[Dstar] RE: Dstar Digest

[Horst Leykam]

Well Rob, maybe you should step back and look at the facts.
Icom has donated DSTAR repeaters to the WIA who in turn have allocated these
repeaters to various clubs.
One of the conditions set by Icom as I understand it was that these were to
be installed and operational in a timely manner.
Icom provided the repeaters, the clubs who were chosen to host them, were to
provide the infrastructure, that included location, antenna, cavities etc,
and internet access. The WIA would pay for the ongoing cost of the internet
connection, the clubs would fund the rest.
There was no mention of the clubs "doing the best they can to scrounge bits
from here or there", or waiting until something came along that might work.
If a repeater needed cavities or antennas and they were not available from
donors, then they should have been bought. If the club did not have the
financial resources to do this then they should not have applied to host the
repeaters! End of story.
I appreciate the many hours that may have been provided by volunteers, but
maybe you should have sought  professional help even if it meant spending a
few dollars, because the results are not that good.
As it stands now, a year or more from when the repeaters were made
available, none a fully operational and there is no mention when it might
happen.
The people who are more closely involved seem to live in their own world,
they resent anyone making comments and in some cases abuse people who want
to help.
 So, it is only through posting the odd and maybe sarcastic comment that
more information seems to come through.

Regards
Horst, VK2HL