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Motorola servicing concerns

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NF9L

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Joined
Feb 21, 2009
Messages
32
Location
Kansas City, Missouri
I delivered my Quantar repeater to a Motorola service facility yesterday and I talked to them today with some questions about specific issues. They told me to send them an email with any specific issues I wanted checked. So I thought I would check here to get the correct info, so I don't look like a rookie about things I am concerned about.

I would like them to set the audio broad if that makes sense since the Ham bands are not going to have to follow the new 1/2 spacing the FCC is implementing. I assume that means the audio will sound more robust. I don't want to confuse that with 12.5 or 25 KC spacing. Can you please tell me the correct way to put that in the email to them.

I want them to verify if I have the wildcard option and to turn that on, so adding a controller will be easier.

I also gave them my duplexer to set both up together. I would like to get 80 watts out of the duplexer, so I will ask them to set the output from the final stage high enough to get the 80 watts out of the duplexer.
 

fineshot1

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2,532
Location
NJ USA (Republic of NJ)
What band quantar are you referring to?

There is no audio board per say in a quantar.

Modulation is handled by the SCM and the Exciter so just tell
them to set it up for a 15 or 25Khz channel depending on whether
it is a vhf or uhf quantar respectively plus all of your other programming
parameters such as rx/tx frequency and rx/tx tones, callsign, etc.
 

NF9L

Member
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Feb 21, 2009
Messages
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Location
Kansas City, Missouri
What I am talking about is the quality of the audio. My Quantar is running as an analog repeater and I am talking about how good the audio sounds.

For example my Yaesu 2m/440 rig has a setting of MIC gain control:

You can reduce the microphone input level to reduce the transmitter deviation by setting to narrow.

To restore to normal (higher) microphone input level, select wide.

I assume that will effect the audio quality as well?

I am looking for the same thing on my Quantar.

The Motorola dealer I bought this Quantar from, said he had selected narrow in the RSS (not refering to narrowband) setting and I am just looking for the specifics on this setting to pass it on to the shop working on my Quantar. Being a Ham repeater I can use wide, right?
 

fineshot1

Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2004
Messages
2,532
Location
NJ USA (Republic of NJ)
What I am talking about is the quality of the audio. My Quantar is running as an analog repeater and I am talking about how good the audio sounds.

For example my Yaesu 2m/440 rig has a setting of MIC gain control:

You can reduce the microphone input level to reduce the transmitter deviation by setting to narrow.

To restore to normal (higher) microphone input level, select wide.

I assume that will effect the audio quality as well?

I am looking for the same thing on my Quantar.

The Motorola dealer I bought this Quantar from, said he had selected narrow in the RSS (not refering to narrowband) setting and I am just looking for the specifics on this setting to pass it on to the shop working on my Quantar. Being a Ham repeater I can use wide, right?

You still have not answered my question.

What band quantar are you referring to?

If he selected narrow the only narrow i am familiar with is narrow band
selection which will automatically select the 2.5khz deviation limit.

There is no quantar equivelent to the ham audio selections you refer to
above.

Yes you can run wide for amateur operations - no problem. There is
no narrow banding in effect for the amateur bands.
 

davidgcet

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Aug 17, 2010
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as far as how much power you get out of the duplexer, it depends on how much power the station does and what the insertion loss of the duplexer is. some may lose 3db, some may lose 1db or less. if this is VHF the factory Quantar duplexers are NOT rated for 600khz offset, and you will get desense trying to get them to sqeeze that tight. for UHF 5mhz is a standard for both amateur and commercial/ps bands so there is no issue there. but it depends on WHICH duplexers you have before anyone can say yes or no to 80W.

if your ham unit works the way i think it does, you ARE switching between 12.5 and 25k modes. at 12.5 you have 1/2 the modulation, BUT the recieving radio(if narrowband capable) has a better audio section to bring the level and the quality of the audio back up to acceptable levels. if someone listens to you with a WB radio, they hear you at a lower volume due to the low mod.

simply tell the shop you want it set for your frequencies, wide band, and tune the duplexer for it's peak.
 

N4DES

Retired 0598 Czar ÆS Ø
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
2,386
Location
South FL
Make sure you tell them to turm on the "Analog Repeater Boost" in the CP.
It is located in the Channel Information area under the "Advanced Tab". That will boost any user that might have low deviation to full system deviation set in the repeater.

I have also found that the Quantar from the factory has very high PL deviation. That can be reduced to 400Hz deviation and the max diviation can be bumped up some for the users audio.
 

R8000

Low Battery
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Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,009
A few things :

1. Tell them you wish it to be programmed for wide band operation. Don't go saying " I want to the audio to sound good". That just makes their eyebrow go up. The on board Quantar repeat function works damn good.

2. Make sure it's a repeater and not a Data Base Station or "DBS". Two different animals. If it's a true Quantar, then your ok.

3. As stated before, analog repeat boost set to ON.

4. Good move sending the filters with it. Have them tune everything including the preselector in one shot.

5. FORGET about the request for 80 watts out of the filters. That's a dumb thing to tell them and a sign that you don't know too much about what your doing...(it's true). As stated before, there are losses involved with duplexers. Forget about the power at the antenna port, and worry about the actual PA power output. For long winded ham duty, I'd run the PA at 75 watts and no more. Sure, the PA will do 100+ watts, but your car's tach will show 7,000 RPM...do you run your car at 7,000 RPM ? No, then engine will die in a short time. The Quantar PA will handle 100 watts all the time......but...have you researched the cost for a replacement if something does burn up in it ? You DON'T wanna know. Run it at 75 Watts and leave it alone. That gives it a little headroom, and may extend the life of the PA a few years. Be damned sure your PA fans are in good health at all times. At 75 watts at the PA, you may get 40-50 Watts out of the filters. This is fine. 40 or 50 watts of clean RF is better then 80 watts of dirty RF from poor filtering. Proper repeater balance is the sign of a well engineered ham repeater. What good is 100 watts that covers a quarter of your state when you can only get back into it from 40 miles away ? Balance the output power properly so the golden rule applies "if you can hear it, you can work it". My 100 watt UHF MTR2000 on ham only runs 40 watts. The PA has never failed, and if you can hear the repeater, you can access it. Balanced. What good is basement penetration if you can talk back out of that basement ?

Well engineered public safety systems with many repeaters at a tower site use combining equipment. Sure, your VHF Quantar will do 120 Watts, after the combining losses you may get 50ish watts out. This is normal. Poorly engineered ones will have 5 or 6 repeaters, each on it's own antenna system, intermod hell , and split PL's to band aid the fact things tail chase...etc.

6. The wildcard. This is tricky. You just don't turn it "ON" and be done with it. You need to tell them exactly what you need for your controller. Such as, a COR to ground upon proper PL detect, PTT to ground, disc rx audio or filtered audio...etc. Best to have the Quantar programmed as a full duplex base station and have the external controller handle everything. When doing that, the Quantar will not do anything without the controller.

One can play with PTT priority, and perhaps make the controller have first priority and built in repeat have second priority so the station can work with or without a controller. But, you will then have to rethink the ability to shut off the repeater remotely. If you play with PTT priority, then you need a external wire on the wildcard for "PA INHIBIT". If you leave it alone and let the Quantar be totally controlled by the controller, then you don't have have to worry about the PA INHIBIT stuff.
 
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