‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM SEPBEMBER 2007 QST  PAGES 30, 31 AND 100  ‰
HEARD LOTS OF DIGITAL VOICE AUDIO.  MY CELL PHONE IS ONE OF THE
INCREASINGLY RARE MODELS THAT WILL DO BOTH DIGITAL AND ANALOG.  WHEN IM IN
VERY RURAL AREAS SUCH AS THE MIDDLE OF DEATH VALLEY, AS I WAS RECENTLY WHEN
MY PHONE SURPRISED THE HECK OUT OF ME BY
‰  FROM PAGE 100  ‰
IK2EGL/335 IK2UKW/333 IK4SDY/333 IK6GZM/336 IK6SNS/330 IK8AUC/336

TODAY YOULL NEED TO ENTER YOUR CALL SIGN IN A MENU IN YOUR RADIO BEFORE YOU
USE ANY REPEATERS.  AFTER THAT, JUST KEY UP AND TALK.  TO GO BEYOND THAT,
TO TALK TO A HAM ON A NETWORKED REPEATER IN A DISTANT TOWN, THE D STAR
SYSTEM MAKES YOU POKE AND PROD INSIDE YOUR RADIOS MENUS A BIT TO ENTER MORE
CALL SIGNS YOUR LOCAL REPEATER, THE DISTANT REPEATER, OR THE HAM YOU WANT
TO TALK TO AND SET OPTIONS.  IF YOU ARE A HAM WHO FINDS PROGRAMMING YOUR
RADIO FOR CTCSS CONTINUOUS TONE CODED SQUELCH SYSTEM SO YOU CAN USE A TONE
ACCESS REPEATER TOO BIG A CHALLENGE, IM AFRAID YOU MIGHT BE LEFT IN THE
DIGITAL DUST.  AT LEAST FOR NOW.  BUT FEAR NOT THIS CHANGE WILL HAPPEN
SLOWLY.  THAT ANALOG ONLY HANDHELD YOU GOT FOR CHRISTMAS WILL HAVE A PLACE
FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.  DSTAR NEEDS REPEATERS, TOO D STAR REPEATERS ARE
SPECIAL.  BECAUSE OF THE NARROWER D STAR BANDWIDTH AND SPECIAL REQUIREMENT
TO ALLOW DECODING OF THE MODULATING SIGNALS, D STAR REPEATERS DONT WORK
BETWEEN ANALOG RADIOS, NOR CAN ANALOG REPEATERS HANDLE D STAR SIGNALS.
‰  FROM PAGE 100  ‰
AA0AV/340 AA1M/342 AB5RM/330 AC4S/336 AD1E/338 AD5W/330 AD8RL/336 AE3T/351
AE5V/335 AH0W/W7/334 AI7W/336 AK1L/337 BA4DW/330 CE3GN/345 CT3FT/335
‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ

ENTER D STAR DIGITAL VOICE FOR VHF UHF, SUCH AS WITH D STAR, REQUIRES WHOLE
NEW, AND FAIRLY EXPENSIVE RADIOS.  THERE HAVE TO BE SOME BIG ADVANTAGES TO
GET US TO GO THERE.  WILL THE D STAR DIGITAL VOICE SYSTEM PROVIDE THE
ADVANTAGES THAT WILL SPUR A VHF/UHF VERSION OF THE SWITCH WE SAW FROM AM TO
SSB ON HF IN THE 50S AND 60S?  IT MIGHT.  IT OFFERS CLEARER SIGNALS WITH
LESS BANDWIDTH THAN ANALOG FM, AND A MORE ELEGANT AND TARGETED FORM OF
NETWORKING THAN IRLP OR ECHOLINK AMATEUR VOICE OVER THE INTERNET WITH RADIO
LINKS DO TODAY.  MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH D STAR CAME IN HUNTSVILLE,
ALABAMA LAST OCTOBER AT A D STAR TRAINING SEMINAR.  HERE SEVERAL D STAR
PIONEERS GAVE TALKS TO HELP THE NEXT WAVE OF EARLY ADOPTERS UNDERSTAND HOW
THIS SYSTEM WORKS.  THESE SEMINARS ARE INTENDED FOR REPEATER OWNERS AND THE
MOST DEDICATED USERS.  YOU CAN GET REALLY DEEP INTO THIS STUFF.  IT REMINDS
ME OF BOTH THE ENTHUSIASM AND COMPLEXITY THAT PACKET NETWORK SYSOPS
EXPERIENCED IN THE MID 90S.  EVERYDAY USERS, YOU AND I, WONT NEED TO GET
THIS DEEP INTO IT.  AT THE MOST BASIC LEVEL, WELL BE ABLE TO OPERATE
DIGITAL VOICE THROUGH REPEATERS ALMOST AS EASILY AS WE USE ANALOG REPEATERS
‰  FROM PAGE 100  ‰
WD4NGB/335 WE9A/335 WF1N/336 WF2Y/336 WG3U/344 WJ7R/343 WO0Y/336 WV1R/335
WW1N/358 WY4Q/337 XE1D/337 YB3OSE/336 YL2JN/337 YU1EQ/331 YV5AMH/341
ZL2AL/334 ZL2VS/341 ZL3JU/331 ZS6P/336 330 4X4NJ/356 7K1WLE/336 9A4SS/330
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ