The D-Star Project

Introduction to D-Star

What is D-Star?

D-Star is an acronym for Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio. It is an open standard digital communications protocol established by JARL, (Japan Amateur Radio League). The fact that it is an Open Standard means that the protocol documents are freely available, and that anyone can use and/or implement D-Star without having to pay royalties

What can D-Star do?

The D-Star protocol allows suitably-equipped transceivers to communicate using a digital voice channel, (DV Mode), giving advantages of lower bandwidth and better readability, especially under conditions of marginal signal strength. The voice channel is always crisp and clear.

As well as digital voice, D-Star permits a 1200baud data channel, that normally is used for displaying the callsign of the person currently transmitting, but can also exchange short text messages concurrently with the voice channel. If the transceiver is fitted with the GPS satellite receiver, positional information can be sent as well, using the 2 metre, 70cms or 23cms bands.

Another feature of D-Star is the DD Mode (Digital Data). This allows high-speed (128kbit) data to be exchanged. However, this is only available for the 1.2GHz (23cms) links.

While it is possible to have simplex QSOs using D-Star, using D-Star Repeaters extends the range of contacts, in the same way as analogue repeaters. A repeater can also handle crossband contacts, and via Internet Linking, can extend the scope of contacts worldwide.

What does D-Star sound like?

Being a digital protocol using a fairly narrow bandwidth, (4.8kbps for the DV voice channel), it does give a certain "digitised" quality to the speech. Links to two examples, one for strong signals, and the other for weak signals, are available here.

How much is D-Star used?

In the UK, there are currently 11 Repeaters, and a further 3 on the UK Repeaters list. More are being planned.

There are over 100 D-Star users in the UK, and something like 500 users world wide. See the http://www.d-starusers.org/ website for up-to-date information.

The Worthing D-Star Project

The plan is to set up (initially) a 70cms D-Star Repeater in Worthing. This will be connected to the Internet via broadband, giving access to the worldwide D-Star server. Internet linking will be possible in a similar way to IRLP or Echolink.

The project is at an early stage - we have to sort out where in Worthing the repeater will be sited. Further information will be posted here as it it becomes available.

Further Information

Further information may be obtained at the following websites:

UK D-Star wiki

D-StarUsers.org

Texas Interconnect Team

The Worthing and District Amateur Radio Club is affiliated to the Radio Society of Great Britain.

Updated - 01/04/2008