VK3RWN Dstar Repeater system's future - public meeting 26/6.

[VK3BQ]

Suspect the same issue is occurring on the other wia funded repeaters. As the letter appears to have been sent to every group with an assisted sponsored repeater.

[VK3ALB]

What happens to all the dv dongles and dvaps? I don't have dstar, just a passing interest in something that was once called "the way of the future". Looks like a lot of folks have poured good money into a product that might become a lame duck.

Hopefully the dstar community pull together to keep the system running.

FWIW it looks to me like a lot of commercial stuff has moved to P25 - we even have a P25 repeater here in sleepy hollow. Perhaps that's a better path for those wishing to experiment with digital radio? At least there's surplus gear out there.

[VK3BQ]

If they are registered on vk3rwn. It could be an issue. Some are routed via vk3rwn* and this is the paint I'm not a dstar user nor expert and let someone else explain it. I was just concerned in the internet bill $$

[VK4DU]

What happens to all the dv dongles and dvaps? I don't have dstar, just a passing interest in something that was once called "the way of the future". Looks like a lot of folks have poured good money into a product that might become a lame duck.

Hopefully the dstar community pull together to keep the system running.

FWIW it looks to me like a lot of commercial stuff has moved to P25 - we even have a P25 repeater here in sleepy hollow. Perhaps that's a better path for those wishing to experiment with digital radio? At least there's surplus gear out there.

The dongles and DVaps allow you to connect directly to the DSTAR system yourself - kind of like your own mini repeater. As Howard 4BS pointed out, low power DSTAR stations at amateurs houses may be the way of the future, rather than traditional repeaters at remote sites.

P25 is certainly a better sounding system in terms of recovered audio - it works very well, but its linking options are limited at the moment.

[VK3BQ]

also, we have considered a number of options for cheaper and alternative transmission ideas

*and had a lot of why don't you XYZ! so, in the interest of continuing to share as best I can.

1. why don't you buy one of those cheap "ubiquity" internet linking boxes and just use someone else's internet..

sure, they are cheap "http://www.radioparts.com.au/product/09 ... 60lKhZOSXE" but we don't own the tower, we are using a commercial tower that has a space donated to us, to start to ask the site owner for a microwave link (that needs to be in a specific clot on the tower for a B end to work) let alone a B end to provide that service, not going to easily happen, and not quickly, this isn't the tower in the top paddock at the edge of the local town.

http://www.ubnt.com

2, $105 for internet, thats stupid, i pay $39 for my home plan,

sure, but you don't need a guaranteed 512 kpbs uplink on your home system (though in 2014, you should see more than this), the current repeater uses a legacy 512/512k ADSL 1 product installed in 2007. yes, their can be found a small reduction in costs, but the adel is provided over a phone line that needs to stay active (we can't use a naked plan) we use an enterprise grade provider that has had pretty good uptime over the 7 years, and the dstar system MUST have a fixed IP, the olinda exchange is metro grade 3 (regional 1) which limits the providers who offer a product, and also can increase cost, they have a $1800 2 year contracted plan that we can reduce the service too, it ale needs someone to stump up for an enterprise grade adsl 2 modem like a cisco 800

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CISCO-800-SE ... 298&_uhb=1

additionally, the olinda exhancge is at capacity, if we did disconnect/move the service, the risk is a lost port, and us going to the end of the line for service. we have a dsalm port, we need to keep it until a drop dead date.

3. just use mobile data,

yes, this is one thing that I believe the dstar association wishes to investigate, 700mhz LTE arrives early 2015, and this might help as well, though its always a risk of limits to the uplink, and the delays a mobile system can add to traffic when loaded, it appears the dstar network is pretty timing sensitive in its operations.

we have 4 repeater with 128kbps requirement, + the incoming / outgoing registration and update traffic, as well as the inbound gateway from dvaps and dongles and the like (sure they use the net, bet they touch the RF at some point, especially if the repeaters are linked )this bit I'm not 100% sure of the real inner workings of dstar.

**NB the vk3rmm mount macedon 70cm dstar repeater on 438.050Mhz (one voice channel) uses a 3g broadband connection if you want to see what thats like it does no heavy system lifting and limits dongle connections directly i understand..?? ask the experts.

4. maybe someone can buy a house next door to the tower?

this place is across the road http://www.realestate.com.au/property-h ... -116423559

very open now, even an open for inspection!

[VK3BQ]

The EMDRC met last night to confirm our response to the the repeater. . In short – EMDRC will guarantee Internet charge payments till end September via donation. (90 days)

by this time we hope that the DSTAR User Group will take financial (for the internet connection) and management (or the administration of the system) responsibility for VK3RWN.

The EMDRC wish to do what we can to ensure that DSTAR remains available. We are happy to publicise the User Group on our website, Yahoo Group and Facebook pages.

if you wish to join the new user group, or for further information, ideas, etc, please direct enquires to peter, vk3tq at the interim email address. It is vicdstar@gmail.com