Accessing D-STAR

While the obvious way to access the D-STAR system is to get a D-STAR radio, there are numerous other ways.

We can access D-STAR through the following methods:
  • Commercially available radios from Icom
  • Talk to the D-STAR network using a PC and the DVDongle
  • Modify many radios to talk D-STAR using the Icom D-STAR modules
  • Listen and decode D-STAR signals using a basic receiver
  • Interface with the gateway software
When you get a commercially available radio, you get the following features:
  • Talking to other D-STAR users
  • Talking to other D-STAR systems on any frequency they support (144, 440, 1200 MHz)
  • Sending low speed data from computers by connecting to a D-STAR radio
  • Sending high speed data from computers by connecting to an Icom ID-1
The following requires minor homebrew, some commercial does exist *:
  • Decode D-STAR signals using basic receiver

* while some commercial interfaces exist, many tend to connect to standard audio
ports, not the 9600 baud ports. May require different connectors

The following requires significant homebrew
  • Connect Icom D-STAR module to radio with controller
The following is available to repeater owners as additions to the gateway:
  • Customized IDs
  • DVDongle Access Controls
  • EchoTest
  • DPRS/APRS linkage
At this time, the following solutions are NOT available:
  • Using PC software and the DVDongle, transmit from a standard radio. (probably short lived)
  • Encode or decode anything without the AMBE chip.
  • Replace the gateway software
  • Connect into the gateway as another gateway
  • Convince other manufacturers to implement D-STAR
  • Send or receive DV Data from anything but a D-STAR radio (This is a very trivial solution, just not done yet)