How to use the Star*DV on Windows

The Matrix Circuits Star*DV is a USB device that allows you to have D-STAR Digital Voice QSOs over the internet using a speaker/mike, headset or PC speakers/microphone.  With the right software, you can also use it to adapt an analog radio to be able to have D-STAR QSOs over RF (for example, D-STAR on HF). The software can optionally work with a GMSK Modem to create a D-STAR Compatible Hotspot that also supports in-shack QSOs using a speaker/mike rather than a D-STAR HT.

This page shows how to install and configure the StarDV software on Windows.  The open source software, StarDV, was written by Rick KD0OSS of Matrix Circuits.  He leveraged techniques and some code in the G4KLX suite, and some GMSK Modem code by KI4LKF.  StarDV works with the G4KLX ircDDBGateway program, which manages linking and connecting to DPlus, DExtra and DCS reflectors as well as callsign routing using StarNET, CCS and ircDDB.

You will be installing SDV for Windows and the G4KLX ircDDBGateway for Windows.

• Download SDV for Windows

  • If SDV has previously been installed, go to Control Panel, Programs, and uninstall the Star*DV Controller
  • Click here to download the SDV install file version 1.56  (Note: some browsers block downloads of .msi installer files.  In that case, change the .msi part of the download name to .dat.  After download, rename back to .msi)
  • Navigate to where you or your browser saved the file and double-click to start the installer
  • Click Next, then agree with the license terms and click Next
  • Click on Complete, then Next, then click Install
  • You may need to give Windows permission to install the program (and sometimes the request is buried behind the main window, so if it just sits there, look for a blinking window icon on the bottom bar)

• Install drivers for Windows

  • Click here to download the Star*DV drivers (Note: if your browser blocks .zip downloads, while saving the file, replace .zip with .dat - after download, rename the file back to CDM_StarDV.zip.  Then unzip the file and remember where the folder is located.
  • If your PC is running 64-bit Windows 8.1 or later, you will need to disable driver signing.  Click here for how to do that.  Note: You should also come back and do this step if, in the following step, your 32-bit Windows gives you an error about "The hash for the file is not present in the specified catalog file."
  • Plug in your Star*DV to your PC.  Don't let Windows automatically try to install a driver.  Instead, tell it you have the drivers and navigate to where the CDM_StarDV folder is located.

• Download G4KLX ircDDBGateway

  • Join the ircDDBGateway Yahoo Group if not already a member
  • Log onto that group's website, go the Files area, to the Beta folder and download the latest ircDDBGateway_yyyymmdd.exe file.  As above, you may need to alter then download name from .exe to .dat, then after download, rename back to .exe
  • Double-click on the .exe file and run the installer.

• Configure ircDDBGateway

  • Go to Windows or Start at bottom left, choose Programs and find the new ircDDBGateway group. Select ircDDB Gateway Config
  • Please check out screenshots at here --  Skip the 1st 3 (about DStarRepeater) and look at the ircDDBGateway screenshots
  • Replace the sample callsigns with your own
  • On the Gateway tab, normally set Type to Dongle.  If you are also using the optional GMSK Modem, set Type to Hotspot for simplex, or Repeater if duplex.
  • Latitude/Longitude/QTH/URL are optional.  This info will appear on APRS status pages, if enabled, and on the ircDDB status pages, if enabled.
  • Fill in the first Repeater 1 tab.  For Band, select B or C.  You will use the same value configuring SDV.  Set Type to Homebrew.  It’s not necessary to fill out the 2^nd Repeater 1 tab. 
  • Ignore the remaining Repeater tabs
  • Disable the ircddb tab unless you have a gateway callsign (or “club call”), have registered it with ircDDB and they have given you a password.  Alternatively, you can read the Gateway manual about using the Italian test server.
  • If you want to link to DPlus REF reflectors, enable the DPlus tab.  For callsign, fill in one that's a registered terminal at a US Trust connected D-Star gateway.  Often this is the terminal with your callsign and a "blank" initial, or one with an N or R initial in the 8th position.
  • The remaining tabs can be ignored for now, except you may want to enable the Remote tab.  See notes below for more info.
  • Go to File and select Save, then exit the program.
• Configure SDV program
  • Plug in your Star*DV to a USB port on your PC.
  • Start SDV.  You will start out on the Main tab.
    • Choose Use PC Audio or Use Spk/Mic
    • Fill in your own callsign for MyCall (this should be registered as a terminal with blank initial/band module)
    • Next field can be anything you like (only 4 characters)
    • URCall should be CQCQCQ
    • RPT1Call and RPT2Call should contain the same callsign you entered in ircDDBGatewayConfig on the Gateway tab.  RPT1 also should use the same Band (B or C) you selected on the Repeater1 tab's Band.  RPT2 will use a Band of G.  For example, RPT1 = W1XYZ..C and RPT2 = W1XYZ..G where the dots mean spaces so C and G go in position 8.  (Sorry, for D-Star, this is important.)
    • Message can be anything you like (e.g. Bill in Clearville or Star*DV with AMBE 3000
    • Initially, don't check Use Modem.  Later, if you have a DUTCH*Star firmware-based GMSK Modem and want to use SDV to control your Hotspot as well as your Star*DV, you can enable that here.
    • If you will use your PC's speakers and microphone and have clicked the Use PC Audio button, to the right, select which speakers or headset to use for listening and which input device to use as your microphone
  • Click the Configuration tab, check the Enable Star*DV box
    • On Configuration Tab 2, you can change the default behavior of the PTT button and/or define a keyboard key to simulate PTT.  Normal behavior is Momentary PTT is not checked, so if you are using PC Audio, you click the PTT button once to start transmission and again to stop.  If you get this wrong, you could end up transmitting out to a reflector for a long time and not realize it -- you won't be very popular with other users, of course.
  • Important! Go to Menu and click Save Configuration, then Exit the program
• Using SDV on Windows

  • Be sure the Star*DV is plugged into a USB port.

  • Start ircDDBGateway.  You may want to set up a shortcut on your desktop with the GUI parameter.  The target would be similar to "C:\Program Files\ircDDBGateway\ircDDBGateway.exe" -gui

  • Start SDV

  • Select a Reflector and band module, then click LInk.

  • For testing, you may want to link to the E module of an REF reflector, which will echo back your transmissions.

  • Speaker/Mike audio level (volume) controls -- There are two audio pots accessible on the back side of the Star*DV.  The pot near the center controls the speaker level.   The pot near the corner enclosure screw controls the mike level.