Mode D STAR

D-STAR: callsigns, repeaters, messages and D-PRS positions on VHF / UHF.

Group	Amateur: voice & packet
Default frequency	145.375 MHz
Default sample rate	2 Msps
In the mode list	Digital voice, 145.375 MHz

Step-by-step: Tutorial-D-STAR

What D-STAR is

D-STAR is the amateur digital voice and data system from Icom and JARL, with callsign routing and slow data.

Frequencies and settings

Amateur digital voice, 2 m / 70 cm.

Setting	Value
Start frequency	145.375 MHz
Tuning range of the mode table	28 to 1300 MHz
Sample rate asked	2 Msps
Lowest working rate	250 ksps
Channel width	6.25 kHz

OnAir takes any frequency you type; the numbers above are the mode's starting point and the range its table describes. In the app the shortcut label is Digital voice, 145.375 MHz.

What OnAir shows

Call log with callsigns and repeaters, slow data messages, D-PRS / GPS positions on a map, voice through your mbelib.

The mode's own tab has these screens: Now, Calls, Messages, Map. The other tabs (Overview, Receiver, Scan, History) are described on the Main window page.

Tips and caveats

• Checked with generated signals and impairments; recordings of real signals welcome.
• Voice needs mbelib, which is not included in OnAir (see below).
• Which radio: Usually yes for narrowband signals: an RTL-SDR tunes roughly 24 MHz to 1.7 GHz at up to about 2.4 Msps. Wide signals such as TV channels need a faster radio, and OnAir says next to the source what the selected radio can do.
• Try it without a radio: most modes include a built-in synthetic test signal, so you can open the screen and try the controls first.
• Receiving and the law: Amateur radio signals are meant to be received. Receiving needs no licence in most countries; OnAir does not transmit. Voice needs a codec library you install yourself. See Legal.

Voice needs mbelib (not included)

mbelib is not included in OnAir and must be installed by you. The AMBE / IMBE vocoders are patented in some countries; check your local law first. Calls, IDs and data are shown without it; the voice stays silent until you:

1. Build mbelib from github.com/lwvmobile/mbelib as a shared library (Linux: sudo apt install git cmake build-essential, git clone https://github.com/lwvmobile/mbelib, then mkdir build && cd build && cmake .. && make && sudo make install && sudo ldconfig; macOS: brew install cmake git and the same; Windows: MSYS2 with -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=ON).
2. Copy it into the OnAir codecs folder (libmbe.dylib, libmbe.so or libmbe.dll). The ? next to the sound has an Open codecs folder button.
3. Press Look again (no restart needed).

Steps for every system are on the Voice codecs page. OnAir never decrypts: encrypted calls show up only as encrypted.

Related pages

• Digital voice: DMR, D-STAR, P25
• Voice codecs
• All modes, Amateur: voice & packet
• Supported radios, Troubleshooting, FAQ
• More in Amateur: voice & packet: FreeDV, M17, APRS (AFSK), LoRa APRS, MeshCom