D-Star -- KD8TUZ Settings

Hamilton, Ohio (Near Cincinnati) KD8TUZ D-Star Repeater:

What is STARnet Digital

STARnet Digital is a new application for use with D-STAR (Digital Smart Technology for Amateur Radio) that builds upon Smart Technology for Amateur Radio, creating dynamic networks of D-STAR radio stations through the worldwide network of D-STAR gateways and repeaters.

The fundamental building block of a STARnet Digital network is the Group. Each Group is accessed by a Group Callsign. User radios subscribe to a Group by putting the Group Callsign in the destination (UR) address of the D-STAR radio header and keying their transmitter. Once subscribed, any transmissions directed to the Group will be automatically relayed to the repeater where the subscribing station was last heard. The subscribing station can move from repeater to repeater and upon a transmission from the subscribing station to the repeater, the Group will automatically redirect Group transmissions to the subscribing station’s new repeater. (From K7VE, Designer of STARnet)

STARnet  STN093 for Hamilton Wireless Radio Club (HWRC)

The following are the STARnet STN093 Talk Groups for  Hamilton Wireless Radio Club to test STARnet as of Jan 20, 2014. 

Note STN093 is still in experimental phase.

Here they are:

To use STARnet STN093 groups:

• Place one of the above STN093 Group calls in the UR: field or the TO: field on the ID-51/31/7100. 

• Transmit once using a Group call to subscribe the user's "MY:" call sign to the Group.

• Once subscribed, transmissions directed to the Group are relayed to the repeaters where subscribers can receive them.

• While transmitting, stations need to keep the STARnet Group in the UR: or the TO: field so that subscribers continue to receive them.

• To change repeaters, subscribers key their transmitter on a repeater at the new location.

• The STARnet Group will almost immediately "follow" the subscriber to the new repeater location due to the speed of ircDDB.

• The STN093 STARnet Groups are active until the user timeout period expires.

• To unsubscribe, or logoff, from a STN093 group, place the Logoff Call Sign for the desired STARnet Group in the UR: or the TO: field and key the transmitter. See above table. The logoff call sign only unsubscribes one operator from a STARnet Group on all repeaters.

• If one user unsubscribes, all other subscribers remain subscribed to the STARnet Group and will continue to receive transmissions from the STARnet Group.

• All call signs are padded to 8 characters.

Typical D-STAR system (text version):

Antenna <---> Duplexer <---> D-Star Repeater Module (A or B or C or DD transceiver) <---> 172.16.x.x network <---> Repeater Module Controller <---> Linux Gateway Computer <---> 10.x.x.x network <---> Gateway Router (10.0.0.1) <---> Internet

To set callsigns in radio for a gateway call such as communicating on reflectors : 

2 Meter Band Settings Example:

Set Call Sign Fields as follows:

UR: CQCQCQ

RPT1: KD8TUZ B (There is 1 space between the Z and the B; B in this example selects the 70 cm module)

RPT2: KD8TUZ G (There is 1 space between the Z and the G; The G in this example selects a gateway call for communicating to hams in a reflector)

MY: = the call you received from the FCC

Set frequency and offset to match module letter selected in callsign fields in above example

Set Duplex: DUP+ or DUP- depending on the offset

Set Radio Mode: DV

Notes:

• Your FCC callsign must be entered with a local gateway registration page and be approved to use gateway calling. 

• All callsigns with a letter after the call sign must include blank spaces between the callsign and the letter. A total of 8 characters must fill the callsign field in the radio. 

• A four character callsign needs three spaces before the letter -- CCCCsssL where C is the callsign, s are spaces, and L is the module letter. 

• A five character callsign needs two spaces before the letter -- CCCCCssL where C is the callsign, s are spaces, and L is the module letter. 

• A six character callsign needs one space before the letter -- CCCCCCsL where C is the callsign, s are spaces, and L is the module letter.

• Each Icom radio may use unique label symbols for the fields for a particular model. For example, the ID-51A, ID-31A, IC-91AD, IC-92AD, IC-2820, IC-7100, IC-9100 radios use [ UR: R1: R2:  MY: ]. The ID-1, IC-80AD, ID-880H radios use [ UR: RPT1: RPT2: and MY: ]. The ID-800H uses [ UrCALL RTP1 RPT2 MyCALL ]. The IC-v82/UT-115, IC-U82/UT-115, and IC-2200/UT-115 radios use [ YuC R1C R2C MyC ].

To set an ID-31A or ID-51A radio for Digital Voice (DV) and use Reflectors through a local repeater gateway:

The Icom ID-31A and Icom ID-51A handheld radios have an auto mode which sets callsign data based on internal GPS as well as internal memory repeater data, however callsign data can also be set manually. The easy way to communicate through the gateway in the Cincinnati / Dayton area, with the Icom ID-31A and Icom ID-51A, is to use the D-Star Repeater (DR) button. The result of holding the "DR" key held for one second is that the Digital Voice (DV) mode and display is achieved. 

The "DR" button is held down. "DV" is visible on the display in place of "FM". The radio is in DV mode and the corresponding display. Next, the "TO" field needs to be highlighted by alternately choosing RX->CS (the up function) and DR (the down function). Once the "TO" field is highlighted, press the blue button, and rotate dial knob to select "Your Call Sign" on page 1/2. Press blue button, rotate dial knob to select " Use Repeater", and press blue button. "Use Repeater CQCQCQ" will appear in the "TO" field. If only CQCQCQ appears, repeat process until the "TO" field contains "Use Repeater CQCQCQ". 

Highlight the "FROM" field by alternately choosing RX->CS (the up function) and DR (the down function). Once the "FROM" field is highlighted, rotate dial knob to select the desired repeater. If the repeater is not found, press the blue button, and rotate dial knob to select "Repeater List". Press the blue button, rotate dial knob to select the desired Repeater Group. For example, rotate dial knob to select USA Northeast to find Ohio repeaters, then press blue button rotate dial knob to select the desired repeater, then press the blue button. Once "Use Repeater CQCQCQ" is in the "TO" field and the desired repeater is in the "FROM" field, the radio is ready to communicate through the local repeater gateway.

Find the gateway where the call sign was first registered:

To find out where a call sign is registered, go to http://dstar.prgm.org/cgi-bin/dstar-regcheck or https://wb1gof.dstargateway.org/cgi-bin/dstar-regcheck?