Digital Radio Network Bridging Project
K8IT Kalamazoo, Michigan
Questions - k8it@qsl.net
A word of thanks to the following people who have made this project very successful!
KJ8SEW Kathy, KE8ARF Steve, KE8AVO Ken W, N8HQI John, N1DOT Ken, & KE8DI David.
Without the efforts by all of these people this project would not of occurred, and you would not be reading about it!
INTRODUCTION
Many
people have asked why I have spent countless hours at this project.
Well first as a former Electrical Engineering Manager currently on
medical disability I was bored! I am also very financially chanelled. I
wanted to speak to my friends on DSTAR, ECHOLINK, ALLSTAR, FUSION
WIRES-X FSQ FAST QUICK QSO IRLP and other modes. my problem is a very
limited budget. I could not afford to buy all the digital radios. I
feel that I have now demonstrated that all users do not need to have
multiple radios. A simple FM radio or internet connection can open the
networking world to most users.
Synopsis
There
are now at least nine different digital formats on VHF and UHF bands
being used. All of these formats are incompatibale with each
other, unless a digital bridge is used. Consider what happens when you
arrive in a new location with a brand M digital HT and try to find a
repeater. You put your radio on scan and pickup digital noise. No other
activity is found, and your digital radio will not decode the signal.
In case of emergency this presents a major problem for amateurs
responding to the event. Since amateurs with brand X radios cannot talk
to amateurs with brand Z radios, all because their digital formats do
not talk to each other. In this case amateurs will need to use the
standard FM mode. However some of the current radios and repeaters are
not capable of running in FM mode. This will eliminate some of the
repeaters to be open for digital bridging to all digital modes at all
times. I know that some groups and individuals protect their digital
mode as being superior to others and are not interested in bridging
digital formats.
This segregation must come to an end.
Amateurs
need to develop bridging techniques and make them available to all
amateurs. I have invested much time in developing this bridging
approach and I know many others that have also. However we have been
plagued by amateurs that resist our efforts. This also must change
for the good of amatuer radio and public service.
Submitted By Neil Sablatzky K8IT.
Digital Radio Bridging Educational Videos
This
link will help you get a basic understanding of digital bridging, and
some of the different protocols. These are not my videos, and this link
will cause you to leave my site.
*Digital Bridge Technical Details*
Here you will find all of the information needed to complete a bridge for yourself.
Please link our site. Do not repost
Neil Sablatzky K8IT
Allstar Node 41838 KITLINK
Allstar Node 42087 KITLINK HUB
IRLP Node exp0068
Echolink K8IT-L
WIRES-X K8IT 11479 Room 21479