ARVN: D-STAR and Digital Voice for Amateur Radio (PREVIEW)

[TheFrostymountains]

sounds worse than a cellphone !

[bben95]

This is really old, everyone uses computers these days

[KN4AQ]

@bben95 - OK, bben, that's just lame. I don't mind taking a hit, but try to be clever. If you can't be useful, at least entertain us.

[bben95]

@KN4AQ ok ill suggest something useful: do a new video?

[KN4AQ]

@bben95 New video coming out for the Dayton Hamvention: "The Last BIG Field Day." You heard it here first. 73

[VK2BEN]

Does MrD0740 not make any sense on purpose? Or does he really not understand anything explained here?

He sounds like the grumpy old fart at 1:09...he should stick to CW on spark-gap transmitters ;-)

[KN4AQ]

@VK2BEN Let's cut the guy some slack! He hadn't seen the video - I hadn't produced it yet when I interviewed him. But yeah, he didn't know what he was talking about. That was sort of the point of that segment of the video.

[VK2BEN]

@KN4AQ LOL - yeah sure why not. I guess all he had been exposed to was your question 'What do you know/think of digital voice modes on amateur radio?'.

Based on that alone, I suppose some would jump straight to the conclusion that 'digital = unintelligible noise = gets in the way of my 30-minute overs on frequencies I have inhabited since 1904'. But you know what? We're all entitled to an opinion. As long as it agrees with mine! (joke!!)

Thank you for the informative vid.

[VK2BEN]

@1:09 ...wow, that guy must be an expert. Otherwise he wouldn't make such unfounded, untrue and misleading statements!

I think he's confusing it with those 6kHz wide eSSB guys down on 75m ;-)

[KN4AQ]

@SeanMoffett - there's no encryption built in to the radios or the protocol, and some legal issues with encryption in Amateur Radio. Could it be "hacked"? Maybe, but that's way out my area of expertise. You can find some experts on this Yahoo Group: /dstar_digital

[KN4AQ]

@buzizzy This isn't a news flash. The AMBE 2020 vocoder is the one proprietary element in D-STAR (ICOM has some proprietary code in their Gateway, but others have written Gateway software). No open source vocoder can match the capability of the AMBE 2020. DVSI will sell you one for $20. Next complaint?

[buzizzy]

@KN4AQ Nice reply!! You just priced your effort, knowledge and the amount you are willing to exert yourself and learn something at a mere $20.00USD... You have spoken from your heart the true culture of the Boomer generation. Thank you for being honest and I respect that... I originally thought this hobby was about something else. I powered down 100% in 1991 and on again in 2007, I am pretty much disillusioned with the lazy "plug and play" culture now. No hard feelings here. Powering down again.

[KN4AQ]

@buzizzy Ham radio is full of individual innovation. it knows no limits. See all the DVDs I offer from the TAPR and Dayton conferences. Not everyone (not MOST of us) have the interest or time for that challenge, but a substantial number do. You can join them and contribute, or take your marbles and find greener pastures. Your choice!

[daboteman]

Darn kids! Stay off the grass! In my day we used SPARK GAPS and had no problem at all.

The only problem I see is during the transition and shake-out phase while the BetaMAX/VHS battle sorts itself out. Otherwise, digital voice modes are here to stay on the radio and on the Internet.

It's about time ham radio became relevant again.

[MrD0740]

I love static crashes and background noises much more than Digital Voice. What has it with Hamradio in common when I don't need to constantly turning my vfo and settlings? HamRadio has to crack, to beep and to noise. The analogue way via SW does always work worldwide without the help of any other technologies like internet, computers or repeaters. Ham's should always have big antennas for being independent in any case of emergency. Think about when you abolish your SW-Euqip because of d-Star.73

[MrD0740]

is this the ham's future, sounding like a drunken idiot? Sorry, this has nothing to do with good audio. Amateurradio has not to sound like HIFI but I expect a normal audio with a normal voice. This digital transmission standard sounds absolutely indiscutable. I ask this question again: Why use digital? Where's the technical edge? The step from AM to SSB brought many advantages. But what does the step from SSB to DV mean? Nothing more than a terrible sound? Sorry, not my thing

[ueberRegenbogen]

I like the idea—especially since DSTAR is a general purpose data transport that is by no means confined to carrying voice. I do not like the fact that the prevailing audio codec—AMBE—is a proprietary beastie; that sort of thing is not good for ham radio.

I would love to see the community embrace an open codec—perhaps CELT—so we don't remain caught in a market strangehold.

[KN4AQ]

Is there an open source codec that meets the needs of D-STAR and HF digital voice, and is suitable for off-the-shelf commercial products like D-STAR radios? None of the people I talked to for the video (and in subsequent follow-ups for QST articles) knew of one. Would CELT handle the very narrow-band needs of D-STAR and HF Digital Voice?

The AMBE chip is $20 in single quantities. So how many other proprietary chips are used in your radios?

Open source is better... if it works!

[ueberRegenbogen]

I'm not sure of CELT's bandwidth requirements versus fidelity. It can go quite low; but it can also sound quite bad at its worst. It's aimed at low latency internet telephony—which it does quite well.

My primary experience with it is a foetus of an app, called Fideliphone, that a friend, Chris KG0BP, has been writing, primarily for the purpose of hi-fi linking of studios during radio shows. He'd be able to give you more useful information on it than i.

There's also celt-codec dot o r g.

[G0IFI]

@KN4AQ That's the six million dollar question. If they open-sourced the DStar codec a lot more hams might get on board. As it is, it's perceived to be a lot of expense for little conceivable advantage. Letting people listen to it before they invested in it would help a whole lot.

[denelson83]

Wow, voiceover man. You sound a lot like Rob Navias of NASA.

[kc5euu]

Great video. I am in the market for a new VHF/UHF rig. I have to admit I don't know diddly about D-Star. I live in Colorado Springs, CO

I think there is a repeater in Denver. would a HT even hit it. Maybe someone could shoot me a E-mail and get me up on the facts. I want to know what radio to get, etc...

Thanks KC5EUU

[kf6vgz]

I've held back due to lack of local repeaters. San Diego has a few out there now, so perhaps it's the time to jump in. Why is ICOM the only manufacture supporting D*Star?

[KN4AQ]

I'd like to see them put something on the record. Otherwise, we can only guess. Kenwood is invested in packet/APRS equipment, and Yaesu just took a turn in that direction. In they perceive that they're going to "lose out" on a significant market, I think they'll get in. For now, I expect they're happy to let ICOM test the waters.

[sv2evs]

Untill the market is full of D-star equipment and the give us a way to convert our old equipment to d-star...we just have to wait.

[ccg711]

i thought i heard something about kenwood and yaesu working on jumping on the bandwagon. d-star is an open specification that the japanese came up with and published publicly, but the vocoder chip is made by only one company, same one that makes the vocoders for p25 rigs. so as i see it, dstar is the cousin to p25.

[bmxracernc]

Wow this is really good! Might have to buy this.

Robbie (KI4TTZ)

[sv2evs]

D-star is the future...but someone there is asking a good question: How mutch does it cost ? Several thousand euros for a hole rig.

[schwarzcharakter]

this is brilient

[ok1mjo]

Vinikajici prispevek k digi-voice.

Uz jsem s tim experimentoval, nema to chybu.

Martin OK1MJO

[KiloEcho5]

My experience with digital amateur radio is like my internet chatting experience several years ago. I started with chat rooms and instant messengers before getting on VoIP. Now I have been using PSK31 for about a year and am beginning to get into FDMDV and WinDRM. Excellent video here A++. N5XTR

[g0tmx]

Great video.. I dont think D-STAR has really taken off in the UK like in the US. Cost is a major detractor, but digital voice is still very attractive..

[cctv2wayradio]

icom are producing reasonable priced radios here in the uk, but they as any new technology is higher as they want to sell off the old stock first.

icom are converting commercial people off their TETRA and analogue with ffsk to their digital radios. the TETRA licence is costing so much for companies that wouldnt use the service to the full.

icom has cracked it! but dont forget motorola was doing digital way before icom, just too expensive as no compertition