Getting Into D-Star

9Z4BM...Antennas

Getting Into D-Star

9Y4SRR Ravi and I tried out Icom's D-Star 2m Radios....We used the IC 2200h hooked up to the computer (no interface is needed) ,running NJ6N's D-Chat software to send text...The nice thing about D-Star, is the ability to do texting and voice at the same time....Look at the Video to see what D-Star D-Chat is all about......

Icom D-STAR system using NJ6N's D-CHAT Software

Nice Video Presentation on YouTube about D-Star.

Cecil-WD6FZA, introduces D-Star Video....Very nice Intro

D-Star Demonstrations..Hear how good it sounds

D-STAR in use with Washington County Oregon ARES

Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)setting up and using D-STAR

Icom IC-2200h 2m D-Star Capable radio

So What is D-STAR??????

D-STAR is an open protocol developed by the Japanese government and by the J. A. R. L. Icom is currently the only company manufacturing D-STAR-compatible radios. D-STAR radios can talk directly to each other without any intermediate equipment, or through a repeater using D-STAR voice or data transceivers.

The D-STAR system supports two types of digital data streams:
The Digital Voice (DV) stream used on 144 and 440 MHz which contains both digitized voice (3600 bps including error correction) and digital data (1200 bps). Using a DV radio is like having both a packet link and FM voice operating simultaneously.
The Digital Data (DD) stream, used only on 1.2 GHz, is entirely data with a bit rate of 128k bps. The data connection to a radio that uses DV is via an RS-232 interface or USB 1.0. An Ethernet connection is used for high-speed DD D-STAR data.

It connects repeater sites over microwave links and the Internet and forms a wide area ham radio network. The DSTAR system provides a new capability and functionality to the ham radio world and increases the efficiency of emergency communications.

Icom ID-1 1.2 GHZ D-Star radio

Icom ID-1 can give you..........

Wireless Internet Access ......No matter where you travel within the D-STAR network, you can access the web, e-mail, text messages and multimedia messages.

Independent Network .......In DD mode, the ID-1 can transfer data directly with another ID-1 without the use of a repeater. This is useful for establishing a simple network where a D-STAR repeater does not exist or D-STAR services are not required.

Increase Efficiency of Emergency Communications .....Out in the field, fast emergency information is the key. Send pictures and weather charts to or from a remote location with the ID-1. "A picture is worth a thousand words", and efficient send/receive opens up your repeater for other emergency communications.

Icom ID1 and Laptop for Internet or HighSpeed Data

By the way, I have an ASUS eee pc 904 (mini) laptop with is ideal for mobile use...I have my Dstar software loaded up on it and use a Radio Shack usb to serial adapter connected to my Icom 2200h ......Check the links below on the ASUS netbook laptop..

Asus eee pc 904 (mini) netbook laptop

Here are some links to D-Star software ...........................................

http://nj6n.com/dstar/dstar_chat.html (D-Chat texting Software )

http://d-rats.danplanet.com/wiki/FrontPage (Text & File Transfer Software)

http://www.d-term.de/?language=english (Another D-Star Software )

DStar Comms ...This is an application by M0DQW ,used with D-Star enabled radios through the data port on the radio. There are many features and functions that would support many groups and users requirements.

Main Features:

1) Text Chat (Send and Receive text messages between DStar Comms Users) URLS are clickable!

2) Beacon Mode (Periodically send Text Based Beacons) 2 Independent beacons available

3) Email Gateway (Will allow RF users to relay emails to the internet)

4) Email Composer (Allows user to send an email through a DStar Comms user who has configured the Email Gateway)

5) Address Book for keeping users email address.

6) Heard List (Automatically records heard users callsigns)

7) Private Messages (Send PM's to specific users)

8 ) Auto reply (Sends a predefined message when status is away)

9) PM Inbox. (Saves all received PM's while away or set)

10) RX/TX/PM Text colour can be assigned.

11) Assign a sound (.wav) to a TX/RX event

Plus many more.... Still developing

http://www.m0dqw.co.uk/forum/index.php (D-Star Comms)

Here is some info on a DV-Dongle device to use with your computer for D-Star over the internet via your PC............................................

http://www.moetronix.com/dvdongle/ (D-Star via your PC )

Look at this Video Clip on YouTube about the DV Dongle.............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z68aSuQnhDE (YouTube Video Clip on DV-Dongle)

Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio - D-Star related site with good info and Video Clips...................

http://n6six-hamshack.50megs.com/custom_1.html

D-PRS

D-STAR Position Reporting System (D-PRS) utilizes the low-speed data stream of the D-STAR digital voice mode to transmit GPS NMEA sentence formatters. The standard was published in 2001, the result of three years of research funded by the Japanese government and administered by the JARL to investigate digital technologies for amateur radio.

D-PRS Interface has a TCP/IP port (127.0.0.1:14551) for APRS client(s) to connect to in exactly the same manner as the client would connect to an APRS-IS server. This port supports multiple clients. VHF and UHF D-STAR radios have a tracker capability (transmitting GPS provided position reports). D-PRS Interface converts these position reports from remote D-STAR radios to an APRS format on the APRS port so the client can see other D-STAR radios in addition to other APRS stations using D-PRS Interface or APRS packets gated to the D-STAR low-speed channel by javAPRSSrvr.
D-PRS Interface also has a TCP/IP port (127.0.0.1:14550) that provides a direct path to and from the serial port. This can be used by a telnet client or any other TCP/IP client to send and receive data to and from the D-STAR serial port.

http://www.aprs-is.net/dstartnc2.htm (APRS using D-Star radios )

.......................MORE TO COME AS I GO ALONG..............