DSTAR

Mark Erbaugh

I just added a DEMI 2m LDPA to my Flex 6700. I have a Thumb DV.  If I install the DStar waveform will I be able to do 2m DStar?

Andrew O'Brien

I may not be up to date on this but last I checked , the ThumbDV no longer works on Flex 6000 series radios Andy K3uk

EA4GLI

Yeah, what a waste of money was to purchase the Thumb DV....

KENT HUFFORD

Last week I received an email from FLEX-

"We have traced the issue to a driver problem with a driver from FTDI (interface chip in the ThumbDV). We have been able to duplicate the problem on other platforms with this driver. There is a technical issue currently standing in our way that has to do with the libraries that we use to build the radio software. We are currently discussing the next steps which may include asking if we can get FTDI to recompile the driver for us."  

Before they broke the waveform software link. I did 2m and 440 DSTAR with Transverters. Hope to do it again some day. 

James Nelson

Thats some progress at least , its annoying when you purchased a thumb DV and its useless. I tolerate this in the hope the issue won't end up in the too hard basket. Outside of this I have had years of joy with my 6700 and view negative comments as unproductive. My fingers are crossed🤞

Dave K5OZ

I would love to run HF and VHF/UHF DSTAR on my new Flex 6600 (VHF/UHF with transverters). Does anyone know the latest on the resolution of this issue?

Kent Hufford

I had heard that the FLEX programmers were working on this issue this summer(2020). However it seems it is not at the top of their priority list to solve.

Starting with late versions of SmartSDR 1.xx thru early versions of 2.xx the ThumbDV USB dongle and the DSTAR Waveform plugin was working great on DSTAR.. With transverters, it connected to DSTAR repeaters, and had the repeater database. It also allowed FLEX 6xxx radios to do DSTAR on all HF bands. When this was working, propagation was still ok. You could talk DSTAR HF Voice simplex to Australia, Japan, England and western Europe from the USA.

Later releases of SmartSDR 2.xx started introducing small issues that made DSTAR less fun. With release of SmartSDR 3.xx, The DSTAR waveform software and the DVdongle were not recognized by SmartSDR. Flex quit selling the dongle, and took the Waveform software and instructions off their web site.

It is a great capability for the FLEX, that is now only available in the ICOM 7100, 9100 and the new 705. You can also with a Transceiver that has a 9600baud Packet port add DSTAR using a GMSK modem, DVDONGLE and software to a PC and turn it into a DSTAR radio. Tho, you have to use a mic and speakers on the PC.

This capability in the FLEX demonstrated the flexibility and did show off technical competence. I have loved the capability's of all three FLEX's I have owned. We all hope FLEX can restore this feature to their radios.

Kent

KQ4KK

Dave K5OZ

Kent, thanks for your synopsis of the problem. Yes, I to would like to have the capability back into this great radio? Let’s hope they find the “cure”.

Dave,
K5OZ

Bill NE1B

With the cost of DSTAR, DMR and Fusion radios dropping significanly (Baofeng and Radiodditty are now less than $90) does it make sense to buy a transverter plus a dongle?

Bill, NE1B

DL4RCE

No DSTAR Radio costs 90USD, more like 400USD +. It makes sense for some. I'd like to have it too since I can monitor our local dstar relay and HF at one, also remote.

Volker

Dave K5OZ

Volker,

l agree, plus some of the newer AMBE 3000 Thumb Drives may also able decode DMR and C4FM in the Flex?

Dave

DL4RCE

It does DMR and C4FM since I am currently using the stick with a tablet. Lets see what happens. Would be a great asset for me!

Volker

Kent Hufford

Buying 2m/440 transverters to just do DSTAR to repeaters is not a great reason I agree. Those transverters do allow 2m/440 SSB, CW, digital, EME, and Satellite work also.

DSTAR voice on HF will not replace SSB, AM, CW. It is just another mode in the pack for the Ham.

I don't think economic reason has much to do with Ham Radio. If it did, we would all be using ICOM 718 or YAESU 450s.

Kent

KQ4KK

Bill

I just have been listening to the International HF DStar moderator via DStar on my hotspot tuned to 30C with an Icom 5100 and wondering if there is any progress in bringing HF DStar back to the Flex 6000 series.

I really enjoyed HF DStar on my Flex 6300 using SSDR version 1 and 2, and have kept my fob carefully tucked away in anticipation of the renewal of Flex DStar functionality.

DStar has the capability of providing FM quality communication on HF, particularly as the sunspot cycle provides more reliable skip. In the prior implementation of HF DStar by Flex, we were at a sunspot minimum.

Earlier in this thread, the comparison of DMR to DStar seems a bit off. As a user of both I can vouch that the affordability of the DMR Chinese radios is more than offset by the flexibility and ease of use of DStar. If you value your time at more than ten cents an hour, DStar wins hands down, although the audio quality of both modes is the same once (and if) you get DMR working.

Presently, DStar is one of the only significant features where Icom continues to excel over FlexRadio. This is the only area where I covet the multiple Icom HF radios where DStar works so well.

Here's hoping we once again see DStar in the FlexRadio flagship platforms.

73s,

Bill

KK4C

Neil D Friedman N3DF

Did the Flex staff ever issue anything that indicated an intention to reincorporate D-star?

John KB4DU

Well, with no visible progress fixing known bugs, incorporating another mode is at least years away.

Kent Hufford

I watched Dan, N7HQ YouTube presentation on HF Station integration and Automation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T43PLcjvNmA

In an answer to a question about FreeDV and DSTAR waveforms. Dan said "they are working on it". But it will take a couple of more iterations of software for it to work.

He said Annaliese McDermond, NH6Z is working on this issue.

I had been corresponding with Steve Hicks, N5AC over the past couple of years on the status of the FLEX DSTAR Waveform. However, he has not answered the last couple....

In FLEXRADIO forum presentations, the speaker keeps talking about the open use, and capabilities of the WAVEFORM mode. Kinda ironic.

Bill

Kent, thanks for the direction to Dan's presentation.

I understood his reference to DStar and FreedDV as being limited by internal CPU performance, and not strictly related to bugs. Not certain why DStar worked so well in SSDR ver 1 and early 2, but there you have it.

He also casually mentioned the possibility of doing the requisite waveform processing outside the radio in the station computer, presumably where CPU resources are quite available. Although I can only imagine there might be latency issues in such an arrangement, I cannot help but wonder if anyone, including Annaliese, NH6Z, has had any success with this design.

Well, at least there is hope for HF DStar in Flex radios in future iterations of the software and hardware.

73s,

Bill

Andrew O'Brien

I see no real value in Dstar on 80-15M, maybe a little value 12M-6M . I did a lot of simplex HF work using digital voice modes several years ago. The SNR needed for good audio is very limiting. Dstar on HF is only simplex, station to station. No Reflectors , repeaters, call routing. So, I'm not sure what the point is. Much easier to just do plain-old SSB Phone .

Andy K3UK

Bill

I understand your view, Andy.

I also used HF DStar in SSDR ver 1 and 2 when it was available with the fob, and was impressed with how well it worked.

To your point, it is not a low signal strength mode but when I achieved contacts with strong signals on 40 and 20, it was impressive. HF DStar is an exclusively simplex mode as you point out, but that wasn't much of a problem.

I don't know if you have experienced DRM digital shortwave commercial broadcasts, but it is remarkable. Although not widely in use, it has its devotees.

I suspect HF DStar could gain adherents were it available to the Flex community.

73s,

Bill