Please read the communications from the NI4CE group below.This leaves W4RNT as the primary wide area gateway system in Tampa Bay. 

NI4CE D-STAR ANNOUNCEMENT

For several months, the West Central Florida Group, Inc. has been looking to reestablish the NI4CE D-Star Repeater at a new, more environmentally-friendly site. Its previous home on the 805' platform at Riverview did not provide suitable operating conditions for this technology. As a result of these conditions the D-Star system had exhibited very unreliable performance.

After months of unsuccessfully searching for another suitable location, the WCFG Board of Directors unanimously decided at its January 15th meeting to cease D-Star operations and to liquidate the D-Star repeater and controller. The proceeds from this sale will be used to improve the existing NI4CE system's linking infrastructure and to continue exploring the newer NXDN digital technology. The Board fully realizes that this decision will be met with some resistance by the former users of the D-Star repeater. But in the best interest of the overall wide-area repeater system, this step was considered to be the most prudent course of action. Any West Central Florida operator who would like to obtain the NI4CE D-Star Repeater and Controller will be given preferential consideration.

We thank those operators who used the NI4CE D-Star Repeater. A list of other area D-Star Repeaters can be found on the Florida Repeater Council website.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Larry J. Gispert, KR4X

WCFG, Inc. Secretary

 

Click here for the USA DStar Gateway Map

Note: Items in Blue are Hyperlinks. Clicking on them will provide more information.                                     

Getting Started with Dstar

Step 1 Read this Wikipedia on Dstar for an understanding how it came about.

Step 2 Print and keep "Dstar for Newbies" by  Susan Mackay VK3ANZ It is an excellent reference.

Also Check out Gary Pearce's "Repeaters from A-D: A D-Star Primer" Gary Publishes ARVN: Amateur Radio/Video News

Step 3 Decide what Dstar radio works best for you by viewing either The Icom Mobile Radio Comparison or The Icom Portable Comparison. Yep, Icom is the only act in town in DStar.

Step 4 Choose a gateway (repeater system) and register. Remember this is a two part process. For instructions click here

Step 5 Time to program the radio. View these two excellent videos on programming By KN4AQ of Amateur Radio/Video Newss

Last step Enjoy! but not before you take a look at these very important usage guidelines.

 

Some very informative sites

Northeast Florida Fl D-STAR BLOG      N2LZ.Com

                      

  

Dstar Related Tools and Utilities

DSTAR Activity  

Gateway Status   Reflector Listings   Reflector Status    DPLUS Monitor   Worldwide Repeater Map

DSTAR Programming Utilities

 DSTAR Calculator  Gateway Registration Check    DStar X System    ICF & CSV Files Bank

DSTAR  Applications

D-RATS     DSTAR TV   D-RATS 3.3beta5  D-TERM   Latest Chirp Beta   DSTARHotspot

DV Dongle/DVAP

DV Dongle Page   DVAP Page  DVTool 2.0Beta4     Users Group       PTT SW for DvDongle

DSTAR Help and Support Resources

 DSTAR Documentation Page      How to set up a Dstar Hotspot       DSTAR Users Group

APRS/DPRS GPS

 APRS/DPRS tracking map     DPRS Calculator for Icom Radios

ICOM

ICOM Mobile comparison       ICOM Portable Comparison     "Dstar" The Movie      IC-9100

Non-DSTAR Items of Interest

K1IW Amateur Repeater and Broadcast Transmitters Database Websearch

 

 

Callsign Lookup Utilities

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Gateway Registration Check 

Use this utility to see if you have registered successfully with a gateway. Remember this is s two part process. You must register with a gateway then add each individual terminal with a unique identifier. For more detailed info see Step 4 under getting started above. You can also check to see if another station is registered and where the DStar System believes them to be.

Callsign:

Copyright 2009 - William Stillwell - KI4SWY

Dstarusers.org  Last Heard  Enter Callsign    

       

Use this utility to see where any registered Dstar station was last heard on the Global Dstar Network. Tip: This is where you could most likely expect to make contact with that station by means of repeater linking or callsign routing.

   

Click on the box to the left for the consummate resource in callsign information. Search for a new vanity call, research the history of an existing callsign, check the aging of available callsigns, print your current license, or find the hams in your neighborhood.

 

Current DStar Activity Courtesy of NJ6N Brian Roode