[aprssig] OT: Yaesu to release digital amateur radio gear

[Brian Clark]

On 12/27/11 11:25 AM, Amateur Radio WB8NUT wrote:
> D-Star is hardly a waste of time and money. D-Star was developed FOR 
> amateur radio. P25 was developed for the Public Sector market.
>
> D-Star is wonderful, and while the Codec is proprietary as I believe 
> is the case with the P25 Codec, the rest of D-Star is an open standard.
>
> Frankly, I think Yaesu trying to implement the P25 digital mode 
> instead of going with the ever growing and already established D-Star 
> digital is a mistake. Just like their Wires linking protocol. They 
> went this way while others went with Echolink. Hardly anyone in the 
> U.S. has implemented Wires.
>
> Here we go with the VHS v Beta mess again. This time within amateur 
> radio.
>
> But if anything good comes from this, I think it will mean Icom will 
> get more aggressive to try and bury P25 in the amateur market.
>
> JMHO
>
> Duffy
> www.wb8nut.com
>
If D-Star is such a raging success in the amateur market, why was Icom 
giving away repeaters?  The codec is proprietary. It is not used by any 
other radio service so there is no availability of equipment with cross 
compatibility (for those amateurs who are authorized to use public 
safety frequencies, or have access to used PS equipment).  Icom 
trademarked the D-Star name, so how much are they going to charge other 
manufacturers to use it?  I suspect D-Star will remain an Icom only 
protocol.

Brian Clark, AG4BC