glenne@hplsla.UUCP ( Glenn Engel ) (01/07/86)
Our amateur radio club is installing a 440 MHz repeater. We will be
building our own computer-based controller, but want to buy the
transmitter and receiver. Possible options are :
1. Cannibalize a commercial solid-state mobile radio
(GE, Motorola, etc.)
2. ICOM IC-RP3010 UHF Repeater
3. SPECTRUM COMMUNICATIONS Transmitter and Receiver
(SCR450A, SCT410B)
4. Duplexers: either WACOM or TX/RX SYSTEMS
Does anyone have experience with any of these (or other UHF
repeaters)? Any good deals out there ?
Any comments or suggestions on UHF transceivers, handie-talkies, etc.
will also be appreciated.
Glenn Engel, NN7N (hplabs!hp-pcd!hplsla!glenne) 206-335-2066gnome@olivee.UUCP (Gary Traveis) (01/16/86)
> > > Any comments or suggestions on UHF transceivers, handie-talkies, etc. > will also be appreciated. > > Glenn Engel, NN7N (hplabs!hp-pcd!hplsla!glenne) 206-335-2066 I'm hooked on Yaesu HT's - both the 708's and 709's. The old 708's are very rugged and the 709's, even though they are a little less rugged, have some really neat features. Take a close look at the actual features of all the manufacturers - for HT's I prefer Yaesu, Kenwood, and Icom -- in that order. Gary
johnd@pedsgo.UUCP (J Decatur) (01/17/86)
> Our amateur radio club is installing a 440 MHz repeater. We will be > building our own computer-based controller, but want to buy the > transmitter and receiver. Possible options are : > Glenn Engel, NN7N (hplabs!hp-pcd!hplsla!glenne) 206-335-2066 Thought I'd post this for the net also,plus not sure abt email... Glenn, I have the names of some vendors i've looked into, you might like to yourself, and readup on the info: GLB GREGORY ELECTRONICS 1952 Clinton st. 249 rt 46 Buffalo NY 14206 Saddle Brook nj (716-824-7936) (201-489-9000) (kits,boards,everything) (good used commercial stuff) Micro Control Specialties Hamtronics (div kendecom) 65 moul rd 23 ELM pkwy Hilton ny 14468-9535 ? Groveland ma 01834 (716-392-9430) (617-372-3442) (boards,kits) (rpt's,boards,new) Advanced Computer Cntls Yaesu Cupertino ca. Paramount ca. (408-749-8830) (213-633-4007) (controller stuff) (complete rpt, or less cntl's) Spectrum (215-631-1770) (boards, cmplt rptr's) I suggest you call them , get All the info then decide, I am the Technical person on a machine w/ abt 150 members, and only qualify to answer about spectrum.(censored)Actually i think there receiver, and xmtr boards are ok, but OVERPRICED, as far as their power supplys, well i'd be happy to get more than a year before they checkout. not the best designed i've seen, my schematics are filled with changes They've made. Their autopatch boards are "old as dirt" logic, have to retune 567's when room heats in summer. I've said enough , you get the point. I've just researched what your about to and i think i'm going to go with micro control, they were the only ones that sent me a schematic without asking for one, also asked me if i'd like names and numbers of others in my area using them, to ask what they thought of the stuff. I'm impressed with the receiver spec's, reads as the best on the market, i'm skeptical of most but this one looks GOOD, and I cant afford less than the best receiver. The transmitter seems well engineered also, their machines are the only ones that i know of that have a deviation, meter as well as basic's. and their simple machine is abt 1200. not bad considering what spectrum wants for NOTHING. quiet tmos transmitter transistors, and 7 helical resonators in the receiver seem like an ok basis to build on. Yaesu has a nice no meter simple machine for about 899 (w/o dtmf,ider etc, as you want) but the receiver scares me, the specs look poor, ie: ".5 or better" ?? i cant take a chance on the better. hi hi and the selectivity was about -6db at 15khz i think(maybe 12) but the kendecom receiver was abt -105! not bad, for same khz.(im talkin two meters now but if they cant do well on 2, can 440 be better?) Well good luck, im going to drive up to the boston area in about a Month to pick it up(i've ordered one), and i'll let you know what the shop looks like up there, if you like. I've been to spectrum MANY times and i'm not impressed, a few years ago they were ok, but since i think all have left, and the new folks dont impress me on the phone. I Grilled the guy at kendecom and he still had the answers i wanted. Next duplexers, never heard of tx/rx systems but, i know celwave/ phelps-dodge are harder to tune, and need 6 cavities, compared to wacom, I have 641 wacoms, just added 150w final and their still holdin their own. hi hi Wacom only uses 4 cavities, and has pass band tuning on top and reject freq. rods on side. EASY! to tune... And if you have any problem Kit Parsons WILL spend the time on the phone you need, EXELLENT customer service, nice club discounts. They get my vote. One more thing, the icom repeater, well it looks good in the pix but try buying it without THEIR controller, and why waste the money when you want yours in there? also after reading the net lately, think i'll skip icom for a while. Too many back 4-6 times till fixed stories. hihi Good luck and if you remember, let me know how you make out. ....es best 73's ...de ka2qhd ...johnd Greatly appreciate comments on kendecom as theres still time to cancel. HI HI -- UUCP: {ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!pedsga!johnd --KA2QHD-- PACKET GATEWAY:.................. !mtunh!ky2d-2!ka2qhd
k2sk@ky2d-2.UUCP (Bob) (01/22/86)
> > I have worked with UHF and VHF repeaters for about 10 years and have had the pleasure of working with everything from top quality commercial gear to the cheapest manufactured for ham use and homebrew as well as many combinations of the above. I suggest that if your group can get hold of commercial quality especially Motorola repeaters and accessories, that is the way to go. They ain't cheap! If not, then unless you have four or five experienced electronic and communications types with a room full of service monitors and other commercial grade test equipment, the best thing to do is to "write a check" for a system produced for amateur use. The idea of building a state of the art system - or even just the computer card for one - is no longer practical. Of course if you just want to fool around and don't care how it works, then you should please yourself. If on the other hand, you want a system which you know will be up day after day and year after year, then I suggest you follow the above. My group which includes the aforementioned experts and equipment has built up a system which we think is pretty great but it doesn't do half what some of the new commercial systems in the back of QST or 73 magazine now do. In addition it is a weekly maintennance job for three or more men to keep it on the air. We do this because we think it's fun but perhaps you would not. In brief, it is far easier to raise a few thousand and put up a turnkey system than it is to design, build, and maintain your own system. This is perhaps not what you would wish (nor do I) but it is the truth. As to the system you should choose, I suggest you check locally to see what other groups are running and go look at the stuff yourself. Lots of luck! Bob
ACardenas.ES@Xerox.COM (01/24/86)
RE: MOTOROLA UHF REPEATER... You WILL love this(!) Outstanding offer... *Fully Solid-State except for one Ceramic Tube Final (one extra final). *90 Watts or 10 watts if you wish to bypass P.A. *Full P.L. (Private Line) *In Amature Service (440MHz In / 445MHz Out, aprox). *Duplexer (Phelps Dodge, mfg. for amature service) *Channel Elements (2) (less crystals) *Repeater Cabinet, Motorola, w/lock *Full Duplex Operation *Manual In flawless, dependable operation for the past 2 years. +Add on kit will bypass P.A. and revert to 12VDC Standby Battery (a car battery will do) operation in the event of power failure. $900 ***YOU TRANSPORT*** Tony Cardenas WA6IGJ Xerox 6085 Project RE: ****** Return-Path: <@SIMTEL20.ARPA:mmdf@BRL.ARPA> Redistributed: HamRadio^.x Received: from SIMTEL20.ARPA by Xerox.COM ; 23 JAN 86 20:45:38 PST Received: from BRL-VGR.ARPA by SIMTEL20.ARPA with TCP; Thu 23 Jan 86 20:56:27-MST Received: from brl-tgr.arpa by VGR.BRL.ARPA id a014189; 23 Jan 86 22:50 EST Received: from usenet by TGR.BRL.ARPA id a017912; 23 Jan 86 22:47 EST From: Bob <k2sk%ky2d-2.uucp@BRL.ARPA> Newsgroups: net.ham-radio Subject: Re: CQ 440 MHz Message-ID: <108@ky2d-2.UUCP> Date: 22 Jan 86 06:32:12 GMT To: info-hams@simtel20.arpa > > I have worked with UHF and VHF repeaters for about 10 years and have had the pleasure of working with everything from top quality commercial gear to the cheapest manufactured for ham use and homebrew as well as many combinations of the above. I suggest that if your group can get hold of commercial quality especially Motorola repeaters and accessories, that is the way to go. They ain't cheap! If not, then unless you have four or five experienced electronic and communications types with a room full of service monitors and other commercial grade test equipment, the best thing to do is to "write a check" for a system produced for amateur use. The idea of building a state of the art system - or even just the computer card for one - is no longer practical. Of course if you just want to fool around and don't care how it works, then you should please yourself. If on the other hand, you want a system which you know will be up day after day and year after year, then I suggest you follow the above. My group which includes the aforementioned experts and equipment has built up a system which we think is pretty great but it doesn't do half what some of the new commercial systems in the back of QST or 73 magazine now do. In addition it is a weekly maintennance job for three or more men to keep it on the air. We do this because we think it's fun but perhaps you would not. In brief, it is far easier to raise a few thousand and put up a turnkey system than it is to design, build, and maintain your own system. This is perhaps not what you would wish (nor do I) but it is the truth. As to the system you should choose, I suggest you check locally to see what other groups are running and go look at the stuff yourself. Lots of luck! Bob
glenne@hplsla.UUCP (glenne) (02/27/86)
Subject: 440 MHz repeater for sale
Tony,
In response to your notes response regarding a 440 MHz repeater:
What model is the Motorola repeater ?
What are the specs on the duplexor ?
How many cavities does it have ?
Notch Depth ? Rejection ?
What are you using for a controller ? What control functions avail ?
Your offer sounds very appealing and we would appreciate
knowing more about it.
Glenn Engel, NN7N (206-334-0576 evenings, 206-335-2066 day)
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