--- In [email protected], "e_l_green" <ki6...@...> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "n9aa" <scott.manthe@> wrote: > > Reduce the $$$ barrier? The D-Star chip costs about $25. No one is going to > > be able to manufacture an open source vocoder chip for less than that.
Agreed. For now in the radios themselves the AMBE chip is the most cost effective way to go. The cost barrier, I believe is a reference to the $200 AMBE DV dongle. As pointed out; just stream GSM (or some other open codec) over the internet to gateway stacks that have a DV dongle on site. This way anyone who wants to try D-Star from a PC or whatever doesn't need the stupid dongle. All other digital radio models have an option of transcoding/encoding at the site. The P25 Astro modem, MotoTRBO, etc. No reason to soak everyone $200.
