I wish I had read this before I ordered the TS-64MASTRII yesterday. So in my mobile I may not be able to get encode/decode at all with this? I thought that was the reason to buy this over the stock GE modules because the GE modules couldn't do encode/decode at the same time.
So is it possible to get encode/decode with the TS-64MASTRII in a converted mobile? If so does anyone out there know what needs to be done to make it work? Thanks, Vern KI4ONW On Wed, 5 Mar 2008 01:43:07 -0700 Nate Duehr <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Mar 4, 2008, at 7:47 AM, NORM KNAPP wrote: > >> HELP! >> I got a MASTR II repeater... Works great, except I want >>to add a >> tone board. >> I have a programmable (dip switch) factory board that >>installs on >> the system board. I plugged it in and it made no >>difference. I >> looked in the manual and it says "for moble, clip >>jumpers X, Y, and >> Z. For station installation, see sation manual." I have >>what I >> thought was a station manual, but I got no instructions >>in there >> (that I can find) telling me what jumpers to cut or >>install... >> Anyone got any ideas? >> Thanks es 73 de N5NPO >> Norman Knapp > > > Norman, > > I think out of all of our repeaters, we're about "half >and half" using > the stock GE boards, and on others when the GE encoder >boards became > unrealistically expensive and hard to find, we switched >over to doing > this: > > http://www.repeater-builder.com/ge/mastr2/ts-64-mastr2-mod/ts-64-mastr2-mod.html > > The only thing that may not be clear in that article is >that the photo > of the CommSpec TS-64DS is not what we order from >CommSpec for this -- > we order the TS-64MSTII which is originally built to >plug straight > into a MASTR II mobile rig's system board to replace the >GE board in a > mobile. Then we modify the TS-64MSTII as shown in the >diagrams and > photos so it'll behave nicely in a MASTR II >Station/Repeater chassis. > > MOST of the system board jumper settings are listed, but >the full > notes on making a MASTR II station repeat are in the >LBI. I always > (ALWAYS) make sure the Station operates normally as a >repeater BEFORE > ever touching these jumpers for the modification, if >they're not > already done. There's a LOT of Stations out there on >the used market > that are jumpered/configured as Stations or Remote >Bases, and you > gotta get the station repeating properly first before >messing with this. > > Throw all of the above out the window if your MASTR II >repeater is a a > mobile conversion. I'm 100% certain a similar >modification document > could be written and designed for the mobile rigs and >their system > board, but this document above won't do you (much) good >other than as > a reference. The TS-64MSTII in a mobile without >modifications will do > CTCSS for RX or TX but NOT at the same time, similar to >the behavior > in a station. > > By the way, when I was reviewing this mod, I remember >seeing something > that caught my eye as being "hazardous" to the >TS-64MSTII board if it > were just slapped in a station without the mods... >something would end > up connected to one of its pins that it probably >wouldn't "like"... > but I don't remember what it was. I just get the >clippers out, get > the mods to the TS-64MSTII done, start with a working >repeater > station, and haven't had any problems with this >modification since we > started using it on some of our repeaters. > > I have never carefully traced the schematic and >documented what I was > thinking was "bad" about just slapping the board in, but >I know a > different tech definitely blew up one of our TS-64's >during creation > of a new repeater chassis once -- I never got the full >story, but > luckily we'd ordered extras for spares. I definitely >wouldn't just > stuff a TS-64MSTII into the slot in the station where >the DECODE ONLY > board goes without looking over the LBI very >carefully... and/or doing > the appropriate mods and trace cuts -- you could toast a >nice little > TS-64 doing that, if I remember correctly. > > In general, we like this mod -- but since were about to >install one or > more S-Com 7330's this spring... we're going to have to >do some new > modifications to use the on-board CTCSS encoder in the >controller, > while still using the TS-64 for receive tone... so we >have some > changes to sit and scribble on the LBI schematics to get >that > accomplished... > > Ironically it probably means putting the stations back >to something > similar to factory spec as they would have used the >original two tone > boards, one for TX, one for RX... and then running the >tone from the > 7330 down to the exciter. We'll also have to make sure >we don't > double-up the TX delay with the jumpers set wrong on the >10VDC > regulator card, since the S-Com will keep the station >keyed during STE/ > RB... no need to have the extra delay in the station >itself, > probably... it just needs some study and thought to get >it right, > prior to swapping the controller. > > Since we also like to keep our connections between the >controller and > the repeaters to points on the backplane to keep the >cabling clean, > we'll probably have to add a jumper coming down from >something unused > on the backplane to the exciter's feed-through caps on >the right side > of the station shelf, to make the installation "clean". > Will have to > look and see if there's any other clean way to do that. > Will probably > start with a more "factory" station that doesn't have >the TS-64MSTII > mods done to it, figure out the proper connections and >any added > wiring from the backplane to the exciter, and then >reverse engineer > that back into the Stations that already have the mods. > > -- > Nate Duehr, WY0X > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >
