[amsat-bb] Icom D-Star -to- A-STAR Gateway

[Bob Bruninga]

> Tell that to the likes of G4KLX, KI4LKF, the ircDDB team, 
> PA4YBR, the designers and builders of various GMSK modems, 
> and even AA4RC and Moe, who designed the DV Dongle hardware... 

The real thing that would explode D-star onto the world stage would be if
they implemented an A-STAR gateway into the D-STAR system.  That is a means
to gateway to existing analog users with existing radios.  Then everyone
everywhere could participate in callsign-to-callsign voice contact just like
D-star.

The A-Star gateway does this.  It uses the built-in (APRS) digital signaling
in any of the 8 current models of Kenwood and Yaesu APRS radios to provide
the seamless interface.  The APRS radios can be configured to send out their
CALLSIGN with each release of PTT, thus giving the automatic callsign
identification (Like Dstar).  Further, APRS radio users can signal who they
want to talk to by simply entering an APRS message to the intended callsign
target.

This way, the A-STAR gateway provides the same end-user-to-end-user-by
callsign VOICE calling as Dstar.  On the D-star side of the gatway, all the
A-STAR gateways look like just another D-star repeater.  But on the Analog
side of the A-STAR gateway, it looks like a normal Analog repeater.  
BUT, the analog repeater is listening for the PTT burst with the callsign
ID's.  And the A-star gateway interprets incoming callsign message requests
as requests for a voice link and sets it up as if it was a D-star system.

See how.  www.aprs.org/avrs.html

This is all part of the Automatic Voice Relay Network concept that ties
together all linked voice systems into a universal-by-callsign VOIP system.
It is where APRS has been headed since 2001.  And it is why all the recent
radios from Kenwood and Yaesu can include their operating frequency in their
ID packet and why they can also QSY to a commanded frequency on an incoming
message with the press of a single button.

We just need someone to write the A-star gateway software into the D-star
network.

Bob, WB4APR