Upgrades and lessons learned

Rich Timpa – KC6OBJ

D-STARThe Real Thing - Building an Inexpensive D-Star

Compatible Repeater

D-Star

• G4ULF/NI-Star Update• D-Star Solves a Problem• Building a new

D-Star repeater• Lessons learned and upgrades

G4ULF/NI-Star• Over 45 of Dave Lake’s G4ULF/NI-Star Systems

on US Trust operating today• These systems have full functionality of ICOM• However

– No simple install scripts for general use– David was the sole support for the system– Each system needed to be manually configured

to work– Each directory layout is different from GW to GW– David had to personally perform all upgrades or

diagnostics

G4ULF/NI-Star• Jim McClellan, head of US Trust

Team established team to learn code

• New team now has the code and is learning the software.

• install scripts and testing allowing easy install need to be generated

• US Trust will again begin accepting G4ULF/NI-Star systems into the production D-Star US Trust system…

Problem…– Geography did not allow any Radio communications while on the lake.– No Cell Phone service on 80% of the lake– Typical analog Linked repeater system not effective or possible – (too close to PAVE PAWS)– 165mi of shoreline = where are you?

D-Star problem solving

D-Star to the Rescue

Local Low level D-Star G4ULF Repeater(Power output ~ 15-20w)

G4ULF System covers ~85 % of the lake and ~50mi west

Repeater allows full access Worldwide to the D-Star Community via Internet linking

Birth of Lake Oroville Amateur NetKJ6LVV Repeaterwww.loarn.org

D-Star to the Rescue

“Callsign Routing” allows quiet “Lake Time” with Cell Phone efficiency.

DPRS means “Never having to ask “Where is are you?”

Birth of Lake Oroville Amateur NetKJ6LVV Repeaterwww.loarn.org

(Thanks to Bidwell Canyon Marina!!)

L.O.A.R.N.KJ6LVV Block Diagram

eBay Generic Duplexer

Maxtrac TxUnits must be true FM not PM

Maxtrac Rx

Satoshi modem board

Centos 5 with G4ULF/NI-Star Software.

USBInternet

DSL Modem

• dstargateway.org • ircDDB• Monlink• STARnet Digital• Sendmail

Enhancements to LOARN KJ6LVV

dstargateway.org certificate• Available thru D-Plus Robin Cutshaw• Enables status on Dynamic IP address (Like DYNDNS.org• Easy to enable and allows anyone to see status on Gateway repeater

• Designed, built, and managed by German team – DG8NGN – Jann– DL5DI – Hans-Jürgen– DL1BFF – Michael

• Team regularly available by email, chat, and VOIP telephony– Redundant server clusters– Europe– North America

ircDDB What?

• Built upon the Internet Relay Chat (irc) protocol• Provides near real time updates of callsigns and IP

addresses to participating gateways• Allows almost instantaneous re-route for callsign

routing• Another good check for D-Star heartbeat on remote

systems• Allows connection to Non Trust systems • Works with ICOM G2 and G4ULF/NI-Star Systems

Benefits of ircDDB

ircDDB

• Only requirement is “VIS ON” for users– No other user action required

• Users are automatically added to ircDDB on key-up• Almost instantaneous tracking for any ircDDB systems. (Faster Callsign Routing)

• Allows user to see signal strength and conditions

ircDDB for users

• Allows user to see signal strength and conditions– Fms = number of Data Frames– t = time is Seconds– S% = Silence frames as a percentage– Err% = Bit error rate as a percentage

ircDDB for users

ircDDB

• Allows Admin to verify dplus heartbeat is active without logging in to system• No delay when roaming from Gateway to Gateway for Callsign Routing.• Alternate for Non-Trust server use…..

• Monlink runs as a service on the D STAR gateway. ‐– It reads the ‘dplus.log’ file as input and actively monitors– Status– Preferred Conditions– Activity

Benefits of MONLINK

• Reconnects Gateway if not left in desirable state (Admin Control)• Ability to configure “general announcements” to be played on specified

days, times, and modules.• Ability to stay linked to a particular reflector (e.g. REF001 C) during ‐

portions of the day in order to have activity and generate local interest.• Easily installable and configurable scripts for admin changes.

Benefits of MONLINK

• Analog system admins only know when things are wrong when users tell them

• D-Star admins can check to ensure basic system health remotely– Repeater status page allows all to check current activity– G2 gateway status page allows users and admins to check status on the trust server– ircDDB actively monitors dplus heartbeat with one easy glance.

G2 status, Heartbeats, status page. “Say what?”

LOARN KJ6LVVWeekly checkout.

System monitoring and checks

Dsync Status page

D-Star and EmcomPossible uses??

Did you know?

Channel 14B was selected for ARRL Pacific Division Emcom nets and recovery operations.

So with that in mind………

Thank You …George KJ6VU – helping us set up Maxtracs and sharing his vast Repeater knowledge.

David Lake- For building the G4ULF/NI-Star software.

Ken Adkisson – WB4FAY - Monlink Scriptshttp://k4dso.com/util/

Robin Cutshaw AA4RC – Dplus / Openstar and so much more!

Jump on in…the water’s fine

LOARN KJ6LVV

Reference Links• D-Star Repeaters and Reflectors

http://www.dstarusers.org/• D-Star Setting Calculator

• http://www.dstarinfo.com/Calculator/DSTAR%20Web%20Calculator.aspx

• Openstar Toolshttp://opendstar.org/tools/

• MONlinkhttp://wb4fay.com/util/

• D-Star Dsync status pagehttp://dsyncg2.dstarusers.org/index.php

• ircDDBhttp://www.ircddb.net/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ircDDBGateway/

• D-star Query Tool to verify gateway registrationhttp://query.ki4swy.org/index.php

• www.loarn.org – KJ6LVV Repeater