Icom gives 5 more D-Star repeaters to the WIA

Just over a month ago, the WIA announced the gift from Icom (Australia) Pty Ltd of a D-Star repeater to be located at Olinda in the Dandenong ranges, to serve the greater Melbourne area.

D-Star is a digital protocol developed by the Japanese Amateur Relay League (the JARL) and stands for Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio.

Now Icom and the WIA, concurrently with the official opening of the Olinda D-Star repeater VK3RWN, have announced the gift by Icom of 5 further D-Star repeaters to the WIA so that a D-Star repeater will be able to serve each of the other state capitals.

The experience in Melbourne has been used as the basis of formulating what is really a cooperative effort between a club, its individual experts, the WIA and Icom.

The WIA will consult with people in each state capital including the appropriate Advisory Committee to identify a club or group of clubs, supported by people with the necessary RF and computer skills, able to provide a suitable site and supply the ancillary equipment.

Icom will provide the D-Star repeater and provide general assistance, and will maintain and repair the repeater on a warranty basis for 6 years.

The WIA will licence the repeater and will meet the reasonable cost of broadband connection.

It is hoped that the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group in Adelaide will be able to establish a D-Star repeater to serve Adelaide under these arrangements, as the AREG group were already exploring the establishment of D-Star repeater with Icom.

The agreement between the WIA and Icom that forms the basis of these arrangements makes it clear that each D-Star repeater shall be open to all amateurs.

The WIA acknowledges with gratitude Icom’s generous support.

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