It's no secret that K7HIO has been ahead of the rest of the area in using low-speed D-STAR for quite some time now.  Since 2008, we have been transferring files and messages around the county using D-RATS with much success.

The hi-speed D-STAR has taken longer to get into place because of the cost of the equipment, lack of antennas, and short coax runs.  Six months ago (almost to the day), KK7DS put the county's hi-speed data repeater module up in our cabinet on top of the Synopsys building in Hillsboro.  Aside from a little bit of testing a few days later, it has been dormant...until now.