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Re: Internet Fail & Cell Weakness = Need for Ham Network?
Matthew Pitts <daywalker_blade_2004@...>
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Re: Internet Fail & Cell Weakness = Need for Ham Network?
Matthew Pitts <daywalker_blade_2004@...>
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Re: Internet Fail & Cell Weakness = Need for Ham Network?
Matthew Pitts <daywalker_blade_2004@...>
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Re: Internet Fail & Cell Weakness = Need for Ham Network?
"qrv@..." <qrv@...>
We will have to map around the stubborn for the sake of the goal.
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There's always another Ham (or Hams), another tower (or towers), another way. The absence of a robust, independent, redundant, and diverse wireless network has represented a serious weakness in the larger system. SEDAN tried to fill the gap with Packet, APRS covers a lot of ground, and D-Star has a role but suffers multiple liabilities (not the least of which are cost, complexity, and poor grassroots adoption). IMHO, YMMV ...
Not really; most currently available digital voice systems aren't --
Thanks! & 73, KD4E.com David Colburn nevils-station.com I don't google I SEARCH! duckduckgo.com Network: groups.yahoo.com/group/qrv Restored to design-spec at Heaven's gate 1Cor15:22
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Re: Internet Fail & Cell Weakness = Need for Ham Network?
"Howard Small" <howard@...>
I can’t agree with your reading of the situation. Yaesu has not offered an alternative – all they have offered is a radio: no infrastructure, nothing, just a radio that is pretty well incompatible with any of the other offerings amateurs are embracing.
On the D-Star side, it is no longer just Icom but many third party developers enhancing the system significantly and at the same time reducing the cost. The only thing that is long in the tooth is AMBE and it works so there is no reason to look for another codec.
All Icom has to do is keep developing user-friendly, cost effective hardware along the lines of the ID-31 and with the third party infrastructure development D-Star will continue to grow: just look at the number of ircDDB based repeaters that are on line today compared with a year ago!
Just my opinion but it is based on the rate of increasing acceptance of D-Star that I have observed…
Howard VK4BS
From: UniversalDigitalRadio@... [mailto:UniversalDigitalRadio@...] On Behalf Of qrv@...
Sent: Sunday, 29 July 2012 06:56 To: UniversalDigitalRadio@... Subject: Re: [UniversalDigitalRadio] Internet Fail & Cell Weakness = Need for Ham Network?
As someone noted, D-Star is getting a bit long in the tooth
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Re: Internet Fail & Cell Weakness = Need for Ham Network?
Matthew Pitts <daywalker_blade_2004@...>
Not really; most currently available digital voice systems aren't directly compatible, even within the same technology, so we have to find alternate ways to interconnect them as it is. I'm also hearing that some groups don't even want to allow connections from within their own technology if it's not from their preferred manufacturer, so it's not a matter of the manufacturers like Icom preventing such things. I'm actually talking to a guy that has an NXDN system about interlinking our different systems. Matthew Pitts N8OHU
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Re: Internet Fail & Cell Weakness = Need for Ham Network?
"qrv@..." <qrv@...>
As someone noted, D-Star is getting a bit long in the tooth
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so it was inevitable that an alternative would appear - thus Yaesu. Icom has to decide to play-nicely or to try to block Yaesu, and/or sabotage efforts to interconnect, and then Hamdom will have to choose a path based on all of that. Meanwhile, IPv6, APRS, and other technologies need to be leveraged into an interoperable, redundant network that is nearly impossible to break -- with Icom's cooperation or around them as necessary.
Indeed; this is something that is highly needed with linked systems --
Thanks! & 73, KD4E.com David Colburn nevils-station.com I don't google I SEARCH! duckduckgo.com Network: groups.yahoo.com/group/qrv Restored to design-spec at Heaven's gate 1Cor15:22
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Re: Internet Fail & Cell Weakness = Need for Ham Network?
Matthew Pitts <daywalker_blade_2004@...>
From: qrv@... ;
To: ; Subject: [UniversalDigitalRadio] Internet Fail & Cell Weakness = Need for Ham Network? Sent: Thu, Jul 26, 2012 4:05:37 PM
Google Chat was down this morning, then Twitter went down. Cell towers are infamous for failures during emergencies, This is why we need a 100% wireless Ham network that is Interoperability between digital formats will be key as it It can be done but it will require coordinated promotion and WDYT? -- Thanks! & 73, KD4E.com
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Internet Fail & Cell Weakness = Need for Ham Network?
"qrv@..." <qrv@...>
Google Chat was down this morning, then Twitter went down.
Cell towers are infamous for failures during emergencies, esp. due to backup power failure and microwave-linking dishes knocked out of alignment. This is why we need a 100% wireless Ham network that is redundant not only in pathways, mapping around dead spots, but also redundant in mode and band - to overcome propagation and RFI challenges. Interoperability between digital formats will be key as it should be more resistant to certain forms of RFI and maybe more power-efficient when operating from battery power. It can be done but it will require coordinated promotion and cooperation among ARRL and other orgs, repeater owners, and vendors. WDYT? -- Thanks! & 73, KD4E.com David Colburn nevils-station.com I don't google I SEARCH! duckduckgo.com Network: groups.yahoo.com/group/qrv Restored to design-spec at Heaven's gate 1Cor15:22
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NXDN... RF Specs now open.
"William Stillwell - KI4SWY" <wkstill@...>
Has anybody read the NXDN Open air RF Specs that were released?
William Stillwell – Ki4SwY ICOM NXDN Repeater – 442.7625 IRLP Node # 8549 New Port Richey, FL
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Re: Update ?!
will wright <w4wwm@...>
Hello to the group,
It's great to here updated news on the UDR56k. I'm hoping it will be a great radio to run on a new US network called DSAP (Digital Smart Access Point). From my understanding there are 2 new developing test irc servers running as we speak for Dstar like hotspots or maybe gateways, think both. Not much information as of yet but will be coming soon. Will
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Re: How can I get involved? Alpha/Beta?
"John D. Hays" <john@...>
Matthew and Ronny,
All alpha work is internal to the core development team. Early beta work will be limited to the core development team, later beta will involve a few selected individuals some of whom we have already identified (internally), there may be a possibility for a very limited 1-4 additional people in the beta phase.
If you would like to make a proposal to participate, contact me directly via email. We are not looking for people who are just looking for early access to the UDR56K-4. Being a small startup we will be very selective on beta testers. Here are things that might get a favorable ranking in our beta list:
1. Since in depth beta testing requires making hardware available, we'll need to work out the terms for having access to hardware. 2. We are specifically interested in people who have a track record of developing open source amateur radio related software or hardware and have something specific they want to build and test.
3. Commitment to devote significant time to the project. 4. Provide feedback and documentation of efforts to the core team. Thank you for asking.
John D. Hays K7VE PO Box 1223, Edmonds, WA 98020-1223   
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Re: RF Frequency Range
"John D. Hays" <john@...>
The specification is for the entire 70cm Amateur radio band, 420-450 mHz. (75% of our team lives north of Line-A, so 420-430 on air tests require getting south of the line!)
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The bandwidth is dependent on a number of factors, but for 56K GMSK the modulation mask is in the 73-80 KHz range. FCC rules dictate a bandwidth of less than 100 KHz. We will be providing spectrum analysis charts for the production units.
The radio is capable of additional modulation methods, e.g. 4FSK, which also fit the D-STAR specification, that may give us more bits per KHz., but at least for the domestic market we need to stay in the 100 Khz. bandwidth for data and the modulation methods that are being used. There is a 100 KBPS hard limit on the RF-IC (which contains the modem).
There are some things that could be done with respect to error correction to improve reliability while preserving the D-STAR data format.
John D. Hays K7VE PO Box 1223, Edmonds, WA 98020-1223
On Wed, Jul 11, 2012 at 8:13 AM, George Jones <hamfiles@...> wrote:
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RF Frequency Range
"George Jones" <hamfiles@...>
What frequency range will the RF cover?
What is the transmitted bandwidth at 56K? For some time now we have wanted to leverage the use of the 430 - 440 MHz portion of the US band for D-STAR data. There is a lot of wide open frequencies in many parts of the country that go unused in this section. With some careful planning we should be able to coordinate frequencies in this part of the band taking into consideration protection for the satellite sub-band and weak signal work. Our friends in Europe seem to be doing a better job at band planning for spectrum efficiency than our coordinators in the states. With every new mode comes the thought of what frequency should I use. By thinking of these things now, maybe we can avoid some of the issues we have seen in the 440 - 450 MHz section. The 420 - 430 MHz part of the band is also available in many parts of the US. My hopes would be that the designers could build the RF such that it could cover the entire 420 - 450 MHz range. This would give the end user more flexibility in building a network with these new radios. I know this is a tall order with government approvals required for intentional radiators. George W4AQR hamfiles@...
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Re: How can I get involved? Alpha/Beta?
Matthew Pitts <daywalker_blade_2004@...>
I was debating about asking the same question, to be honest. Matthew Pitts N8OHU
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How can I get involved? Alpha/Beta?
k4rjj@...
How can I get involved? Alpha/Beta?
Ronny K4RJJ
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Re: Update ?!
"John D. Hays" <john@...>
Hi Bruce,
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We have a lot of parallel work going on right now. In hardware engineering we're working through some updates for the next run of alpha/beta boards. These updates are aimed at making the UDR56K-4 one solid platform, whether for plug and play deployment or for development and experimentation.
On the software and application side we are focusing on first deliverables for AX.25 and D-STAR. We have an ever increasing number of use cases and associated applications to consider. As we get closer to delivery we will provide a series of application notes to help integrators and experimenters to explore, prepare, and deliver solutions.
Some of the topics we will provide notes for include:
So if you aren't seeing a lot from NW Digital Radio on the list(s), its mainly that we're "head's down" getting the UDR56K-4 prepared for distribution.
Thank you for pinging us, and as always everyone is welcome to post their questions and ideas to this list. I will try to respond in a timely manner. We hope everyone is having a great summer. John D. Hays K7VE PO Box 1223, Edmonds, WA 98020-1223
On Tue, Jul 10, 2012 at 3:39 AM, bruce.given <bruce.given@...> wrote:
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Update ?!
"bruce.given" <bruce.given@...>
Hi Guys,
group has been quiet for a bit , John any updates or are the developers just busy developing away ?!.... Just wanted to see how things are going regards Bruce VE2GZI
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Re: Raspberry Pi D-STAR Gateway
Kristoff Bonne <kristoff@...>
Hi,
On 13-06-12 21:14, John D. Hays wrote: Q. Since I'll have to wait for a Raspberry Pi are there alternatives? I did a quick test yesterday. The pcrepeater code compiles out of the box on a pandaboard running ubuntu. (Concidering Jonathan's track record, I didn't expect anything else. :-) ) However, the pandaboard (and beagleboard) might be quite overkill for this. Concidering its dualcore cortex ARM A9 and a additional DSP core, this is more the kind of device to use in a video or ATV enviroment. (unless you plan to run 8 D-STAR repeaters simultanous with a 100 Khz bandwidth radio :-) ) Hmm. I haven't done this neither but I can give it a try for the pandaboard/ubuntu. If it works, we can look at automating this. 73 Kristoff - ON1ARF
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Re: Raspberry Pi D-STAR Gateway
"John D. Hays" <john@...>
A few common questions and answers.
Q. Who has Raspberry Pi in stock? A. Nobody. Sorry, I don't have a shortcut. You have to put your name on the supplier's list and wait. I put my name on the list right after the announcement.
Q. I see you are using an iPhone power module, how does it connect to the Raspberry Pi? A. The aftermarket iPhone power module "cube" converts AC (mains) to 5V on a standard USB port. The Raspberry Pi is looking for a micro USB connection for power. I happened to have a cable for my Kindle handy, just get something similar to http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004911E9M -- the nice thing about the USB connector is there are cigarette lighter adapters that do the same thing if you want to take it mobile.
Q. You said you made a few contacts, how did you get the AMBE chip connected? A. The Raspberry Pi is connected to the Internet via a LAN and is running the ircDDBGateway and GMSKRepeater daemons. I have a node adapter plugged into a USB hub which in turn is plugged into the Pi, this handles the transition to and from a radio (Yaesu FT-817 in this case, I will probably test against my Kenwood repeater and dvrrptr board soon). The radio acts as the RF gateway for D-STAR and I use D-STAR radios which contain the AMBE chip to talk to the radio as if it was a D-STAR repeater or "hotspot". I used both the ID-31AD and IC-91AD on a simplex frequency in the 70cm band. The contacts were made using DPLUS linking to REF001C, since there are usually stations monitoring there, reports were excellent from each station.
Q. Since I'll have to wait for a Raspberry Pi are there alternatives? A. G4KLX's software such as ircDDBGateway and the various repeater controllers are pretty agnostic when it comes to Linux distribution, most installs are on either Red Hat or Debian derivatives. They are well proven on x86 platforms. I was not the first to put them on an ARM processor and if you are using an EABI Armel build, it should run on a variety of ARM platforms such as Sheeva Plug, Beaglebone, etc. the main considerations are interfaces (USB and Ethernet) and processor performance / memory. You don't get the full 256MB of RAM on the Pi, but it seems to be fine, the footprint is pretty small but I wouldn't recommend going with less memory or fewer MIPS. On the Pi, I am not running the GUI, though it is available, it puts more demand on the processor, and I'm content with a command line. (Been doing Linux/Unix command line for 30 years.)
Q. So how do I get G4KLX's code running? A. You can download source from the ircDDBGateway and pcrepeatercontroller Yahoo! forums and either do a native build on the Pi or cross-compile.
I choose to cross-compile using a VM running Debian Squeeze on 2 cores of an AMD processor running 2.9 Ghz. each, with 8 GB of allocated RAM. This is considerably faster than native compilation and then I simply copy the files over to the Pi via the LAN. I used the Emdebian toolchain for this cross-compile build and got native libs using xapt. You will need to install development packages and libraries for wxgtk2.8 to build the gateway, plus portaudio19-dev and possibly libusb-1.0 to build the repeatercontroller. There are also changes that need to be made to the makefile to use the tool chain and to find the libraries and include files. Q. That's beyond my skill or seems like a lot of work, are there binaries that can just be installed? A. Yes and No. If someone has built binaries you might get them to send them to you. A tar of all of the binaries in the gateway package and the pcrepeatercontroller package total roughly 100MB without compression.
The right way to do this is to build a .deb install package. It doesn't look hard, but I haven't done it before and it would be really good to have someone that knows what they are doing create and maintain such a package (including updates). I could provide the needed information if there's a volunteer? (crickets chirping in the background)
If there were such a package, binary installs would take the form of: aptitude install ircDDBGateway aptitude install Repeater Q. So you are building a radio that will incorporate this functionality on its own ARM processor, why are you showing us how to do this on a $35 computer?
A. I and my company are able to build this radio platform, in a large part, because talented people have shared so much in the form of Open Source. It's important to contribute back to the community to see what other great innovations can grow from it. We see a great demand for the UDR56K and think that its a good value, so we hope lots of folks agree and will buy our radio for these types of applications in a nice integrated system -- time will tell.
John D. Hays K7VE PO Box 1223, Edmonds, WA 98020-1223
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