[aprssig] Re: D-STAR video on YouTube

[AE5PL Lists]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stephen H. Smith
> Posted At: Saturday, September 22, 2007 4:30 PM
> Subject: [aprssig] Re: D-STAR video on YouTube
> 
> > Isn't this almost exactly what APRS does today?
> 
> NO   You don't see the big picture of everyone else around you,
weather
> stations, range circles, objects, weather alerts, telemetry, etc
> produced by APRS.    You won't be seen on the APRS Internet system or
> findu, unless you just happen to be within range of the handful of
> stations running D-Star-to-APRS gateways.

Actually, almost every repeater system going into service now acts as a
D-PRS IGate.  This is sort of taking the Mic-E concept in APRS and
taking it to a whole new level by applying it to all D-STAR repeaters.

Yes, the built-in GPS functionality of D-STAR radios is designed to be a
tracker functionality (read "adjunct to voice").  However, nothing
prevents someone (and many do) from running an APRS client with D-PRS
Interface and getting that full APRS functionality on the D-STAR voice
channel.  It's just not "built-in" to the radios like the Kenwood APRS
radios.

> To be really practical, you wind up going back to the two channels/two
> radios (one for voice and one for data) as the classic APRS mode of
> doing things. (Unless of course you use a dual-band radio with one
band
> on data and the other on voice.)

As pointed out elsewhere, the type of texting used in APRS can be done
on the D-STAR voice channel with little adverse effect.

> licensed by a company called DVSI (Digital Voice Systems Inc).   You
> can't create a D-Star-compatible radio without paying DVSI for the
> privilege.

For the privilege to use their Intellectual Property.  Radio
manufacturers do this every day with the thousands of patents out there.
The idea that everything in Amateur Radio should be free is something
that some have espoused here claiming it is "in the spirit of Amateur
Radio".  I am sorry, but I have been in Amateur Radio longer than most
that espouse this and "the spirit of Amateur Radio" has never been
"everything for free".  We have the ability to experiment, yes, but we
also have the ability to compensate those that do develop new technology
and we have been since the beginning of Amateur Radio.  Albeit, hams
have always parted with their money begrudgingly.

> Further, currently D-Star is only available on certain Icom radios.
> (although theoretically it  IS  a format available to all radio mfrs
if
> they choose to embrace it and pay royalties to DVSI).

And many are in the process of releasing D-STAR radios.  Don't ask me
which ones because this information is confidential to the individual
manufacturers.  This, like any other new technology, is championed by
one manufacturer (or a few) while others watch to see if there is a
market to offset their development costs.  If they see sufficient
interest, they move forward.  If not, they don't (ever notice that
Kenwood is the only manufacturer with APRS built in to the radio?).

73,

Pete Loveall AE5PL
pete at ae5pl.net