VX-8R Symbol/SSID (Was Re: [aprssig] Yaesu VX-8R)

[Doug Ferrell]

On Tue, 20 May 2008, Amateur Radio WB8NUT wrote:

> As I understand it, the reason all that D-Star stuff is so expensive is 
> because they (Icom or whoever) has to pay a royalty for the technology. 
> It is not open source stuff as I once thought. This is probably why Icom 
> is the only one pushing it right now. Frankly, digital is nice, but 
> D-Star is not open, does not support native APRS, and is too expensive. 
> With the low usage of FM repeaters, what is the benefit of D-Star right 
> now with the low usage of the VHF and UHF bands? Sorry to get off topic 
> a bit.
> 
> Duffy
> www.wb8nut.com
> 

 Duffy you kinda got something backwards..D-Star is an open "protocol",
the digital voice codec (AMBE) is closed (proprietary). SO you can create
you own line of D-Star radios.... just have to buy the license for the
codec.

-- 
...DOUG
KD4MOJ