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<font size=2>After Les's presentation Thursday, and remembering back to
an early D-Star ad, I wondered if we could put a 1296 D-Star digital node
at the KAGE site, and then interconnect it with D-Star Analog repeater
modules (which I thought I remembered seeing). So we could
continue to run our existing FM systems, but interconnect them with the
digital network.<br><br>
Doing some surfing now, I was unable to turn up any D-Star analog
repeater hardware, so its apparently not possible.<br><br>
I came across some other things though, such as references to proprietary
software available (only) from Icom, the codec issue of course, and a
single central server system that manages the linking between
systems. <br><br>
All of this really bothers me, as not being "The Amateur
Way". It sounds to me more like we are buying a commercial
system from a single manufacturer. Contrast this to APRS. The
*protocol* is published, and there are a bunch of manufactures of
hardware and software that support it, and lots of ways hams can set up
new ways of using it. <br><br>
Although the technology and capabilities of D-star sound cool, something
just isn't sitting right with me. Am I right or wrong? Can
someone give me a better "warm & fuzzy" feeling about
this?<br><br>
Erik<br>
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