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W9WDX B Homebrew D-Star Repeater updates

Moleculo

Ham Radio Nerd
Apr 14, 2002
9,194
1,674
283
Any of you that have followed the progress of the homebrew D-STar that I built may recall that I was having some difficulty keeping it stable. Essentially, the repeater was going into a looping TX condition periodically. After trying everything I could think of, I finally decided to try swapping out the Moencomm GMSK Star*Board for a DVRPTR_V1 board, which is available from D-STAR Boards - The original DVRPTR V1 - D-STAR Repeaters and Hotspots. I did this because I convinced myself that the problem was caused by the Dutch*Star firmware. The DVRPTR_V1 board uses open source firmware and with an optional enclosure costs $120.

Here is a pic of the little unit attached to the repeater:
2902-1398632846-a7a50fa19a6be88f918f261c4e64170b.jpg


After a month of usage with the new DVRPTR_V1 board, I can report that the repeater is now flawless. It's using the G4KLX D-Star Repeater software with ircDDB Gateway and can connect to any Icom repeater or reflector, as well as all of the homebrew repeaters and reflectors. For the PC, I'm just using an old netbook with Windows 7, but you could just as easily use a linux or Raspberry Pi machine.

2903-1398632846-5754776cc9b74cc3e86d6643abe218f1.jpg


The price on D-Star radios has really dropped; the Icom ID-31 can be found new for less than $300. I've since converted the MoenComm Star*Board into a hotspot or DVAP (DV Access Point), attached to a cheap UHF FM radio. Using this combo, you can get on the D-Star systems and the W9WDX repeater even if you don't have access to a local D-Star repeater.

Now is as good a time to try dabbling in D-Star if you've been holding out!
 
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I've since converted the MoenComm Star*Board into a hotspot or DVAP (DV Access Point), attached to a cheap UHF FM radio. Using this combo, you can get on the D-Star systems and the W9WDX repeater even if you don't have access to a local D-Star repeater.

Like so...
dstarboard.JPG
Cheap/old analog radio, $100 MoenComm board, $20 worth of cables and a $1 tupperware container. Don't follow my lead on the tupperware. I discovered the other day that the board was RF sensitive when I blew 300w out of a VHF antenna near by. Didn't damage anything, but I did have to re-boot the board. Time for a better project box.

You don't need this set-up unless you can't hit a D-Star repeater with an RF signal. This set up, or a USB Dv-ap (DV Access Point Dongle) and you have your OWN hotspot that can link to any D-Star repeater in the world.

You STILL have to talk to it with a D-Star radio, but the price of the ID-31 that Mole mentioned as "New" @ $300 can EASILY be found used (like, used once) for about $200.

Both of my D-Star radios were purchased from hams that bought them, couldn't hit a D-Star repeater, then sold them at a loss. I basically got "new" radios at almost 50% off. Another $125 for the board & cables in the photo and these guys would have had self-sufficient stations, no need for a repeater to do all of the cool stuff that these radios are capable of.

With a board or Dv-ap, you can either control your hotspot linking through the controls on the radio, or through "dashboard" software on your computer screen.

Free "DVAR Hot Spot" control software
dstarDashboard.JPG
Free "Win DV" control software
winDVdashboard.JPG
It's as simple as punching in a friends call sign, and the system will locate them if they're on the air. Click, connected. Or you can watch one of the many "last heard" screens like the one below located at D-StarUsers.org Your Source for D-Star Digital Amateur Radio Information!, and you can see everyone who's on. Pick a repeater any where in the world, punch the call sign in and you're RF signal is coming out that repeater's antenna. Good stuff...
<click below to enlarge>
lastheardscreen.JPG
And to the technology haters, no, it's not the same as Skype. I can send a signal off my yagi to a repeater 50 miles away, and have it come out of an antenna on top of the water tower where I went to high school 1500 miles from here. Some of the CB crowd that I used to talk to 40 years ago is still out there and on D-Star.
Skype that... :eek:
 

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