We hope that you find the information in this BLOG helpful, but there will always be specific questions which might need help in answering. Please feel free to contact us, either by submitting a comment, or by email. Our email address is WB6RTH@ARRL.NET. I will attempt to answer questions same-day, if at all possible.
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Recent Comments
- George M Donahue on Off the Air for a couple of weeks
- Bill Schwartz on Off the Air for a couple of weeks
- Bill WS1C on Flagler ARES and FPCARC – Mini Field Day (with a twist)
- Bill Schwartz on Philippine Amateur Radio Association – Annual Meeting
- Mark VE3CT on Contact Us
- Scott Wren on D-Star Gateway Internet Requirements
- mikelee on Elecraft KX3 – Available for Order for Feb delivery
- David Thomas on Elecraft KX3 – Available for Order for Feb delivery
- Charles De Poalo WB2CIC on FPCARC Repeater – More work to be performed
- Jackson R. Driskell KB4B on New DSTAR Repeater Equipment has ARRIVED..!!
#1 by Frank N. Haas on 2010/06/16 - 11:35
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I am Frank N. Haas KB4T. I have lived in the Daytona Beach area for over 35 years. We met briefly at a recent DBARA club meeting. My profession is RF Systems Tech. Have worked for Motorola MSS, large corporate radio shops and now work for FPL as a trunked comm systems tech and Interference Investigator.
I was part of the team that built the first 147.150 repeater and have maintained that system on and off for 3 decades. The evolution of FM repeaters from their earliest beginnings in ham radio to their current state has been fun to watch and, in some ways, disappointing.
With the installation of the new D-Star repeater on the Halifax Hospital roof, it’s time to listen in and see how things go in the D-Star realm.
I own an Icom IC-91A which will shortly become an IC-91AD with the addition of the DV board option.
I’d like to register to use the D-Star system and gateways and am curious how I go about registering to do so. Would you please advise how I should do this or forward this note to your tech support people for action? I would be most grateful.
I wish you the best of luck as you build out your D-Star network and bring this new technology to the NE Florida corridor.
Thank you for all you are doing to promote progress in ham radio in our area.
73, Frank N. Haas KB4T
kb4t@arrl.net
#2 by mikelee on 2010/06/16 - 21:45
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Frank, sent you a private message regarding D-Star registration procedure. Let me know if you have questions. Mike (WB6RTH)
#3 by george donahue kd2au on 2010/06/20 - 11:50
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Mike:
I have moved back north to Westchester County and Sullivan County in New York. D-star is very weak here. Charlie (CIC) gave me an update on the meeting Saturday6/19. I will not be able to hit any d-star repeater. do you have any suggestions re an alternative (dongle vs d-vap or other new hardware)<
73s
George
KD2AU
P.S. I believe I am registered but have not receive confirmation. Is there a way I can check?
#4 by Mark O'Keefe on 2010/06/21 - 02:46
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Mike, I am going to pick up a D-Star radio this week and wanted to begin the registration process. Mark (KI4ZKE)
#5 by mikelee on 2010/06/21 - 07:47
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Hi Mark,
Welcome to the world of D-Star.
you can register your call-sign at the following URL:
https://w4doc.dstargateway.org/Dstar.do
This is the Atlanta club registration site – but it does not matter where you register.
Only have to do at one place – then your call sign is known throughout the D-Star world.
when Signing up, please remember that the Call-Sign is CASE SENSITIVE, as are passwords.
Under Personal Information: (1) enter your call-sign where requested, (2) under the “Initial” column, enter a SPACE for the first terminal that you will register (radio), (3) you can add subsequent “terminals” as needed, but using a different “Initial” (I used “H” for home, M for mobile, P for portable, etc)
Confirmation takes about a day, after which you can enter KB4T in your radio’s MYCALL field and operate as normal.
The Daytona D-Star system is on 145.380- with a call-sign of KJ4RYH.
Gateway is active and the system is normally linked to Reflector REF034C, so that you have coverage with the combined service areas of the Daytona, Palm Coast and St. John’s repeaters – and soon…. the Jacksonville repeater.
Key up with a URCALL of CQCQCQ and be heard in Jacksonville and southern-Georgia..
#6 by Bill Schwartz on 2010/07/06 - 16:55
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Tried to register in D-Star 7-2.
on 7-3 KA4RES web site heard me (WS1C) but no one answers.
Heard many stations on Hurricane net on 7-5, but was not able to get reply
what am I missing??
thanks 73 Bill
#7 by mikelee on 2010/07/06 - 18:36
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check that your radio has the “gateway” enabled in RPT2 call-sign..
if you’re coming-in thru the KJ4RYH repeater in Daytona, the configuration should be as follows:
URCALL = “CQCQCQ”
RPT1 = “KJ4RYH C”
RPT2 = “KJ4RYH G”
Mycall = “WS1C”
normally, lack of being heard is the result of the RPT2 call-sign not being set properly by other stations OUTSIDE of your local repeater.
hope that helps..
keep us posted on your progress, or give a shout if you need more help…
Mike
#8 by Jeff Anderson on 2010/09/26 - 17:58
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Hello! My name if Jeff Callsign KQ4G.My father, in his 90s was a ham in the 1930s. Recently he got back into ham radio, passing the TEch test. His call sign at that time was KJ4YED. He registered for G-Star through KA4RES. After a long wait he was approved.
He applied for a vanity call sign – his original callsign from the 1930s. The FCC granted him his originalCall sign and he is now W4CZP. Once again he tried to registered through KA4RES his new call sign W4CZP.
Again he is caught in the long wait. In my opinion his time is more valuable than most given his seniority.
What can be done to expedite the D-Star approval for my father. What can be done to reduce the wait time for others who have invested over $1000 in equipent and can’t use it until someone decide to click “OK”
Many thanks.
73
Jeff
KQ4G
#9 by mikelee on 2010/09/26 - 19:27
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Jeff,
I’m a pretty patient guy, and I’ll cut you some slack since your email address implies that you’re a P-38 pilot (if you served in the war, I thank you for your service), but I’m quite disappointed at the tone and content of your comment. Here are the facts as known to me:
Our instructions (on the blog) request that registrants email the admin (email address provided in the instructions), so that we can approve your request in a timely manner – didn’t receive an email, but we checked and approved your request anyway.
..
I have gone out of my way to accommodate people who need help, but please state the facts correctly – according to your first comment (a few weeks ago), you originally tried to register your father who lives in Jupiter, FL via some other gateway and when you got no response, decided to try with KA4RES even tho he doesn’t live anywhere near our coverage area. There was practically NO delay in that approval (within 24 hours +/-), yet you left a rather terse note regarding the lack of “customer service” on our part..
..
Now your father gets a Vanity Call (congrats – getting the same old call is pretty cool..!!) and so you want to register the new call sign – NO PROBLEM. But you only put the request in within the last 24 hours – but you call it “… the LONG WAIT”..?? What am I missing..?? I am not just sitting at the keyboard, waiting for registration requests that may be coming at any time now.
..
I share your frustration about the need to register – in my opinion, perhaps ICOM should be registering them, since THEY benefited from the sale of the radio (believe me – I didn’t get a dime..!!).
I also understand that you might have invested $1,000 in equipment – and by any measure, that is a lot of money. But please realize, that this group has invested an amount which makes $1,000 look like a ROUNDING ERROR. The NEFL-DSTAR group is NOT THE BAD GUY here..!! I have no capability or influence in changing the registration process – we operate the service as a courtesy to the folks in our coverage area – but gladly approve requests from outside our area, as in your case with your father living in Jupiter and you in North Carolina. We do not accept dues, compensation or contributions of money – none, nada. We do it because we want to – not because we are expected-to.
..
Quite frankly, your is the first “set” of complaints that I’ve received about our “customer service” – I guess if this was a business, I’d be tempted to just fold the tent and go my merry way. I take pride in trying to be helpful and courteous to everybody – I’m sorry that I’ve disappointed you so badly
..
BTW – I clicked the “OK” on your dad’s registration request before I replied to your post. Sorry to say, it will take yet a few more hours before the new call sign is active in the World-Wide DStar system – again, something which is out of my control.
#10 by Mark KV4I on 2011/02/01 - 13:35
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A sight-impaired Ham I know doesn’t use computers. Is there someway he can register his new D-Star radio in the Gateway system without an email address?
Thanks,
Mark KV4I
#11 by Eric Jaffe on 2011/09/23 - 11:22
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IS there possibly a problem with the RF Transmit side of the Big Jax Repeater? People can hear me as a transmit, but I hear nothing coming back.
#12 by Gene Swiech WB9COY on 2011/11/07 - 17:40
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Hi Mike, I am a member of the PAPA System in Southern California. I wrote a Low Speed Data application called DStarChatUSB. We are having very good test results with the app as it can exchange emails using SMTP. We are using Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft LiveMail as the Email client. I thought it would be a big plus for DStar users to be able to use off the shelf Email Clients. Files are sent as standard attachments. The user manual has a step by step explanation on Email setup.
This app was written up in Aug 2011 QST.
I invite your group to kick the tires on this app located at http://wb9coy.com/DStarChatUSBSW.html
73′s
Gene
#13 by mikelee on 2011/11/10 - 23:23
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Gene – thanks very much..!!
We’ll give it a go and report back in the next couple of weeks…
Guys – if you’re so inclined and want to participate, let’s give this one serious test drive..
could be VERY useful for EMCOMM applications with standard, off-the-shelf email clients.
Mike
#14 by Mike on 2011/11/18 - 07:40
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Good morning, I read your posting about the Signalink and the K3. My Signalink has just arrived and I am going to be setting it up on Saturday. I was just wondering if you could run past me the settings that are done to the K3. I understand the rig is to be put into Data and the VOX is set to on. I was not sure if the computer sound card had to be played with as the Signalink has an on board sound card? Also what settings in the K3′s menu have to be adjusted if any. n the past I had gotten very frustrated with all the adjustments and tinkering that had to be done to get the digi mode’s going. But that was before the K3 and Signalink.
Thanks very much for your time.
#15 by mikelee on 2011/11/20 - 09:36
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Hi Mike,
sorry – just read your note here.. but I’m not in front of my K3 for the next few days..
I’ll get back to you on Wednesday when I return to the K3 and can walk you thru the process (if you haven’t figured it out by then on your own)..
I’ll reply via your email address..
#16 by Dean on 2011/11/27 - 22:02
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I hae a question regarding the Modification of the IC-2820H. I seen on your website where it said you have modified 4 of these radios of yours and all successful. I see it says to remove diodes 5&6 to expand the transmit fully but from what i can see from the info showed on the KB2LJJ website showing frequency expansion per diode removed that diode 6 is the one that expands it from 136-174 MHZ and 400-470 MHZ Diode 5 only showed 144-148MHZ and 400-470MHZ so the way i was reading it that just diode 6 needs removed?????? Can you please email me at my email and confirm exactly as you modified. I have one of the latest build of this radio. I purchased my IC-2820H around August 2011. If you have the time to take the cover off to confirm exactly what diodes are present now after your mod too so i can compare just so i can be more assured of what to do. I am well capable of performing this mod its just that the instructions from what i seen on another site seem to show that i only need to remove diode 6. My email is skycom291980@yahoo.com
Thanks
Dean Meredith
KF9L
#17 by George M Donahue on 2012/02/03 - 12:28
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Mike:
We (the 10 am d-star group) are working on d-rats. We wlant to be able to use the radio data transfer system. I am using a IC 92AD handheld. I have set up drats for it. The program says I have connected to the radio and when I ping for stations it “sees” me but no one else. I do not receive messages nor do I transmit. Do you know what the settings are for the 92 ad. I have tried baud rates of 4800, 9600 and 19200 but nothing works. I have disabled the gps and the cable i am using is from the IC programmer program from RT Systems.
73s
George
KD2AU
#18 by mikelee on 2012/02/20 - 00:49
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Hi George,
I’m not a DRATS expert – or an expert on data with the IC-92AD.
Try Dave..??
#19 by Mark VE3CT on 2012/04/02 - 16:36
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Mike, York Region Amateur Radio Club (near Toronto Canada) is just about to start its first D-Star repeater system. We’re exploring VHF amplifier options.
Has your Mirage B2518 G given you great happiness? Any tips or gotchas about using it? Is your repeater very heavily-used? (How many hours per day, for example?)
Any other advice would also be much appreciated. Thanks for your time.