Cross band repeaters ?

[coling223]

Sorry, I need to me more specific. 2 analog mobile radios, (VHF/UHF) controlled by MMDVM board(s) skipping the Internet bit.

 

[tweiss3]

Sorry, I need to me more specific. 2 analog mobile radios, (VHF/UHF) controlled by MMDVM board(s) skipping the Internet bit.

Your intent is to do a digital mode cross-band repeat?

You can't "skip the internet bits" if you are using analog radios. You can use 2 digital radios and crossband repeat them. I have a cable between NX-5k decks that allows a digital call to cross band repeat between U & V decks, but it is double transcoding (decoding from digital to analog audio, then coding from audio to digital).

 

[DeoVindice]

Your intent is to do a digital mode cross-band repeat?

You can't "skip the internet bits" if you are using analog radios. You can use 2 digital radios and crossband repeat them. I have a cable between NX-5k decks that allows a digital call to cross band repeat between U & V decks, but it is double transcoding (decoding from digital to analog audio, then coding from audio to digital).

I implemented something similar for VM-5ks. It's very useful for on-site work; I can carry a portable on low power and get out much further than it would otherwise be capable of.

 

[w2txb]

During the past ~35 years, I have found the cross band (as opposed to happy band?) repeat function quite useful. Whether doing a "public safety/service" event or hiking (or other activities) in remote areas, it can be rather handy (no pun intended). One important point is to use as little transmitter power as possible; this will prevent overheating and excessive battery draw. Keeping transmissions short and concise also helps greatly. The down side often occurs when accessing a (ham) repeater using a cross band repeat function. Many repeaters have long squelch tails, replete with voice blabbers and other noise; this prevents accessing that repeater until the tail drops. There are many operators who do not let it drop, so a cross band repeat user is effectively locked out.

I understand the need for long tails, but with today's repeaters and solid state T/R switching, there is no need. There are no relay and burned contacts. Even the old commercial repeaters (and their relays) will take an inordinate amount of activity without damage.

 

[KF0NYL]

The down side often occurs when accessing a (ham) repeater using a cross band repeat function. Many repeaters have long squelch tails, replete with voice blabbers and other noise; this prevents accessing that repeater until the tail drops.

I have to let the repeater completely drop out before using my hand held and my Icom IC-2730 in cross band repeat mode. Otherwise the first part of my transmission will get cut off. I never noticed that with the old repeater and a Raspberry Pi as the controller but it happens with the Motorola Quantar and Arcom RC210.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

I have to let the repeater completely drop out before using my hand held and my Icom IC-2730 in cross band repeat mode. Otherwise the first part of my transmission will get cut off. I never noticed that with the old repeater and a Raspberry Pi as the controller but it happens with the Motorola Quantar and Arcom RC210.

The RC210 doesn't interface very well with Quantars. Scrapped a large project with the RC210s and Quantars due to the RC210's not having consistent audio levels and the ability to normalize to line level audio without independently changing individual resistor values on a per port/per controller basis. Went to JPS NXU's on an IP backhaul and haven't had a single audio level issue since.

 

[kayn1n32008]

It seems as though some people, just because they have a radio that will do it, are “playing with “cross band repeaters”, usually what I see are 2 meters to 440…

If it's it's feature of your radio, why not 'play' with it???

I’m not even sure this is a good idea…

Why not?

Is there a “use case” for cross band repeaters?

Definitely.

I would like to see some discussion on cross band repeaters?

Okay.

The ONLY plus I can see, no duplexer is required…

There are more 'plusses' than just not needing a duplexer.

Being with in mobile range of a repeater, but not being able to access it with a portable is probably the single biggest use case for a cross band repeater. It's something, when I owned a TM-V71a, I did quite frequently when I was working in the bush. I could easily access repeater with my mobile, but could hardly hear them with a portable, I would Crossband in to it from the 'other' band(UHF Simplex to a VHF repeater, or VHF simplex to a UHF repeater).

One use I've actually seen was dropping a cross band repeater on a mountain top, to provide local simplex access to a wide area network in an isolated location that didn't have local coverage.