On 1/18/2010 2:08 AM, J. Moen wrote:
Imagine a USB Dongle with a 10 milliwatt FM transceiver built into it. It plugs into your PC that runs dongle software to allow connection into the D-Star network of repeaters and reflectors. D-Star radios, most likely HTs, that are nearby, can use this DV Access Point to connect in. I see lots of utility in this. You can roam around your shack, in some cases, perhaps around your property, and stay connected. Or, check into a motel or hotel with internet access, set up the DVAP, and you and your travelling friends can connect into your favorite reflector with your D-Star HTs.
It's a niche, but maybe a useful one. In terms of something more "useful", I could see it being used at well-connected Emergency Operations Centers, Comm Vans/Trailers that have good IP access, etc. I hope it's way more tolerant to IP latency than the DV-Dongle.
Many "real" uses for this in emergency comms, but those places that would need it are often hooked to the Net via Satellite-based IP.
Do you travel with hams often? I don't unless it's to Dayton or somewhere similar. Maybe useful at a Regional ARRL convention or hamfest.
We tried to have the stack in Icom's cabinet up and working (what sells radios better than hams with their own radios showing off the technology?!) for the ARRL Rocky Mtn Region Convention the last time it was in Colorado. I tried REALLY hard to get Icom Sales interested in properly setting up their "road-show" booth with a WORKING D-STAR stack, and ran into numerous "willpower" issues. They're not interested.
They work with some people to get it running at Dayton I think, but offers of setting up mobile broadband routers, something that would use hotel WiFi and establish a VPN to get a static public IP, etc... were all rebuffed prior to the event. I gave up, as we all had better things to spend our time on than arguing with Icom. They also stated they could NOT (policy?) load D-Plus or any non-Icom software on the GW machine serving their official demo rack.
The brain damage level got too high, even for me, and I'm pretty patient, since I work in Customer Service for an equipment (telco, non-radio) manufacturer and understand the Corporate "slowness to decide", etc.
So yeah, put up a "hotspot" at a hamfest, and sell more Icom repeaters and radios, because they're not interested in showing off their own technology... Sure, why not? ;-)
Rumors are that this DVAP is being developed by the same people who brought us the DV Dongle. I doubt it will officially appear on the website until it is generally available.
I didn't think it was a "rumor"... didn't Robin actually mention that he was involved on one of the lists? I can't think of a whole lot of folks who have the motivation to build such a thing other than the developers of the DV-Dongle.
Nate WY0X
