Installing a D-STAR System

Congratulation, you're thinking about or you have decided to take the jump to install a D-STAR repeater. Many of the processes for installing a D-STAR repeater are exactly the same as an FM repeater, some are actually a lot easier. This document will attempt to lead you, step by step through the process of putting a D-STAR repeater on the air from the acquisition of equipment to the implementation of the gateway software.

The following sections represent the installation process, they are broken out into sections to represent the different phases of installation.

  1. Getting a Callsign - Why start early?
  2. Where are all of the D-STAR Administrators?
  3. The pieces of a D-STAR System
  4. Installing the hardware - Radios and such
  5. Connecting everything together
  6. Configuring the Controller and Radios
  7. Testing a basic repeater
  8. Installing a Gateway
  9. Various Tips

Hopefully, if you follow the steps, we will hear you on the air. The process for getting a repeater on the air can be as short as a week, or many months long. Don't rush it. Take your time, do it right the first time.

If you find out that there are any incorrect steps, please let us know at info@dstarinfo.com. We want to try to keep this as up to date and with software changing, this can be a difficult process.

There are still a few sections to be complete, if you want to assist in these sections, please drop us a note at info@dstarinfo.com

A number of people have contributed information to this compilation.

KB2WF - Alan Isaachsen, WA4YIH - Ed Woodrick