider area nets is difficult since I have little experience with echolink and IRLP, but I'd sure like to hear from folks who do. Ammunition is good so long as it is not a dud... 73--John
