D-STAR stands for 'Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio'

  It is an open-standard digital voice and data protocol developed by the Japan Amateur Radio League.  It is the first digital protocol that has been widely accepted around the world and is fully supported by a major amateur radio equipment manufacturer (ICOM).

  There is a wealth of information available on the Internet that you can read to get updated on this neat new technology.  Here are a few links that offer a better glimpse into how it works in the real world:

  Click [ HERE ] to read the wikipedia article about D-STAR

  Click [ HERE ] for the ICOM page describing their products

  Click [ HERE ] for ICOM Canada's informative pages

  Click [ HERE ] for the D-STARusers.org web site

  Click [ HERE ] for the N6SIX D-STAR web site

  Click [ HERE ] for the Alabama Linked Repeater System D-STAR pages (contains a HUGE amount of information on D-STAR technology including outstanding Power-Point technical presentations on what it takes to get the D-STAR repeaters on-line)

Here are some D-STAR forums on YAHOO you may wish to subscribe to:

dstarsoftware --> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dstarsoftware

gmsk dv node --> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gmsk_dv_node

dstar digital --> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dstar_digital

DV Dongle --> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DVDongle

D-STAR 23cm --> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/D-STAR_23cm

dstar development --> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dstar_development

dstar-uk --> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dstar-uk

   Want to see more about this new technology?  Click on the video pictures (below)

   Cecil, WD6FZA, introduces D-STAR to the Palomar Amateur Radio Club membership on Nov. 7, 2007.  This is the system (on Mt. Woodson) run by the PAPA amateur radio organization that Pete (WA3UMY) used while on a trip to the San Diego area on 12-15 May 2008.

 Comparison video - watch a demonstration of communications through a normal 440 MHz analog voice repeater located on Mount Palomar in southern California, and then through a 440 MHz D-STAR digital voice repeater.  Both repeaters are in the exact same location and are sharing the same antenna at the repeater site:

  Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) using D-STAR:

  ICOM D-STAR system using NJ6N's D-CHAT:

  Click [ HERE ] to find out more about the D-CHAT software

Now that you have had a chance to read up on the D-STAR technology, we want to hear from you and get your thoughts:

- What do you think?

- Would you buy a D-STAR radio?

- Would you support having a digital repeater to use in St. Mary's County?

- If the SMCARA were to endorse sponsoring such an effort, would you use it?

- Would you like to participate in helping get a digital repeater on the air?

If interested, please click [ HERE ] and send a quick e-mail with your comments to Pete (WA3UMY).  We will tally the results and see if we have enough interest to proceed with a possible club project.  Thank you for your interest!

Southern Maryland amateurs currently known to have D-Star capability:

Larry - N3JTN

Sam - K3KLC

Dan - WB7ECV

Aaron - N8TVQ

Pete - WA3UMY

Dave - KB3QOP

Most of the above folks have been using 145.67 simplex to chat.  Feel free to join us!