D-STAR ON THE AIR NIGHT, WELL, SORT OF

THE PLANNED D-STAR ON THE AIR AND DEMO WENT WELL, WELL SORT OF......

21 Apr 2010

The planned D-STAR on the air and demo went well. However the plan to operate via GB7NB proved a no go, even with a reasonable gain 70cm antenna the repeater could not be accessed. Even when we changed tack and tried GB7PI we still could not open the repeater.
So the demo went ahead as planned, a brief explanation of the basics of D-star, and then a demo of how DV compares to FM. Here I have to thank Daz G7SDC and Paul M0PDA for taking the handheld D-Star box and operating low power from just outside BSE. This showed quite demostratively how a Digitial signal would punch through even under very weak signal conditions, where an FM signal was dropping in and out of the squelch.
Seems that getting a 70cm signal out of the Culford location is difficult, we may have another go at this later in the year, after some more research, dependent upon an available evening.

Many thanks again to:-
Daz G7SDC
Paul M0PDA and
Martin
for supply and erection of the mast and antenna, and much needed morale support.