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© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

An introduction to D-Star

Andy Amos - M0VVA The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

27th February 2019

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

• D-Star was initially formed by JARL

• First adopted by Icom but Kenwood quickly followed

• An amateur must first register to the D-Star network before use

• A DMR Id is also useful for cross-mode routing and a must for some hotspots

D-Star general info

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

D-Star general info

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

M0VVA M0HVC

D-Star simplex

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

M0VVA M0HVC

D-Star simplex

• Direct digital communication

• Includes callsign, message, location* and frequency**radio dependant

• Calling CQ

• Set freq to Digital Simplex (144.6125, 438.6125)

• Set UR: CQCQCQ

• Direct call

• Set freq to any Simplex

• Set UR: <receiver callsign>

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

M0VVA M0HVC

GB7KH

D-Star via local repeater

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M0VVA M0HVC

GB7KH

D-Star via local repeater

• Local calling via repeater

• Only local stations will receive transmission

• Calling CQ

• Set freq to repeater frequency

• Set UR: CQCQCQ

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M0VVA

GB7KH

JH1RDA

D-Star using linked repeaters

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M0VVA

GB7KH

JH1RDA

D-Star using linked repeaters

• Calls routed between repeaters

• Uses internet as a backbone

• Calling CQ

• Set freq to local repeater frequency

• Set UR: <target repeater callsign>

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

M0VVA

GB7KH

WB2MLY

REF001

D-Star REFlectors via repeater

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M0VVA

GB7KH

WB2MLY

REF001

D-Star REFlectors via repeater

• Calls routed to “virtual repeater”

• Many reflectors available

• REFxxx, DCSxxx, XLXxxx

• Reflectors have multiple modules (channels)

• Limited per reflector

• Alphabetically labelled (E is historically for Echo Test)

• A single reflector can be connected at one time

• It is important to Unlink from a reflector when finished (especially when using a repeater)

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

M0VVA

GB7KH

WB2MLY

REF001

D-Star REFlectors via repeater

• Linking to a reflector

• UR: <reflector id>L (e.g. REF001CL)

• where L is always in the 8th position

• Using a reflector

• UR: CQCQCQ

• Unlinking a reflector

• UR: <sp><sp><sp><sp><sp><sp><sp>U

• where U is in the 8th position

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

M0VVA

M0HVC WB2MLY

REF001

D-Star reflectors via hotspot

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M0VVA

M0HVC WB2MLY

REF001

D-Star reflectors via hotspot

• Access to the D-Star network without using a repeater

• Essentially it’s a repeater in your pocket

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

M0VVA

M0HVC WB2MLY

M0NJX

REF001

D-Star reflectors via dongle

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M0VVA

M0HVC WB2MLY

M0NJX

REF001

D-Star reflectors via dongle

• Access directly from computer (Windows)

• No radio necessary

• Access reflectors only

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JH1RDA

XLX994 XLX076

M0NJX

M0VVA

M0HVC

D-Star XREFlectors

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JH1RDA

XLX994 XLX076

M0NJX

M0VVA

M0HVC

D-Star XREFlectors

• Latest generation reflectors

• Cross mode

• Cross connected

• No restrictions to number of modules

• Open and easily implementable

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

JH1RDA

XLX994 XLX076

M0NJX

M0VVA

M0HVC

D-Star XREFlectors

• XLX 994 is The Online Radio Club’s own reflector hosted out of London

• Reflector dashboard is: https://xlx994.onlineradioclub.org

• Module A (International) is currently cross linked to:XLX076A in Tokyo XLX599A in Osaka

• Module B (Regional) is intended for UK traffic only

• Modules C..Z are currently free for all as “rooms”

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

XRF757

Digital Cross Mode

DMR

M0HVC

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

XRF757

Digital Cross Mode

DMR

M0HVC

• Some XReflectors have cross-mode capabilities

• Uses two AMBE dongles to transcode RX and TX traffic

• Requires physical access to server (not available to TORC)

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JH1RDA

XLX994 XLX076

M0NJX

M0VVA

M0HVC WB2MLY

D-Star SmartGroups

DMR

TORC1

TORC2

DSTAR1..4

XRF757

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JH1RDA

XLX994 XLX076

M0NJX

M0VVA

M0HVC WB2MLY

D-Star SmartGroups

DMR

TORC1

TORC2

DSTAR1..4

XRF757

• The “way forward” for D-Star reflector communication

• Reflectors are registered as SmartGroups with the QuadNetArray

• Multiple SmartGroup’s can be subscribed to by a single transceiver

• All traffic on subscribed SmartGroups routed to the transceiver

• SmartGroup designator will be shown on all transmissions so you will know the source of the transmission

• Removes restriction applied to Reflectors

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

JH1RDA

XLX994 XLX076

M0NJX

M0VVA

M0HVC WB2MLY

D-Star SmartGroups

DMR

TORC1

TORC2

DSTAR1..4

XRF757

• Subscribing to SmartGroup

• UR: <SmartGroup Callsign><Subs Letter> e.g. TORC1**A or TORC2**A or QNET20*C

• the “QuadNet” SmartGroups are unique in they do not use the <Subs Letter> e.g. DSTAR1 or DSTAR2

• Calling to SmartGroup

• UR: <SmartGroup Callsign>

• Dropping SmartGroup subscription

• UR: <SmartGroup Callsign>T e.g. TORC1**T or DSTAR1*T

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

M0VVA

JH1RDA

D-Star direct callsign routing

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

M0VVA

JH1RDA

D-Star direct callsign routing

• “If you haven’t done direct callsign routing you haven’t done D-Star”

• Routes call directly to the recipient using their last known location (repeater, reflector, hotspot)

• The equivalent of Simplex D-Star but leveraging the internet backbone

• Should be avoided on repeaters as other users will be blocked

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

M0VVA

JH1RDA

D-Star direct callsign routing

• Initiating call:

• UR: <recipient callsign>

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

M0VVA M0HVC

GB7KH

WB2MLY

JH1RDA

XLX994

REF030XRF757

XLX076

M0NJX

REF001

D-Star holistic

DMR

© 2019 The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

Thank youAndy Amos - M0VVA

The Online Radio Club - MX0ONL

27th February 2019