Hello D-STAR People, Well Im new to the group and have only been `playing' with D-STAR for a month or so but I am having fun while learning this new technology. I am a hardware design engineer working in the Data Storage industry so I love all things technical, and enjoy understanding new technologies and have been a ham since before Packet Radio came out (yes a long time).
I purchased an Icom IC-80AD and have been using it to chat with forks on the W6DHS and K6MDD D-STAR repeaters which I can reach with an outside antenna at my home QTH. But my real reason for getting into this technology is to utilize it's message passing capabilities for EMCOMM functions. I am the Assistant Coordinator and Team Trainer for an Amateur Radio Team (part of a large well funded CERT Organization ) sponsored by the Metro Fire District here in the Sacramento Valley. With all that said, I am trying to teach myself all things D-STAR; reading everything I can find and then trying it in the evenings with my IC-80AD. But I have lots of questions that my sometimes `thick-skull' can't understand from what I have read. To Start: Q. General Question regarding the DVAP hardware To use the DVAP appliance, must the radio be D-STAR ready and therefore it's only use is for hams who do not have a D-STAR repeater in range, giving D-STAR capable radios RF access around the house or office into the network? If so too bad, it would be a great tool if a generic 2M HT could talk to it and the DVAP handle the additional routing functions. This would allow many more hams to get into the digital erra Still I want one as I could use at my office to have access to the network as I can't hit the repeaters from my desk or from home when I am away from the outside feed line. Q. I am trying to configure a demonstration for my sponsoring agency to show the abilities of D-STAR for message handling. I am working with D-RATS (Awesome effort by the developer) and I can send and receive email and messages computer to computer using the internet and the ref.d-rats.com reflector but I have been unable to pass any messaging if I move one system to an RF link. I know it's in my configuration, but Im not sure where? [it's not a connection issue as I can read and program the radio all day long using the Icom CS-80_800 application]. Everything I have read so far references setting up D-RATS and not much on the radio [Thick-Skull Syndrome kicking in here]. On the Radio I am using W6DHS__C as RPT1, and W6DHS__G for RPT2 and my call N7IPY for MY CALL, but what should I use for the YOUR Call field? Ultimately I hope to be able to send an email and message text to an internet connected system via the above RF hardware link. Is that Possible? [As I only have one D-STAR radio and a second one is not in the current budget, I can't experiment simplex.] Sorry for the long winded message, any help, emails, informative links, etc., for the next new guy would be great. I have lots more questions but this is a good start Thanks and 73s Will Waters N7IPY [email protected]
