RE: [Repeater-Builder] Remote power monitoring
You get what you pay for! GE and Motorola had quality control programs in use when MII and MICOR were being built that increased the cost of their equipment. Not only were the radios put through a final test, but the incoming components were tested prior to manufacturing. I wonder where the components went to that were rejected. Fred W5VAY _ From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Kris Kirby Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 10:21 PM To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] Remote power monitoring On Mon, 17 Dec 2007, Mike Besemer (WM4B) wrote: Mastr-II vs. Icom? Doesn't that question answer itself? Not really. I'm curious as to if it is the choice of capcitors used or the design of the audio circuits. -- Kris Kirby, KE4AHR [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:kris%40catonic.us us But remember, with no superpowers comes no responsibility. --rly
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Remote power monitoring
Kris Kirby wrote: I'm a little dense at times, but how is it that a 40-year old Mastr-II still sounds fine on the air, but a 15-year old Icom sounds tinny? heh-because it always sounded that way-we just didn't notice becasue they still sounded better then a Twin-V with a bad carbon mic! Or an HT220! -- Jim Barbour WD8CHL
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Remote power monitoring
Fred Seamans wrote: You get what you pay for! GE and Motorola had quality control programs in use when MII and MICOR were being built that increased the cost of their equipment. Not only were the radios put through a final test, but the incoming components were tested prior to manufacturing. I wonder where the components went to that were rejected. Spectrum! -- Jim Barbour WD8CHL
RE: [Repeater-Builder] Remote power monitoring
Mike, Your concerns seem to be a typical situation that all of us, as repeater owners/operators, have experienced at least once. I also hear the same complaints - How come the repeater sounds so bad today? or I couldn't get into the machine yesterday. So I take a ride to the site and find nothing has changed - all is well. Further investigation shows they are either in the shadow of the repeater, are in an area where they have never traveled before (which is not covered well by the machine), that they have a problem on THEIR end of the radio chain, etc. (For example - I get complaints almost daily when I'm using the repeater in an area where I know I have trouble getting in with a full-quieting signal. but they complain anyway. I transition this area on my way to and from work each day, and explain it - each day - to these same certain users. Sigh.) If I may offer a suggestion - don't beat your brains out trying to devise something that will not stop the complaints... rather, just take it all in stride. I've found that this is one area where NOBODY will be happy all the time. If you've done a good job engineering the machine, YOU will know that it is operating correctly - and that's what really counts. When YOU hear something change, then it's time to check it out. 73, Mark - N9WYS _ From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com On Behalf Of Mike Besemer (WM4B) Valid options perhaps, but not what I'm looking for. I want to be able to show the users that all is well and (hopefully) they'll stop being so paranoid every time the repeater signal is down a quarter of an S-unit on their 35 year old rockbound radio. 73, Mike WM4B
[Repeater-Builder] Re: Remote power monitoring (crank it up of course)
If you are in a position to operate a higher transmit power machine/repeater... there are less questions about the machine performance and the burden is on the user to get a decent signal into the receiver. The psychology of repeater operation... s. n9wys [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Mike, Your concerns seem to be a typical situation that all of us, as repeater owners/operators, have experienced at least once. I also hear the same complaints - How come the repeater sounds so bad today? or I couldn't get into the machine yesterday. So I take a ride to the site and find nothing has changed - all is well. Further investigation shows they are either in the shadow of the repeater, are in an area where they have never traveled before (which is not covered well by the machine), that they have a problem on THEIR end of the radio chain, etc. (For example - I get complaints almost daily when I'm using the repeater in an area where I know I have trouble getting in with a full-quieting signal. but they complain anyway. I transition this area on my way to and from work each day, and explain it - each day - to these same certain users. Sigh.) If I may offer a suggestion - don't beat your brains out trying to devise something that will not stop the complaints... rather, just take it all in stride. I've found that this is one area where NOBODY will be happy all the time. If you've done a good job engineering the machine, YOU will know that it is operating correctly - and that's what really counts. When YOU hear something change, then it's time to check it out. 73, Mark - N9WYS _ From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com On Behalf Of Mike Besemer (WM4B) Valid options perhaps, but not what I'm looking for. I want to be able to show the users that all is well and (hopefully) they'll stop being so paranoid every time the repeater signal is down a quarter of an S-unit on their 35 year old rockbound radio. 73, Mike WM4B
RE: [Repeater-Builder] Looking for an oddball Batwing product
Ya can't just tune them up then cut the excess shaft off?? *chuckles* The 1500's with the aluminum plate are pretty light, I've used long bolts and sleeves to stand the things off the back side of the rack and accomplish this. It's not as pretty, but assuming you have regular rack rails out of a C shaped piece of metal, you can tread these in from the back. You gain 2-3 inches just using the back side of the rack to screw to, 2-3 screws and you are in. I'll look in my catalogs, but chatsworth and/or mid atlantic might have rack extensions already formed in 4 or 5 RU heights that would work. 73 _ From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ken Arck Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 9:08 AM To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Looking for an oddball Batwing product As I don't have a lot of free time these days to fabricate 'em. I'm looking for the set of brackets that allow a T1500 series duplexer to be recessed mounted in a rack so the tuning shafts don't protrude past the front of the rack. If you have a set that you wish to part with, contact me offlist Thanks Ken -- President and CTO - Arcom Communications Makers of repeater controllers and accessories. http://www.arcomcon http://www.arcomcontrollers.com/ trollers.com/ Authorized Dealers for Kenwood and Telewave and we offer complete repeater packages! AH6LE/R - IRLP Node 3000 http://www.irlp. http://www.irlp.net net We don't just make 'em. We use 'em!
RE: [Repeater-Builder] Looking for an oddball Batwing product
Ken, Motorola makes an offset bracket kit that is ideal for this purpose. It is Part #0784384T03, a package of two brackets, for about $55. These are heavy-duty brackets, designed to mount an MTR2000 station in an equipment rack so that its center of gravity is aligned with the rack uprights. They are 3U high (5.25 inches) and have an offset of 4.5 inches. 73, Eric Lemmon WB6FLY -Original Message- From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ken Arck Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 9:08 AM To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Looking for an oddball Batwing product As I don't have a lot of free time these days to fabricate 'em. I'm looking for the set of brackets that allow a T1500 series duplexer to be recessed mounted in a rack so the tuning shafts don't protrude past the front of the rack. If you have a set that you wish to part with, contact me offlist Thanks Ken
[Repeater-Builder] Looking for an oddball Batwing product
As I don't have a lot of free time these days to fabricate 'em. I'm looking for the set of brackets that allow a T1500 series duplexer to be recessed mounted in a rack so the tuning shafts don't protrude past the front of the rack. If you have a set that you wish to part with, contact me offlist Thanks Ken -- President and CTO - Arcom Communications Makers of repeater controllers and accessories. http://www.arcomcontrollers.com/ Authorized Dealers for Kenwood and Telewave and we offer complete repeater packages! AH6LE/R - IRLP Node 3000 http://www.irlp.net We don't just make 'em. We use 'em!
[Repeater-Builder] Re: Remote power monitoring
--- In Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com, Kris Kirby [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: On Sun, 16 Dec 2007, Eric Lemmon wrote: One question comes to mind: Is it really necessary that you know exactly what the forward/reverse power readings are, or the SWR, or are you concerned about whether the values have drifted outside a certain tolerance? I think that I would want to hear a voice notification that power is abnormally low, or the SWR is abnormally high, rather than the value. I always wondered how much a few inches of radial ice detuned at DB- 224. ;) Well, have you noticed the ice on power poles and how it gets caked on and yet causes no outages, particularly on the primary power towers going cross country? The only ice failures is the breakages as a result of the weight, because the ice is frozen distilled water and doesn't conduct. Surprised?? As such it shouldn't cause a change in SWR.. Check the Tillamook County, Oregon site and it shows telemetery chart of such things, of Mt. Hebo and Caper Mears installations, right on the Coast. Their power output will change, but not the SWR, and yet they are on the West Coast of the USA at the shore of the Pacific Ocean!! Best wishes, Dick, W7TIO -- Kris Kirby, KE4AHR [EMAIL PROTECTED] But remember, with no superpowers comes no responsibility. --rly
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Looking for an oddball Batwing product
I bought some 30-36 MHz cavities from a paging company on 35.???. Guess what? Yep, cut off after tuning... Glenn W8AK **See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop000304)
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Looking for an oddball Batwing product
Ken Arck wrote: I'm looking for the set of brackets that allow a T1500 series duplexer to be recessed mounted in a rack so the tuning shafts don't protrude past the front of the rack. If you have a set that you wish to part with, contact me offlist I took a 2x4, drilled it through the narrow side of it with a drill press, and used some long bolts to offset the cans. Works great.. Just a thought. Mike
[Repeater-Builder] Radial Ice, Detuning
Dick, if only that were true... Anything which changes the dielectric constant of the immediate antenna environment detunes the antenna, conductor or not. The power companies AVOID resonance in their transmission networks, and don't measure SWR, so they're concerned only with the mechanical effects of the added weight. FM and TV Broadcasters go to much trouble and expense to maintain antenna heaters to deal with this issue. Some use ice detectors which evaluate precip and temp on the tower, to turn on the antenna heater automatically when conditions are favorable for ice formation. Otherwise, ice can form so fast the heaters can't keep up, and some broadcast stations have to shut down when SWR gets too high due to ice. 73, Paul, AE4KR - Original Message - From: ocwarren2000 To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 9:44 AM Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Remote power monitoring --- In Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com, Kris Kirby [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: On Sun, 16 Dec 2007, Eric Lemmon wrote: One question comes to mind: Is it really necessary that you know exactly what the forward/reverse power readings are, or the SWR, or are you concerned about whether the values have drifted outside a certain tolerance? I think that I would want to hear a voice notification that power is abnormally low, or the SWR is abnormally high, rather than the value. I always wondered how much a few inches of radial ice detuned at DB- 224. ;) Well, have you noticed the ice on power poles and how it gets caked on and yet causes no outages, particularly on the primary power towers going cross country? The only ice failures is the breakages as a result of the weight, because the ice is frozen distilled water and doesn't conduct. Surprised?? As such it shouldn't cause a change in SWR.. Check the Tillamook County, Oregon site and it shows telemetery chart of such things, of Mt. Hebo and Caper Mears installations, right on the Coast. Their power output will change, but not the SWR, and yet they are on the West Coast of the USA at the shore of the Pacific Ocean!! Best wishes, Dick, W7TIO -- Kris Kirby, KE4AHR [EMAIL PROTECTED] But remember, with no superpowers comes no responsibility. --rly
RE: [Repeater-Builder] Looking for an oddball Batwing product
At 09:26 AM 12/18/2007, you wrote: Ken, Motorola makes an offset bracket kit that is ideal for this purpose. It is Part #0784384T03, a package of two brackets, for about $55. These are heavy-duty brackets, designed to mount an MTR2000 station in an equipment rack so that its center of gravity is aligned with the rack uprights. They are 3U high (5.25 inches) and have an offset of 4.5 inches. -for future reference, the big M wants $77 for it these days. I'll figure out something else for that price! Ken -- President and CTO - Arcom Communications Makers of repeater controllers and accessories. http://www.arcomcontrollers.com/ Authorized Dealers for Kenwood and Telewave and we offer complete repeater packages! AH6LE/R - IRLP Node 3000 http://www.irlp.net We don't just make 'em. We use 'em!
RE: [Repeater-Builder] Remote power monitoring
Hi there.. I was reading some of the reactions on the topic remote monitoring And I caught my attention I am currently upgrading a 2meter repeater here in the Netherland called pi3goe and am also looking for a remote signaling option to the repeater. During my search I came across a thing call SAMS short for short amateur message system using the modulation POCSAG with the use of former commercial pager in the uhf band Maybe this can be used to send out status messages or similar . It is currently in use in germany using special pocsag encoder to a uhf transmitter .. For more info http://www.weiseedv.de/sams/img0.htm sorry german only http://www.adacom.org/projekte/funkruf/ german only or google it good luck and season greeting from a cold south of Holland .. joost, pe1rmn
RE: [Repeater-Builder] Looking for an oddball Batwing product
I checked the bracket price on MOL just a few minutes ago, and it was $66.73, but that's still a chunk of change. Since the owners of the sites where I have repeaters will not allow wooden spacers or cabinet parts, I suggest a low-cost alternative. McMaster-Carr and other suppliers offer threaded steel hex standoffs up to four inches in length, for about six bucks apiece. Four of these standoffs might be the appropriate solution for mounting a duplexer with an offset. The part number 92230A150 seems to be a good choice. It is 4 long, and has 10-32 female threads on each end. 73, Eric Lemmon WB6FLY -Original Message- From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ken Arck Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 4:04 PM To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] Looking for an oddball Batwing product At 09:26 AM 12/18/2007, you wrote: Ken, Motorola makes an offset bracket kit that is ideal for this purpose. It is Part #0784384T03, a package of two brackets, for about $55. These are heavy-duty brackets, designed to mount an MTR2000 station in an equipment rack so that its center of gravity is aligned with the rack uprights. They are 3U high (5.25 inches) and have an offset of 4.5 inches. -for future reference, the big M wants $77 for it these days. I'll figure out something else for that price! Ken
