At 07:52 AM 4/4/2010, you wrote: >After considerable experience on D-Star nets, both via dplus links >and Icom's multiplex facility, and in callsign routed QSO's, I am of >the distinct opinion that D-Star communciations are fairly >unreliable. Dropped streams are frequent. Folks double on each >other and knock each other out. For strickly local nets with five >or more folks, analog outperforms D-Star hands down. Icom's >multiplex facility is as bad or worse, and cumbersome to set >up. Comparison to wider area nets is difficult since I have little >experience with echolink and IRLP, but I'd sure like to hear from >folks who do. Ammunition is good so long as it is not a dud...
IRLP and Echolink are quite reliable for wide area nets. I use them all the time. D-STAR works reasonably well down here, though I do hear the occasional dropped stream. IRLP and Echolink are rock solid in my experience, and they have a long history of successful wide area emergency comms nets. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com