DV-RPTR Modem Board

A New Years Day video showing the DV-RPTR modem board from Germany. It arrives as a D-Star GMSK board... but with a difference!

Instead of using a more traditional CMX589 GMSK modem chip, a software based DSP modem provides the same functionality. The advantage of this approach is that this board is not limited to being a D-Star only HotSpot board... other digital modes can be accommodated with no hardware changes, a firmware re-write is all that is needed.

Open source hardware, firmware and software makes it an experimenters delight.

Check out www.dvrptr.de... don't put a hyphen between dv & rptr like I said in the video... oops.

Initial tests show this board to be an excellent performer and possibly even better than the CMX589 in receiving weak signals.

The DV-RPTR Control Center software allows connection to Dplus Reflectors, Dextra Reflectors and also Dplus connection to gateway computers. It also supports ircDDB and GPS to APRS translation. DV-RPTR support is planned for the Dutch*Star WinDV software as well.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• D-Star
• VK5ZEA
• VK5REX
• dv-rptr
• GMSK
• Tait
• T2000

[melbourneradio]

Michael, probably a silly question but is the output from the Tait analog or digital hence requiring a DSTAR compatible radio?

[michaelcarey]

@melbourneradio The Tait radio is transmitting the D-Star GMSK modulation from the DV-RPTR board. It's an traditional analog FM radio, but it's transmitting/receiving 4800 baud GMSK digital data. An amateur radio transceiver can do the same thing in 9600 baud packet mode.

[ve7lee1]

VE7LEE is 50% Chinese, 25% French, 12.5% Spanish, and 12.5% Native Indian of the 6 Nation. To make it simple for most people, I just call myself a Canadian.

[michaelcarey]

@ve7lee1 Hi Ted... I hope you don't mind your audio being on this video.

[michaelcarey]

I've neglected to mention the connector at the "back" of the DV-RPTR board. This is an expansion connector that is available for experimentation. It has various control lines and voltage rails available. In the basic D-Star GMSK firmware implementation it is not used.

[imdump2]

Michael, great video! I looked at the German web site describing the board and software but didn't see any price information. Approximately how much does this board (and enclosure) cost?

73, Mark WA4KFZ

[ve7lee1]

@michaelcarey No I don't mind. Everything I say on Ham radio is public.

[FamousTVvoice]

Thanks for the nice intro to the board. 73's de N2VU

[DW1PJM]

great video as always

[MatthewN8OHU]

Good video as always; talk to you on either REF001C or VK5REX B one of these days.