Welcome to the North Florida Digital Group!

Update 9/5/2007

Update from KJ4G on the D-Star Seminar

After quite a bit of traveling to various hamfest, seminars, classes and other instructional meetings, The North Florida Digital Group (NFDG) feels that the ham radio public can be better served if the information we have gathered could be presented in a classroom setting locally and in one place.

On September 29th, we will be hosting the D-Star Enhancement Seminar for NFLA and S Georgia Hams, ARRL Officials, Served agencies, Government officials, ARC officials, Em Management Officials and other  interested parties.Attendance is FREE. Coffee and soda machine are available. There is ample parking.

The seminar will be about 5 hours in length and will cover basic definitions up thru advanced operations. The seminar starts at 08:30 EDT and will have three classes (45 minutes) with ample breaks. With classes, demonstrations and Q &A; the seminar should be over by 13:00 EDT. We have the auditorium until 15:00 EDT if need be or the interest warrants longer time to reach the objectives of everyone. No lunch break is planned but afterwards, any or all can meet for lunch and continue any ongoing QSO's.

This will be a structured session. Greg, W4OZK, SM ARRL Alabama Section, will be the lead instructor along with members who will be assisting him. Greg has been very instrumental in getting D-Star off and running in Alabama. That system now has more D-Star digital  repeaters than Japan where D-Star began. Greg is Em Comm and ARES supportive and that is the major premise for their systems. They will bring a portable repeater system to show and tell. Also demonstrated will be digital keyboard/computer communications using the digital side while talking on the voice side of D-Star. Time will be spent explaining how to set up the radios, and how they work. There are plus and minuses in the D-Star world and you will be aware of them in your quest for information. Our goal is to provide all the basic information needed for the Ham Operators and members of served agencies to understand this new technology.

A class syllabus and preprinted information data sheets will be provided to each attendee. We will provide each person with all the D-Star data sheets for each radio available from Icom. When each person leaves the conference, he/she will have a complete folder with everything they need to get started in D-Star. This will include websites and all the URL's needed to research D-Star along with addresses for Yahoo groups of interest. Those folks from served agencies will also have all the information to understand the limitations hams have and what they can provide in an emergency to their agencies with this system.

This information may be forwarded to any folks you think would be interested in attending the seminar. Local area clubs will receive this notice and be invited. We would appreciate a RSVP ( not required, but helpful) for planning 
purposes and logistics.

We of the NFDG hope you will attend and learn about a new technology that in the next few years will become an everyday word in ham radio lingo. Locally we are sponsoring a complete D-Star system and in the future you may want to give it a try. It will have UHF,VHF, 1296 voice and 1296 data. Join us and learn about it.

A flyer is included with information.

73,
Paul L. Eakin, KJ4G
ADEC Capital District NFLA, (Digital Communications)
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