WA Radio Scanner Users' Group

Made my first DSTAR contact today while I was up at Barbagallo Raceway...

5W handheld to the Walliston repeater site. I could receive very well, signal strength 9 and the guys in Walliston running the test were receiving me around S3 or so, but said I was quite readable.

Looking forward to having a bit more of a play once the repeater comes online!

Have they a callsign or proposed callsign yet? Do you know if they will be linking with any other repeater so the people in the cheap seats can talk back at you? There doesn't seem to be great amount of care about DSTAR at the moment from what I've overheard.

I am buying an ID 800 at the hamfest so there should be a few of us on air when its commissioned.

robbage wrote:Have they a callsign or proposed callsign yet? Do you know if they will be linking with any other repeater so the people in the cheap seats can talk back at you? There doesn't seem to be great amount of care about DSTAR at the moment from what I've overheard.

There is quite a bit of buzz about D-Star!
More info here:
http://www.dstar.org.au/wa.htm

Something was mentioned on this mornings news about the DStar repeater about to go on air but only while manned during the next testing phase.

The WARG website has some info too.

http://warg.org.au/wordpress/?cat=19

robbage wrote:Have they a callsign or proposed callsign yet? Do you know if they will be linking with any other repeater so the people in the cheap seats can talk back at you? There doesn't seem to be great amount of care about DSTAR at the moment from what I've overheard.

The callsign of the repeater when it's active will be VK6RWN. As to the repeater linking, it's my understanding (and I'm far from being an expert on DSTAR so please don't take this as gospel) that there's no easy way to link digital to analogue. So only people with DSTAR capable radios will be able to use the DSTAR repeater... I think ... However, VK6RWN will be linked to the Internet, to communicate with other DSTAR repeaters worldwide.

The tests yesterday were done on the number 1 simplex frequency of 145.1250 MHz as per the WIA bandplan. You can see the other simplex frequencies on the dstar.org.au website here. When the repeater is operational, it's frequencies and offsets will be as per this information here.

Last of all, regarding the amount of "care" about DSTAR, it seems that there's a few people out there already with DSTAR capable radios - and I guess it'll be one of those things that will likely gain momentum after the repeater is up and running.

I reckon that's the beauty of AR - there's so many things that people can get involved in if they want to, but by the same token, if it doesn't interest them then they don't have to I've yet to venture into HF, or contesting, or SSTV, or any of the other million and one things that people spend their valuable leisure time on. But I'm keen to have a play with digital technologies like DSTAR, IRLP, EchoLink, etc.

And definitely check the link that Blinky posted - there's some pics of antenna work up at the repeater site to have a look at

Zebedee wrote:Last of all, regarding the amount of "care" about DSTAR, it seems that there's a few people out there already with DSTAR capable radios - and I guess it'll be one of those things that will likely gain momentum after the repeater is up and running.

Anything's possible. I guess it depends whether you believe what you hear and read. The fundies will say that they aren't going to touch it because you can't grab a pile of components and make something to work with it (unlikely we'll see a three transistor receiver for DSTAR) The propietry codecs don't sit too well either, considering free (as in beer) ones could have been used. Maybe not really in the true spirit of Amateur. I don't have an opinion myself. Sounds too much like the Free Open Source Software vs Closed Software debate.

Zebedee wrote:I reckon that's the beauty of AR - there's so many things that people can get involved in if they want to, but by the same token, if it doesn't interest them then they don't have to I've yet to venture into HF, or contesting, or SSTV, or any of the other million and one things that people spend their valuable leisure time on. But I'm keen to have a play with digital technologies like DSTAR, IRLP, EchoLink, etc.

SSTV, Packet, RTTY etc can all be done with 'traditional' rigs and a bit of home made gear (documented freely). DSTAR will turn many off because it's not that. Maybe some are thinking that it will be like HDTV. Analogue FTA will be unplugged soon. I heard one say that it will disappointing not to be able to simply listen in to random QSOs with their 'regular' gear. No doubt the same was said when FM was first developed.

Most likely it all boils down to the $$$ It does with cheap bastards like me.

I missed the news Blinky, although I did get the chance to see the 30m & 40m relays in action in the morning. Was our not-so-friendly troll on 2m back again?

robbage wrote:

Zebedee wrote:Last of all, regarding the amount of "care" about DSTAR, it seems that there's a few people out there already with DSTAR capable radios - and I guess it'll be one of those things that will likely gain momentum after the repeater is up and running.

Anything's possible. I guess it depends whether you believe what you hear and read. The fundies will say that they aren't going to touch it because you can't grab a pile of components and make something to work with it (unlikely we'll see a three transistor receiver for DSTAR).

Sure, but then some people complain about anything newer than CW

robbage wrote:The propietry codecs don't sit too well either, considering free (as in beer) ones could have been used. Maybe not really in the true spirit of Amateur. I don't have an opinion myself. Sounds too much like the Free Open Source Software vs Closed Software debate.

Same - I don't really care about the codecs, it's just something new to fiddle with, and I'm more interested in the digital side of AR, so it's definitely on my radar

robbage wrote:

Zebedee wrote:I reckon that's the beauty of AR - there's so many things that people can get involved in if they want to, but by the same token, if it doesn't interest them then they don't have to I've yet to venture into HF, or contesting, or SSTV, or any of the other million and one things that people spend their valuable leisure time on. But I'm keen to have a play with digital technologies like DSTAR, IRLP, EchoLink, etc.

SSTV, Packet, RTTY etc can all be done with 'traditional' rigs and a bit of home made gear (documented freely). DSTAR will turn many off because it's not that. Maybe some are thinking that it will be like HDTV. Analogue FTA will be unplugged soon. I heard one say that it will disappointing not to be able to simply listen in to random QSOs with their 'regular' gear. No doubt the same was said when FM was first developed.

Yep - it's new, so it's scary. I've heard the same thing said for the 70cm repeaters... "nobody uses them so why bother?" etc.

Some people just like to knock holes in whatever they don't personally see as something they'd want to have a go at. But there's so many aspects to AR, that I doubt anyone has done all of it. There's some stuff that'll appeal to some, but not to others.

robbage wrote:Most likely it all boils down to the $$$ It does with cheap bastards like me.

Yeah - I suspect though that when companies other than Icom get in on the game, prices will no doubt come down.

robbage wrote:. I heard one say that it will disappointing not to be able to simply listen in to random QSOs with their 'regular' gear. No doubt the same was said when FM was first developed.

They might have said it about SSB (most likely did) but at least FM could be slope detected on an AM receiver

Zebedee wrote:Same - I don't really care about the codecs, it's just something new to fiddle with, and I'm more interested in the digital side of AR, so it's definitely on my radar

Would you care about propietry codecs if you knew the radios would be a lot cheaper with free-to-use codecs? Not saying they would be or could be, but you have to wonder. Anybody else using the chips will be paying for the rights.

Zebedee wrote:Yep - it's new, so it's scary. I've heard the same thing said for the 70cm repeaters... "nobody uses them so why bother?" etc.

I'm going to have a go once I have a working antenna. It's worth a try. I hear some of the old-timers using it occasionally. Dunno if it's the Roley repeater, my set or the frequency itself, but it sounds brilliant compared to 2m.

Zebedee wrote:Yeah - I suspect though that when companies other than Icom get in on the game, prices will no doubt come down.

I remember when colour TV came out. Bloody expensive, crappy quality. Now I watch HDTV on my PC and cost me $50. I seem to remember Icom developed the codec? This means Yaesu, Kenwood etc will have to licence from their rival. And the knock-off Chinese will have to steal it

Oh.. that's why Firefox keeps underlining. Insert proprietary where applicable.

robbage wrote:

Zebedee wrote:Yep - it's new, so it's scary. I've heard the same thing said for the 70cm repeaters... "nobody uses them so why bother?" etc.

I'm going to have a go once I have a working antenna. It's worth a try. I hear some of the old-timers using it occasionally. Dunno if it's the Roley repeater, my set or the frequency itself, but it sounds brilliant compared to 2m.

I use them and I am under 45

You might have got your certificate when you were a teen. You could qualify for RAOTC with room to spare. Come to think of it.. I do. Aww man.

Scanning around on the scanner last night revealled quite a bit of activity on 145.125MHz.... All 'hash' to me though!

It appears D-Star is alive and active!!

Cheers, CC

Looks like the testing on the weekend will go ahead as planned. Maybe they can check out why VK6RLM keeps firing off every couple of minutes for the last three days.