D-STAR Update

[ASTROMODAT]

Icom America, Inc. Announces New D-Star Technical Specialist

(Bellevue, WA) - Icom America welcomes Matt Yellen, KB7TSE as lead of its U.S. D-Star development program. Matt will work out of Icom America’s corporate office in Bellevue, WA.

As D-Star development lead, Matt will help bring the necessary testing, research and promotion needed to fully launch and grow the new D-Star technology within the United States and Mexico. Matt will be responsible for attending ham events and industry trade shows throughout the country doing demonstrations and seminars.

Matt has been a ham for over 10 years since his grandfather, Grover Foulk, KB8PVX, first got him hooked on HF mobile ops. Nowadays, Matt works all bands where he stays focused on bringing reliable high-speed data to the hobby. Matt holds an extra class amateur license and is a lifetime ARRL member.

After receiving a degree in computer science, Matt went on to work as a computer network engineer and consultant. He’s received the following certifications: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE); Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) & Design Associate (CCDA); Novell Certified Network Administrator (CNA); Citrix Certified Associate (CCA); Comptia’s A+, Network+, and Security+.

“With his background in networking high speed data and his extensive knowledge of computer systems, Matt was an easy choice to head our U.S. D-Star development efforts”, reports Ray Novak, N9JA, and National Sales Manager for Icom America. “He’ll be working closely with D-Star developers in Japan to explore the full potential of the NEW technology Icom is introducing to the Amateur Radio world!”

“The chance to work with Icom is a dream come true”, says Matt. “There have been many attempts to bring high speed data to hams, but as of yet no truly viable solution. Outdated codex or other obsolete data streams were not the answer. One look at the preliminary D-Star spec sheet in Dayton (2003 Hamvention®) told me ‘this is it’. With D-Star, the chance to finally not only transmit that data, but to network it, is quickly becoming a reality. It’s real excitement to be a part of that service. Icom’s making the difference by following through with extensive vision, research, and documentation.”

D-Star brings innovation and excitement back to amateur radio. In a world of instant, world-wide communications via cellular phones and the Internet, ham radio is losing the interest of younger people. Now with the combination of digital voice and high-speed data linked through the Internet, D-Star is something new that potential hams can relate to. With cutting-edge technology and surface mount components, it is hard for individuals to experiment. With D-Star the RF equipment is in place along with a stable network platform. Individuals can build upon the RF and networking platform with custom software and advanced networking.