Contents
D-Star Stack 09/01/09 Top To Bottom
|
09/16/09: We have been experimenting with the Digital Code Squelch function (CSQL) on the 2 meter frequency. We find that using CSQL significantly reduces interference (R2-D2) caused by extraneous (i.e. not repeater generated) interference. It might be well to note that we experience what we refer to as "extraneous" R2-D2 type interference on 2 meters almost exclusively. 09/07/09: Up to this date dongle use has only been allowed via an "include" list. It was decided by the group to reverse the policy and open the system to all dongles on a trial basis. 08/17/09: We are experimenting with Voice ID on the repeater and also with the latest version of D-Rats. It is our opinion that D-Rats is the best chat and file transfer program currently available. It is particularly well suited for use by RACES and ARES. 07/03/09: We have obtained a 6 cavity Phelps Dodge 497 VHF duplexer, cleaned it and made new cables with RG-214 coaxial cable. This will be tuned to 146.775 so that the 'C' module can be duplexed for both RX & TX at the tower top. 04/24/09: The 447.475 "B" module was duplexed on a GP95 at the tower top, 160' above ground. Previously it had been operating split antenna: RX @ 160' and TX @ 127'. Preliminary testing shows an increase in range to base stations. Mobile testing has yet to be performed. 03/06/09: The City of North Wildwood Office of Emergency Management has installed an ID-800 for use by their RACES and ARES operators. They are the first Cape May County community to upgrade their amateur station with D-Star. 01/31/09: JCDUG members participated in the distribution of repeater equipment as part of the SCERN project. Representatives of Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem were present to receive equipment. Gloucester county representatives were taught to program their repeater. It was on the air in test mode from the Gloucester County EOC by the mid-evening. 12/16/08: An ID-800 was set up, programmed and tested in the RACES/ARES room at the Cape May County Emergency Management Communications Center. This will be used as a control station to access analog and D-Star 2m & 70cm repeaters. 12/13/08: JCDUG members have been working through Cape May County RACES/ARES with the South Counties Emergency Radio Network providing expertise obtained during the process of establishing the JCDUG repeater system. The South Counties Emergency Radio Network (SCERN) is a project funded by the New Jersey Dept. of Health through the MCC to establish an amateur repeater network to provide emergency back-up communication. This network will link hospitals in New Jersey's seven southern counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem. This will be a D-Star digital network providing 1.2 gig high speed data and 440 voice/slow speed data. Currently it is planned to deploy seven 440/1.2 gig repeaters with additional 1.2 gig repeaters to fill blanks in the coverage. Go kits consisting of ID-800 and ID-1 radios with laptop computers will be housed at each county EOC for deployment to the various participating hospitals in time of emergency. Today was spent inventorying equipment to be assembled into D-Star repeaters and go kits. 11/10/08: The D-Star server is back on-line. Climate control failed at the repeater site and the server went into thermal shut down interrupting the Gateway and other internet based services for the past week. 10/01/08: JCDUG project updates appeared in the On The Ham Bands column of Monitoring Times magazine. 07/17 & 07/19/08: JCDUG participated in an amateur radio demonstration in conjunction with RACES/ARES at the Cape May County 4 H fair. High speed data was used to enable an internet connection at the fair. Low Speed Data was used to demonstrate the D-Chat and DRats communication programs. 06/21/08: The Gateway is back online! Hooray for N2LTQ, our administrator! 06/19/08: We have followed all procedures recommended by the Trust Server Administrators and are awaiting permission to activate the gateway with the NJ2DS call. Our advice to anyone putting together a D-Star repeater and gateway; if you want a vanity call, don't register your gateway until you get the vanity call. 06/03/08: At noon today our repeaters were reprogrammed to reflect our vanity call, NJ2DS. We've not yet received programming instructions for the gateway call sign change. At this time the gateway is closed only RF communication is functioning. We also did some antenna shuffling. Neither 2 meters nor 440 is duplexed. They run on separate transmit and receive antennas. Receive is on a GP-95 at 165' and transmit was moved from the 105' GP-98 to the 130' GP-98. We have removed the "T" connection from the 2 m and 440 duplexers. The transmission lines run through transmit cans and receive lines run through receive cans. Essentially the duplexers have been turned into band-pass, band-reject filters. Additional transmit to receive isolation is achieved by the vertical spacing of the antennas. Both the 2 meter and 440 receive lines now have 17 db Advanced Receiver preamplifiers. A substantial gain in received signal strength has been achieved. 05/30/08: The 2 meter and 440 duplexers took a road trip to Glenside, PA to the shop of KA3TTA, Bob Loehrig. Bob went over the tuning with his network analyzer. Decreases of insertion loss were achieved on both the 2 meter and 440 duplexers. Isolation on the 440 duplexer was increased. 05/26/08: ICOM support has requested that we not change to the new call sign until the Trust Server administrators can establish a procedure. 05/24/08: The FCC has granted JCDUG the Vanity Call NJ2DS. Over the next day or so, the call sign changes will be implemented for the gateway, etc. System users will be notified to change the programming in their transceivers. 05/24/08: Several hours were spent today with the service monitor tracking the lack of receive sensitivity in the 440 repeater. Two distinct issues were found. It was discovered that there was an issue with the 440 port of the triplexer/combiner for the GP-95 antenna. We also found desense within the 440 duplexer. The triplexer/combiner was replaced. The 440 repeater has been moved to split antennas utilizing the same antennas as the 2 meter repeater, receive at 170' transmit at 105', and using the duplexer receive cans for additional isolation. Our 440 receive has been improved. We have also discovered that at identical transmitter output wattages, the triband antennas deliver more millivolts of received signal on 2 meters than 440. This was tested on both a Comet GP-95 and GP-98 antenna. The next experiment will be with a 17 db Advanced Receiver 440 preamplifier. We have already experimented with a 17 db Advanced Receiver preamplifier on 2 meters and found 11 db of preamplification provides a significant increase in received signal without overloading the receiver nor elevating the noise floor to S1. Plans are being made to send the 6 can Phelps Dodge duplexer out for testing to determine what will be needed to correct the desense problem. 05/18/08: Connor Tower Services replaced a CX-333 tri-band, 2m, 220, 440 with a GP-98 tri-band, 2 m, 440, 1.2 gig at the 127' level on the tower. 05/09/08: Experimentation has been started with D-Rats software for slow speed data and file transfers. 05/04/08: A .5" hard line jumper was installed on the 1.2 gig data repeater to reduce line loss between the repeater and polyphaser. 05/01/08: The JCDUG project is announced in the On The Ham Bands column of Monitoring Times magazine. 04/26/08: JCDUG welcomes K2ACY owner of the KC2TGB repeater to the South Jersey D-Star fraternity. The KC2TGB 440 D-Star repeater and gateway is in test mode from the Atlantic City area. 04/23/08: G2 Gateway testing is completed and it is now open for general use. Please view the programming page for details on programming for Gateway use. The Gateway now passes D-Star GPS data to Find-U, etc. 04/17/08: DV Dongle At this time we have no plans to add DV Dongle access to our gateway. 04/12/08: Rick Connor of Connor Tower Services installed a GP-95 tri-band antenna, 2m, 440, 1.2 gig, at 170' and a GP-98 tri-band antenna, 2m 440, 1.2 gig, at 107' on the Cape May County EMCC tower. The 440 repeater is duplexed on the GP-95 and 1.2 gig high speed data is run simplex on this antenna. The 2m and 1.2 gig voice repeaters are currently operating on separate TX and RX antennas. 04/07/08: Weather conditions have caused the tower climber to cancel twice. We are still hopeful of getting our tri-band antennas on the tower by the end of the month. 03/27/08: The Gateway is enabled and the first connection was with the NJ2DG repeater system. 03/25/08: The Gateway II software has been received. The gateway server has been programmed and installed in the stack. The gateway is now in testing. 03/14/08: From a low height test antenna the 1.2 gig data repeater is providing an RF internet link from Cape May Court House to Stone Harbor. 03/13/08: ICOM has released the new Gateway software. Arrangements are in process for JCDUG to receive a copy. 03/12/08: Testing has begun on 1.2 gig with a temporary antenna pending installation of permanent antennas on the tower. 1.2 gig DV on 1255.3000 + 12mhz and 1.2 gig Data on 1297.3000. 03/11/08: The Area Repeater Coordination Council of Eastern Pennsylvania / Southern New Jersey granted coordination to the 447.475 KC2SWE B repeater. 03/07/08: The two meter repeater went on the air today as KC2SWE C. 03/01/08: JCDUG has completed a Memo of Understanding with Cape May County RACES/ARES. 02/15/08: JCDUG has been granted the club call sign KC2SWE. The 440 voice/slow speed data repeater is on the air and has been programmed for access as KC2SWE. 02/10/08: The 440 module and 60 amp. power supply arrived from KJI and were installed today. The controller was programmed and the repeater tested. 02/08/08: The controller, 1.2 gig data and 1.2 gig voice modules were installed today. An existing 440 analog repeater was taken off the air in anticipation of using the frequency pair for the D-Star repeater. 02/07/08: The repeater equipment donated by Monitoring Times Magazine arrived today.
|
