[arm-allstar] Simplex and Allstar

[David McGough]

Hi Kip,

Okay, I now better understand your usage plan and sure, that'll work.

There are a great many surplus radio choices available, remembering that 
since this radio will be linked to a repeater system and in use during a 
net, it'll likely require very high TX duty cycle. So, how large is your 
proposed simplex coverage area? ...Or, stated more directly, how much TX 
power do you expect to need?

I'll mention that I've previously used (really old now!) GE Rangr and
Motorola MaraTracs/Syntors for this type application. I'd set the TX power
at about 80W. With careful forced air cooling when transmitting, they'll
run 100% duty cycle all day long.

More recently, I'm finding that I like the Kenwood TK-690H/790H/890H 
(VHF lo, hi and UHF) for high power. The TK-7160 (VHF Hi) is great, too. 
These Kenwood radios are just program, plug and play.

...And, there are MANY other radios, like the Motorola CDM1250 VHF.

Hopefully other hams will comment of radios they've had easy success with.

73, David KB4FXC


On Fri, 18 Oct 2019, "David McGough via ARM-allstar" wrote:

> 
> 
> Forwarding to the arm-allstar list.....
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2019 21:38:30 -0500
> From: Kipton Moravec <kip at kdream.com>
> To: David McGough <kb4fxc at inttek.net>
> Subject: Re: [arm-allstar] Simplex and Allstar
> 
> Obviously I am not making myself clear.
> 
> We have a Skywarn net with one VHF repeater and soon to be 2 UHF
> repeaters linked via Allstar only during the Skywarn net.
> 
> The simplex frequency is for one user (NWS) who cannot reliability hit
> the repeater when the other repeater on the same frequency is active. We
> have other repeaters linked, but they are UHF and the NWS UHF antenna is
> 30 feet below the VHF antenna. We are 70 km from NWS and there are hills
> between. We do not believe UHF will make it but we will test it in
> December. This is in case that test fails. We will link the Simplex
> radio to the other repeaters only when there is a skywarn net. The rest
> of the time it will be off-line.
> 
> The idea is during Skywarn we have a directed net. When someone is
> talking on the net it would be repeated through the simplex frequency
> for NWS to hear. When noone is talking on the net, the NWS could use
> that frequency to talk to net control and everyone could hear. (It would
> work like a RF link frequency between two repeaters.)
> 
> I hope that is clearer for everybody.
> 
> 
> You said,
> 
> There are lots of mobile radios (both ham and commercial) available with
> COS signaling already provided via an accessory connector. A good solution
> here is to obtain a commercial radio surplus--such as from ebay. There are
> many radios that work well and are inexpensive.
> 
> 
> Where is a list so when looking on ebay or elsewhere I will know if the
> radio has the COR signal available?
> 
> Kip
>