D-Star Reflector Operation - Kenwood TH-D74A/E Operating Tips

4 ENJOYING D-STAR (by DON ARNOLD, W6GPS)
Setting the reflector's number/module Response from the repeater
One you confirm this, you have to go back into the "Reflector" Menu and select
"Use Reflector". A command of "CQCQCQ" will be sent and you can talk on 30C.
When your QSO is finished, it is good practice to unlink from the reflector, so go back and
select "Unlink Reflector" to use the unlink command "_______U".

4.3 D-STAR Reflector operation

So here is the simple sequence: Select your repeater and listen. If you want to link the
repeater to a reflector then input the reflector name, press [PTT] for about 1 second. Listen
for acknowledgement, then select "Use Reflector".
Sound easy? I hope so. DR mode is the simplest and most efficient way to change radio
commands.
It gets even better if you get your own repeater! You mean I need to put-up a tower and
antenna? No I am referring to the Access Point, also known as Hotspot. People use the
term Hotspot referring to a small low power device connected to a wired internet connection
or mobile Hotspot Wi-Fi over a mobile cellular network.
I have both. For my wired network connection, I use an openSPOT. It is self-contained
lower power simple D-STAR enabled device that is very easy to use.
So in simple terms I program the openSPOT with VoIP communications a simplex frequency
according to Amateur band recommendations for low power simplex operations. With this,
I can talk to my lower power Access Point and tell it what reflectors to go to.
I love reflectors as they have more people operating and you can have nice QSOs.
If you have to move your QSO you can tell the Access Point to go to another reflector by
selecting a new reflector via input using the encoder.
This way you can have more control of your reflectors instead tying up a local repeater.
Now I have saved the best for last, mobile Access Point or mobile Hotspot. I use the DVAP
(Digital Voice Access Point) from Internet Labs and a small Raspberry Pi Zero W. (DVAP is
low power transmission 10 mW)
We refer to the Raspberry Pi as a Pi with is a very small computer, to which the DVAP, a
simple Access Point that the TH-D74A/E transmits to and controls. The Pi and DVAP are
connected wirelessly to a mobile Hotspot that gets to the internet via cellular mobile phone
network. This whole system is about the size of 2 packs of chewing gum.
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