Jay, I think that you might be overestimating the investment to switch one of your systems to D-STAR. Basically all you need is the controller and a RF module and you are there. You don't need the duplexer, feedline, antenna, which are big parts of your investment. For less than $3k, you can have a repeater on the air in just a few days. I suspect that you've got a lot more than that invested in the rest of your repeaters.
The hot spots aren't probably your answer because their main goal tends to be for a single user. When they are operating simplex, users can't hear each other. Also, many of the add-on boards when married with standard transceivers aren't really transmitting the 6kHz DSTAR signal, it's wider, but compatible. And don't forget that K2DIG is NOT your closest repeater, W1NLK in Norwalk is only 22 miles away.(see http://www.dstarinfo.com/maps/Repeaters.aspx for details) From: dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com [mailto:dstar_digi...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of ka2ugz Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 4:37 PM To: dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com Subject: [DSTAR_DIGITAL] Purchasing a Node Adapter WOW what a response for the recent "new guy" post! Seems like an abundance of energy in this group. I saw a presentation and demonstration of a D-Star hot-spot using a node adapter (Ham Radio University sponsored by GSBARC) and as a result I joined this group to learn more. I am an officer in a Long Island club that operates 3 analog repeaters, two 70cm and one 2m. We have discussed turning one of them into a D-Star repeater but the significant investment is beyond the reach of our small club. I think the node adapter hot spot is well within our grasp though. With the closest D-Star repeater on the Empire State Building in NYC there is not much D-Star activity here and I think the hot-spots will create opportunity. So on to my first question: I sent an email to Satoshi (7m3...@jk1zrw.ampr.org<mailto:7m3tjz%40jk1zrw.ampr.org> ) to buy an assembled node adapter which his website says is available (updated 12/23/2009). It has been about 10-days with no reply and no indication that the email was undeliverable. In the experience of this group, does it take Satoshi a long time to answer email? I realize that this is probably not his "day job" and he might be overloaded with requests so please help set my expectation level... how patient do I need to be? 73 de KA2UGZ - Jay
