Roger,

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(I’m copying this to MDARC’s digital voice forum also.)

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I just checked at https://dstar.info/query.html ?and see your callsign is properly registered for D-Star.? So you are in good shape for that.

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The fastest way to get a D-Star radio up and running is:

• In your radio’s settings, put your callsign into MYCALL – the radio’s manual will explain how and you can do that without programming software.? (If you have software for a given radio, though, using that is a little easier.)
• To talk to most repeaters, you can then put your radio into “DR Mode”.? ICOM has loaded their radios with lists of repeaters, so normally you don’t have to set up a detailed codeplug. You can just search the radio to find your target repeater and you are ready to have a QSO.

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BUT, ICOM shipped a lot of radios with an error for W6CX digital repeater’s frequencies.? I contacted them some time back, and I think they finally fixed it, but if either your 9700 or 7100 has the frequencies wrong for our digital voice repeater, then you will first have to fix the W6CX entry before you can use DR Mode on W6CX DV.? You can fix it just using the radio’s buttons, or you can fix it using programming software if you have it for the radio.

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I just did a search for some simple documents that will help people get going on D-STAR.? I found many long documents that try to teach everything with details.? What I wanted was something very short with just the important steps.? I did find a 3-page document for the 7100 that in my opinion is still too long, but I am attaching that to this note.? Go directly to the section “Using your local repeater with Gateway Access” and find W6CX in Concord. ?The (TX) frequency your radio should listen on is 145.000 and the offset is 2.500 mHz.?

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• So using the above doc with radio in DR Mode, set FROM by accessing the Repeater List, find the USA West repeaters, then Mt Diablo W6CX and see what frequencies your radio has for our repeater.?
• If they are wrong, let us know if you have programming software or if you want to fix this using the radio’s buttons and I can give more info.

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???? Jim – K6JM

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