Embedded Files
Post date: Jan 01, 2021 7:6:21 AM
On Saturday December 26, 2020, Mike Owens (K4RKO) and Brewer Pedin (W4MGA) switched over to one of the new Yaesu DR-2X repeaters. The main Motorola Quantar had operated error free for about 4 months, until the week of Christmas, when multiple carrier locks of endless transmissions occurred, as they had during the spring of 2020. The DR-2X repeater in service, is setup for regular C4FM/NBFM Automatic Mode Selection (AMS). We intended to operate in NBFM only for the first period (~month), but it seems DR-2X firmware does not allow a purely NBFM-NBFM "Total Analog" mode. DR-2X does allow a fixed mode NBFM downlink, with AMS uplink, which will eliminate the C4FM transmissions on the repeater output, and eliminate the requirement for "Analog only" (or non-Fusion) radios to use RX CTCSS to eliminate receiving/hearing the C4FM modulation. So after this initial trial period of AMS, the MRA may well move to this fixed NBFM mode on the downlink.
Notably, unlike the Quantar repeaters, the DR-2X does support transmitting the 74.4 CTCSS during the Morse ID, such that, if your radio has RX CTCSS enabled (to block the C4FM in your RX), you will still hear the Morse ID, which is rather useful to many stations.
Many amateur stations have tested the C4FM on the uplink and downlink, and the performance is great.
We did however run into a problem, still TBD, with the Henry Radio VHF Power Amplifier, so the DR-2X is setup to run at it's max power of 50 watts, which is at least 3 dB less power than the old Motorola Quantar, and ~6 dB less than we intended to run, if the Henry PA was working, which it will be eventually. This loss of TX power has not presented any notable loss of repeater coverage area, although there must be some.
Thus far there is no plan to connect these DR-2X repeaters to WIRES-X, although the HRI-200 interfaces have been purchased.
With the removal from service of the Motorola Quantar repeaters, there is no longer support for APCO 25 (P25) on KG4MRA.
73's
Brewer W4MGA
President MRA
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse