Your statement OB was rather CRASS in that you seem to think that EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW TO GET AROUND THIS STUFF, I READ & LISTEN SO I CAN "LEARN"!!!
Yes. I only watch videos if I know there is information that I seek in them. As for this is really neat stuff, and its never to late to learn more. The MMDVM project by Jonathan Naylor G4KLX is where the basis of the OpenSpot came from. If you truly want to learn, look into that project. You can roll your own. And you can connect it to real radios to build a high power hotspot or repeater that can be useful to more than one person. The Openspot is neat to me, but it's an appliance.
You would use this as a personal hotspot - if you had a dstar, DMR, or Yaesu system fusion radio, in the event that there is no local repeater in your area. Or if you want to have more control of where you go and when, on the different reflectors without hogging a repeater system. 73 K7LTF Zach
Pascal, I know you said it'll do DMR, C4FM and D-STAR, but is that an 'either/or', or will it do all 3 modes at the same time? In other words, can it be set up to do both DMR and D-STAR? I have both a D-STAR radio (Icom IC-92AD) and a separate DMR radio (Radioddity GD-77), but unfortunately for me, the closest repeater(s) for them are too far away for me to access them without hooking it to my base antenna from my QTH. I'd like to be able to use either mode from home. Also, what would be the approximate range on the hotspot?
W1DGL: The openSPOT does one mode at a time, but you can switch modes with a command from the radio (by switching profiles) AND it will do cross-band between a DMR radio and the Fusion network or a Fusion radio and the DMR network AND. The DSTAR mode is limited to DSATR radio to DSTAR network. To cross-connect to other modes with DSTAR would require a AMBE vocoder chip in the openSPOT and the openSPOT folks have decided not to go that route. If I wanted to be able to work multiple modes at the same time, I'd just get another hotspot. If I am happy to switch between modes, then the openSPOT will work nicely. I have worked my openSPOT which uses the stock antenna on the top of the file cabinet in the house from at least 100 yds away in the pasture by my house. You can mount the whole gizmo on a mast outside in a box, run power and Ethernet to it and use a SMA antenna out through the box and get much more coverage. I am continually amazed at what 20 mW will do.
While I like being able to control so much of a received signal by way of computer electronics and software, many will flock to this receiver solution because their giga-hurts... {;->
I also have a hard time understanding the need for the OpenSPOT, other than ability to test one's digital radios when no other repeaters / HAMs are within reach. Considering most of its functionality is delivered by connecting to Internet-based systems, the same can be done in software say as a mobile app. I'll keep monitoring the thread though, in case some good points are made
Every use case is different, of course. For me, when at home, I do not have access to any DStar RPTR. So, it is either my OpenSPOT, or nothing...along with not having to depend on a computer. During the recent hurricane activity, and being an East Coast resident, I carried my HT with me around my property and was able to keep tabs via various prep and info sites. Is it completely necessary? Nope. Is it a nice addition? Yup.
Yeah, that's pretty much what I outlined. You could have had wifi coverage on your property, and used your smartphone as a way to get into your favorite repeater. I just get this feeling that reliance on Internet prevents HAMs from developing and deploying independent systems. Even goes back to Packet discussions, where most HAMs are happy with 1970's tech for "emergencies", as they otherwise use Internet day to day.
So, this video shows how you can use this box to cross-link two handhelds in the same room on differing digital modes. Does it do anything else?
