Let me know if you have any further problems.
Neil VK2VNJ
VK2RDS D-Star gateway administrator

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Neil VK2VNJ
VK2RDS gateway administrator

To register with the VK2RDS gateway, go to:

http://vk2rds.iars.org.au

and follow these instructions.

Note that you should register with only one D-STAR gateway, and you should choose the one you will normally be using. If you live in the Illawarra or south of the Sydney CBD, use VK2RDS. If you live north of Sydney CBD, you should register with VK2RWN instead.

The Australian D-STAR web site has lots of useful information for getting started with D-STAR and using the D-STAR gateways. I recommend you visit there and explore the information available.

Please note that we are still in the process of fully commissioning the VK2RDS D-STAR gateway. In particular, we do now have as much Internet bandwidth as we would like. As a result, we are leaving the 23CM digital data repeater off for now, and limiting the number of digital voice (DV) connections through the gateway to three (2 normal plus one via DV dongles).

We also still need to install a UPS for the gateway server, which will require us to schedule downtime at some point.

If you have any problems or questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me or Rob McKnight, the IARS D-STAR coordinator.

73’s
Neil Justusson VK2VNJ
IARS D-STAR Gateway Administrator

You also can get directly to D-Star information on this site by consulting the sidebar at the right of this page.

Have fun!

Neil Vk2VNJ, Webmaster

Well…. the big day is almost upon us. D-star day that is! Tentative frequencies have been allocated, and the repeaters programmed, we are presently waiting on ACMA confirmation. The frequencies will be (pending approval):-

Band: 23cm, Mode: DD (Digital Data)
Rptr TX: 1298.500MHz
Rptr RX: 1298.500MHz Simplex

Band: 23cm, Mode: DV (Digital Voice)
Rptr TX: 1273.950MHz
Rptr RX: 1293.950MHz (Offset: + 20 MHz)

Band: 70cm, Mode: DV (Digital Voice)
Rptr TX: 439.7500MHz
Rptr RX: 434.7500MHz (Offset: – 5 MHz)

Band: 2m, Mode: DV (Digital Voice)
Rptr TX: 146.7625MHz
Rptr RX: 146.1625MHz (Offset: – 600kHz)

Repeater callsign: VK2RDS (pending approval)

Neil VK2VNJ reports the gateway server hardware has been checked out at his home QTH, and awaits the D-Star gateway software and internet connection at the repeater site before it can be installed and activated. (Thanks to Shaun VK2HCO for donating the server hardware.)

Test transmissions will occur over the next fortnight. Stay tuned for details of test dates.

Once the D-Star repeaters are commissioned, there will be a D-Star information session held, come along and have a look at the D-Star radios, listen to the clarity, and have a QSO over the network.

The D-Star committee has been working tirelessly to provide you with a world class amateur radio service. We appreciate the support from all the members of the Illawarra Amateur Radio Society, and thank Icom Australia, The W.I.A., and the A.C.M.A. for their involvement in this project.

All we need now is some Repeaters, the appropriate Licences (This is to be furbished by others-hopefully sooner rather than later) and some more onsite works and we can finally put some RF out on the air.Cheers for now – The wheels are well and truly turning!

Tony StoneVK2TS – IARS President.

Well things have been happening behind the scenes with the IARS D-Star project. As usual we don’t do things by halves, and the system promises to be of a world class standard. I thought it was about time we let you all know about our progress.

The two 2Metre/70Centimetre/23Centimetre Triband Hi-Gain Diamond Collinear Antenna Arrays were put in place on the Easter Weekend at a D-Star working bee at the Maddens Plane site. This was a very successful day and also an opportunity for a think tank with all the IARS members involved. I can’t remember how many times our guys aloft disappeared behind the thick cumulous clouds at the end of a 100 metre length of Nylon rope used to hoist everything including their barbecued lunch and drinks that they whole heartedly enjoyed after about four hours in the clouds.

Thanks must go to Steve VK2TSB (IARS Secretary), Ross VK2VVV (IARS Assistant Secretary), Rob VK2MT (IARS Vice President), Neil VK2VNJ (IARS D-Star Administrator and Unix/Linux Guru), Simon VK2XQX (IARS Club legend and damn good Barbecuer) and of course Tony VK2TS (IARS Club President – Me).

Since that day Steve 2TSB and Rob 2MT have worked until darkness and Ross VK2VVV has also been to site numerous times (Waiting on broken Telstra appointments) and he has also performed extensive tidying up of the Communications cabinet and installation of cable tray to provide a much more professional and serviceable system to be realised.

Today, Wednesday the 2/4/08, Ross VK2VVV has once again travelled to the site and has advised that the telephone line has been finally connected following a 5week debacle and 5 visits by Telstra technicians! Ross on one occasion spent 10 hours on site awaiting a visit to site by a Telstra Tech only to be told the visit had been cancelled!!! A big thanks must go to Ross for his patience and vision that the D-Star project must reach completion no matter what!

Our next step is the application for the 512K/512K SDSL Line – Fingers crossed.We are currently awaiting the licence application that is being processed by the WIA via the ACMA and also delivery of the 4 x Repeaters and the repeater controller.

Once again the IARS is well ahead of others and hope that we can soon put some RF into the antennas.

Will keep you all posted on the latest developments.

Cheers

TonyVK2TS – IARS Club President

This system will be located at Maddens Plane and will entail Digital Voice and 4.8KB/s simultaneous data on 2Metres 70Centimetres and 23Centimetres along with 128KB/s high speed data on 23CM’s. We will keep you informed as the project unfolds. I know what I will be in the market for at Wyong this year! Congratulations to those in the committee involved in the successful expression of interest and good luck to the repeater committee including D-Star repeater project officer (and Club Vice President) Rob VK2MT.

Another example of the IARS leading the way.

Cheers

Tony VK2TS President IARS.