D-Star Started

Digital D-STAR technology opens up a vast new field for amateur radio. This is an introduction to D-STAR local repeater use, cross banding and Internet link operations.Using and Linking of D-Star repeaters is different to what is preformed on conventional FM, IRLP or internet EchoLink repeater operations. There are two methods used for digital repeater linking with D-STAR, they are User Linking and Port Linking.

  • YOUR or UR: The person or repeater port call sign you want to call.
  • R1: The call sign and port of the repeater that you are talking on.
  • R2: The call sign of the repeater that you are talking on, plus port designator you want to cross link to or gateway designator.
  • MY: Your personal call sign

Example 1: Local conversation

Peter, ON4AAA calls Tom, ON5BBB on the local D-STAR ON0DP 70cm repeater. Peter configures his radio as follows:

YOUR : CQCQCQ
R1 : ON0DP B
R2 : NOT USE*
MY : ON4AAA

Tom calls Peter stating that he is on repeater port B (70cm). The Digital Voice, DV data is only repeated on the local 70cm port B repeater. Tom hears Peter calling him on the local repeater port B. Tom configures his D-Star radio as follows:

YOUR : CQCQCQ
R1 : ON0DP B
R2 : NOT USE*
MY : ON5BBB

Peter returns the call and they have a local DV conversation.

Example 2: User Linking over the Internet


Actual configuration of two Belgian D-STAR repeaters. Peter, ON4AAA in Antwerp wants to call via ON0DP ,Bart ON7CCC on D-STAR repeater ON0OS in Oostende. ON4AAA is on 70cm repeater ON0DP in Boom. The 70cm repeater is called ? repeater port B?. ON4AAA does not know where Bart, ON7CCC is located. This is called User Linking. Peter configures his radio as follows:

YOUR : ON7CCC
R1 : ON0DP B
R2 : ON0OS G
MY : ON4AAA

Peter calls Bart. The DV data mode finds Bart in the repeater system. Bart has recently talked on Oostende repeater port B and hears Peter calling. Bart configures his radio as follows:

YOUR : ON4AAA
R1 : ON0OS B
R2 : ON0OS G
MY : ON7CCC

Bart returns the call to Peter and they have an Internet linked DV conversation.

  • Important Note: The port designator must always be in the 8th position.

Example 3: Port Linking over the Internet

Important Note:For port linking to work correctly, please take note of the / (forward slash) in this section against the YOUR settingon your radio, for a correctly formatted port linking over the internet to work, you must include the / precedingthe repeater call sign you are calling, also note that the repeater port being called is also in position 8 in the call sign format being called. i.e. /ON0OS B

Tom, ON5BBB in Antwerp wants to call anyone on 2 meters in Oostende.Tom is on the 70cm repeater of Boom. The 2 meter repeater is called ? repeater port C?. This is called Port Linking.

Peter configures his radio as follows :

YOUR : /ON0OS C
R1 : ON0DP B
R2 : ON0DP G
MY : ON5BBB

Tom makes a general call, stating that he is on the ON0OS repeater port C. The DV data mode from Tom is heard on the Oostende repeater system, port C and the repeater in Boom port B. Bart, ON7CCC in Oostende hears Tom calling on the Oostende repeater port C and wants to talk with Tom in Boom.

Bart in Oostende configures his radio as follows:

YOUR : /ON0DP B
R1 : ON0OS C
R2 : ON0OS G
MY : ON7CCC

or

YOUR : ON5BBB
R1 : ON0OS C
R2 : ON0OS G
MY : ON7CCC

Bart returns the call to Tom and they have an Internet linked DV conversation.

* Notice that Bart,ON7CCC has not got a space between the YOUR call and the C. The port designator always has to be in the 8th position.

Important Information
D-Star User Linking and Port Linking is similar to making a telephone call or telephone conference call.You just need to dial in the callsign you want.As with any telephone call you Must hang up after the call.To hang up your D-Star call when you have finished talking you must change YourCall to CQCQCQ.

Please set your automatic GPS function always OFF and use the GPS function only by push to talk in a QSO.

Additional notes:

If you are not using the repeaters in these examples, simply replace your call sign and the repeater call sign in your radio digital call sign configuration area for the digital repeater that you want to use.The users in example 3 and 4 need to be pre-registered by their local repeater administration person to use Internet linking. Amateurs that are not registered can only listen to the internet conversation, talk locally but not talk over the internet.These examples do not use all the different configurations that are available to the operator. Consult the radio manual for full operation, programming, use, other options and short cuts for user and port linking.Also, explore the digital messaging, data transfer, digital squelch, GPS operation and many other neat features.This technology is new and we are all learning, innovating and evolving this equipment.Practice controlling the radio and operating over the Internet will make your more proficient amateur operator. The radios can also be programmed manually, via front panel or with computer software.

You can also use the D-Star Calculator

This calculator is really easy to use, we give you a few tips:

  • Select your local repeater under Source Repeater.
  • Choose the local repeater module that you are going to talk to, 144 MHz, 440 MHz, or 1.2 GHz.
  • Select the function the you want to program for. If you dont know what to choose, start with Local Repeater with Gateway.
  • Choose the Destination repeater, if other than your local repeater.
  • Choose the Destination Repeater module, either on your local repeater, if selected as the destination, or the remote repeater if selected as the destination.
  • Program your radio as suggested in the next section.

For a description of what is going on, scroll to the bottom of the page.The buddy on the left represents you, the buddy on the right indicates the station that you are going to talk to. The two paragraphs on either side of the buddies describe what is going on. The two paragraphs below the buddies indicate a sample initial dialog. Notice that the picture of the modules will change dependent on your configuration.