After a few years on the sidelines, it looks as if I'm going to be jumping back into repeater ownership. I have a few nice pieces left from my last adventure, including a TX/RX duplexer and a loaded S-COM 7K, but I'm pondering choices in RF decks. This will be a local UHF machine designated as an asset for a emergency net in a suburban area, at a modest height, and the only RF device at its site.
I have two Mitrek 30w UHF mobile radios, and am aware of their duty-cycle limitations, but would like to consider using them. They have channel elements, and I'm not averse to spending the money to have the elements redone properly. Looks like the pair will be 447.xx transmit / 442.xx receive. I have a couple specific questions about these radios... (1) If Mitreks are converted for full duplex, how well do they work? I'd like to have a complete, swappable RF setup, so trips to the site are short, and repairs can be done on my bench at home. (As opposed to requiring the two radios as separate receiver and transmitter.) (2) Would it be a reasonable pursuit to adapt a larger heatsink, and would that safely allow 100% duty cycle at 25-30 watts? (I'm philosophically opposed to fans which introduce the opportunity for a bearing to take the machine out of service.) (3) Any comments on the front ends? (4) I know these lack the sophistication of the Micor mobiles. Is the lack of a circulator a big deal in this application, at an isolated site with no other transmitters? (5) Was Motorola's quality in the Mitrek era still good enough to make a Mitrek preferred over, say, synthesized commercial transmitter boards from lesser manufacturers, but of more current vintage? All comments welcome. 73, Paul, AE4KR
