Hams With Digital Capability?

A forum for the discussion of all aspects of amateur radio, but with emphasis on amateur radio operation in our coverage area. HF, VHF, UHF, P25, DStar, packet, anything amateur radio related is welcome here.
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Scott
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Hams With Digital Capability?

Post by Scott »

How about a show of hands of amateur radio operators that have digital transceivers, either P25, DStar, or any other proprietary method that may be available.

I own two Motorola XTS3000's, a UHF Model 3 and a VHF Model 2. Both are P25 capable. There are no P25 repeaters normally within range here on Cape Cod, but on my trips to the Boston area I've talked with Tim on his Boston repeater a few times. I can't quite make it to the Westboro repeater from here. Other than that I've only used P25 at Nearfest. I use this equipment for monitoring of both P25 and analog transmissions as well. I also legally own the Motorola software to program them.

Who else here is using P25 gear? NOT scanners.
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Post by ScanBoston »

P25 here... I have an AstroSaber on UHF (70cm) and a Thales Racal25 on VHF (2m). I also recently picked up an Astro Spectra on VHF but I'm not even sure if it works yet.
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Post by PeterGV »

P25 here... An XTS-5000 (Model 2) VHF, and XTS-2500 (Model 2) VHF, and XTS-3000 (Model 3) UHF, and a couple of VHF Astro Sabers (a M 1 and M 2).

There are mostly in use monitoring P25 (and analog) public safety channels here in Southern New Hampshire.

I've talked on the P25 Westboro UHF repeater exactly once from my house (running 5 watts... THAT's not bad, it over 40 miles). Never been able to raise that Boston P25 repeater.

I recently added the capability to use a 50W booster amp for UHF (it came free as part of another deal)... so that should get me to Westboro pretty easily now.

We've got quite a nice repeater network here in Southern New Hampshire, but nothing that will do P25, sadly.

Peter
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n1jfu

Post by n1jfu »

P25 Here, I have an EF Johnson 5100 portable that is sick. It gets stuck in transmit. It would be good if this were 75m AM and I was and old buzzard.....
Steve473

Post by Steve473 »

XTS3000 Model 3, UHF Range R, currently programmed for some P25.
38ffems

Post by 38ffems »

I thought it was illegal to use any sort of encription on ham bands, isn't p25 a form of encryption? I am in nothing but analog vermont for everything, even public safety. The only ones using p25 in this state are federal.
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Post by ScanBoston »

No P25 is not a form of encryption. It is a standard of digital modulation developed by DSVI approved by APCO and the US government for interoperability on narrow band two way radio systems. We are also only in phase one of P25 which is a long-term multi phase operation designed to bring land mobile radio to a better place using far less bandwidth and delivering much more services while trying to keep everyone on the same page for interoperability.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P25
http://www.project25.org/

DSVI right here in Westford Ma holds the patent on the vocoder used


Even in Vermont every new radio or radio system they buy must be P25 capable. So every day they are getting a little closer.
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Post by W1KNE »

No. P25 is a different style of emission/transmission, like RTTY, Amateur television, etc.
There is nothing illegal about that. P25 equipment is readily availble. Heck P25 digital scanners are availble all over the place. You *can* encrypt P25, but P25 only refers to the digital standard modulation of APCO Project 25.
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Post by Scott »

OK, now that the "sidebar" has been covered, let's get back on track. Amateur radio operators using digital voice formats, please chime in here. Thanks.
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n1pfc

Post by n1pfc »

XTS1500 / XTS3000 VHF
2x XTS3000 UHF
1x XTS5000 800

All here.

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Post by W1KNE »

There is an active* DStar repeater in Springfield, MA.

*-active meaning online.
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Post by KA8SCP »

Ok, so now that the latest NEARfest is in the past, did anyone come online with new digital radios?

Not that it was on sale a NEARfest, but I picked up an IC-2820 with the DStar module. I am pretty happy with the radio so far, but it sure is lonely on the DStar frequencies. I am a little too far south of the NH repeaters. The MMRA repeater is a blackhole so far... not a gateway site. Have not tried Milford or the Springfield sites yet... but will soon. So any other DStar users?

I've heard some P25 activity on Waltham... some new users (for me anyways) on there it seems. What about some of the other P25 repeaters and new users?

Just thought I'd resurrect this thread with talk about the digital side.

Terry
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Post by creeperjeep »

I have several /v\ radios on vhf and uhf.
Actually, I made contact on the Waltham P25 repeater last night with my astro saber.
Vhf was wide open to the north
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Post by ScanBoston »

Terry you do know that the MMRA has a DStar in Malborough right?
145.160 - MA Marlborough W1MRA Middlesex D-STAR
I also see
145.140 - MA Milford W1DSR Worcster D-STAR


P25
146.640 - MA Waltham W1MHL Middlesex APCO/P25, NAC 293
146.4875 MA Worcester N1PFC Worcester APCO/P25, NAC 250
448.775 - MA Westborough Worcester W1WNS APCO/P25, NAC 353
447.375 - NH Madbury W1WNS Strafford APCO/P25, NAC 353


For P25 I now own...
UHF
XTL5000, XTS2500, XTS3000, AstroSaber
VHF
2 Astro Spectras, XTS3000, Racal25
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Post by KA8SCP »

Yes sir, I know about these two:
ScanBoston wrote: 145.160 - MA Marlborough W1MRA Middlesex D-STAR
I also see
145.140 - MA Milford W1DSR Worcster D-STAR
Plus there is:
145.150 - MA Feeding Hills KK1X

I'll try that one the next time I am out west.
ScanBoston wrote: P25
146.640 - MA Waltham W1MHL Middlesex APCO/P25, NAC 293
146.4875 MA Worcester N1PFC Worcester APCO/P25, NAC 250
448.775 - MA Westborough Worcester W1WNS APCO/P25, NAC 353
447.375 - NH Madbury W1WNS Strafford APCO/P25, NAC 353
I've heard some folks ONLY on Waltham. Maybe I ought to throw the spectra in to the Scan mode more often.

Maybe we should have a digital day... now that you took the 900 day to new heights John! ;) <as I duck from the objects being thrown>
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Crazyboy

Post by Crazyboy »

Do I count? I'm a little far to hit a repeater there.
ka1jbe

Both uhf and vhf P25 here

Post by ka1jbe »

I use icom equipment :
F80 and F70 digital portables
F2821 (3 of them) uhf digital mobiles
F2721 digital vhf mobile

Going to get rid of an F2821d uhf mobile 400-470mhz with remote kit.
Mint condition....
http://buyicom.com/f1721d1821d2721d2821d.html
Kind of looking to trade (like radios or guns) Make an offer .
Andre

Post by Andre »

XTS2500i VHF model II
Astro Spectra VHF W9

and at work i get to use a Motorola Cetracom gold elite linked to 3 different moto astro quantars and 4 GE base units. and a astro spectra consollette

oooops, i don't do HAM, so i guess i don't count....
smoo2

Post by smoo2 »

I have a VHF Vertex, VX-P929 with the UHF receive board but I have not tried P-25 in the ham bands with it yet.
n1oty

Post by n1oty »

You can now add a digital IDAS repeater in Taunton on 145.28 to the mix. I may even sell off some of my P25 radios at the next Near-Fest now.

John
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Post by Scott »

IDAS? You lost me on that one.
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Post by AJ1L »

Scott/SNE Webmaster wrote:IDAS? You lost me on that one.
A new system developed by Icom and Kenwood called NXDN. IDAS is what Icom calls it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NXDN
Jeff Lehmann - AJ1L (Formerly N1ZZN) WQDJ863
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n1oty

Post by n1oty »

Scott/SNE Webmaster wrote:IDAS? You lost me on that one.


Icom Digital Advanced System. AMBE+2 vocoder and the repeaters can be run in mixed mode (digital and analog) like P25, only this equipment costs a lot less than P25. I think you'll see a couple more of these repeaters in SE Mass over the next year.

John
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Post by Scott »

So are they moving away from DStar or is this just a new name for its second generation, and does the original DStar equipment work with it? I haven't gone to look yet, but it sounds interesting.
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Post by AJ1L »

Nah, Icom is still crazy about D Star in the ham world. It hasn't caught on around here, but in Connecticut, and many other places around the country, it's huge. The instant linking capabilities with it, when the repeater is tied into the network over the internet is quite cool.
Jeff Lehmann - AJ1L (Formerly N1ZZN) WQDJ863
Rockland, MA
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