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Anybody use a Radio-Tone Full Duplex Cross Band Repeater Controller

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N2MRG

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Jan 15, 2013
Messages
35
Randomly wondering if you could use the cross band controller to do an RF linked repeater?

For example, receive radio #1 2m transmits on both 2m (local, radio #2 ) and 70cm (linked radio #3).

70cm (radio #3) receives, and transmits to radio #2 .

Could you simply use a splitter with the microphone input cable with these type of connectors and have it transmit to 2 radios at the same time --what other implications would there be?

P.S. the difference between the cross band and non cross band controller is that the cross band will "listen" and "transmit" on both radios. The regular repeater will not do anything with a received signal on the transmitting radio, if that makes sense.

P.P.S.
This doesn't apply to GMRS, but is the only place I found mention of this particular radio controller.
 
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div3405

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Using the Radio Tone repeater controller successfully

I am using the following combination:

Radio Tone Repeater Controller
Chinse SGQ-450 Duplexer 30 Watts tuned for 464.5125/469.5125
Tram and Browning Unity gain omni base fiberglass antenna
Two Puxing 728 handheld radios putting out 4 watts
35 amp hour solar solar
15 watt solar panel
20' of 400 rf cable
Tripod with 2 5' sections of antenna pole
Two rubbermaid boxes: One houses the for complete radio system and the other is for the battery

Purchase through Radioshop888
Harbor Freight
Coastal Electronics
Home Depot

It is located on a hill at a height of 1400'
Maximum distance with clear (no back ground noise) is 20 miles. Distances very based on ground clutter, hills, and buildings.

I had ten consecutive days of rain and cloud cover without the system running out of power.
The system powers down when not in use and so the first use of the repeater requires you to hold down the button for a full two seconds before talking. After the repeater is on it response instantly.

It has been in service for over 9 months without a hitch.

I would diffidently recommend the system for emergency repeaters.
 

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fdcaptjd

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Aug 5, 2009
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NE OK
Nice looking setup.

Very similar to the idea used by the USFS during large wildfires. Low power will cover a lot of country if you place it in the right spot.


Regards,

JD
 

N2MRG

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Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
35
Pretty cool. Do you know how many watts the radios actually pull on RX and TX?

By the way, how do you power the radios--are you using a switching power supply (12vdc to 7.4vdc switching converter?).

Also, how do you get it to power down in between?

I've thought about something similar... never executed.
 
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N2MRG

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Jan 15, 2013
Messages
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Just wanted to bump this to see how you power your radios... Is there a more efficient way to do this other than a 12vdc to 8vdc switching converter? Basically a cigarette lighter plug battery pack?
 

twobanger

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Dec 19, 2012
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Scarsdale NY
From the youtube videos I it seems that it receives a transmission and upon its completion it rebroadcasts it.Not instantly like one is used to. Can anybody clarify?
 

N2MRG

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Jan 15, 2013
Messages
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There are multiple models. Some are store and forward but the one we are talking about re-transmits instantly.
 

Rt169Radio

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That small repeater is interesting, looks like it could all fit in a truck or SUV. Also is it in your backyard? If not how does it not get stolen?
 

Project25_MASTR

Millennial Graying OBT Guy
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Messages
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Location
Texas
Here's my thought on it if your gonna use mobiles…if Motorola 16-pins, there's a cable you can buy for $15 to build and instant repeater once you get the programming out of the way. Icom commercial radios have an accessory connecter that can be purchased and used much the same way as the Moto cable for roughly the same price. Only thing those won't do is ID, which isn't a repeater requirement on GMRS but you could still put a $25 IDer in there if you felt the need.

Unless you can get the antennas more than a full wave length apart, your gonna need a duplexer.

Point being, if you need a low power repeater quick…the Radio Tone duplexer with HT's works great (since every component has a built in battery). If using mobiles, then it becomes simpler (maybe a little more technical depending on the radios being used) to use a simple cable and forget IDers or even paying for a IDer…

Remember, a notch duplexer (what most of your mobile duplexers are) eats about 25-30% of the power you put through it.
 

danielRO

Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2013
Messages
7
Location
Craiova, Dolj, Romania
Hi there.
I am also using a Radio-Tone RT-FDR1 duplex repeater controller with 2x GP300 Motorola radios... Works quite fine with 6 Mhz difference between Rx and Tx radios...no duplexer, just 2 x SMA adaptors and 2 long telescopic antennas...

Please, I have two questions for the more experienced people here:

- the cables used to link the radios with the controllers have anything special than just the wires? I tried to make a new cable for GP300 using the same connectors and wires... it just does not work the same as the original one...
- somebody here utilised an external battery for 2 Chinese radios linked with the controller. I tried this with the 2 GP300 and it doesn't work. I have found out that I need galvanic isolation if I want to power-up the 2 GP300 from the same cc source... Do you have any simple schematic (or source) for this?

Many many thanks for everythning!!!!
Daniel
Craiova, Romania
 

Project25_MASTR

Millennial Graying OBT Guy
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Jun 16, 2013
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Texas
Thought y'all might like this. No controller used here, just a patch cable (which can be purchased from Radioshop 888). You can do something very similar with Icom mobiles…

The Celwave duplexers we have running on GMRS seem to be eating around 20% of the TX power. Can't imagine the Chinese variants being much better.

Portable Repeater - YouTube

I have one very similar set up off of Icom's all housed neatly in a waterproof box. Still trying to gather the stuff for some solar power but other than that it works well.
 
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WQJQ863

Can't Follow Simple Instructions
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Oct 14, 2006
Messages
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I have one of these and it works great for passing mobile or portable scanner audio to either my vhf or uhf portables it uses a standard stereo plug for the scanner line and all you do is plug it into the recieve jack of the radio tone rt-fdr1 controller and connect the right cable for your transmit radio and you have an instant handheld scanner for when you are in the yard or when taking a walk around the block i have my transmit handheld on frs channel 1 so i can monitor my scanner with in a 1-2 mile radius of my house and my neighbors love it so they dont have to buy a scanner since all they have to do is use thier frs radios to listen in on whats going in town i highly recommend to everyone to try this out for yourself and see. If anyone has questions please feel free to ask me in a message thanks much and enjoy!!!!!!!
 

GREGHARKINS

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Joined
Aug 28, 2004
Messages
1
Radio tone controller

I have a crc1 also testing on two baofeng units 888s

Works Great close to unit but after 150 or so feet totally lose any function it will trip the controller but no audio at all

I have a duplexes tuned to the same freqs and a comet UHF band antena for the same freqs

We have a duplexes tuned to the freqs also

I noticed that there are modes for the rxtx ports
There shows in the manual ptt mode 1&2 and 4&5

I have no idea what the difference is between the ptt modes as the docs are vague to say the least.
 

V188

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Oct 23, 2013
Messages
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one quick question? That Chinese duplexer, its listed as 50 watt, but I'm assuming that, as pictured with a couple of BaoFeng portables, its only 4-5 watts?

Or does the duplexer include some sort of amp?

I'd like to build a GMRS repeater to use with around the ranch, but 4-5 watts simply wouldn't be helpful, esp with 40 watt mobiles in the vehicles.
 

Project25_MASTR

Millennial Graying OBT Guy
Joined
Jun 16, 2013
Messages
4,164
Location
Texas
one quick question? That Chinese duplexer, its listed as 50 watt, but I'm assuming that, as pictured with a couple of BaoFeng portables, its only 4-5 watts?

Or does the duplexer include some sort of amp?

I'd like to build a GMRS repeater to use with around the ranch, but 4-5 watts simply wouldn't be helpful, esp with 40 watt mobiles in the vehicles.

That's the power rating of the duplexer. You'll never get the power you put into a duplexer out of it. It'll always be less. My portable repeater (built off Icom's) has 18W into the duplexer and 12W out.

If you have 40W mobiles, your better off grabbing some 16 pin 25W Motorola's and getting the interface cable to turn them into a repeater and not using the controller. You can probably pick the radio's up for $30 a piece and get them programmed for another $20.

Repeater's aren't exactly about power. Height and antenna can get you a lot further than power alone.
 
Last edited:

KE0GOK

Newbie
Joined
Feb 24, 2017
Messages
1
Radio-Tone Controller Question

Hi folks -
Say, I just put together a portable field repeater and am using the Radio-Tone Controller. The system is working great, however, when I plug external power into the Radio-Tone Controller, it fires a transmit continually, about once every 2 seconds. What's even more interesting is that just having the external jack plugged into the unit (with no power), it does the same transmit thing. Very confused. Any thoughts? I actually purchased a second controller thinking there was an issue with it - same thing. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
73
Tony KE0GOK
 

jeepsandradios

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I am using the following combination:

Radio Tone Repeater Controller
Chinse SGQ-450 Duplexer 30 Watts tuned for 464.5125/469.5125
Tram and Browning Unity gain omni base fiberglass antenna
Two Puxing 728 handheld radios putting out 4 watts
35 amp hour solar solar
15 watt solar panel
20' of 400 rf cable
Tripod with 2 5' sections of antenna pole
Two rubbermaid boxes: One houses the for complete radio system and the other is for the battery

Purchase through Radioshop888
Harbor Freight
Coastal Electronics
Home Depot

It is located on a hill at a height of 1400'
Maximum distance with clear (no back ground noise) is 20 miles. Distances very based on ground clutter, hills, and buildings.

I had ten consecutive days of rain and cloud cover without the system running out of power.
The system powers down when not in use and so the first use of the repeater requires you to hold down the button for a full two seconds before talking. After the repeater is on it response instantly.

It has been in service for over 9 months without a hitch.

I would diffidently recommend the system for emergency repeaters.

How do you get the repeater to shut down and restart ? Is that a feature of the radios ? I use the same controller on 2 ICOM F14 VHF radios with a duplexer for SAR and would love to find a way to limit battery use over night.
 

ramal121

Lots and lots of watts
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