D-STAR Corporate Promotion

Looks Great...

What a great video, very interesting and now i'm sure D Star is the future!

Great Video Dave,

Mike

I think it something can be done with the price then indeed D Star could well be a clear runner for the future. Sadly with the economy as it is at the moment then am not so sure it can fly unless something happens.

I have to agree now Simon. I would have thought Yaesu or Kenwood would have brought something out by now although there are still half the amoun of repeaters on air waiting to become on air...

I am a little worried with the area the repeaters cover. DV repeaters don't seem to cover the same area but at the moment the repeaters are fairly low down compared to the FM ones we have... But I was speaking to a station on DV mode using an E-92 and a mobile antenna in the house for the D-Star repeater and the rubber duck worked fine all over the house with no problems getting into the FM repeater. This wouldn't be an issue but he said the repeaters were next to each other...

Being a fan of trying 'new' stuff, I'm still struggling to see what great advantage D-Star will give me if I get a radio that will support it?Other than being 'digital' and 'new', exactly how much better than analogue FM is it?  What can you do, safely, whilst driving up and down the country, and why hasn't it caught on in a bigger way yet?
I'd, personally, discount any world/country economic situation as 1) there are always people who seem able to spend money on things if they want to, and 2) it won't last all that long, relatively speaking, so a recession is probably a good time to set up and then take advantage of the better economic times when they come.  Rather than wait and then try to catch up...
Are Yaesu and Kenwood fighting shy of the fact that the system is, effectively, owned by Icom?  The dongle option looks good, but the price is almost the same as the difference in price between a non-D-Star radio and one with a D-Star system installed.  Is this because of licencing issues?  I've also heard of problems with the dongle option, but that could be user issues and/or teething problems, of course.
Having invested in an early TAPR TNC kit and then in other TNCs over the years, and seen the rise, peak and (as far as I can see) fall of the AX.25 network (including dabbling in TCP/IP over radio) I can say that I don't mind investing in interesting modes and systems, but I've not read about that really great application of D-Star that will make me want go out and pay the extra over an analogue mobile radio.

For me it is a VERY BIG no.
We have a D-Star radio at the school club & I know of plenty of people with D Star, but what I don't see is a advantage over other options.
All I can see is a very big price disadvantage ober other methods. For example with a EchoLink epeater I don't need a new radio or a radio with DTMF fitted, yet I can still dial up the worlds repeaters & I can still dial up individuals.
With conventional FM, I get signals fading in & out as I drive through poor signal areas, with digital FM (D Star) it just goes & normally does not return.
With conventional FM I can buy & use an old cheap PMR radio & convert it to amateur frequencies, with D Star. I currently have to buy Icom & D Star capable Icom or I cannot use D Star.
As I see it D Star is everything that amateur radio should not be....It's black box operation that does not allow for ANY level of exsperimentation & thus has more in common with CB than amateur radio.