Getting started with the DV Access Point Dongle: 0) GET REGISTERED! If you are not already registered on the D-STAR network, you need to get registered. It is very important that you register with ONE gateway only. Once you are registered on one gateway, you are registered on them all. Follow the instructions at http://www.dstargateway.org for registration. Until you are registered, you will only be able to listen to connected systems. No transmission is allowed for unregistered callsigns. 1) Make sure you are connected to the internet. 2) Plug in the DVAP to an available USB port on the PC/Mac. On Windows, wait for FTDI drivers to automatically load. On Mac, go to http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm and download and install the driver for Mac OS X. On Linux, the driver is built into the kernel so no installation is required. 3) Download DVAPTool from http://www.opendstar.org/tools. Use: DVAPTool.exe for Windows DVAPTool-linux for Linux DVAPTool-mac.tgz for Mac (extract the DVAPTool app and place on the Mac) 4) Run the DVAPTool version that was downloaded, usually by just double- clicking on the application. 5) Enter your callsign in the callsign box. It is recommended that you go to the gateway where you registered and add a terminal entry with an "A" in the initial field. Then enter your callsign with the "A" in the eighth character in DVAPTool. The "lock callsign" checkbox is used to prevent others from transmitting using your DVAP. If you want to allow other licensed amateur operators to use your DVAP, simply uncheck the box. 6) Enter a simplex frequency for operation. Consult the frequency bandplan for your country/area for appropriate frequencies. Enter the entire frequency in Hz (e.g. 146550000 for 146.550 MHz). 7) Click "Open". You can walk away from the PC/Mac now since all control commands are issued from your D-STAR radio. Radio reference: Enter your callsign into the MYCALL field of your radio. Select DV mode and configure simplex operation, usually by holding down the "DUP" key until there is no "dup+" or "dup-" on the radio display. You do not need to enter RPT1 nor RPT2 since the radio will place "DIRECT" in both when in simplex mode. All commands are entered into the URCALL field as detailed below. Command reference: URCALL: "DVAP I" (request voice ID from the DVAP) "DVAP E" (key down and speak for echo test) "CQCQCQ " (transmit to a connected system) "xxxxxxmL" (to link, replace XXXXXX with the gateway or reflector callsign making sure to use 6 characters filling the end with spaces as needed. Replace the "m" in the 7th character with the module to which you wish to link. Use "L" in the 8th character to indicate the Link command. For example, to link to Reflector 001 module C, use "REF001CL" in URCALL. To link to gateway W4DOC module A, use "W4DOC AL" in URCALL. " U" (unlink from a linked gateway/reflector) Note that, other than "CQCQCQ ", the commands above are processed locally and not transmitted to a connected system. You may record and playback conversations by clicking the "Record" and "Playback" buttons. While playing back, you can click the "Skip to next keyup" to skip to the next person talking. Note that playback is done only to your radio, not to a connected gateway or reflector. Customizing voice playback: You can replace the included files that are played to indicate command actions. The files are: alreadylinked.dvrec (played when you try to link when linked) alreadyunlinked.dvrec (played when you try to unlink when unlinked) dvap-id.dvrec (played when "DVAP I" is issued) gatewayunknown.dvrec (played when the requested gateway is unknown) remotesystemliked.dvrec (played when the requested system is linked) remotesystemlinkedro.dvrec (played when the requested system is linked receive only) remotesystemunlinked.dvrec (played when the linked system is unlinked) To record a file, make sure the DVAP is open and not connected to a remote system. Click the "Record" button. Key down and speak your announcement. Click "Stop recording". Listed to your recording by clicking on "Playback". You may record the announcement as many times as you like until you are happy with it. DVAPTool places the recording in the file dvaptool.dvrec in the folder from which it was started. Simply rename "dvaptool.dvrec" to one of the above file names to have DVAPTool use it instead of the default. Please make sure you join the DVAPDongle yahoo group for program update announcements.