Allstar: A Show of Hands...

[bill4long]

OK chief. In conversations with friends who have been on Allstar for centuries, VoIP wasn't mentioned in our conversations. The significant difference was this mode being analog was so much clearer than digital DMR. 🤔

DMR compresses audio to fit into 6.25 khz bandwidth (4800 bits per slot) given it's an on-the-air digital mode. Allstar is under no such restriction. There are several CODECS available to Allstar which is primarily an over-the-Internet (not over the air) mode. Local simplex nodes and repeaters are typically analog. But there are a number of systems out there now combine everything plus the kitchen sink. Most of which sounds like crap to me personally.

 

[w2xq]

Most of which sounds like crap to me personally.

Personally, I prefer Allstar audio over DMR but it really doesn't matter. The bottom line is communications. I grew up listening to signals at the noise level, learning to fill in the blanks, ~71 years ago. Actually, the best audio comes forth from BCB transmitters moved up from 1630 kc to the AM areas on 160 and 75. But that's a different discussion. 😀

 

[bharvey2]

I DIY'd an Allstar node several years ago using a RPI 3 and an Alinco DR435 mk3 as the node radio. It works great and at 5W and a little 1/4wave ground plane antenna in my garage, I can walk the neighborhood and stay connected. However, getting either the RPI3 or the radio are pretty difficult these days.

 

[bill4long]

Personally, I prefer Allstar audio over DMR but it really doesn't matter.

DMR is far more compressed than Allstar. DMR audio payload plus control data has to fit in 6.25 khz bandwith, running about 4 kbits/sec. Whereas Allstar codecs run a lot higher. G.726 codec is configurable from 16 to 40 kbits/sec. The most common is 32 kbits/sec which sounds very nice.

 

[kb9mwr]

I've been fond of Allstar (then just called app_rpt) since 2008. I was growing tired of IRLP, since there are some closed source parts of the code. The big advantage was that Allstar nodes did not need to connect to a reflector to support multiple connections. When the Raspberry Pi came along about 2014 is when it was time to decomission the IRLP installations around here and switch. Allstar is VOIP (digital over the internet), but pretty much all purposes is analog for ham radio. I like experimentation so I am not afraid of wiring things up. I have made many of my own radio interfaces by modifing the USB sound fobs.

I have little interest in hotspots, analog or digital. They way I see it, one might as well just use your phone with an app to connect to the various networks if thats the route you choose.