Building a HAM Repeater with HT's

[centuryvrproductions]

I am Building a ham repeater and i have many MT1000 HT's hanging around and I was going to use them for the RX and TX hooked up to a Repeater controller. The TX is no problem because There is a pin for PTT and Audio in... The RX is an issue because I cannot find a way to trigger the controller. I do not want to use VOX either... Any suggestions?


-KB1VSP

 

[62Truck]

I don't know of any suggestions, Try batboards... I am curious on how this turns out, please us posted!

 

[centuryvrproductions]

If I get it to work i will Post info.. and i will keep searching

 

[mancow]

Finding COR in a Genesis is not easy. I made a flat audio repeater out of one and a Bendix/King to pass digital P25. I had to dig around on the controller flex and tap the carrier detect line off one of the chips if I remember correctly. Some sort of audio detection type of trigger might be the best bet.

 

[ramal121]

Maybe poke around the audio PA? I don't know if the bias voltage to the speaker drops at idle as it does in mobiles. There might be a PA enable line there also.

 

[gewecke]

I am Building a ham repeater and i have many MT1000 HT's hanging around and I was going to use them for the RX and TX hooked up to a Repeater controller. The TX is no problem because There is a pin for PTT and Audio in... The RX is an issue because I cannot find a way to trigger the controller. I do not want to use VOX either... Any suggestions?


-KB1VSP

Did you look at www.repeaterbuilder.com


Motorola Information Index


These guys are really sharp,so if it's been tried and there's a way then these guys would know.

73,
n9zas

 

[kb0nly]

I will have to see if i can find my old diagrams, there is a way to do it and i have before. I made a portable emergency repeater out of a pair of HT600's and there is a signal on the controller that goes high when receiving, even works with PL. I had them tied to a NHRC-2 controller and packed into a water tight case, you could deploy it in a matter of minutes with two mag mount antennas, and with low power it would run a long time on a battery.

 

[centuryvrproductions]

I Found it... I took an old transistor circut i made from my squelch tapped scanner and i attatched it to pins 5 and 8. (SPK return) and it triggers a relay... now i am going to buy a repeater controller, duplexors and a 100Watt Power amp...

 

[gewecke]

I Found it... I took an old transistor circut i made from my squelch tapped scanner and i attatched it to pins 5 and 8. (SPK return) and it triggers a relay... now i am going to buy a repeater controller, duplexors and a 100Watt Power amp...

I build repeater controllers, here is the company I work for.
We also have reviews on e.ham for our controllers.


Integrated Control Systems

If you need more info,I'll pm a number for you to call.


73,
n9zas

 

[rescue161]

I build repeater controllers, here is the company I work for.
We also have reviews on e.ham for our controllers.


Integrated Control Systems

If you need more info,I'll pm a number for you to call.


73,
n9zas

HA! I use one of those and they are pretty sweet! Never knew you built them. For a basic controller, it sure has a lot of options.

Thanks for the great product!

 

[zz0468]

...now i am going to buy a repeater controller, duplexors and a 100Watt Power amp...

You're probably going to find that the level of RF performance of a pair of HT's to be completely lacking when you try to run your repeater at that sort of power level. If that's your goal, you would do well to reconsider what you use for the radios.

 

[wv8mat]

If you can get a COS line then go and buy a ID-O-Matic 2, 20 bucks for the kit and build that. no only will it id for you it will be a controller

 

[centuryvrproductions]

Will the ID omatic controller provide the repeater hang time at the end of each transmission? and yes i do have a relay triggered from the squelch

 

[centuryvrproductions]

You're probably going to find that the level of RF performance of a pair of HT's to be completely lacking when you try to run your repeater at that sort of power level. If that's your goal, you would do well to reconsider what you use for the radios.

I am going to use a 200watt power amp for more power... as well as a preamp on the RX

 

[zz0468]

I am going to use a 200watt power amp for more power... as well as a preamp on the RX

Good luck with that.

 

[gewecke]

HA! I use one of those and they are pretty sweet! Never knew you built them. For a basic controller, it sure has a lot of options.

Thanks for the great product!

We have one in R&D stages right now which will have voice options but it may be a while yet.


73,
n9zas

 

[rescue161]

We have one in R&D stages right now which will have voice options but it may be a while yet.


73,
n9zas

I have never liked voice ID. I just like the CW myself.

 

[LtDoc]

Power levels and pre-amps.
I think you'll find that it really isn't a power issue at all, but an antenna issue. Higher power levels with repeaters get's really impractical after a certain point, just too many other repeaters too close. Especially at VHF/UHF, power just isn't a very good way of extending usable range for repeaters.
- 'Doc

 

[IowaGuy1603]

I am going to use a 200watt power amp for more power... as well as a preamp on the RX

You really don't want to have an alligator repeater. That is one with a bigger mouth than ears.


Any amount of transmit distance area that is over your receive distance area is wasted.

 

[Daniel_Boone]

Power levels and pre-amps.
I think you'll find that it really isn't a power issue at all, but an antenna issue. Higher power levels with repeaters get's really impractical after a certain point, just too many other repeaters too close. Especially at VHF/UHF, power just isn't a very good way of extending usable range for repeaters.
- 'Doc

I was holding back my opinion on this one - but I believe that you hit the nail on the head with that one doc.

The amount of amplification that this person is talking about would probably require 1 mile of separation and a microwave or telephone link 0r internet link to link the two halves of the repeater together.

The Duplexer would not be able to handle that level of power and keep the transmit out of the receive.

I have heard of people who repurposed old 2 meter rigs where it would listen good - but would only put out about 1 watt of power. Where they hooked the radio up to the repeater - such as a Motorola Micor or a GE Mastr II and used the radio just for it's frequency range.

One other site is repeater-builder.com and is owned by Kevin Custer - pronounced Kooster K3KKC

As a example - he owns a repeater near Champion PA called the 7 Springs Repeater.
146.835 W3WGX
It qualifies for the "x" (extended coverage area) attribute in the ARRL Repeater Directory.
Its a real power house and covers most of the hilltops in Western Pennsylvania from Warren PA to the border Sommerset to the south and almost to State College PA when the band conditions are right.
Mobile coverage is some 80 miles and base station coverage 120 miles - or more.

The repeater you are trying to build would probably cover 5 - 10 miles or what ever range the walkie talkies could do simplex and that is about it - due to the fact that there is a lot of loss in the connector between the antenna adapter and the radio and the antenna.

Walkie talkies works best with the rubber duckie antenna's that they come with because there is no appreciate able amount of loss in the connector when the antenna is connected directly to the radio.

You might be better off to find a old Desktrac or other low profile radio repeater system and adapt it to what you wish it to do.
An Overview of the Motorola DeskTrac

http://www.repeater-builder.com/maxtrac/desktrac.html