[aprssig] APRS over D-STAR (was APRS Link)

[Joel Maslak]

On Sep 18, 2006, at 2:34 PM, John Habbinga wrote:

> KC5ZRQ-2 is the D-STAR I-gate.  It is running the DStarInterface for
> the javAPRSSrvr.  I think that lots of APRS I-Gates use javAPRSSrvr.
> The computer is a Dell Optiplex with a Pentium 3 - 500 MHz running
> Windows XP.  It was donated by Lubbock County to the Lubbock RACES
> foundation.  The radio is an Icom IC-2200H, which with the D-STAR
> module, probably cost about $350.

Sounds very similar to my setup, except I'm using a 700 MHz Optiplex  
Pentium III, run Linux, and use a different radio.

> By the way, even sitting in 100+ degrees Fahrenheit, the Dell Optiplex
> has never crashed.  It is running javAPRSSrvr, Echolink, Echotime TTS+
> and Weather Exchange software on it.  It also runs some diagnostic
> software that monitors the wireless network.  Although it is connected
> to the Internet, if the Internet connection were to be lost, and even
> if the power went out for a short time, I could still use the server,
> via Wirless LAN, with the KC5ZRQ-1 APRS I-Gate.

My IGate also gets quite warm in the summer (and down to about 50F in  
winter for the computer, down to probably -20F for the radio).  Not  
ideal conditions by any means, but things seem to keep working fine.

I can't say enough good things about the Optiplex.  It's been very  
stable - I did swap out the CD ROM, but I can't remember if that's  
because it failed (did I mention it's VERY dusty here?) or because I  
wanted a CD-R in it years ago.  It's not all that fast, but, heck,  
it's over 5 years old!  (besides, it's plenty fast for 1200 BPS packet)