[Elecraft] D-Star

[Don Wilhelm]

I agree fully, despite the article in the May issue of QST which glosses 
over the proprietary nature of D-Star.

I am opposed to the use of proprietary protocols in ham radio.  Ham 
radio to me is free radio.  I have passed my license requirements, and 
should be able to use whatever modulation techniques are authorized by 
the FCC.  The thought of paying for a license (even though that payment 
may be bundled with a transceiver purchase) is foreign to my views of 
ham radio.

Certainly, I buy computers with Windows loaded, but I do not buy Icom 
transceivers with D-Star loaded.  That is what is foreign to my view of 
ham radio.

Until someone comes up with an open source and free to use substitute 
for the AMBE Codec that is owned by Digital Voice Systems, Inc., I will 
not be using D-Star.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 4/28/2012 9:17 PM, Greg Troxel wrote:
> I would hope that Elecraft would not add D-Star support; I think it's
> against the spirit of amateur radio, and particularly contrary to the
> kit culture, to have an on-air specification that an individual amateur
> is precluded from implementing without obtaining a patent license.
>