Anyone using this?

[JamesBrox]

BTECH GMRS-RPT50 50W GMRS Repeater with Built-In Duplexer and Auto-ID ‣ BaoFeng Tech & BTECH Radios

BTECH GMRS-RPT50 50W GMRS Repeater, Plug-and-Play: Features smart duplexer (All 8 Repeater Pairs), intuitive user interface, versatile power options, and built-in auto ID using MCW Morse code. ‣ $1,499.89 ‣ Purchase, Software, and Support for BaoFeng and BTECH Radios

baofengtech.com

Just curious if anyone has tried this repeater, lately. I know it made a splash about six months ago for being sold as a true 50w gmrs repeater. But then I read it was getting not so favorable reviews. I'm currently using a Bridgecom BCR-40DU w/ 31.8w output and it does fine but thinking a 50w repeater may help me get more range. Maybe the baofengtech folks has addressed the potential flaws. Thanks
James
WRXU693

 

[mmckenna]

I'm currently using a Bridgecom BCR-40DU w/ 31.8w output and it does fine but thinking a 50w repeater may help me get more range.

I wouldn't spend $1,500.00 to get another 18 watts. I'd put that money into a better antenna, or better duplexer. You'll get more bang for your buck.

I "inherited" 3 Bridgecom's at a remote site many years back. While not stellar performers, they did fine in the application. Just replaced them with 3 Kenwood NXR-1800's. Those were about $1,700 each for analog only. Web interface for management/monitoring, programming over IP (no programming cable needed) and will run circles around the Chinese stuff. Took the flat pack duplexers out of the Bridgecom's and used them with the Kenwood's.

 

[MTS2000des]

A Motorola GR1225 or Vertex VXR-7000 can be had for under $500 and will mop the floor with that POS. Both have stellar receivers, are small enough to sit on a desktop, are proven performers for basic day-in, day-out operation. The VXR even has a built-in tone panel where one can have several PL/DPLs active, community repeater style.

 

[DeoVindice]

The pricing is imaginative for a Chinese repeater. I bought a perfectly functional Quantar for considerably less than that, and I'm pretty sure a new NXR-1800 will be in the same ballpark.

 

[MTS2000des]

Quantar's will outlive many of us. Why anyone would buy a feces pieces China pride trash can when one can have a Quantar is beyond me. It's not like these garbage pail radio vendors offer superior support. Quantar: the Ford Crown Victoria of LMR infrastructure. They run for ever, are easy to service, and parts are everywhere.

 

[JamesBrox]

Appreciate the honesty. I guess I should have given a little background. I'm just a lowly gmrs'er, no radio background or advance degrees in electronics. I put up my repeater as a service for the local community during times the shtf. Bridgecom may be a Chinese POS but there's a market out there for folks that just want to plug and play. Some folks with no knowledge or know how or the finances to buy two high end radios, then get an (hopefully tuned right) duplexer, the proper spacing for a RX antenna and a TX antenna in the yard....ect. Some consumer hobbyists want a repeater all in one unit.....radios, duplexer and the use of one antenna. Thanks again

 

[prcguy]

Appreciate the honesty. I guess I should have given a little background. I'm just a lowly gmrs'er, no radio background or advance degrees in electronics. I put up my repeater as a service for the local community during times the shtf. Bridgecom may be a Chinese POS but there's a market out there for folks that just want to plug and play. Some folks with no knowledge or know how or the finances to buy two high end radios, then get an (hopefully tuned right) duplexer, the proper spacing for a RX antenna and a TX antenna in the yard....ect. Some consumer hobbyists want a repeater all in one unit.....radios, duplexer and the use of one antenna. Thanks again

Just FYI, not counting the price and potential quality of the repeater, it would contain what we call a mobile flat pack duplexer, sometimes rated up to 50w but never good at that power. They can also easily get detuned from vibration and rough handling during shipping. I would consider running a repeater at about 25w max using a flat pack duplexer, not only for its safety but they are barely up to the task of providing needed TX/RX isolation and reducing power to 25w will give you a 3dB edge on potential desense problems.

 

[mmckenna]

Some consumer hobbyists want a repeater all in one unit.....radios, duplexer and the use of one antenna. Thanks again

I doubt you'd see any difference between your Bridgecom and the Baofeng. The 31.8 watts out is likely due to the duplexer being slightly off. The Baofeng has an internal duplexer, and is going to have the same issues.

The money you'd invest in a new repeater would be better spent getting the duplexer tuned, getting a better one, investing more in your antenna, etc.

No one doubts that budgets are a real thing for hobbyists. Not everyone can afford high end gear.
But Quantars are nearly bullet proof and can be had pretty inexpensively. Add a good duplexer and you'll have a better setup long term.

I'd stick with what you have.

 

[JamesBrox]

Thanks guys. So to be clear.....is the Motorola Quantars or the other mentioned brands/models on this thread plug and play, all in one units? Remember patience is a virtue. lol.

 

[prcguy]

Thanks guys. So to be clear.....is the Motorola Quantars or the other mentioned brands/models on this thread plug and play, all in one units? Remember patience is a virtue. lol.

A Quantar is just a repeater, you would need a separate duplexer and two high quality coax cables to connect the repeater to the duplexer. You would want a range 2 UHF Quantar covering 438-470Mhz and the typical unit will do 110 watts continuously forever. They also have a built in community tone panel so you can run many different PL tones and hand them out to friends.

Several years ago I bought three UHF Quantars off ebay for $600 each including shipping. They are a little more now but can still be had for great prices. Good duplexers are expensive right now on ebay but they are out there and you should be able to find a four cavity Bp/Br in the $250 range, or maybe a little more. I've bought Motorola 1500 series UHF duplexers in the $50 range and several PD/Celwave 526 series in the $250 range and they are considered one of the best made.

Bottom line is you should be able to put together a Quantar and good duplexer for less than what a questionable Chinese repeater costs with its little flat pack duplexer.

 

[tomk62]

Appreciate the honesty. I guess I should have given a little background. I'm just a lowly gmrs'er, no radio background or advance degrees in electronics. I put up my repeater as a service for the local community during times the shtf. Bridgecom may be a Chinese POS but there's a market out there for folks that just want to plug and play. Some folks with no knowledge or know how or the finances to buy two high end radios, then get an (hopefully tuned right) duplexer, the proper spacing for a RX antenna and a TX antenna in the yard....ect. Some consumer hobbyists want a repeater all in one unit.....radios, duplexer and the use of one antenna. Thanks again

I have no experience with this myself so I can't speak to its quality or effectiveness, but you may find it interesting:

 

[prcguy]

I have no experience with this myself so I can't speak to its quality or effectiveness, but you may find it interesting:

Oh h*ll no. Notice he doesn't have a service monitor or any test equipment to see how much desense that setup has? If he did the video never would have made it online.

 

[petnrdx]

Like many on here, I've been at this most of my life. I'm 71.
I work with a LOT better quality test equipment, and have tuned or evaluated hundreds of duplexers on dozens of systems.
Your duplexer in that repeater is probably working as it is supposed to.
Assume for discussion that the transmit radio really puts out 50 watts.
The duplexers of that type of GOOD quality have insertion loss of say 1.2 dB give or take a few tenths.
Add to that connectors from the TX radio, some coax from the radio to the duplexer, then from the duplexer to the back of the
repeater cabinet, and voila, you loose around a dB and a half very often.
So if you are getting 30 watts, you are doing fine.
And in my experience, getting a half a dB in TX output to the antenna is not something that you will be able to notice.
I feel it takes more like 3 dB improvement to be noticeable by casual use.
As others have said, get a better antenna, or much better feedline. DON'T USE ANY ADAPTERS, THEY ARE LOSSY AND TROUBLE.
And keep in mind if you can't make a few dB improvement, then save your money.
A couple dB won't do much except drain your wallet.
Let the flame wars start...

 

[petnrdx]

There are so many experts on You Tube...

 

[JamesBrox]

I have no experience with this myself so I can't speak to its quality or effectiveness, but you may find it interesting:

Yeah, I appreciate the idea. But I've tried this with two KG-1000G+'s. It had the range of no farther than my mailbox.

 

[JamesBrox]

Like many on here, I've been at this most of my life. I'm 71.
I work with a LOT better quality test equipment, and have tuned or evaluated hundreds of duplexers on dozens of systems.
Your duplexer in that repeater is probably working as it is supposed to.
Assume for discussion that the transmit radio really puts out 50 watts.
The duplexers of that type of GOOD quality have insertion loss of say 1.2 dB give or take a few tenths.
Add to that connectors from the TX radio, some coax from the radio to the duplexer, then from the duplexer to the back of the
repeater cabinet, and voila, you loose around a dB and a half very often.
So if you are getting 30 watts, you are doing fine.
And in my experience, getting a half a dB in TX output to the antenna is not something that you will be able to notice.
I feel it takes more like 3 dB improvement to be noticeable by casual use.
As others have said, get a better antenna, or much better feedline. DON'T USE ANY ADAPTERS, THEY ARE LOSSY AND TROUBLE.
And keep in mind if you can't make a few dB improvement, then save your money.
A couple dB won't do much except drain your wallet.
Let the flame wars start...

Thank you sir. I did do my homework and with some help of local folks, when setting up this repeater. Using a Comet CA-712EFC (250'ish above sea level @ 63' above ground w/ a good quality 1/2 inch hardline directly into the back of the repeater....no adapters.

 

[prcguy]

Like many on here, I've been at this most of my life. I'm 71.
I work with a LOT better quality test equipment, and have tuned or evaluated hundreds of duplexers on dozens of systems.
Your duplexer in that repeater is probably working as it is supposed to.
Assume for discussion that the transmit radio really puts out 50 watts.
The duplexers of that type of GOOD quality have insertion loss of say 1.2 dB give or take a few tenths.
Add to that connectors from the TX radio, some coax from the radio to the duplexer, then from the duplexer to the back of the
repeater cabinet, and voila, you loose around a dB and a half very often.
So if you are getting 30 watts, you are doing fine.
And in my experience, getting a half a dB in TX output to the antenna is not something that you will be able to notice.
I feel it takes more like 3 dB improvement to be noticeable by casual use.
As others have said, get a better antenna, or much better feedline. DON'T USE ANY ADAPTERS, THEY ARE LOSSY AND TROUBLE.
And keep in mind if you can't make a few dB improvement, then save your money.
A couple dB won't do much except drain your wallet.
Let the flame wars start...

50w into a duplexer and 30w out would be 2.2dB of loss and a little too much for even a lousy flat pack. I would have a duplexer checked or tuned in this case.

 

[prcguy]

Thank you sir. I did do my homework and with some help of local folks, when setting up this repeater. Using a Comet CA-712EFC (250'ish above sea level @ 63' above ground w/ a good quality 1/2 inch hardline directly into the back of the repeater....no adapters.

That Comet CA-712EFC is a great little antenna and very similar to the original PD/Celwave, now Commander Technologies PD201 Stationmaster antenna.

 

[nokones]

This is my Vertex Standard EVX-R70 40 G repeater with an EMR Corp Duplexer. The repeater RF output is 39 watts into the duplexer and approx. 27-28 watts out of the duplexer up a 30 ft LMR400 cable run to a Laird FG4605 5 dB Omni Antenna with a tip at 30 Ft AGL. I get about 15-20 mile Radius of essentially flat terrain with no tall structures and a gazillion Palm Trees.

I paid $700 for the repeater brand new out of the box, $500 for the new duplexer, and approx. $900 for the antenna, cable, alignment, and installation. I have had this repeater on the air for about two years.

 

[prcguy]

This is my Vertex Standard EVX-R70 40 G repeater with an EMR Corp Duplexer. The repeater RF output is 39 watts into the duplexer and approx. 27-28 watts out of the duplexer up a 30 ft LMR400 cable run to a Laird FG4605 5 dB Omni Antenna with a tip at 30 Ft AGL. I get about 15-20 mile Radius of essentially flat terrain with no tall structures and a gazillion Palm Trees.

I paid $700 for the repeater brand new out of the box, $500 for the new duplexer, and approx. $900 for the antenna, cable, alignment, and installation. I have had this repeater on the air for about two years.

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You should loose the LMR400 and replace with something else. Even RG-214 would be a better choice.