I guess I look at the problem this way. If all you want to do is talk
don't buy a DSTAR radio. It is much cheaper to buy an FM radio and talk
to the guys.
If you want to use packet you have to buy a TNC which is about 200
bucks. Any respectable dualband radio will cost 350 and add the TNC and
what do you have, 550.00. This is more than a DSTAR radio. Want the
dualband to do APRS and you can add the cost of the TRACKER another
60.00. and the cost of a GPS. min of 60.00. So now we are carrying
around the TNC and wires, the wire for the GPS and the Tracker and power
supply to make the tracker work, and the total rises to 670.00 in parts.
I purchased my DSTAR IC-880 new for 500.00 and added my old Garmin. It
dose APRS, DPRS, FM, DSTAR,Packet,DRATS,DSTARTV, TEXTING, EMAIL, FILE
TRANSFER, connects to Reflectors (giant linked repeater system), and I'm
sure I am missing a mode.
EBAY will allow you to get rid of all that radio gear you have not used
in years and make up the difference in price of the new radio.
Plus you will put yourself in a situation to help out in a much more
efficient manner _when_ the disaster hits your part of the world.
On 7/12/2010 7:39 PM, Donald James wrote:
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.org/blog/2010/06/converting-the-kenwood-tkr-820-to-use-with-d-star/
<http://k7ve.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
