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D-Star User’s Meeting

D-Star User’s Meeting. Saturday, Mar 6 2010. Introductions. Let’s get to know one another. Purpose. Introduce new users to D-Star Refresh current users in procedures and practices Help with radio programming including programming examples

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D-Star User’s Meeting

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  1. D-Star User’s Meeting Saturday, Mar 6 2010

  2. Introductions • Let’s get to know one another

  3. Purpose • Introduce new users to D-Star • Refresh current users in procedures and practices • Help with radio programming including programming examples • Explain D-Controller functions and command structure • Explain Linking, Routing, Reflectors

  4. What IS D-Star? • Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio • Developed jointly by the Japan Amateur Radio League and ICOM beginning in 1999 • Significant changes released in 2004 • Defines two modes • DD (Digital Data) – High-speed digital data – only on 1.2 GHz – not in very wide use • DV (Digital Voice) – Voice (and a low-speed data channel) available on 2 m, 70 cm, and 23 cm • We’ll be discussing the DV mode

  5. Digital Voice • Uses the AMBE CODEC, provided by Digital Voice Systems, Inc. • Operates at 4800 bps • 2400 bps for the voice channel • 1200 bps for the Forward Error Correction channel • 1200 bps for the low-speed data channel • Approximately 6.25 kHz occupied bandwidth – a significant spectrum savings compared to 16 kHz occupied by a standard FM voice signal

  6. Advantages and Disadvantages • Range is approximately the same as a standard FM repeater, but with a difference • Standard FM Repeater signals gradually degrade and get noisier with distance • D-Star signals decode and sound fine until they “drop off a cliff” • Marginal D-Star signals will “R2D2” • D-Star radios cost somewhat more than comparable FM radios • While an open standard, only ICOM is making D-Star equipment

  7. More Advantages and Disadvantages • CODEC is proprietary – this gives some people heartburn • Programming becomes more difficult • You can link to any connected D-Star repeater in the world with simple commands • Linking is currently Internet based, reducing reliability in the event of a disaster • There are many more advantages and disadvantages, but we’ll leave that for future discussions

  8. Current NC D-Star Repeaters • W4GSO – Greensboro, NC – 70 cm • AK4EG – Burlington, NC – 2 m, 70 cm, 23 cm • KR4RDU – Carrboro, NC – 70 cm • KI4WXS – Charlotte, NC – 2 m, 70 cm, 23 cm • KR4RAL – Raleigh, NC – 70 cm

  9. On To The Good Stuff • OR • How to USE that new D-Star radio!

  10. Some Definitions to Start Off • Repeater • D-Controller • Gateway • D-Plus • Reflector • Linking • Routing • DV-Dongle • DV-Access Point • Quick-Key

  11. Callsign Fields • MyCall • UrCall • Repeater 1 • Repeater 2

  12. How to Make It All Work • Think of it like layers • Normal FM repeater – Frequency, Offset, maybe Tone • D-Star repeater – Frequency, Offset, ID (MyCall), Destination (UrCall), Repeater used (R1), Additional Repeater used (R2) • All fields must be properly set to make it work like you want it to

  13. Some Examples • For regular day-to-day communications • MyCall – K4HC • UrCall – CQCQCQ • R1 – W4GSO**B • R2 – W4GSO**G • This enables anything I transmit to pass to the Gateway – this includes connected Dongles, Access Points, Repeaters and Reflectors

  14. For local ONLY communications (e.g. don’t want to interrupt conversations on a connected reflector) • MyCall – K4HC • UrCall – CQCQCQ • R1 – W4GSO**B • R2 – Blank or “Not Use” • My transmissions WILL NOT be passed to the Gateway – will ONLY be heard on the local repeater

  15. Linking vs Routing • Routing defined in the D-Star standard • Linking defined by D-Plus • Routing is more cumbersome • Every station wishing to participate must alter their settings to participate in Routing • Linking requires a single command, then everyone set up for Gateway operation can participate • Routing is blind – you can’t hear what’s going on at the distant end • For these reasons, Linking is normally preferred over Routing

  16. Routing – A BRIEF Overview • Two types of Routing • Callsign Routing (to a specific station) • Source Routing (to a specific Repeater) • One advantage of Callsign Routing is you don’t need to know WHERE the called station is – the call is routed to the last repeater where that station was heard (some delay in this)

  17. Callsign Routing • MyCall – K4HC • UrCall – WG5Q • R1 – W4GSO**B • R2 – W4GSO**G • Routed to last heard repeater/port WG5Q used • To reply, WG5Q would need to alter his settings (using one-touch reply)

  18. Source Routing • MyCall – K4HC • UrCall – /KR4RDUB • R1 – W4GSO**B • R2 – W4GSO**G • Transmissions would output on the KR4RDU Port B repeater • To reply, a station would need to alter settings • Note the port is in the 8th position

  19. Linking – THE Preferred Way • MyCall - Stays the same, all the time • UrCall – Normally CQCQCQ • Also used to Link, Unlink, Callsign Route, Source Route, issue D-Plus and D-Controller commands • R1 – Always the repeater and port you are talking into – 8 digits • R2 – Used for Gateway and (future) RF port forwarding – 8 digits

  20. Link Examples • MyCall – K4HC • UrCall – REF017CL • R1 – W4GSO**B • R2 – W4GSO**G • This will link the repeater to Reflector 17C • Note L in the 8th position • This is the only time the port is moved from the 8th position to the 7th position

  21. Link Examples • MyCall – K4HC • UrCall – KR4RDUBL • R1 – W4GSO**B • R2 – W4GSO**G • This will link W4GSO B to KR4RDU B • Note no space between KR4RDU and B • Note L for Link in position 8

  22. Link Examples • MyCall – K4HC • UrCall - *******U • R1 – W4GSO**B • R2 – W4GSO**G • U in the 8th position • This will Unlink from any repeater or reflector

  23. Command Examples • MyCall – K4HC • UrCall – W4GSO**E • R1 – W4GSO**B • R2 – Not Use • Echos from D-Controller • Also shows BER (Bit Error Rate)

  24. Command Examples • MyCall – K4HC • UrCall – W4GSO**E • R1 – W4GSO**B • R2 – W4GSO**G • Echos from D-Plus • Also shows BER

  25. Command Examples • MyCall – K4HC • UrCall – W4GSO*S0 • R1 – W4GSO**B • R2 – Not Use • SAVES a message for automatic playback

  26. Command Examples • MyCall – K4HC • UrCall – W4GSO*R0 • R1 – W4GSO**B • R2 – Not Use • RECALLS (Plays) a recorded message

  27. Command Examples • MyCall – K4HC • UrCall – W4GSO*C0 • R1 – W4GSO**B • R2 – Not Use • CLEARS a recorded message

  28. Notes on Channel Memories • While you can manually change the values especially in UrCall for Linking, Routing and issuing commands, this tends to be cumbersome • I have several “channels” programmed with the same frequency information, but to perform different functions • W4GSO Gateway • W4GSO Local • W4GSO Link to Ref 17C • W4GSO Link to Ref 02A • W4GSO Unlink • W4GSO Save Message • W4GSO Play Message • W4GSO Clear Message • Plus others • Memory Names identify what is what

  29. More Programming Ideas • Use Memory Banks for different areas • Develop a naming convention that YOU understand • Buy the Software, and make or buy the cables – your life will be much easier

  30. Questions?

  31. Thank You!

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