D-STAR

D-STAR HF VOICE SCHEDULE

Saturday     7:00 PM ET

Sunday     10:00 AM ET

Check USB/LSB on freq to make sure the freq is clear.

h:00 - h:05 6 mtrs 51.180 DV for 5 mins

h:05 - h:10 10 mtrs 28.570 DV for 5 mins

h:10 - h:15 12 mtrs 24.938 DV for 5 mins

h:15 - h:20 15 mtrs 21.380 DV for 5 mins

h:20 - h:25 17 mtrs 18.148 DV for 5 mins

h:25 - h:30 20 mtrs 14.340 DV for 5 mins

h:30 - h:35 40 mtrs 7.285(or another open freq) DV for 5 mins (this also appears to be an AM frequency)

h:35 - h:40 75 mtrs 3.880 DV for 5 mins (this also appears to be an AM frequency)

Here is a video from K6UDA DSTAR HF Voice simplex on a 705 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45MaJiIXQXo&t=3s

The weekly D-Star HF Net has been in existence since 2011 now. The website HF D-Star QSO Finder (hf.d-star-relay.net) is on 24/7 to help D-Star users to find and coordinate other D-Star users and make contacts. 

The net has been a success because of the many D-Star users being on frequency. The original purpose was to prove if you can do DSTAR on HF and how far you can take it. We have done that and “have the T-Shirt”<g>. The useful purpose now is to allow new DSTAR HF equipment owners to make contacts, learn about DSTAR HF and improve their shack by evaluating antennas and other devices.

Sending Pictures and Text Messages with your D-Star Radios

The D-Star Picture Net now has a Facebook page!  Go to your Facebook page and in the search bar, type in Dstar Picture Net and the page should pop up.

Watch the Announcement page and the Calendar for when the next D-Star Picture Net will be held. 

New D-Star Picture Net Format

The D-Star Picture net is every Wednesday evening  on REF055d at 200014hrs.

The RS-MS1A Android App (available in Google Play) users with the ID-31A PLUS, ID-51A PLUS (anniversary model) and 51A Plus2, ID-52, IC-705, ID-4100, ID-5100, IC-7100 and IC-9700 radios will need the OPC2350LU data cable. If the Bluetooth module is installed in the 705, 4100, 5100 and 9700  then the cable is not needed. The RS-MS1l App (available in iTunes Store) for iOS users can also be used with the ID-4100 radio only.  We will be exchanging pictures, text messages, and positional information.

There is a free Windows app, ST-4001W from ICOM and ST-4001A (available on Google Play) that processes any .jpg or .png picture to the right pixel size and can add a signature or label to the edge. You can use the ST-4001 app to send the formatted picture over ethernet to the radio *or* just copy it into the /IC9700/Pictures folder on the IC-9700 , IC-705 or ID-52A/E formatted microSD card or to the Android device. Once the photos you want are copied, you can just plug the microSD back into the 9700 radio. The new pictures are then available to send from the choices that are available when the PICTURE menu is opened on the radio. You also may take, edit, and transfer the pictures from the iPhone, or android device using the ST4001W(A) ICOM free app. A picture can be taken with a phone, edited, and then transferred to the SD card. For the other radios you need to use the serial cable. 

Here is how we rate the pictures on the net. It depends on how many blocks are missing in the received picture.

P-1= Perfect picture

P-1 Minus= 1-5 blocks missing

P-2= less than 25% of blocks missing

P-3= less than 50% of blocks missing

P-4= less than 75% of blocks missing

P-5= No picture

Kenwood D74 Handheld Setup (courtesy of K4DJL, W4LKS and WA7BFN)

Hey all...

You can send and receive pictures from the RS-MS1 app through your '74, using fast data mode by using a Bluetooth connection from the app to the '74.  The RS-MS1 app is available free in the Google Play Store.  My understanding is that the Apple IOS devices will not connect to the '74 using Bluetooth.  These instructions are for Android devices.

Clues for you:

• Make sure the RS-MS1 app is installed on your phone or tablet.

• Make sure you have some pictures in your gallery.

• Run the app and get to know how to navigate the menus.

• If it asks which transceiver to use, choose:  Other (Bluetooth).

• Go to the application settings in the app, make sure your callsign is entered near the bottom

• In the '74:

  • Use menu 930 to turn Bluetooth on

  • Menu  632,  Turn GPS TX off, so it doesn’t interrupt the data stream when receiving.

  • Menu 983 KISS Mode factory defaults to USB... turn to Bluetooth

  • Menu 984 DVR / DV Mode Switch to Bluetooth

  • Menu 936 Autoconnect should be ON

  • Turn on pairing mode in menu 934...you have 60 seconds to pair using the Android phone or tablet.

• On the phone or tablet, use the operating system Bluetooth settings to pair the device to the '74.  Confirm on the '74

• Both devices say they are paired, but the Bluetooth symbol on the '74 is not yet illuminated indicating a data link.

• Turn on data link mode in the '74:

  • Use menu 6 in the digital function menu (use (F) then MODE button), hit the Voice/Data button to change to data mode.

  • The data icon should now be illuminated on the '74 screen.  You can't send or receive a picture unless the data icon is illuminated.

  • As I understand, the '74 can only send pictures using Fast data mode.

•  You should now be able to use the RS-MS1 app to choose a picture and send it.  Or Receive a picture.

• At the first Bluetooth connection to the '74, the Bluetooth symbol will turn blue on the screen.

• You may have to turn OFF data link mode to use the '74 for talking.  I believe it turns off automatically if you push the talk button.

• I notice the '74 buffers the pixel blocks when sending...The app says it's done sending the picture, but the '74 stays keyed up a while longer.

Thanks to Duff - WA7BFN for helping me work out these steps, and improving them.

-- 

Randy Wilkinson, W4LKS

El Erby

DJ at Large

Office 334-260-9732

Cell 334-799-1239

elerby@djatlarge.com

www.djatlarge.com

https://www.facebook.com/DJatLargeRoom564

K4DJL

The format for this net is much like a voice net in that check ins will be taken and then the NCS will direct when the stations will send their pictures.

Not all hotspots will support the Fast Data mode however, pretty much all will support the Slow Data mode. We are seeing that the older hotspots have issues with coding being outdated. Many are no longer supported be their creator. The newer hotspots such as the openSPOT2 and 3 work really well with the latest version of firmware. The DVMEGA with the BlueDV firmware is another excellent choice. The developers of these two devices have been willing to work with us and ensure that the features are supported.

Troubleshooting an issue:

Here is what you requested regarding the issue I was having on the picture net and thank you again for taking a few mins to come to 58C on Friday evening so you could see the results.

Subject:

Troubleshooting sending pictures with the Bluetooth using the Icom RS-MS1A app.

Radio and Hotspot:

I'm using an Icom ID-5100A radio with an openspot3 along with the RS-MS1A app on the phone.

I also purchased the ZUMspot to see if it was the openspot3 causing the issue. So here is what I found out.

Problem:

During the D-Star Picture Net on REF055D, I was using the Openspot3 and also the ZUMspot. The problem I was having was with the transmission of sending pictures on the net. What the transmission would do is sound like it was keying up and keying down the radio during the transmissions of the pictures. Net Control and other Ham Operators reported that they did not receive the pictures while others reported 50% to 75% loss of the pictures. I also switched to a different reflector and was working with W0CLF and the same results repeated.

Solution:

So after many unsuccessful attempts. I was working with W4GLE on another reflector, we were on the phone so I was able to hear what the transmission sounded like. I was in shock of what It was doing. I turned off the GPS and the problem remained. I rebooted the radio, the hotspots, and my internet connection and the problem still existed. So at this point I was wondering if it could be in the radio, the Bluetooth board in the radio or the Bluetooth in my phone causing the issue. So I reinitialized the Bluetooth in the radio, unpaired the radio in the phone, and after pairing the phone back with the radio. The problem was still there. So at this point in the testing I was unsure what to do, so I decided to reboot the phone and retest which was the last thing to do to solve the problem as I remembered that It had been a few days since my last reboot of the phone. After rebooting the phone, I started the Icom RS-MS1A app and linked the phone to the radio and sent a picture. The result was a perfect picture. W4GLE and I sent many pictures back and forth to see if it would do it again and it was a perfect picture every time. 

Then after a couple days I contacted KB5HPT the NCS for the Picture Net, to demonstrate my results. Now, It had been a couple days since I rebooted the phone, so I wanted to see if it would do it again and to my amazement it did the same thing as before. It keyed up and keyed down just like before, So I rebooted the phone and sent the picture again and the problem was resolved. Perfect picture.

So if you are having issues like this and you are using Bluetooth to transmit your pictures to your radio. Try rebooting the devices, such as a phone or a tablet, radio, hotspots, internet connections and retest again. Sometimes just the simplest things can be solved by just a simple reboot.

Hope this helps you out,

73 de KE0YTP

QuadNet2  Network

The QuadNet2 Network is an open ircDDB routing network. The QuadNet Network fully supports the use of dongles, hotspots and repeaters (both homebrew and ICOM) on the QuadNet network. The purpose of QuadNet is to support callsign routing. Callsign routing is an alternate method of connecting to other D-Star users. It does NOT require your gateway to know the IP addresses of reflectors or repeaters to which you want to connect.

For a long time, it has been understood that you can't route when you are using a mobile rig (like a hot-spot that uses a cellphone for its Internet connection) because routing uses port 40000. QuadNet, has solved that. You can Group Route to any Smart Group, whether you are operating from your home, or you are operating a mobile rig!

The QuadNet Array consists of the following linked reflectors, routed Smart Groups, and DMR:

QuadNet Smart Groups

• DSTAR1 located in New York

• DSTAR2 located in San Francisco

• DSTAR3 located in Ohio

• DSTAR4 located in Alabama

D-STAR Reflectors:

• XRF757A in Atlanta

• XRF735A in New York

• XLX307D in Wyoming

• XLX049D in Northern Ireland

DMR

• Brandmeister talkgroup 31012

• DMRGateway to XLX307