Stuart Repeater Info

146.895

146.895: TX radio: Kenwood TK-790 @ 35 watts RX radio: Kenwood TK-790 Link radio: Kenwood TK-890 @ 10 watts Controller: ICS Linker II Duplexer: Sinclair Q2330E @ 83dB Repeater antenna: DB224E antenna fed with AVA5-50 Link antenna: Arrow 440-5S fed with LMR-600 895 is linked to the W5CUQ hub repeater, 442.400 at Daisy, Oklahoma 31 miles away

443.725

443.725: TX radio: Kenwood TK890 @ 30 watts RX radio: Kenwood TK-890 Link Radio: Kenwood TK-790 @ 25 watts Controller: CAT 200B Duplexer: DB GE-P1 @ 91dB Repeater antenna: DB411 fed with AVA5-50 Link antenna: Gulf Alpha 7E-LB fed with LMR-600 725 is linked to S.W.I.R.A. via the 147.075 repeater in Davis, Oklahoma 73 miles away

Power: Powering everything is a DuraComm RLP8012 Back up power is two Optima yellow top group 34 batteries in parallel

MISC: Thermal management on TX and link radios is provided by Japanese built Panaflo ball bearing axial fans All SO-239 connectors on the radios were replaced with Amphenol 172323 N connectors Equipment short jumpers are M17/128-RG400 RG400 connectors were sourced from RF Parts Equipment is housed in a Midland 70-2500 cabinet Controllers are housed in a shielded Middle Atlantic drawer Rack shelves and blank panels are Middle Atlantic

The new 443.725 antenna has arrived! We're getting
closer folks. Remember, 725 will have linking
capabilities to SWIRA via the Davis repeater.
(Photo Courtesy of Matt Weeks)
The repeater itself.
(Photo Courtesy of Matt Weeks)
Matt and Terry hard at work to get the Stuart
repeater ready to go online.
(Photo Courtesy of Matt Weeks)
Two more amplifiers built tonight. These are needed
because the receiver discriminator audio from the
Kenwood radios we are using is a bit too low to set
the input reference levels on the repeater
controllers correctly. These give them a boost so
that everything can be set correctly and balanced.
(Photo Courtesy of Terry Dalpoas)
Two more amplifiers built tonight. These are needed
because the receiver discriminator audio from the
Kenwood radios we are using is a bit too low to set
the input reference levels on the repeater
controllers correctly. These give them a boost so
that everything can be set correctly and balanced.
(Photo Courtesy of Terry Dalpoas)
Two more amplifiers built tonight. These are needed
because the receiver discriminator audio from the
Kenwood radios we are using is a bit too low to set
the input reference levels on the repeater
controllers correctly. These give them a boost so
that everything can be set correctly and balanced.
(Photo Courtesy of Terry Dalpoas)
One of the link radio audio amps for Stuart is built
(repeater RX audio amp will be very similar). I did
a slight redesign on the board layout, which I will
incorporate into future builds. This one has pass
throughs for PL Detect, COR, PTT and TX Audio.
(Photo Courtesy of Terry Dalpoas)
Work continues on the new repeaters for Stuart. The
cabinet is out of the paint booth and the equipment
has been installed. Still quite a bit of work to
do but it's coming along nicely.
(Photo Courtesy of Matt Weeks)
Work on the *NEW* 146.895 repeater:
Kenwood TK-790's converted to N connectors, because
SO-239's/PL-259's have no business on a repeater.
Power leads converted from 14 gauge Deutsche
connectors to 12 gauge direct bolt-on-board ring
terminals. The TX radio will be sending the full
40 watts and the RX radio opens squelch at .16uV
.12dB SINAD @ .20uV, 20dB SINAD @ .24uV.
(Photo Courtesy of Matt Weeks)
Work on the *NEW* 146.895 repeater:
Kenwood TK-790's converted to N connectors, because
SO-239's/PL-259's have no business on a repeater.
Power leads converted from 14 gauge Deutsche
connectors to 12 gauge direct bolt-on-board ring
terminals. The TX radio will be sending the full
40 watts and the RX radio opens squelch at .16uV
.12dB SINAD @ .20uV, 20dB SINAD @ .24uV.
(Photo Courtesy of Matt Weeks)
ICS Linker II repeater controller under the knife. This
controller will be used on the new 146.895 repeater. I'll
be swapping these no name DB9 male connectors for TE
Connectivity DB9 females. This is done in order to keep all
our controllers modular, or plug & play with our various
setups. We don't use gender changers or adapters as they're
a potential failure point. Do it right the first time & be
done with it. I'll be using my Hakko 808 desoldering gun
and my Hakko 936 station for the hot work. The iron is a
Hakko 907 with a T18 tip set to 750°.
(Photo Courtesy of Matt Weeks)
ICS Linker II repeater controller under the knife. This
controller will be used on the new 146.895 repeater. I'll
be swapping these no name DB9 male connectors for TE
Connectivity DB9 females. This is done in order to keep all
our controllers modular, or plug & play with our various
setups. We don't use gender changers or adapters as they're
a potential failure point. Do it right the first time & be
done with it. I'll be using my Hakko 808 desoldering gun
and my Hakko 936 station for the hot work. The iron is a
Hakko 907 with a T18 tip set to 750°.
(Photo Courtesy of Matt Weeks)
ICS Linker II repeater controller under the knife. This
controller will be used on the new 146.895 repeater. I'll
be swapping these no name DB9 male connectors for TE
Connectivity DB9 females. This is done in order to keep all
our controllers modular, or plug & play with our various
setups. We don't use gender changers or adapters as they're
a potential failure point. Do it right the first time & be
done with it. I'll be using my Hakko 808 desoldering gun
and my Hakko 936 station for the hot work. The iron is a
Hakko 907 with a T18 tip set to 750°.
(Photo Courtesy of Matt Weeks)
ICS Linker II repeater controller under the knife. This
controller will be used on the new 146.895 repeater. I'll
be swapping these no name DB9 male connectors for TE
Connectivity DB9 females. This is done in order to keep all
our controllers modular, or plug & play with our various
setups. We don't use gender changers or adapters as they're
a potential failure point. Do it right the first time & be
done with it. I'll be using my Hakko 808 desoldering gun
and my Hakko 936 station for the hot work. The iron is a
Hakko 907 with a T18 tip set to 750°.
(Photo Courtesy of Matt Weeks)
ICS Linker II repeater controller under the knife. This
controller will be used on the new 146.895 repeater. I'll
be swapping these no name DB9 male connectors for TE
Connectivity DB9 females. This is done in order to keep all
our controllers modular, or plug & play with our various
setups. We don't use gender changers or adapters as they're
a potential failure point. Do it right the first time & be
done with it. I'll be using my Hakko 808 desoldering gun
and my Hakko 936 station for the hot work. The iron is a
Hakko 907 with a T18 tip set to 750°.
(Photo Courtesy of Matt Weeks)
Prepping a couple of Kenwood TK-790 mobiles for repeater
service. These are going to Stuart on the 895 pair. First
thing is to override the ignition sense. Simple: R506 out,
R504 in. 0 ohm resistor (aka jumper/solder blob). Toothbrush
for scale. Next is bridge "SB" and replace F501, a .5 amp
DB25 accessory port fuse with a 1 amp fuse. This will put B+
voltage to the DB 25 accessory port & power the KM5UQ audio
amplifier needed to bring the audio level up. We've found out
through testing they draw about .75 amps and the original
fuse just won't handle it. No problem. The board is more than
capable of supplying the needed amperage. Kenwood was very
conservative with the .5 amp fuse. RF power on the TX radio
will be set to 35 watts on this particular TX radio. They are
quite robust with proper cooling. As KD5JCX says: things are
happening. I'll be posting more progress on the new Stuart
equipment soon. I'm on it! (Photo Courtesy of Matt Weeks)