Israel, You definitely read something completely different than what I wrote.
I can also hit FM repeaters 100 miles, but there are also FM repeaters 15 miles away that I can't hit. There's a lot of variability in how individual repeaters operate. Also, I had no idea what type of equipment that you have, mobile, handheld, or fixed. So, indeed, 37 miles can be far, dependent on all sorts of parameters. At this point in the development of D-STAR, there are some configurations, such as remote receivers, that aren't available for us yet. They weren't available when FM repeaters started either. Many of the long range FM repeaters have multiple remote receivers and run significant amount of power out if the central transmitter to get the range. D-STAR doesn't do that yet. There are significant portions of this country that doesn't have ANY repeater coverage. It's like the AT&T commercial that I just saw "We cover 97% of America" that's the people, not the geography of America. To answer one of your question, if the power fails, can you still use D-STAR? Absolutely, basically it is the same rules as FM. You can still talk the same 50+ miles on simplex. At the basics, D-STAR is just a mode like AM, FM, or SSB. You mention that you paid $500 for a D-STAR radio that you can't use. I have to take great exception here, because EVERY D-STAR radio also does FM, so the radio is still a perfectly usable radio. And by the way, your FT-857 doesn't cover everything. I can safely say that it covers a very small portion of the Amateur bands. And it doesn't do D-STAR. I can't talk about all of the repeaters in your area, but I find it very hard to believe that they are all off the air. I am sorry that you are disillusioned with D-STAR. I don't believe that you have really wasted that much money on D-STAR, the added cost of D-STAR on most radios is only about $100. D-STAR is state of the art for Amateur Radio, and there is always a cost for being on the edge, that's why it is often referred to as the bloody edge. You might even be able to recoup some of your cost by negotiating with the dealer that you bought the radio from or putting is up for sell. BUT, what I can tell you is that D-STAR is still being deployed across the world. There's still a lot of development around the platform. Sure we don't have 100% coverage and indeed some of the busiest areas, such as NYC and DC have had issues with acquiring repeater pairs because of the number of FM repeaters. There are a lot of good things going on with D-STAR. There's a number of areas around the world that have excellent D-STAR coverage. Just remember, the FM repeater network was the same way when FM repeaters started. Matter of fact, there were so few that only 3 or 4 repeater pairs used for many years. That was 40 years ago. Ed WA4YIH From: dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com [mailto:dstar_digi...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of milkman Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 2:38 AM To: dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com Subject: [DSTAR_DIGITAL] Re: I Want To Know??? Ed,You say that 37 mile is pretty far? I can hit repeaters over 100 miles away everyday on 2m. I work more than one repeater 4 in Harrisburg, Pa- 2 in Hagerstown, Md - 1 in Salisbury, Md- 1 in Crisfield, Md. I work Delaware, Virginia, & DC. All more than 40 miles. So how is D-Star better than that if 37 miles is far? And I live in a hole. And yes NONE of our D-Star repeaters are working! And I realize that not all 600,000+ Hams are on VHF & UHF. But I do know that I can talk 50+ miles on 2meter simplex mobile. And I would like to know what happens to D-Star when the power fails. Can I still talk everywhere? I also think that D-Star equipment is not cheap. I paid over $500 for a dual band. That I can't use where I live. How is that cheap? (I paid $650 for my FT-857D and it covers everything). And I'm not the worlds cheapest Ham. Yes I do own a few 2m & dual banders. Plus an Icom 706MK2G, Yaesu FT.857D, Alinco DX-77T,& Ten-Tec Omni VI+. But when I look at the Baltimore, MD/Washington, DC Metro area and only find 7 D-Star repeaters for 2meters. And I know that Maryland's D-Star do not work at all. Also New York City ONLY have 3 D-Star repeaters. Which are 2 major Metro Areas in the US. So I'm really confused. Where are the users? Sure not here. Check the New York and Maryland, DC, DE, VA, & WVA area repeater Council list. I guess it's that I feel robbed & lied too since there's nothing here. Now I see it as a waste of money for my area. I think it needs to be made public that D-Star is not up and running in all areas of the USA. And I think that with over half of the 500 repeaters worldwide in the US. Still comes out to 250. With 50 States that works out to an average of 5 per State? And you say 37 miles is kinda far for a repeater? So that means most of the Hams in the U.S. couldn't use D-Star if they wanted to. But Ed I do thank very much for you openning my eyes to just how worthless D-Star is for most of us living here in America. Thanks everyone for helping find out that D-Star is not for everyone. Just a few select Hams. Which I think is very unfair. And after getting the facts. For me and most other Hams it is throwing good money after bad. Thanks again for letting me know! I'm sure glad that I came here. This group is on the ball. These are up to date listings. With in the last month. Pages are dated. http://www.tmarc.org/index_files/Page403.html http://www.nationsdial.com/nk2u/ Israel W1ASA --- In dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com<mailto:dstar_digital%40yahoogroups.com>, <ki...@...<mailto:ki...@...>> wrote: > > All I can say is good work Ed > > Tom > > ---- "Woodrick wrote: > > You might want to get your numbers straight. > > > > There are over 12,000 users registered worldwide. The system hears over > > 1800 users transmit every day. > > > > There are over 500 repeaters worldwide and I believe that slightly over > > half of that is in the US. > > > > The northeastern corridor has been one of the slowest to adopt D-STAR, but > > has increased dramatically since Dayton last year. > > > > I have to take ask when you say that none of the 4 D-STAR repeaters near > > you work, do you mean that you can't reach them? From what I can see W3AGB > > is nearest to you at 37 miles, so that's pretty far away. > > > > And of the 663,000 US Amateurs that you refer to, don't think that they all > > are active, don't think that they are all on VHF/UHF, the number is much, > > much less. > > > > Amateur Radio has many facets, voice, CW, digital, satellite, EME, and many > > more. D-STAR is probably one of the cheapest, except for FM, modes of > > operation in Amateur Radio. Want to talk about money pits? Try looking at > > the cost of a decent satellite station. Want to make D-STAR look free, look > > at the cost of some of the big EME stations. We're talking 6 to 7 digits > > worth of radios and antennas. > > > > Dependent on your viewpoint, Amateur Radio in general is a money pit. > > > > But if you are an individual that likes to stay abreast of new > > technologies. If you like to try new things. If you like to talk to people > > around the world, then D-STAR is actually a quite respectable part of > > Amateur Radio and since all D-STAR radios ALSO do FM, it's actually one of > > the cheapest new, advanced modes that exist. > > > > (FYI, under no stretch of anyone's imagination should packet and APRS be > > considered new technology. There are college graduates that were born after > > packet was created!) > > > > And finally "And anything that seems to divide the Hams can't be good. Can > > it?" ROTFLMAO! > > Put 5 hams in a room, ask a question, you'll usually get 7 different > > answers! Hams make the Republicans and Democrats seem united! > > > > Ed WA4YIH > > > > From: dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com<mailto:dstar_digital%40yahoogroups.com> > > [mailto:dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com<mailto:dstar_digital%40yahoogroups.com>] > > On Behalf Of milkman > > Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 7:49 PM > > To: dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com<mailto:dstar_digital%40yahoogroups.com> > > Subject: [DSTAR_DIGITAL] I Want To Know??? > > > > > > > > I'm new to this group and would like to start off first saying Hello to > > everyone here. Now what I don't understand is this. It seems to me that > > D-Star could just be a huge money pit at this time. As I look around my > > state we have 4 D-Star repeaters total. Out of over 230 repeaters. And none > > of the D-Star work. What I'd like to know is. If there are 660,000 Ham in > > the US. And less than 3000 on D-Star. How long is it before the other > > 663,000 catch on to D-Star. And is it worth the effort? And wait for this > > format get up and running? And if D-Star is so great. why hasn't Kenwood & > > Yaesu joined in? Because just reading post in this group. And looking at > > our D-Star repeaters in MD. Just makes me wonder if I could be throwing > > good money after bad? And anything that seems to divide the Hams can't be > > good. Can it? > > >
