Setup Notes (salvaged from dstar.ca)

D-STAR Setup Notes

Repeater System Setup

Most of the software utilities used to configure the repater modules are pretty simple and straight forward. In most cases, all you can do is set the operating frequency. The RP2C is a little more involved, and it will be covered separately.

ID-RP2D

This repeater module has some unique configuration quirks that should be noted.

This repeater module only has one radio unit inside, since the Digital Data connection is half-duplex. As such, there is only one Service port on the front of the repeater.

Normally, you would think that you would set the repeater's transmitter frequency with the utility. Wrong. The main configuration setting in the utility is the RECEIVE frequency.

In most cases they are the same, since you will be operating on a simplex frequency.

However, also unique, is a setting for "Offset". This determines the transmit frequency of the repeater.

Operating the IC-RP2D on split frequencies may be required in circumstances where you may only have one antenna to use. This, of course, would require an external circulator and combiner/multicoupler assembly.

ID-RP2C

The default IP address that the controller is on is 172.16.0.1.

The default password is PASSWORD (case sensitive).

If you are not using a gateway server, then you can tick the Local Server box. This will allow the IC-RP2D repeater to serve up the local internet connection to mobile users. You may want to consider something like Chillispot to manage user connectivity to your internet connection.

There are different configuration settings that correspond to the type of repeater modules connected to the controller. Probably the most common is "D,V,V,V". In this configuration, the controller expects the IC-RP2D to be on Port 1 of the controller. Remember this when you hook it up, IT DOES MATTER. You can connect the other repeater modules to any of the other ports, just make sure you get the assignments correct for the port name (A, B, C) to match local conventions.

The "standard" for assigning repeater ports in USA and Canada is:

• Port A - 1.2GHz (both IC-RP2D Data and IC-RP2V Voice)
• Port B - 450MHz IC-RP4000V
• Port C - 144MHz IC-RP2000V

You will note that the configuration utility will have one of the enable check marks for the repeater ports grayed out so you cannot de-select it. Further, it will not let you change the assignment to something other than "A"... unless you have one of the other voice ports assigned as "A".

What this boils down to is you will always need to have a voice port assigned as "A", whether that repeater actually exists or not.

Just make sure that you actually connect the repeater modules to the controller on the ports that you have assigned. Looking at the back of the controller, the ports are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 from left to right.

As mentioned above, port 4 will always be enabled, so you might want to put your VHF module on there.

User Radio Setup

Most of the important details on setting up your radio for D-STAR communications can be found in the user manual.

For configuring the callsign fields, a useful tool can be found here.

ID-1 Data Radios

The ID-1 in DD mode acts like an ethernet bridge. That is, it does not have an IP address itself, that is programmed into the device(s) attached to the radio.

For communication WITHOUT an attached gateway, and the ID-RP2C configured in "server" mode, the settings to get on the internet would be:

Field	Setting
URCALL:	VE7RAG S
RPT1:	VE7RAG A
RPT2:	VE7RAG S
MYCALL:	VE7BCB

In this mode, set your attached PC with the IP settings appropriate to the internet connection the controller is attached to.

For communication WITH an attached gateway, you must register with a gateway machine and get an assigned IP address (on the 10.0.0.0/8 net). The settings in the radio to get on the internet are:

Field	Setting
URCALL:	VE7RAG
RPT1:	VE7RAG A
RPT2:	VE7RAG G
MYCALL:	VE7BCB

You will set the IP address in your PC to one of the ones registered to you. The default gateway is 10.0.0.1, and the default DNS server would be 10.0.0.1.

In both modes, make sure that the radio is in DD mode, and is set for RPS mode. Also make sure that TX Inhibit is turned off, to allow the radio to transmit when the computer wants to send data.

Note that because of the much higher data rate associated with DD communications, you need a much stronger signal in order for the DD mode to work. Somewhere on the order of 10-12dB more signal is required, compared to DV mode. So, while you may be able to talk to the DV machine just fine, it is no guarantee that you will be able to use the DD repeater. Yagi's are a good idea.

Now, some quirks about DD mode with a gateway...

• You can use ANY 10.0.0.0/8 IP address that has been previously registered, it doesn't even have to have an inital or pcname attached to it.
• The IP address does not have to match the registered MYCALL.

The implications of these quirks are still being studied.

About the "PC Name" you set in the Personal Information screen on the G2 server you registered on. This name cannot end in a "-", it has to be a valid letter or number. PC Names must also only contain letters and numbers, no other special or punctuation characters.

Why? The name you set in PC Name is actually used by the G2 system to create a unique hostname assigned to your IP address. When you register a PC Name, that actually gets expanded into PCNAME.dstar.local. In the internals of the G2 software, your call is used to figure out what gateway you are on so other users can contact you.