Re: [Repeater-Builder] Measuring Coverage Area
The best coverage area predictor in my mind is Radio Mobile. It's a free program available on the web. The guts of it is a public domain program, less an interface you can work with, but Roger Coudé VE2DBE put together a great interface that makes it work. There is an up front learning curve to set it up for your particular system but it's worth the effort. If you have a question or two I might be able to help. You can go to our club's website, http://www.w7lko.com/RESOURCES.HTML and see some results. We're in some pretty mountainous terrain but have found the coverage pattern to be amazingly accurate. Dave, W7GK Elko, NV wd8chl [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Keith, KB7M wrote: If by down-and-dirty you mean simple, you can do a HAAT (Height Above Average Terrain) calculation. This is about as easy as it gets ( http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/bickel/haat_calculator.html). This method is easy, but only accurate if the terrain is mostly flat. It doesn't do well in mountainous areas or with directional antennas because it assumes an omni directional pattern. Like NE Ohio...maybe not mountainous by Colorado standards, but more then enough to create HUGE coverage issues. I'm really seeing this on the 900 paging system I maintain now! - Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Sinclair Q202G duplexer Conversion
One question you asked remains; from what points are the lengths of the individual harness components measured? Dave, W7GK Bill Photinos [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Thanks to all who have replied. You have been a great help. Have calculated the harness length for my freqs to be ~15.9 when taking into account the velocity factor of the interconnect cable etc. Believe it or not the original cable on our cans is RG-213 and not RG-214. We are replacing with high quality double shielded(100%) cable. FYI the harness is currently $311 from Sinclair. It will ending up costing us around $100 in parts to assemble our own harness. Significant difference. Hope to have it completed and up on our DSTAR repeater in a couple of days or so. Thanks again 73s Bill - W4RVN Eric Lemmon wrote: Steve,That trick works fine for offsetting the harness tee from the loop assembly in the can, but it doesn't do a thing for increasing the spacing between the tees. The later-design Sinclair Q202-G duplexers come with a one-piece harness that is made up from sections of RG-214/U cable with five crimped-on N tees and two crimped-on straight N plugs. The tees are made by Delta Electronics, and are intended for one-time, permanent installation. Even if great care is used in cutting off the ferrules, it is very easy to damage the tee during the process.Although it is time-consuming to dismantle the high-split harness and re-build it with longer cable sections between the tees, the club chose to buy the harness from Sinclair. It cost about $125 five years ago. Once the new harness was installed, the Q202-G duplexer tuned up perfectly in the 2m band.73, Eric Lemmon WB6FLY -Original Message- From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Steve S. Bosshard (NU5D) Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 1:06 AM To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] Sinclair Q202G duplexer ConversionWhen I moved some 155 mhz duplexers to 146 I found adding a type n elbow in places where I could not get the notch to move made just enough difference. This adds about an inch without having to rebuild the harness, or else a nice way to test cable lengths. Also if adding the elbow makes things worse, then you might want to cut and try. 73, Steve NU5DEric Lemmon wrote: Bill,This topic has been addressed several times in recent years. There is no formula for the harness; Sinclair makes two harnesses, one with 12 - Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
RE: [Repeater-Builder] Sinclair Q202G duplexer Conversion
Thanks, that helps. Regards, Dave, W7GK Eric Lemmon [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Dave, I'm not sure who your question was directed to, but if it is me, here's my answer: When the Sinclair Q202-G duplexer cable harness is laid out straight, use a Sharpie pen to draw a line on the back of each of the five tee connectors that are crimped onto the cable. This mark will be in the exact center of the tee, and in line with the center of the side connector that plugs into the loop assembly on each of four cans. On the high-split cable harness, these marks will be 12 inches apart. On the low-split cable harness, these marks will be 14 inches apart. 73, Eric Lemmon WB6FLY -Original Message- From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dave Hough Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 9:14 AM To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] Sinclair Q202G duplexer Conversion One question you asked remains; from what points are the lengths of the individual harness components measured? Dave, W7GK Bill Photinos [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Thanks to all who have replied. You have been a great help. Have calculated the harness length for my freqs to be ~15.9 when taking into account the velocity factor of the interconnect cable etc. Believe it or not the original cable on our cans is RG-213 and not RG-214. We are replacing with high quality double shielded(100%) cable. FYI the harness is currently $311 from Sinclair. It will ending up costing us around $100 in parts to assemble our own harness. Significant difference. Hope to have it completed and up on our DSTAR repeater in a couple of days or so. Thanks again 73s Bill - W4RVN - Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Micor Repeater
Have done a Micor repeater using the CAT-200 controller. It's really quite easy to do. Pull all the cards except the Station Control and the F1 PL Decoder. A mid split PA will work if the output is 147.00 but I don't think a high split PA will last very long. Strongly suggest if yours is not a low split machine you contact Kevin Custer and get the receiver front end recoiled. Guarantee it will make at least .25 microvolts difference in sensitivity. Well worth the money. Have my diagram of the backplane of how and where COR, CTSS, Audio and power are picked off. Will .pdf and send it to you if you need it. There's a couple of other things you need to do to turn it into a repeater if its configured as a base unit but no problem. Hope this helps. Dave, W7GK Gordon [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: It has been suggested that before one adds a controller to the repeater it is best to have it repeat in it's original configuration. This unit was part of the VHF Provincial Mobile Telephone system and in its present form I can get it to repeat only after dialing the code that puts the transmitter on continuously. Eventually after being quiet for a time (no COS) the transmitter times out and you have to dial up to get it to operate again. Presently it has the following cards installed, left to right, Decoder filter STLN89HDT, TC Logic, Logic Module STLN932, Squelch Gate TLN4662A, Jackfield Module, Time Out Timer TRN8684A, Tel. Interface, Station control module TLN4635B, Line Driver Module. I am sure there is a reader to tell me that most of this stuff can be pulled out and a jumper changed here or there will get it going in a normal fashion. I hate to put a quick and dirty COS gate and relay on the Back Plane when a simple change to a plug in module will get it going. Receiver and Transmitter tuned up on the 144/145 band perfectly. Lots of good reading on this site, thanks for this opportunity, 73, Gordon. - Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user panel and lay it on us.
