D-STAR Digita Data, CryptoUP More Encryption and D-STAR Digita zB 2 ' , ntil now, all of my D-STAR experience has -but way faster than any dial-up modem. The DD been in DV (Digital Voice) mode, which is repeaters that I have read about all offer essen- :I ,il . i-iquite similar to conventional FM repeater tially unrestricted access to the public Internet, operations. Recently, the NY City D-STAR re- much like the WiFi connection at Starbuck's, peater installed a DD (Digital Data) repeater mod- allowing web and e-mail access. D-STAR, by ule, opening up a new and exciting mode for dig- gatewaying into the Internet, has become almost ital operations. everything the AX.25 packet radio network always DV mode uses a relatively narrow (6 kHz) occu- wanted to be-albeit using wires. pied bandwidth for FM-quality digital voice com- This month we'll go through the details of con- munications. You can send short (20 characters figuring your computer and radio to operate in DD maximum) text messages, most often used for mode. Before we start, however, some caveats: I station information (for example, mine says, "Don am running Windows@ XP Pro, using an ICOM N21RZ near NYC") and low-rate (about 950 bits/ ID-1 D-STAR radio, and the K2DIG repeater I use sec) data on the DV signal. The repeaters are intel- was down when I wrote the final version of this
\ ligent, and many of them are gatewayed to one column. If you are using a different operating sys- I another, meaning that crossband local contacts tem and/or D-STAR radio, or if my notes and mem- as well as contacts through other D-STAR re- ory are failing, you may need to do things a little peaters worldwide are easy and commonplace. bit differently. DD mode turns your D-STAR radio into what If you run into trouble, I recommend logging on can be thought of as a 10-watt wireless network to
74 CQ April 2008 Visit Our Web Site Fig. 2- The ID-1 Callsign Settings window. Again, verify the correct settings with your repeater operator. These must be set correctly or nothing will work.
luxe version of the hugely popular FT-817. It T (CAT-5) cable to the ID-1. Be cy of the DD repeater, which is includes 60 meter coverage plus the new careful, because the CAT-5 cable end 1253.000 MHz. Therefore, the first thing high capacity FNB-85 battery. The radio is a is the same as used for the microphone; I did was set the properfrequency. I also fully self-contained, battery-powered, low the Ethernet connector on the radio stored it in memory, but this is optional. power amateur MFIHFIVHFIUHF trans- is on a short pigtail wire coming out Next I set the operating mode (using the ceiver. Great for portable QRP operation! the back. MODE button) to DD, at which point the With the regular network disconnect- TX Inhibit indicator is switched on. If this ed, I reconfigured my network connec- is not on, click on the "TX inh" button; tion to account for the static IP address you don't want to start transmitting until and DNS server. To get to this screen I everything is properly configured! opened up the Control Panel, selected Although this is a simplex repeater, Network Connections, right-clicked on the ID-1 has two different settings for the "Local Area Connections" entry, and simplex operation: RPS (Repeater selected "Properties" from the pop-up Simplex) and ordinarysimplex. In RPS menu. I then selected "lnternet Protocol mode the ID-1 expects to be communi- (TCPIIP)" and clicked on the Properties cating with a repeater, since it trades with your FT-~I?ND from ~niversalkadio. button. After writing down the existing important operating information with the Visit www.universal-radio.com for details! settings (so I could get my regular repeater. If you are using DD mode with lnternet back!), I selected the "Use the a DD repeater, set the repeater mode following IP address" radio button and (using the RP button) to RPS, while if filled in the three entries as shown in fig. you are using DD mode directly with 1. I also selected "Use the following DNS another D-STAR user, use the standard server address" and entered the simplexsetting (as opposed to RP+ and "Preferred DNS server" IP address pro- RP-, which are duplex). vided by K2DIG. When I was done, I Finally, I set the various callsigns. clicked OK and then Close to memorize Working from left to right, the YOUR ( Radio Setup Guides ) the settings. callsign is the repeater's-K2DIG. The Short Form Guirlcs For: Next I configured the ID-1 to operate RPTl callsign is K2DIG A, since I am Kenwood, Icom, Yaesu, in DD mode, using the Windows@-based accessing it on a 1.2-GHz port (other and Ten-Tec Radios ID-1 software. While I am sure it is pos- letters are used for other bands). RPT2 sible to configure the ID-1 via the front must be enabled, and that has the gate- Available for most panel, only try this as a last resort, and way port'scallsign, K2DIG G. Last is MY recent model radios even then, have the manual and plenty callsign, N21RZ. Color printed and of time. With the radio properly connected to fully laminated. When I traded e-mails with the folks the computer, the network connection at K2DIG, I also asked for the frequen- monitor (to get to this screen, open Complete line of Leather & Neopren Radio Gloves and Pouches for HT's an other radios. Nifty! Ham ~cceszes 1601 Donalor Drive Escondido, CA 92027 (760) 781-5522 www.niflyaccessories.com
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Fig. 3- The front panel of the ID-1, as seen in the Windows@control application. Note the DD and RPS indicators, which confirm Digital Data and Repeater Simplex modes, respectively. Even though the DD repeater is simplex, it is a repeater and the radio expects to be able to exchange control information with it. Also note the green "TX inh " indicator, which shows that the radio will not transmit until the inhibit function is released.
April 2