Hi Nate & Ron,
Agree with both of you regarding the additional spectrum for 2m. We as hams should thankful of the spectrum that we do have and not abuse it. I know for a fact as a past Chairman of the (ORRC) Oregon Region Relay Council that there is plenty of spectrum for repeaters. Not to mention of all the PAPER repeaters around the country. I can speak for Oregon and there is a lot of PAPER. When a coordinator sends the magic letter to the coordinated licensee. Here comes another garage repeater on the air or even a simplex radio with a store and forward board installed for ID. The amount of spectrum we have is ample and we hams just need to look at leading technologies and embrace those technologies and use them P25,D-Star,MOTORTBO, Etc. If you already have a 2m freq on the same hilltop and want another 2m freq does that justify you to put pressure on the coordinator when the bands are crammed especially in large populated areas. Please keep in mind that ALL of council coordinators are VOLUNTEERS and not paid. The reason I like the MOTOROLA solution is that you can have a Digital TDMA repeater on the air and now you can have to clubs split the cost of the digital repeater and have TWO Digital voice conversations at the same time using a narrow band channel. That is getting the most out of the spectrum available and you will be able to network it as well next year. FYI, I would be willing to put one up here in the Denver area as a test to show some the ability and compare as soon as the network port is unlocked. Mike Mullarkey (K7PFJ) _____ From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of wd8chl Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 7:21 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] FCC Denies Petition to Utilize 2m Sub-Band for Digita Nate Duehr wrote: > On May 11, 2008, at 9:40 PM, wd8chl wrote: > >> Ron Wright wrote: >>> Jim, >>> >>> I tend to agree more spectrum is not needed on 2 meters just to >>> accommodate D-Star or any other mode, digital or analog. Many analog >>> boys are also starving for space for their repeaters. >>> >>> D-Star does look for the proper D-Star format to "unsquelch" as one >>> might say. It does not simply turn on with signal like many analog >>> rigs do. The repeaters and rigs do this. >> Right. I'm looking at provisions to monitor the frequency for NON D* >> activity before transmitting. Most P25 radios can be set up in >> "dual-mode" where it will also respond to analog FM with or without a >> CTCSS/DCS code, as programmed. D* should have that, or a commercial- >> type >> hangup clip arrangement, or a busy-lockout that keeps the radio from >> transmitting if there is other activity...or the choice to program one >> of the above. > > > If the D-STAR repeater is receiving a signal, it's going to be sending > serial data up from itself through the serial cable to the > controller. I haven't (and probably won't) looked at that data on the > serial cable (unless I buy my own D-STAR repeater... I don't feel good > hacking on the club system like that) but I hear some folks in > California have. It would be an indication of whether or not there's > *receivable* D-STAR signal on any module. Not interested in the repeater-just the radios. I fully expect the repeaters to have an output that indicates valid signal (a COS-type output). Otherwise it's a waste of components. >> Yeah...nope-they're just gonna have to live alongside the rest of us >> that can't spend $1000 on a radio...|cP > > The repeaters are far over $1000 for the band module and the > controller, but the user radios (other than the ID-1) are all quite a > bit below $1000, unless you have your heart set on the IC-2820. > > You can buy TWO IC-800H's for just over the price of the signal 2820 > with D-STAR/GPS board (the D-STAR board is included in the price of > the IC-800H) and have true dual-digital receive. Just stack 'em. :-) > > The comment makes it sounds like USERS can't get into D-STAR for less > than $1000, which just isn't true. Not enough below for my tastes...Needs to be under $3-400...but I'm not a big Icom fan anyway...last Icom I've had good luck with was an IC-4AT...
