FREE STAR* is an experimental approach to the implementation of a vendor neutral, and open source, digital communication network.

FREE STAR* enables existing (FM) repeater owners to establish a D STAR repeater with a choice of interface hardware, software and radio hardware. As testing and certification is an ongoing process, as of January 2010, the leading solution appears to be the Satoshi GMSK Node Adapter using the CMX589A modem chip - with the KI4LKF rptr software on CENTOS.

Considerable testing was done with the DMK URI and the 'dstarrepeater' software from Jonathan, G4KLX, on CENTOS, Ubuntu, and Windows XP platforms.  Unfortunately, the use of the USB based URI gave considerable problems and therefore this solution is pending further investigation.

Some limited testing has been done with the Velleman K8055 board with a PCI-based SoundBlaster card on a Windows XP platform.  The audio output was excellent, but we could not get the sound card to decode any of the inbound audio (probably due to excessive filtering on the sound card).  We will revisit this later to experiment with alternate sound cards. 

 

443.8125 MHz is currently being used in the Mississauga area for FREE STAR* testing. 

Two FREE STAR* systems are currently on-test:

VA3PMO 'B' on 443.8125 using the Satoshi GMSK Node Adapter;

VE3RSD 'C' - TX only on 147.540, using whatever the flavour of the day happens to be!

Both systems are connected to XRF005 A, so the two should transmit identically.

Both systems are connected to an Experimental Trust Server, mitigating any risk of corrupting a production Trust server.  Regular D Star repeaters that may be associated with another production Trust server, will not be able to connect to either VA3PMO or VE3RSD using G2 routing.  Likewise, end user callsigns that may exist in a production Trust server may not exist in the Experimental Trust server.

Please contact us at dextra {at} va3uv.com to have your personal callsign added to the Trust server.

Regular D Star repeater owners (connected to a production Trust server) may connect to XRF005 to participate in testing and assessment.  This requires some add-on software to be installed on your G2 gateway PC.  The software is independent of other add-on software (such as dplus) and does not interfere with dplus operation; there is no cross-connectivity.  The following D Star repeaters in Ontario have been configured to access XRF005:

VA3ODG - Ottawa;

VE3RPT - Uxbridge;

VE3WIK - Carlisle (limited range);

VE3TTT - London.

 

Should you wish to have your D Star repeater connected to XRF005, please contact us at the above address.