What happened to D-Star?

[KE5MC]

Ever since I got my Icom R8600 I have listened for D-Star and have not heard a thing. Another passing innovation that never took root? I don't know any local hams that have invested in it, so it never really interested me. If there is no one to talk to, why buy the radio?

JD
kf4anc

JD,
Nice receiver, but it will only allow you to hear what’s local. Call sign routing and reflector linking will allow you to see D-Star is more rooted than you are aware.

 

[Hit_Factor]

JD,
Nice receiver, but it will only allow you to hear what’s local. Call sign routing and reflector linking will allow you to see D-Star is more rooted than you are aware.

And hotspots...

73, K8HIT
Icom: IC-7300, IC-PW1, ID-5100A, ID-51A Plus 2, IC-R30, Hytera PD782G, Kenwood TH-D74, Uniden SDS100, DVMega, SDRplay RSPduo

 

[TailGator911]

Yep and W8HEQ as well, nothing ever heard. Around here mostly analog repeaters, I have yet to invest in a DMR transceiver so haven't explored that possibility. Analog repeaters are busy enough to keep me busy

 

[Hit_Factor]

Analog is the most inclusive.

73, K8HIT
Icom: IC-7300, IC-PW1, ID-5100A, ID-51A Plus 2, IC-R30, Hytera PD782G, Kenwood TH-D74, Uniden SDS100, DVMega, SDRplay RSPduo

 

[KE5MC]

Yep and W8HEQ as well, nothing ever heard. Around here mostly analog repeaters, I have yet to invest in a DMR transceiver so haven't explored that possibility. Analog repeaters are busy enough to keep me busy

Might be something amiss with your setup. There does seems to be some activity, admitted not a lot.

D-StarUsers.org Your Source for D-Star Digital Amateur Radio Information!

 

[TailGator911]

I admit I haven't spent a lot of time with it, but from the beginning I didn't see it happening except for a few exceptions here in the Dayton area. I think I might have lost interest before it ever got started. But, I did check for some activity with the new radio and when nothing was heard in that Group Memory I moved on to busier things.

 

[wrath]

Thanks for the laugh.

Poor audio quality, no late entry, horrible re-sync.

Those are my biggest complaints about D-Star.

As a digital mode, it is quite inferior to any other digital mode.

I have an IC-92ad and a ID-51. I like both, except for the crappy low audio output. They are easy to program, and are my only hammy grade portables I have left. I can’t remember the last time I actually had a wide area D-Star conversation.

It’s too bad Icom did not give the IC-92ad 500mW or more audio output power. It has the highest quality speaker mic of any hammy radio I have ever owned.





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I have a 92AD I paid a fortune for the rig the mic and two of almost accessory, all still brands new ,bad eyes can't see the thing the green backlight is no help ,i was going to trade it in on something else but the highest offer for everything was $150 i am not taking that bath ,Icom manipulates prices to much ,when i die my estate can sell it and all its new parts for whatever they want and I won't care LOL. Icom screwed us on those !

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[kayn1n32008]

I have a 92AD I paid a fortune for the rig the mic and two of almost accessory, all still brands new ,bad eyes can't see the thing the green backlight is no help ,i was going to trade it in on something else but the highest offer for everything was $150 i am not taking that bath ,Icom manipulates prices to much ,when i die my estate can sell it and all its new parts for whatever they want and I won't care LOL. Icom screwed us on those !

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I got mine second hand off eBay. Paid less than 50% of what everything was brand new.


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[wrath]

I got mine second hand off eBay. Paid less than 50% of what everything was brand new.


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You where smart ,i have had very nice offers for the mic ,lots more radios than mic where built and sold ,nobody realized back then its only dstar with the Mic .if you can see it and want a radio you can swim with there great! Getting one complete used was smart!I still have the receipt $1,800 , maybe thats why my only dstar is Kenwood?

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[AI7PM]

...... ,nobody realized back then its only dstar with the Mic ........

Say what?

 

[KE5MC]

AI7PM'
Exactly what I was thinking. I'm wondering if the confusion is with D-PRS and APRS?
Mike

 

[bill4long]

So, here in Central Ohio, we have several (2 or 3 anyway) D-Star repeaters but there is never a voice to be heard it seems. I had to swap out my beloved IC-208H for an ID-880H in my Jeep recently and finally drank the D-Star kool-aid. Now that I'm on, I find it's pretty dead. I wouldn't say DMR replaced it because despite having a few of those here, those are mostly dead as well. I sold off my MD-2017 last week because of lack of voices heard, and problems with the implementation here.

Repeaters for the digital voice modes are largely a losing proposition.
Get your own hotspot and never be lonely again on DMR, Fusion and DStar.
Also, DMR and Fusion can cross-link to each other to a high degree.
I have a hotspot at home and one in my truck. Never a dull moment, worldwide.
(You prematurely sold off your MD-2017.)

 

[KD8DVR]

So, here in Central Ohio, we have several (2 or 3 anyway) D-Star repeaters but there is never a voice to be heard it seems. I had to swap out my beloved IC-208H for an ID-880H in my Jeep recently and finally drank the D-Star kool-aid. Now that I'm on, I find it's pretty dead. I wouldn't say DMR replaced it because despite having a few of those here, those are mostly dead as well. I sold off my MD-2017 last week because of lack of voices heard, and problems with the implementation here. Anyway, Seems D-Star is pretty lonely here. How is it elsewhere? I will say, I still fire up the AOR AR-DV1 on the Amateur digital repeaters and by far the most digital traffic (and that is down to a trickle) is the Fusion system here. Probably due to the "Flavor of the month" idea. Everyone wants to try the new toys, kind of like PSK31 being almost non-existent now due to FT-8?

Sean

Likely they've bypassed repeaters by going with hot spots. That's what many DMR users have gone to.

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[DeepBlue]

(You prematurely sold off your MD-2017.)

Nah. I don't need all that tech while driving. Dialing up pathways, programming digital routing... not my style. I would prefer to just pick up a radio, have a digital mode and push the PTT. I'm fine without digital (other than JT65c for EME)

S.

 

[CQ]

Not sure if you heard, but Luke used the force to blow up the D-Star. ha ha..sorry i couldnt resist.

Fusion, a better amateur system. Now with PDN mode and no need for junky hot spots.

 

[SlyFerret]

I was driving yesterday and started thinking about how quiet the repeaters in Columbus are these days. I don’t have any digital equipment, so I suspected maybe folks had moved over to the digital voice modes more. Sounds like the digital repeaters are just as quiet.

-SF



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[alcahuete]

Sounds like the digital repeaters are just as quiet.

Just remember, while the repeaters themselves might be quiet, all the digital linked stuff is not. There is plenty of traffic on the various DMR networks, for example.

 

[bill4long]

Nah. I don't need all that tech while driving. Dialing up pathways, programming digital routing... not my style. I would prefer to just pick up a radio, have a digital mode and push the PTT. I'm fine without digital (other than JT65c for EME)S.

You are misinformed. There is no "Dialing up pathways, programming digital routing" with hotspots any more than using repeaters.

 

[DeepBlue]

You are misinformed. There is no "Dialing up pathways, programming digital routing" with hotspots any more than using repeaters.

Not talking about Hot Spots. Talking about digital mobiles and HTs through repeaters..

S.

 

[bill4long]

Not talking about Hot Spots. Talking about digital mobiles and HTs through repeaters..

Same for repeaters. Once your radio is programmed, it's no different than using an analog radio.