Repeater Controller

[KD2DXF]

Looking for ideas! I have 2 Kenwood TK-7302H radios. looking to make a repeater out of them. I have a Duplexer Set up. Solar Power Supply. Just need a controller. I can either use the front mic port, or the comport on back. They will be for low power, portable amateur radio repeater for events.

 

[fineshot1]

This seems to be what you are looking for -

ID-O-Matic IV KIT

ID-O-Matic IV repeater controller kit

www.hamgadgets.com

 

[cmdrwill]

ID O Matic is a good choice, has many bells and whistles.

This is a very simple repeater interface board for a portable repeater. .

 

[n1das]

Check out the NHRC-Micro repeater controller:

NHRC-Micro Repeater Controller

The NHRC-Micro Repeater Controller, a compact repeater controller/IDer/Beacon Controller.

www.nhrc.net

I had one of these in a homebrewed analog 440 ham repeater. Very easy setup and works well. The only reason I say "had" is because the repeater was recently replaced with a DMR digital repeater and linked into the Brandmeister Network.

 

[a417]

I had an older NHRC-7 (actually I still have it!) that I loved, and it even had an aux control in for 3rd radio (rx only) for control. Very durable and functional unit.

 

[Doogie940]

Looking for ideas! I have 2 Kenwood TK-7302H radios. looking to make a repeater out of them. I have a Duplexer Set up. Solar Power Supply. Just need a controller. I can either use the front mic port, or the comport on back. They will be for low power, portable amateur radio repeater for events.

do you have a wiring diagram for the 730? I am wanting to make a repeater out of 2 - TK830 for GMRS

 

[cmdrwill]

Mr Doogie, when you get enough posts to get private messages I know where the wiring diagrams are.
Also:

D O Matic is a good choice, has many bells and whistles.

 

[Doogie940]

Mr Doogie, when you get enough posts to get private messages I know where the wiring diagrams are.
Also:

Ok I did at one time, just been a while

 

[mmckenna]

do you have a wiring diagram for the 730? I am wanting to make a repeater out of 2 - TK830 for GMRS

What you seek is here: Kenwood Information Index
Service manuals for the TK-x30 mobiles are about half way down the page. The service manuals will have all the pinouts for the interfaces.

If you are building your own repeater, www.repeater-builder.com is a great resource.

 

[WB9YBM]

Looking for ideas! I have 2 Kenwood TK-7302H radios. looking to make a repeater out of them. I have a Duplexer Set up. Solar Power Supply. Just need a controller. I can either use the front mic port, or the comport on back. They will be for low power, portable amateur radio repeater for events.

It depends on how fancy you want to get; the easiest would be to just take a receive detect signal (like from an LED that lights up on one radio when the squelch opens) and use it to toggle a second radio into transmit or get a signal directly from the squelch circuit (September 2019 issue of CQ magazine, pages 25-27) . You can get fancier from there, like having a DTMF decoder to control things remotely (see the March 2018 issue of CQ magazine, pages 42-46), key-up delay time-out timer (October 2018 issue of CQ, pages 34-37); custom tailoring of audio (July 2019 issue of CQ, pages 38-40) or even diversity reception (CQ VHF magazine, winter 2006 issue pages 26-7).

 

[WX5812]

There are several great controllers out there. Some with fancy stuff such as time, link controll, wx alert. Etc etc. arcom ar-210 is a great bang for the buck. Also you can make one out of a raspberry pi and a sound card as well. There is also CAT which can be found used on eBay. Also there is ID Omatic another gentleman suggested

 

[rescue161]

I just wish the ID-O-Matic had DTMF control. It does not. NHRC is closed indefinitely and CAT shuttered their doors. ICS has a very basic controller that is cheap and has DTMF control. They also offer a RPI solution if you want voice ID and other options.

 

[WB9YBM]

I just wish the ID-O-Matic had DTMF control. It does not. NHRC is closed indefinitely and CAT shuttered their doors. ICS has a very basic controller that is cheap and has DTMF control. They also offer a RPI solution if you want voice ID and other options.

I guess it might have something to do with what the user needs: basic control to keep it legal versus more options to control "bells 'n whistles"...

 

[Project25_MASTR]

I just wish the ID-O-Matic had DTMF control. It does not. NHRC is closed indefinitely and CAT shuttered their doors. ICS has a very basic controller that is cheap and has DTMF control. They also offer a RPI solution if you want voice ID and other options.

I think that goes to show just how much the market has dried up. Especially with many of the classic "repeater" chassis (like the Micor's, MASTR II's, etc) being next to impossible to service for many and with all of the more modern purpose built repeaters having integrated controllers. Traditional linking controllers a becoming less and less popular.

Even considering most commercial radios have enough logic in them these days to be their own controllers...

 

[WB9YBM]

I think that goes to show just how much the market has dried up. Especially with many of the classic "repeater" chassis (like the Micor's, MASTR II's, etc) being next to impossible to service for many and with all of the more modern purpose built repeaters having integrated controllers. Traditional linking controllers a becoming less and less popular.

Even considering most commercial radios have enough logic in them these days to be their own controllers...

Yeah, it's unfortunate complexity's gone to such an extreme: I miss the "god old days" when ham radio operators could still fix their own equipment!

 

[a417]

Traditional linking controllers a becoming less and less popular.

They are, a sign of the times. People also used to be able to keep things out of a landfill rather than just buy another chinesium replacement.


That's why I'm glad that NHRC-7 I have can be fixed with a basic DMM and testing tools. Barring the eeprom getting nuked and being unable to replace it, it'll be around a long time.

 

[rescue161]

I still have a Micor with an NHRC-4 controller, but it was removed from service years ago. I replaced it with a P25 Quantar. As far as "bells & whistles" go and staying legal, I'd say DTMF control would be essential to remain legal, unless the repeater owner lives close to the site and has 24/7 site access. I bought three ID-O-Matic IV controllers the other day, because NHRC is not open for business and CAT is closed permanently. I should have purchased an ICS Basic as it does have DTMF. I don't have 24/7 site access, so I need to be able to remotely shut repeaters on/off. I'll just build "foxes" out of the ID-O-Matic controllers for fox hunts. I really do like the design and especially like the programming with PuTTY. They are very easy to build, small and extremely easy to program & wire up. But no remote control is a deal breaker for me. In my opinion, if the owner could write new code for the PIC to include DTMF control, he would have one of the best all-around controllers on the market. Most of the ones I see now are made with Raspberry PI's. I have two GMRS repeaters that use those, but I suck at & hate Linux and I get a migraine every time I need to make changes. I like simple. The NHRC, ICS and CAT controllers rocked. Easy to repair and easy to program. My RPI controllers just have too many areas to screw things up and I just don't enjoy programming them.

 

[R8000]

I'd say DTMF control would be essential to remain legal, unless the repeater owner lives close to the site and has 24/7 site access.

So many hams overlook this due to being cheap.

 

[rescue161]

I think most hams think "positive control" is a "bell or whistle," but allowing a repeater to operate without a means to turn it off if it fails, i.e., stuck transmitter, jammer, interference, etc. is absolutely not a good way to run a repeater. Two of my sites have internet access that allows me to shut off the transmitters remotely, but I do not have internet access at the other sites. I have three repeaters on a VIPER tower in Jacksonville, NC. If I have a problem, I have to schedule maintenance and have a VIPER tech meet me at the site to give me access. Leaving a stuck transmitter would be very bad if I had to wait a week, which is typical.

 

[WB9YBM]

So many hams overlook this due to being cheap.

a couple of 567s to decode DTMF tones cost less than a buck--it don't get no cheaper than that...