Transcript Bay-Net D-Star

D-STAR
The Real Thing - Building an Inexpensive D-Star
Compatible Repeater
Upgrades and lessons learned
Rich Timpa – KC6OBJ
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…
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D-Star problem solving
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 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 Net
KJ6LVV Repeater
www.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 Net
KJ6LVV Repeater
www.loarn.org
(Thanks to Bidwell Canyon Marina!!)
L.O.A.R.N.
KJ6LVV Block
Diagram
eBay Generic Duplexer
Maxtrac Tx
Units must be true FM
not PM
Maxtrac Rx
Satoshi modem board
Centos 5 with
G4ULF/NI-Star
Software.
USB
DSL
Modem
Internet
Enhancements to LOARN KJ6LVV
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dstargateway.org
ircDDB
Monlink
STARnet Digital
Sendmail
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
ircDDB What?
• 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
Benefits of ircDDB
• 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
ircDDB
ircDDB for users
• 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
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Fms = number of Data Frames
t = time is Seconds
S% = Silence frames as a percentage
Err% = Bit error rate as a percentage
ircDDB
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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…..
Benefits of MONLINK
• 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.
G2 status, Heartbeats, status page.
“Say what?”
• 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.
LOARN KJ6LVV
Weekly checkout.
System monitoring and checks
Dsync Status page
D-Star and Emcom
Possible uses??
Did you know?
Channel 14B was
selected for ARRL
Pacific Division
Emcom nets and
recovery operations.
So with that in mind………
George KJ6VU – helping us set up Maxtracs
and sharing his vast
Repeater
Thank
You …knowledge.
David Lake- For building the G4ULF/NI-Star
software.
Ken Adkisson – WB4FAY - Monlink Scripts
http://k4dso.com/util/
Robin Cutshaw AA4RC – Dplus / Openstar and
so much more!
Jump on in…
the water’s fine
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Reference Links
D-Star Repeaters and Reflectors
http://www.dstarusers.org/
D-Star Setting Calculator
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http://www.dstarinfo.com/Calculator/DSTAR%20Web%20Calculator.aspx
Openstar Tools
http://opendstar.org/tools/
MONlink
http://wb4fay.com/util/
D-Star Dsync status page
http://dsyncg2.dstarusers.org/index.php
ircDDB
http://www.ircddb.net/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ircDDBGateway/
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D-star Query Tool to verify gateway registration
http://query.ki4swy.org/index.php
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www.loarn.org – KJ6LVV Repeater