06.26.2020 Current Motorola Quantar in service is unstable - will be kept alive until installation of Yaesu DR-2X's

Post date: Jun 26, 2020 7:8:3 AM

Thursday June 25, the operational repeater experienced 2 more carrier lock failures, one in the morning, and one in the evening. Control Operators power cycled the repeater, and cleared the problem. MRA should receive the replacement Yaesu DR-2X repeaters today (Friday 6/26). However, it will be the week of July 5 before installations and replacement of the current Quantar that remains in service. The KG4MRA repeater will be operating at reduced TX power, as we will be running the DR-2X at it's maximum 50 Watts, versus the 125 Watts the Quantar repeaters. In the month of July, an amplifier will bring the TX power back up to 125 Watts by installing a HENRY VHF Power Amplifier. The plan is to operate the new DR-2X in NBFM mode only for the first ~week. Thereafter AMS DUAL MODE, NBFM & C4FM auto mode selection will enabled. Like with the Motorola Quantars when they repeat in P25 digital mode, when C4FM is enabled on the DR-2X, and a user transmits C4FM, the DR-2X will NOT include the CTCSS Tone (74.4 Hz) on the downlink (145.43 MHz). This will require that KG4MRA users must enable the RX CTCSS tone (74.4) on their radios, OR, they will hear the C4FM modulated TX downlink, and probably much more frequently than they may hear P25 on the current Quantar repeaters (as there are very few P25 users on KG4MRA).

Updates will continue here on the MRA webpage, as things unfold.

73's, Brewer, W4MGA

President MRA