Introduction
How do I program my radio to use the W8RNL Hamilton D-Star repeater?
The radio requires some information to be programmed before it will work. This information is sent out when you first key up the radio. The information sent includes your call sign as well as instructions to tell the system where you want your signal to go.
UR is set to either CQCQCQ or set to the call sign of the station you are trying to reach (for use with the Gateway) when you don't know which repeater the person is on.
RPT1 is the call sign and Port of the repeater you are using; the source repeater port
RPT2 is for the command path (what you want your signal to do); the destination port
MY is for your own call sign
Ports are usually named with a call sign and an ID letter. Repeater hardware is usually designated with ID letters A, B, C, or D. Everywhere except Japan, A is 23 cm, B is 70 cm, 2 meters. However, there are systems with any combination of repeater modules filling out the four ports, for example one 2 meter on "A" and three 70 cm modules on "B, C, D". In Japan the convention is 70 cm on A and 23 cm on B, since there is no 2 meter band in Japan.
One important detail of call sign entry on D-Star devices -- The entire call sign field must always include 8 characters. All callsigns with a letter after the call sign must include blank spaces between the callsign and the letter. A call sign without any ID letter in a call sign field still has 8 characters. The space character fills out the field to the required 8 character total.
A four character callsign needs three spaces before the letter -- CCCCsssL where C is the callsign, s are spaces, and L is the ID letter.
A five character callsign needs two spaces before the letter -- CCCCCssL where C is the callsign, s are spaces, and L is the ID letter.
A six character callsign needs one space before the letter -- CCCCCCsL where C is the callsign, s are spaces, and L is the ID letter.
Each Icom radio may use unique label symbols for the fields for a particular model.
The ID-51A, ID-31A, IC-91AD, IC-92AD, IC-2820, IC-7100, IC-9100 radios use [ UR: R1: R2: MY: ].
The ID-1, IC-80AD, ID-880H radios use [ UR: RPT1: RPT2: and MY: ].
The ID-800H uses [ UrCALL RTP1 RPT2 MyCALL ].
The IC-v82/UT-115, IC-U82/UT-115, and IC-2200/UT-115 radios use [ YuC R1C R2C MyC ].
For local communication over the repeater:
If using 2m : 145.150 MHz
UR: CQCQCQ (who you are calling, CQCQCQ means any ham)
RPT1: W8RNL C
RPT2: W8RNL G
MY: W8XYZ (your FCC call sign)
If using 70cm : 442.625 MHz
UR: CQCQCQ (who you are calling, CQCQCQ means any ham)
RPT1: W8RNL B
RPT2: W8RNL G
MY: W8XYZ (your FCC call sign)
You need to use the "G" with RPT2 to make use of the linking features. Also, the port designator (B,C,G) needs to be in the 8th position.
“W8RNL[space][space]B” would be entered for RPT1:
For communication to a particular ham over the gateway:
In order to talk to another ham over the gateway, you must first be registered in the gateway system.
The following example assumes that each ham does not know the specific repeater they desire communication with at the other end, only the other hams callsign.
If Jack, W8XYX in Vandalia, Ohio wanted to call Jill, K8ABC, in Cincinnati and didn’t know which D-Star repeater Jill was last on, Jack would use the following:
UR: K8ABC (Jill’s call sign)
RPT1: W8HEQ B (Closest 70cm repeater to Vandalia, Ohio)
RPT2: W8HEQ G (Gateway port at W8HEQ)
MY: W8XYX (Jack’s call sign)
Jill is expecting Jack to call and has her radio set with the following:
UR: W8XYX (Jack’s call sign)
RPT1: W8RNL C (Closest 2m repeater to Hamilton, Ohio)
RPT2: W8RNL G (Gateway port at W8HEQ)
MY: K8ABC (Jill’s call sign)
Remember that Jill will not be able to immediately respond without having her radio programmed to do so. However, in this example her radio was already programmed.
If not, as soon as she hears Jack calling her, she could depress her data capture button on her radio to temporarily, and automatically, program her radio. This button is different on each radio. On the ID800H, it is the ‘TONE/TSCAN’ button. Depress it until it beeps. Then, Jill's radio should be able to talk back to the calling station.
IMPORTANT: Remember to ‘reset’ your radio after making your QSO. If you do not, you will continue to talk to the repeater you were last talking through, thus possibly interrupting QSOs going on. To reset after using the data capture button, just change your channel selector to another channel and then back again.
Remember, wait until you hear one or two beeps before you key your radio. If you key while the repeater is ‘up’, your transmission may not go through. If you hear someone trying to make a gateway call, and they only have one beep, let them know that they may not have the gateway programmed properly on their radio.