[d-star] AX.25 Packet Retired from the 2009 MTCM Project - All Data now D-Star DD Mode (corrected)

[erik westgard]

After flawless D-Star operation in 2007-2009, the Amateur Radio team
supporting the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon has officially retired AX.25
packet from the effort.

"We've used D-Star DD Mode now for three years, and we're no longer afraid
of the technology" said one of the leaders of the project.

The five Icom D-Star RP-1D access points installed on Twin Cities building
rooftops have been 100% reliable, including at the unusually warm 2007 race,
where more than 50 runners were sent to area hospitals.

"The low data rate, complexity of the character mode interface, and user
training issues we have had with packet have put it on the back burner" said
Erik Westgard, NY9D.  "Again this year we can sit any available operators or
even community volunteers (on FCC  Part 97 links or supervised) in front of
our web based missing runner application and they can be helping family
members immediately."

One objective for the 2010 team is to start phasing in digital voice, who
also allows the concurrent use of low speed data.

Erik Westgard, NY9D
www.14567.org 
10/5/2009