D-Star Radio Configuration, Amateur Radio Licensing
The hosts describe technical difficulties configuring a D-Star ID51 dual-band handheld radio, comparing the process to landing a plane with a wooden leg. They critique the proprietary nature of ICOM's repeater network and the outdated menu structures reminiscent of early Symbian mobile interfaces. Listeners are encouraged to obtain a technician's license to participate in the amateur radio community.
d-star· icom· amateur radio· technician license· repeaters· symbian· ham radio
00:00 Give in, citizen. Give in! Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak It's Thursday June 26th 2014 time for your Gidmonation Media Assassination Episode 629er This is no agenda Exploring exigent circumstances here in FEMA Region Six in the Travis Heights Hideout The capital of the drone star state in the morning everybody I'm Adam Curry And from Northern Silicon Valley where he just got off of CSPAN I'm John C. Dvorak Did you say just got off on C-SPAN or just got off C-SPAN? Just got OFF. Oh, okay because... I don't know how anyone could get OFF ON. It could be either one
00:45 Got on C-SPAN. Yeah, everybody we just did a little pre stream and John has got this new voice thing that he's working on Now did you only send me one thing with clips because I got clips one in one thing yes This is very strange to hear your partner yeah? Oh yeah? Hey is my new partner on the show You know I'm so angry at myself oh Yeah, how stupid am I? I'm wondering myself. Yesterday we did an hour of our best material and I didn't record it, and i easily could have recorded it. Oh you mean we could have put that... yeah actually that would have been a good idea! Well I think people would have found it useful just so just imagine John gets his D-Star handheld rig yes and uh it's the ID51 so it's dual band so it's similar to the one I have only it's a little classier because you have two bands and um and I'm now going to
01:46 Talked John through configuring repeaters on D-Star, and it goes something like this. Can you see at the top left hand of the screen? He said I don't know a little black thing but I need a magnifying glass. Do you have one yeah it's in my coat pocket somewhere I don't know what with all the flashlights! I can't find it Okay, it was kind of like I'm in the tower and i'm talking to the stewardess who's going to land the 747 only the stewardess has a wooden leg and cataracts. It was really hilarious! And at certain point I have John walking around the house you know holding up the antennae and left foot in the air
02:29 And then it turned out that I'd completely forgotten the central registration step. We had no chance even to start with, so... Yes did you do that yet? Yeah i did! Did you receive an email about the registration? No Okay well you may or-I don't know yeah It hasn't been approved So its not registered yet because they keyed up a little while ago and didn't say anything No no no it's worse than that there's a register Oh no First you apply is easier to register for the US customs global entry system First you apply to a D-Star administrator and then when they approve you, then you still have to go in and do your little setup. It's horrible. Okay let me ask a couple more dumb questions like the one I asked earlier which is why doesn't it give you an error message if you're not registered? Oh because it's amateur radio! Well... I think the word's appropriate in this regard. You shouldn't say you're not registered or something. It doesn't say anything
03:27 at the repeater. So now, the next thing that came to mind which after we discussed it and I heard we already hung up and I was off in the kitchen, I said to myself wait a minute this handheld device is owned by, well not owned but it's owned by me but as an ICOM device And D-Star is pretty much a proprietary repeater network that ICOM has something to do with, right? ICOM are as far as i know the only major manufacturer who support it. Yeah that's pretty much the only guys who make the radios yes keep going so if you key it the repeater system should be able to look at the ID of the handset and say oh
04:11 It's an ICOM user. He's obviously qualified to be on this network, let's just put him on! John we should be... the Curry-Dvorak consulting group could do a lot uh..to help the ICOM communications group with their issues of configuration it's completely stupid but you know at least when it's done You're like heh not everybody...I'm glad I took the test not everybody can do this Yes there was a number of I think I don't know how things deteriorate so much, but I found it and I mentioned this to you. I don't know if this is gonna bore everybody except a few hams in the audience but I mentioned to you that this reminds me of the way menu structure works as of the earlier Symbian stuff. Yeah, Nokia's oh yeah. Cause you click and says I wanna change my ID and so you hit a button and it says
05:08 You sure? I really yeah, that's why I hit the button in the first place Why do I have to confirm this even that rocker in the middle is just like the the first cell phones Yeah, anyway. You think that's bad? You should try the Yesu interface this is beautiful compared to- Anyway Just so you know please don't email us It's not a proprietary protocol! Don't stop do not We'll never talk about ham stuff again if all you Nazis are gonna start saying it's not proprietary! Don't want that I have enough grief on my email already
05:45 Anyway, I am monitoring reflector 033 Charlie at all times and that's where we hang out That was actually we had a one of the Noah Jenner hams even helping us out into our fa. Yeah to change this step It's like hey, we're Waldo for Statler trying to configure D star it's a nightmare anyway Get your technician's license people. It's no big deal! You really should, it's fun and you too can have fun like us I got a BitTorrent Sync update Ah right Now this is starting to be interesting Well you made it interesting with your complaining... ...you might as well reiterate what that is Well BitTorrent Sync by the branding alone gives you the illusion or impression I'll start by saying that
