I ordered mine weeks ago. I hear there were only 80 made in the initial batch and once they are gone there won't be anymore until Dayton
Fran, W1FJM On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 1:37 PM, Woodrick, Ed <ewoodr...@ed-com.com> wrote: > > > Embedded > > > > *From:* dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com [mailto: > dstar_digi...@yahoogroups.com] *On Behalf Of *Nate Duehr > *Sent:* Tuesday, January 19, 2010 12:34 PM > *To:* dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com > *Subject:* Re: [DSTAR_DIGITAL] Re: New guy > > > > > > 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. > > I suspect that the number one use will be people from inside their homes. > > > > > 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. > > That’s why there is a growing number of portable repeaters to provide that > function. We haven’t had a hamfest around here in the last few years without > a gateway connected stack. And for the last year, a number of the hamfests > have had two different stacks deployed. > > > > > 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 “demo” box that Icom has for hamfests is commonly called the icebox. > (It looks like a refrigerator when closing) This isn’t the system (AFAIK) > that has been used at Dayton. The Dayton system has been one that the Texas > Team brings to the event. I also had mine up there last year. > > I’m with them, I wouldn’t want anyone playing with my computers either. The > icebox is used weekend after weekend and there is no time or personnel > available to fix it. But again, I believe that it actually was the Texas > stack that you are referring to. > > > > > 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? ;-) > > Like I said, we’ve been doing it for years. Of course, to make best use of > it, you should also schedule one or more forums to talk about D-STAR. > > > > 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. > > Definitely not a rumor, HRO has been taking orders for them (the initial > shipment is really close to being sold out). It is indeed manufactured by > the same group that does the DVDongle. Mark, KJ4VO has been testing one for > over a month. Current estimates are that they first group will be available > by the end of the month. And I believe that the transmitter is 20mW (hey > that 3dB over 10mW) > > Robin announced it at Dayton last year and he is now showing the working > device off at nearby events. It does exist, I’ve used and touched it. > > > > It’s even listed on HRO’s website. > > > > Ed WA4YIH > > > >
