On 3/24/2010 8:55 AM, Richard W. Solomon wrote:
On the subject of PL Encoder/Decoder: I was hoping that they
existed in a form factor that could plug into the MASTR II.
Failing that, I'll hardwire something in.
The TS-64MSTII from ComSpec is on their price sheet, and plugs into a
mobile in the standard location for a GE board. Using a mobile in
duplex service (depending on what you want to do), you'd probably have
to mess around with the signals on the system board to make it do
exactly what you want, but it's "do-able" for a clean installation.
Perhaps someone here uses more mobiles than I do, I stick to the
stations... there's an article on RB on how we set our stations up with
the TS-64, and how we modify the TS-64MSTII to work in a station. We've
learned a few minor things we'd like to change (like wring up a disable
line for TX CG)...and also we knew after the design work that the
station would no longer KEY without the TS-64MSTII installed, which
shouldn't have been a problem... but we've had two of them work their
way UP and off the pins. The pin clamps/springs are too tight on the
TS-64MSTII, which feels great (well seated) when you first install
them... but leads to them working their way UPWARD and off the pins over
two-three years.
The fix for that by the way, is to just put some single-sided foam tape
on the shelf cover that "pushes down" a bit on the top of the
TS-64MSTII, and it can't work its way up. This of course, assumes that
you put the screw (often they're missing in used stations) back in that
holds the cover down.
http://www.repeater-builder.com/ge/mastr2/ts-64-mastr2-mod/ts-64-mastr2-mod.html
(Hey Mike, if you're reading along, a note about this problem in the
page might be helpful... we've had two unplanned site trips because of
it, and in one case the repeater stuck in TX. Was annoying, but at
least the venerable old MASTR II will happily handle 100% duty-cycle!)
How it relates to the mobiles though, I can't say. I set up one mobile
once for a half-duplex link radio with a non-modified TS-64MSTII, but
haven't done a duplexed mobile with one. I'd have to dig out the LBI and
study the traces.
Understand on the controllers -- too bad Al doesn't make the PSE in a
"board" model that could be hardwired and stuck inside a mobile with
some double-sided foam tape somewhere. It's always nice to keep the
same controller on everything... makes maintenance headaches and
things/codes/ways of doing things that you have to remember, far less in
the old noggin.
Have fun with it. Sounds like an interesting project. Do you have a lot
of users/members with 10m FM capability? Which pair would you put it
on? (They're all pretty much "full" by the way... especially during a
band opening. And there's STILL people not running CTCSS -- because the
user's radios typically don't even HAVE the ability to transmit it in
the popular old rigs -- so in a band opening, it's typical to key up
two-three repeaters. Won't be a problem until we get a few more years
back up the slope on sunspots...
Anyway, hope that helps... Good luck with it...
Nate WY0X
