Nate, Thanks for making my point -- the D-STAR part is the easy part, and if you go non-ICOM, it's nearly free. The hard, and expensive work, is the traditional repeater part of it, which you have outlined very well.
So the good news -- when someone has an existing analog repeater which they'd like to convert to D-STAR, they can do it easily and inexpensively. Probably the biggest issue is adding in a reliable internet connection. Even there, some people have repeaters with line of site from their abode, and with proper directional antennas, a wifi connection is not too difficult. I got into HF in 1959, and I've never done a real repeater, but whenever I read posts from people, like you, who have put up one or many repeaters, I gain more and more respect for the knowledge and effort that's required. Jim - K6JM ----- Original Message ----- From: Nate Duehr To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 12:57 PM Subject: Re: [DSTAR_DIGITAL] Re: DSTAR newcomer FINISH On 5/24/2010 11:19 AM, J. Moen wrote: Yes, the simplest part of setting up a new D-STAR compatible repeater is the D-STAR part. The real work is the traditional stuff -- site, analog radios, duplexers, antennas etc. That would be ANY repeater, actually. ;-) Why do hams think the radio part of well-performing repeaters is the expensive part? Always amazes me. If it's going to be used to offer service to a so-called "served agency" (even though we can't legally provide service to anyone, nor accept remuneration for same)... - Site rent (or a sweetheart deal) for somewhere really worth putting a repeater at - Hardline & Connectors - Double-shielded jumpers - Commercial-grade antenna - Proper weatherproofing materials (no, $1/roll electrical tape doesn't cut it) - Commercial-grade filtering products (duplexer/pre-selector cans/etc.) - Commercial-grade power supply - A secure way to remotely power cycle it all (especially D-STAR repeaters) - Commercial-grade router that can be remotely managed (unless you enjoy pain) - Commercial-grade server with dual power supplies (unless you enjoy outages) - Commercial-grade Lightning protection/grounding for everything, including the Internet connection. Optional: - Commercial-grade pre-amplifier (if you have appropriate test gear to see if you made a positive or negative difference adding it) - Commercial-grade final Amplifier (again, don't bother if you don't know what "balanced system" means and have added the pre-amp) And you can remove "commercial-grade" and fight with maintenance on it as much as you like (it's a hobby, after all), if you're not planning on signing up with a "served agency" to be primary for emergency traffic on it, and emergency traffic will only show up as a last-resort. Buying an Icom D-STAR repeater: Couple thousand bucks Buying all the appropriate stuff to put it up correctly: Another couple thousand bucks. Owning the right test gear to know you did it right: ANOTHER couple thousand bucks. Knowing you did it right: Priceless. :-) Unless you're individually quite wealthy, a properly done repeater is not "affordable" at all. Consider a typical new high-quality HF rig, something a contester would be proud to use after reading the technical specifications... and look at the price tag.... a repeater done right costs at least that much. The list above is just the standard list we use to deploy ANALOG repeaters... typed up off the top of my head. Proper repeater installation hasn't really changed in 20 years, other than a modern crimp-on RF connector done with the right tools actually does yield more consistent results, faster... and they didn't back then... If you're going up to 1.2 GHz... even more expensive "additional gear" is required. Nate WY0X p.s. I didn't install the RF side of W0CDS, and will make no claims for or against its performance. I know the people who did, and they usually do things right... but in regards to W0CDS, I just maintain the Linux box for 'em.
