On Feb 14, 2010, at 3:23 PM, <k7...@skybeam.com> <k7...@skybeam.com> wrote:
> Here in Colorado there has been an overwhelming interest especially in the > volunteers for served agencies like ARES and RACES. I do have to say that it > is very exciting and am very glad I swapped the analog repeater. Gee, that's funny... the RFP for the D-STAR repeater said 6 ARES groups were going to use/operate it. Don't get me started. If anyone knows how to get 6 ARES groups to even agree on what color shirts they're all wearing from a photograph, let me know. If I ever hear an ARES net that's well-attended (if there ever is an ARES Net on that repeater) I'll probably check my thermometer to see if hell froze over that day, too. Be careful, is all I'm saying. They showed "overwhelming interest" in D-STAR too, and they don't actually USE it. > Your TRBO-6 group is a prime example that you chose to link via Ethernet and > not run Full-Duplex links everywhere. Easy to do with Analog repeaters too... just a nit-pick... analog repeaters CAN be narrowband... it's just that far too many stupid people would try to use them with their radios set for 5 KHz deviation... And digital linking for analog machines is a piece of cake, too. And CAN be set up right so levels are exactly the same. You know I'm a digital fan Mike, but just sayin'... all of the "goals" of digital can be accomplished with analog. There's a few "gee whiz" things like callsign routing on D-STAR and/or text messaging on TRBO, plus the (never used) callsign style squelch things... but none of those features are wildly "popular" because most of the users just don't "get it" anyway... The vast majority of why hams are interested in both of these technologies is that it makes digital "easy"... just like their cell phones. Mash-to-mumble... -- Nate Duehr, WY0X n...@natetech.com facebook.com/denverpilot twitter.com/denverpilot
