I have just encountered a new digital communications program dubbed as D-RATS. Those who like doing word games may recognize that D-RATS is in fact a clever reuse of D-STAR simply reversing STAR for RATS. What I find of interest is how this digital program is being used in various ways, including as a possible addition to the Emergency Communications Toolbox.
Here's the link to the video for those who might have an additional interest. John Davis, WB4QDX is a D-RATS expert and appears in the video at roughly the 5 minute mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPW-FZTzPcE
After reading the references and some others I think I figured out what it is. DSTAR provides digital voice & data capability. D-RATS is a tool that provides specific services (eg chat, GPS position) via the DSTAR data mode. The attached brochure from ICOM gives a good description. Looks very good - if you have a DSTAR repeater network.
73
Dave, VE3WI
OFF-TOPIC PS:
STAR is a well known acronym in the training & human performance world, describing a technique we teach trainee operators to help prevent making mistakes. It stands for:
STOP - focus your attention on the task
THINK - what should happen when you operate the device?
ACT - operate the correct device correctly
REVIEW - did you get the expected response?
On a plant visit in the US, one of the instructors told us their tongue in cheek inversion - RATS: "RUSH ahead"- "ASSUME you know" - "TRY it" - "SUFFER the consequences"
(2021-03-11, 08:47:03)VE3WI Dave Wrote: After reading the references and some others I think I figured out what it is. DSTAR provides digital voice & data capability. D-RATS is a tool that provides specific services (eg chat, GPS position) via the DSTAR data mode. The attached brochure from ICOM gives a good description. Looks very good - if you have a DSTAR repeater network.
73
Dave, VE3WI
OFF-TOPIC PS:
STAR is a well known acronym in the training & human performance world, describing a technique we teach trainee operators to help prevent making mistakes. It stands for:
STOP - focus your attention on the task
THINK - what should happen when you operate the device?
ACT - operate the correct device correctly
REVIEW - did you get the expected response?
On a plant visit in the US, one of the instructors told us their tongue in cheek inversion - RATS: "RUSH ahead"- "ASSUME you know" - "TRY it" - "SUFFER the consequences"
Good lessons for daily life, maybe???
Thanks for your response and forwarding the brochure. I will have a look. I knew nothing about D-RATS before yesterday, and thought it would be a useful bit of information to share for the benefit of others who may own ICOM gear. Having a D-Star repeater would be useful, but apparently not essential to use the software. It will operate simplex but also might be usable to create an Ad-Hoc peer to peer network. I have to qualify that point by using the word might, because I don't have enough information to be certain. I am certain that it will work station to station simplex. The expert in the video I shared confirmed this feature. You certainly are correct about the perils of rushing ahead and assuming you know. I've been working on my Community Mesh Net project, which began as Community Radio Project for roughly 2 years now. There is in fact no way to rush through the substantial mound of information about the various emerging and/or established technologies which are used in such networks.
The new IoT (Internet of Things) continues to develop new connected devices and his being actively pushed by large and and small companies alike. The most promising for use in Neighborhood Mesh Networks come from two different developers, and I see both as having enormous potential. I could only just touch on these briefly during my presentation which is unfortunate.
If you have an opportunity to check out the Serval Project or the Disaster.Radio project you can see the tremendous strides both these groups have made in bringing their projects to life. Serval is of particular interest for several reasons. 1) They are working with the Australian Red Cross in development of their project. 2)They recognize the need to extend the limited range of WiFi on phones and so have created a WiFi node which can be rapidly deployed in disaster areas and used by anyone with communications needs. 3) They have been very clever in their project development. Their system allows the app from one phone to be installed on another directly from phone to phone. This is a brilliant idea in my opinion, and so far as I can tell unique to their system.
The Disaster.Radio project uses a different approach, which I also like. They are building low cost, low power, solar powered mesh-Net nodes which can be installed on the external plumbing stack on any house. They are also developing a chip set which they refer to as LoRa 2. Their objective is to extend the WiFi range of every device considerably. With enough nodes in a community, anyone with a cell phone running their app can connect to the community Mesh Net totally off-grid.
In a city the size of Owen Sound, perhaps a dozen strategically located nodes, in high places could cover most of the central area of the city using either of these 2 approaches. In some respects Owen Sound would be an ideal test city because of the geology of the area. Various high points around the city could be exploited to provide good coverage of those in the valley.
In my view the value of these 2 projects can't be overstated. However the key to getting such ideas accepted has nothing to do with the technology. The primary task in establishing Community Mesh Networks is convincing individuals in the community of the need to have one. The heavy lifting to create a community mesh net is in first selling the concept. After that installing the actual physical networking gear will be simple.
Once I have some physical nodes in hand, I intend to set up small local networks on test sites and begin on site trials. I will carefully record the progress of the project while using local media to make the project known in the area. I will be reaching out to emergency planners and local groups like Rotary, the Lions, and local administrator and others once I have a test site working and do some demonstrations.
I don't know if the D-RATS system would be useful to all this on the HAM radio side of the EmComm equation. Clearly, the first obstacle to the use of D-RATS is that it is ICOM specific. I only have one ICOM 2 meter radio and it's in my shack. My mobile 2 meter radio is a Yaesu. I would balk at the idea of spending money to replace my mobile rig with an ICOM just to use D-RATS, and I suspect so to would others.
For the record, I can do HF digital comms from my truck now using my existing Yaesu FT-891. For local comm's using HF would require setting up an NVIS antenna, which I can and can do, but it's certainly not convenient and no mobile.
In case it isn't obvious from these comments, I think digital is the most important part of local EmComm work.
Your points about being a STAR are entirely correct. This term applies perfectly to the Community Mesh Network Project. There is much material to take in and understand, which requires one to often Stop. There is a ton to Think about before one can ACT to move ahead and then Review over and over to see if a result can be obtained.
Only by attracting people with an interest in both emergency communications, off-grid, community emergency preparedness and technology will the project move ahead. It is still early days, but I do have some interested parties and so am hopeful that I can get some traction and move to the next step in a the long process of going from concept to completion.
