--- In dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com, "nhorv" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> I'm curious, what is a Reflector?
A DStar gateway is a computer program, a computer, and an internet
connection that also connects (digitally) to a DStar repeater
(technically to a DStar controller which connects digitally to a
DSstar repeater).
A repeater-gateway is how one DStar user can talk to another DStar
user on another (usually distant) repeater-gateway using the original
DStar conceptualization of transmitting an addressed digital voice
stream with your radio controlling the addressing.
A reflector is a second way to let users on one repeater-gateway talk
to users on one (OR MORE) distant repeater-gateways via another piece
of software ("dplus") which is best viewed as a "gateway enhancement"
or "gateway extention". Typically sysops use dplus to "link"
repeater-gateways to a reflector. Every digital voice stream each
repeater-gateway sends to the reflector is sent back out (reflected)
to all other attached gateways. It is a "party-line" or bridge for
repeater-gateways. It is this one-to-many capability that really
distinguishes it's performance from the original DStar one-to-one concept.
A device called a dvdongle will also let individual (FCC licensed)
users communicate with a reflector (and all linked repeater-gateways)
from a computer as if they were using a DStar radio and accessing a
repeater-gateway.
I'm sure others will explain this differently, but this is one way.
73 -- John
