Joint Repeater 442.300 KB3CMA

Submitted by WJ3K on Mon, 01/04/2016 - 11:57
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KB3CMA Repeater - Yaesu DR-1X System Fusion Repeater in Service

The Joint AARC/MMARC Repeater at Annapolis, KB3CMA, 442.300 MHz PL 107.2 now has its digital repeater in service. It is set for Automatic Mode Select (AMS) in both receive and transmit. That means that it will repeat an analog signal as analog, and a digital signal as digital. The control codes in the RC-96 controller have not changed, but they only operate on the repeater in analog mode. The digital controls are inherent in the repeater itself, not the controller.

The controller still ID’s every nine minutes with an analog signal. The controller still supports phone patch operation with the same codes, in analog mode.

The CTCSS tone to key the repeater with analog FM remains the same at 107.2 Hz. The tone is required to access the repeater in analog FM. The tone is re-transmitted in Analog operation WHEN THE REPEATER IS KEYED UP BY A USER (the same as before). This is an important point, because this feature will silence annoying “gratch” from digital signals while monitoring the repeater in straight Analog mode.

Users may set their transceivers for CTCSS of 107.2 on BOTH TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE for monitoring to take advantage of silence afforded by the absence of tone on a re-transmitted digital signal. Those users will NOT hear any audio from a digital signal because the digital signal does not carry the tone,. They will only see a deflection on the S-meter when digital signals are received.

They will NOT hear the courtesy tone at the end of a transmission when operating in Analog FM, because the tone is not transmitted when the receiver is not keyed by an input signal. The tone stops when the input signal ends; the tail and courtesy tone are transmitted without the tone. They also will not hear repeater-generated audio, including auto patch output or repeater responses to control codes.

Analog users may set 442.300 MHz into two adjacent memory locations in a transceiver: one memory for CTCSS (PL) on transmit and receive, for normal monitoring, and the other memory for CTCSS (PL & Tsq) on transmit only. That second memory can be used when communicating over the repeater, in order to hear the courtesy tone; to make an auto patch call, or to hear the responses to DTMF control codes.. Or the user may change the tone control from PL & Tsq to PL only when communicating. Some manufacturers refer to CTCSS on Transmit as PL, and CTCSS for receive as Tsq (Tone Squelch).

Happy New Year and 73,

John K8JW
Gordon WJ3K
January 3, 2016

WJ3K - Wed, 01/27/2016 - 13:14

The 442.300 repeater in Annapolis has quit on us twice since the Yaesu DR-1X repeater was installed. The first time, John K8JW and Gordon WJ3K replaced the unit with one that is destined for one of the AARC repeaters, and sent the jointly-owned unit back to Yaesu, at their suggestion, for inspection and any needed repairs.

The second unit failed on Friday night 1/22. John was able to reach the repeater site on Tuesday 1/26. He reset the unit and put it back on line in both digital and analog modes.

It is possible that the first failure was the same as the second but that awaits confirmation from Yaesu. We think John has found a connection to make a remote reset by landline or RF, but no promises will be made until we check it out.

73,
Gordon/WJ3K