My two Cents on the D-star Drama. The problem here is not the technology itself. The problem with Dstar is that radios are so expensive.
The radios aren't expensive, hams are cheap :) >>> AMEN to that! --- if you compare an IC2AT (really good single frequency, synthesized, DTMF but no CTCSS radio) of 30 years ago, with a dual-band D-STAR/FM radio with CTCSS a thousand channels and other goodies, dollar for dollar the new radio is HALF the price (taking inflation into account). >>> That is so, so true. I have and LOVE my O3AT and 3AT's and my IC-271H, they still work like new and work so well but what they cost back then (taking inflation into account) was about what these "D-Star" radios cost today . and they can do so much more, with three time the power out! As far as radio frequency pairs are concerned, I believe that if a radio club wants to put a dstar repeater in their area, they should take down an analogue pair that they have in use and use for dstar. STOP HOGGING UP THE SPECTRUM, It is only fair. 2M and 73cm are already crowded as it is. What is hogging the spectrum is clubs that have multiple repeaters covering the same geography on analog and most of them unused. Or people who have coordinated pairs that aren't being used (even if they have a repeater on them) and won't vacate for newer technology, or setting aside 400 kHz. of the repeater sub-band for simplex on 2 meters. You do realize we can put at least 2 D-STAR repeaters in 25 kHz. that would mean at least 16 new narrow repeater pairs on 2 meters just by moving FM simplex down to 145.5-145.8? The spectrum hogs are the ones using wide FM when newer better technology is available, including NFM. >>> Thank you, that couldn't be more true, there are way to many "paper repeaters" and repeaters that are to say the least "redundant"! There's more than enough room, even in NYC, LA and any other large city. I dont think hams are afraid of change, It is about the money that has to be dished out buy a radio to get out on the 2/73/220Mhz bands. We all know how expensive it is to maintain an analogue repeater now think about how much it is going to cost to maintain a digital repeater. I can assure you that membership fees are going to go up and then what? A digital repeater costs no more maintain than an analog one. If you have Internet to an analog repeater (such as IRLP or EchoLink) that is the same as providing Internet for D-STAR gateway -- but Internet is not required to have a digital repeater. Converting an analog repeater to D-STAR can be relatively cheap -- see <http://k7ve. <http://k7ve.org/blog/2010/06/converting-the-kenwood-tkr-820-to-use-with-d-s tar/> org/blog/2010/06/converting-the-kenwood-tkr-820-to-use-with-d-star/> >>> For anyone wanting to get into D-Star (or P25 for that matter) just put in either or the two in your saved searches in eBay. It's AMAZING how many get these radios not knowing what they are and let them go for practically nothing. 73's de N2VU
