IC-705 A to Z #6 DSTAR Part 1 - The basics 

The IC-705 only puts out 10 watts maximum when powered from 12V (which mine was). I don't know what power my friend Howard was using. I'll have to check.

@@HamRadioA2Z -No need. You've satiated my curiosity! '73

Only the callsign needs to match. Everything after the / is basically commentary. It isn't used for the call sign matching.

Please let me know if you make any simplex DStar contacts. I’ve been disappointed with 146.52 just on FM. I listen there and make calls when I travel. I rarely get a response.

@@HamRadioA2Z It's been a week and I've had zero contacts on DStar simplex (145.670) in Phoenix, and while driving this weekend between Phoenix - Blythe for a camping trip. Multiple calls per day, on high power (50 watts) in the Jeep, and nothing. I even confirmed I was getting out by listening on my ID-51. Now, 146.52 in Phoenix is busy and used often. Not so busy on the highway between Phoenix - Blythe this weekend. While camping, I did hear folks in Blythe using 146.52 occassionally. Pete

Thanks Alvin! I kinda liked it too. Unfortunately, it didn’t translate very well for people who don’t speak English as their first language.

There are lots of choices. If you’re looking for 2M/440, I was going to suggest Ventenna. It’s an antenna that looks like an extension to the plumbing vents on your roof. I just checked and it looks like the company closed in July of 2021. You may be able to find them used. If you’re looking for HF, I had pretty good luck with the Princeton EF-53 end fed antenna when we were in an HOA a few years ago. It’s pretty stealthy. All you need is a tree somewhere in your back yard at least 53 feet away from your house.

Hi. Yeah, I’m sorry that the name changed caused some confusion. Thanks for being persistent!

Hi Nic. Thank you for the kind words. I believe the answer is no, you don’t need to be registered unless you want to go through internet gateways or use reflectors.

Hi Paddy. Thank you so much for the kind words and the support. I understand the time flying by. It’s hard to believe that I posted the last video more than a month ago. The family items I’ve been dealing with are mostly settled and my wife & I will be heading home shortly. So more videos coming soon.

"I’ve had my 705 around 3 months but haven’t really used it in any great way" I use it for the D-Star. I have an ICOM ic-91ad walkie talkie but it gets hot quickly and not really suitable for talking more than 30 seconds at a stretch. I'm starting to experiment with digital modes on it; good results with FT8 and about to try VHF Winlink. Its built-in audio codec simplifies things dramatically.

I am assuming that you’re on the DStar.info site? I’m pretty sure that unless you tell it to reserve a percentage of repeaters for FM in the list, then they will all be DSTAR. The list will be DStar repeaters from all around the country and around the world.

No, sorry. Spring Hill, Kansas.

That sounds like a good suggestion. I’ll have to put that one on my list.

Hi. Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. You've probably figured this out by now. You can just press the DR button again or, I think just tap the Memory channel/VFO on the screen.

Hi Al. The DSTAR transmission is sent over narrow band FM. The modulation is something called GMSK- Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying. I don't know what the actual mode designator is. The USB you saw on the 705 display is for Universal Serial Bus, not Upper Side Band (confusing, isn't it). I had the radio connected to a USB port on my computer to record the audio.

The ICOM 705 and the 7100 can do DSTAR on all bands, 160-6m, 2m and 440. International DSTAR HF VOICE Testing Net - SUMMER Schedule - DSTAR HF VOICE Simplex.... NO Internet, NO Repeater, NO Reflector used. Here is a video from K6UDA DSTAR HF Voice simplex on a 705. Making DSTAR Voice contacts coast to coast with 10 watts HF. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-45MaJiIXQXo.html Please join HFDstar@groups.io Join Groups.io at groups.io/register We are on each band only for 5 min. or so as to spend less time, if the band is dead we move on earlier. You can go back to a good freq after the net. MONITOR REF030C to coordinate. WE may need to move early or if the freq is busy. We do not want to step on any AM or SSB activity. We also use a web page to keep track of who and where we are at - hf.dstar-relay.net/ You also can check-in to this web site anytime 24/7 to find a DSTAR HF Ham to talk to. We have a PRENET for 30 min. before the start of the scheduled time. This PRENET is for ‘FREE FORM” contacts. One should check the web site hf.dstar-relay.net/ sign in and find a working freq to work on. When the net starts at the scheduled time, please join the net and follow the freqs. DSTAR HF VOICE SCHEDULE Sat PM 7:00 E (2300Z) Sunday AM 10:00 E (1400Z Sunday)(Spend more time on each open band, and start on 80m) Sunday PM 7:00 E (2300Z) Check USB/LSB on freq to make sure the freq is clear. SUNDAY AM, we start with 80m and work towards 6 meters. 6 mtrs 50.210 DV for 2 mins 10 mtrs 28.570 DV for 5 mins 12 mtrs 24.938 DV for 5 mins 15 mtrs 21.380 DV for 5 mins 17 mtrs 18.148 DV for 5 mins 20 mtrs 14.345 DV for 5 mins 40 mtrs 7.285(or another open freq) DV for 5 mins 75 mtrs 3.855 DV for 5 mins. NCS will check the freq ahead of time to make sure we don’t step on anyone 3KC up and DOWN. "Digital voice is defined in the FCC Commission’s rules based on content as voice (i.e. phone), not data, per Section 97.3(c)(5) of the Rules." Kent KQ4KK KQ4KK@ARRL.NET

Hi. If you are looking at repeaters that list CC1 up to (I believe) CC15, those are referring to Color Codes. That is a term that is used on DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) radios. Unfortunately, your 7100 cannot communicate with DMR radios or repeaters. The only digital mode it supports is DStar. Sadly, “digital” voice is not like analog where any radio that can do FM can talk to any other radio that can do FM. With digital modes you have to have a radio that supports the correct mode. The two main modes that are specifically amateur are DStar and Yaesu System Fusion (YSF). Other popular modes are DMR, P25 and NXDN. Those are all commercial modes that have been adapted to amateur radio. Hope this helps. 73, Tom

I’m not a fan of DStar voice quality either. The good thing about DStar is that all of the radios, hotspots and using the mode at all are 100% optional. 😁

Hi Michael. Not exactly. It can connect directly to reflectors over the internet if it has a WiFi connection. The radio transmitter is off in this mode. So it can’t act as a conventional hotspot for other radios. I haven’t tried this mode myself. Tommy Martin did a video about how to do this on one of the AmateurLogic TV episodes. I have very limited internet where I am right now. So I can’t easily look up which episode it was.

Hi. The Yaesu FT70 radio supports YSF- Yaesu System Fusion - digital audio (also called C4FM). This is similar to DStar, but unfortunately not compatible. I do not yet own any digital capable Yaesu radios. So, I don’t have any experience with setting up or using YSF.

Not out of the box. Mod instructions are published for many radios. I haven’t checked to see what is available for the 705. Be aware that modifications to open up transmit frequencies will almost certainly void your warranty and may not be legal depending on your country.

I wish I had a good answer for you.

That is an excellent point. I never thought about that. I’m not sure I want to change my standard sign off, but I will think about how to work in the international pronunciation.