Whiskey 7 Ham Radio Wiki

D-STAR
Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio

D-STAR (Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio) is an open digital voice and data standard developed by the Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL). It transmits compressed digital voice using the AMBE codec, delivering crisp audio right up to the edge of coverage — no gradual static fade like analog FM. Along with voice, D-STAR can send your callsign, short text messages, and GPS position data.

What do I need?

You need three things to get on the air with D-STAR:

  1. A D-STAR capable radio — FM or DMR radios will not work. Popular models include the Icom ID-52A PLUS, ID-4100A, IC-705, IC-9700, and the Kenwood TH-D75/TH-D74A.
  2. A registered callsign — D-STAR requires registration on a gateway server (separate from DMR ID assignment). Contact the owner of the repeater or reflector you plan to use; most will help you through the process.
  3. A path to the network — either a local D-STAR repeater with internet gateway, or a personal hotspot.

Hotspot vs. Repeater

A repeater is a full-power RF relay, usually on 70cm (440 MHz), that extends your coverage across a region. You key up just like analog FM.

A hotspot is a low-power simplex device (often a Raspberry Pi running Pi-Star) that connects your radio to the internet over a few milliwatts. You transmit a short distance to the hotspot, and it routes your audio over the internet to a reflector.

Hotspot programming tip

Most hotspots are essentially low-power 70cm simplex repeaters. Program your radio as if you were hitting a repeater: set the offset direction to -Dup and the offset frequency to 0.000 MHz. This makes the radio behave correctly while keeping RX and TX on the same frequency.

Call Sign Fields

D-STAR uses four programmable fields in your radio. Getting these wrong is the most common cause of problems.

Spaces matter

In D-STAR, the callsign fields use fixed-width formats. The 8th character is typically the module identifier (A, B, G, etc.). Double-check your radio programming software formats these correctly — a misplaced space or character can cause registration or routing failures.

Connecting to XLX159

XLX159 is a multi-mode reflector that supports D-STAR among other modes. When connected to XLX159 Module A, your transmission is available to D-STAR users linked to that module, and may also be transcoded to other protocols depending on the reflector’s current configuration.

To link from your radio, enter the link command into URCALL. The standard format for linking to an XLX reflector is:

Verify before transmitting

Reflector module assignments can change. Use the XLX159 dashboard or ask on the network to confirm which module is hosting D-STAR traffic before you link.

Terminal Mode (No Hotspot Needed)

Many Icom radios (ID-52A PLUS, ID-4100A, IC-705, etc.) support Terminal Mode via USB data cable. With Terminal Mode and software like G4KLX’s ircDDBGateway or Pi-Star, you can link to reflectors directly through your computer’s internet connection — no separate hotspot hardware required.

Making Your First Contact

  1. Listen first. Make sure the module is quiet and not already in a QSO.
  2. Key up and identify: “This is [your callsign], monitoring.”
  3. If you want a general call, use CQCQCQ in URCALL and call “CQ D-STAR, [your callsign] listening.”
  4. Keep transmissions short. Leave breaks for others to break in.
  5. When finished, unlink from the reflector to free the module for others.

Common Pitfalls

Tools and Resources