Hello! I have a host of questions I hope you can answer for me or at least comment on.
1. Our D-Star full stack is on a 9200 ft mountain. It is a relatively high RF area. We have really noticed how weak the front ends are on the D-Star units. We are getting tons of junk into the front end. We have experimented with a preselector with not a lot of success. It just makes the thing more "deaf" than it already is. I know you will likely recommend a pre-amp... What are others using to solve these types of problems? 2. We only get 20 watts out of the 2m and the 440 modules. By the time it passes through the cans, we get about 11 or 12 out. Most other repeaters in the area are at least 50 watts or more. Many are 100 watts. This is because the mountain (although a wonderful site) shadows some areas of the city and it takes a little extra power to get through. Keeping budget concerns in mind, what would you recommend for a linear? 2. What antenna configurations are you using for each band? For 2m/440, we are using the same antenna. Currently, it is a Hustler duel band repeater antenna. We know that will certainly not last the winter up on the mountain. We thought we would use that to buy some time until we found a better plan. We are also somewhat space limited on the tower. 3. What are some good (one piece) smaller 1.2 gig antennas for use on the mountain? Budget is somewhat of a concern or we would go totally commercial. 4. Finally, what is a decent mag mount type of monoband antenna for 1.2 GHz for mobile use? I am sure many of you have similar situations to us in that your repeaters are in high RF areas. Rather than answering question by question, what have you done to maximize performance of your D-Star systems? I will greatly appreciate your replies! Randy, KF0X Tucson, Arizona
