Hi,

I've just ordered an IC-9700 and, although D-Star on 23cm wasn't one of the reasons I decided to get this model, if it's got the capability, I'd like to have a go at using it.

I am already on 23cm using a TS2000X and have a Yagi up on a rotator and have been on the band since about 2007.? My main interest is working people on CW or SSB, but I can access a repeater that is about 52km (32 miles) away using 10 Watts under 'flat' band conditions, so I have a reasonable location for UHF.

I did buy a DM4600 on 70cm some years ago and used it in my car for a while but lost interest as it was a bit fiddly to change channels and I was never quite sure that I had set the codeplug up correctly. So, I understand some things about operating a digital radio.

The questions I have, whilst waiting for the delivery of my new radio, are 1) How many other 23cm D-Star users are there in the UK and 2) What can I do with it when I get the radio set up?

Thanks for any advice.

Cheers - Dave (G0DJA)

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Hopefully you will discover some 23cm D-STAR repeaters within RF range.? Ideally you’d have access both to DV and DD mode modules.

You might also consider building yourself a 23cm D-STAR hotspot.? I have not done one on 23cm, though I have built many for VHF and UHF.? The modern way is to get an MMDVM (Multi-Mode-Digital-Voice-Modem), configure it for just D-Star and use it with an analog FM 23cm transceiver.? The idea is to be able to pull unprocessed, unfiltered audio from the discriminator and inject unprocessed, unfiltered TX audio to the modulator (and be able to trigger PTT, of course).? If you find a transceiver with a 9600 baud “data” connector, that radio will usually allow you to do those things.

Then just build or maybe buy a modem to radio cable and install the Pi-Star image on a Raspberry Pi and configure.? The G4KLX program ircDDBGateway that is part of the Pi-Star image supports DD mode, which is one of the things that makes your 9700 so special.

??? Jim – K6JM

Thanks for the reply Jim,

I think there may only be one 23cm D-Star repeater operated from the Icom UK HQ in Herne Bay, but that's about 265km from here (just under 165 miles) and I don't think would be workable on FM. I have worked stations down that way on 23cm but mainly CW or SSB.

I'll have a look into setting up a hotspot, I've seen references to those before, but I'm not sure how many other 23cm D-Star users there will be arround here.

Cheers - Dave (G0DJA)

Update - I did a bit of digging on the RSGB Repeater lists website and found out there is a 23cm D-Star system not that far away from here.? GB7NA-A near Barnsley, about 37km north of me (23 miles).

I'll see if I can contact the keeper of that system and will try and use it if I can.

Cheers - Dave (G0DJA)

Over a year later (I admit I've not done much with DStar in between) I've managed to get into the GB7NA-B node on 439.450 MHz but I've not had any success with GB7NA-A on 23cm yet. I'll wait for the repeater keeper to come on and will ask him if the 23cm system is running.