Will, Welcome to D-Star. I'm in the SF Bay Area, mostly on K6MDD C. I expect we'll talk to each other.
The DVAP requires a D-Star radio, typically an HT. You are right -- people get it to access repeaters and reflectors on the D-Star network, usually when their D-Star radio can't reliably make it to a repeater. I'm using something similar, a HotSpot. Same idea, but the transceiver is an analog FM radio connected to my PC and to a gmsk node adapter board. I normally run it at 5 watts, which gives me good coverage around the house and nearby, or 10 watts when I want to go further away. I actually have good signal levels into K6MDD, but part of the "mountain" is in the way, causing multipath and lots of R2D2. The HotSpot solves all that. To enjoy talking on D-Star repeaters and reflectors before investing in a D-Star radio, you can get a DV Dongle. Using the PC's speakers and mike, your PC connects directly into the D-Star network. No RF from your end at all. There is a lot of creative development going on, both hardware and software based, that is likely to make it easier to get into D-Star in the future. If you were following the thread "Are you experiencing..." there were various references to the idea that even at current price levels, D-Star radios offer a lot of functionality for the price. And I'm pretty sure things will be getting better as competition from homebrewers as well as other manufacturers comes online. Regarding D-RATS, I played with it a little but have forgotten most of how I did it. Hopefully someone here will be able to help, plus you can join the yahoo group "drats_users" and ask there. I remember being very impressed with the application so far, and Dan continues to enhance it. It's obviously perfect for EmComm. Jim - K6JM ----- Original Message ----- From: Will To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 8:34 AM Subject: [DSTAR_DIGITAL] The Next New Guy with Questions 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]
