D Star emulation. (Astar)

[Tom Azlin N4ZPT]

Hi Bob,

There is a D-STAR hotspot up in Maryland that is connected to a packet 
gateway so the slow speed data side of the D-STAR DV radio is transfered 
over to the packet side and vice versa.  However I think the data going 
to D-STAR picks up the call sign of the gateway d-star radio. The D-PRS 
-> APRS gateway already exists but is not quite what you propose as it 
is one way.

Using a built-in APRS radio that can do mic-e might be a good way to 
solve the call sign "problem" when coming from the FM side. not just the 
from and to call signs but the rpt1 and rpt2 might have be loaded on the 
fly. PLUS the FM user will likely need to go register at their nearest 
gateway if they expect their audio to go any where depending on what 
they are depending on working.

There are hams working the various alternate software that mimics a 
repeater or creates D-STAR DV packets using the DVDongle.  Some of that 
software uses the DVDongle to encode/decode voice then uses a sound card 
to send out the completed GMSK signal to a 9600 bps capable radio. Will 
leave all that to them.

73, tom n4zpt





On 5/17/2011 2:31 PM, Bob Bruninga wrote:
> The real boon to D-star will be the first person to take one of the D-star
> CODEC dongles, and write some analog gateway software and connect it to an
> Analog APRS repeater.  This would be called an "A-STAR" repeater.
>
> All of the callsign handshaking on the ANALOG side is done by APRS radios
> which can include their callsign in every transmission (PTT mode), including
> the callsign of who they want to talk to.  On the receive side of the analog
> side, the APRS display on the front panel of the radio displays the
> callsigns of who is connected (and where!).
>
> So APRS (built into now 8 different models of radio) does all the signaling,
> callsign handling, and ID, and the GATEWAY then passes this over to the
> "D-STAR" network and to everyone on D-STAR it looks like a D-STAR call.
>
> Surely someone can write this simple A-STAR gateway code.  And then the
> other 98% of ham radio operators (that do not have D-star) can participate
> in UNIVERSAL-BY-CALLSIGN voice contact.
>
> Please see:   http://aprs.org/avrs.html
>
> Such a software writer would be considered a hero by 98% of ham radio
> operators and a traitor by the 2%.
>
> Bob, WB4APR