Okay, I hope I'm not opening a can of worms here, but this is a question I've always been curious about...
Is is possible to build your own iDEN repeater without breaking the bank? I know that Mot sells them new, but I can't see spending that kind of $$$, nor would I be looking to have a huge system (let's just assume one station [no voting, etc.] with autopatch and two talkgroups, maximum of 10 units, and maximum of 2 units on the air simultaneously).
Big M's link http://www.motorola.com/cgiss/harmony/h ... stem.shtml
Keeping in mind that I'm no iDEN expert, I would guess that this would be similar to building any other sort of trunking repeater.
Also, how would one licence something like this (or is that not doable)?
Just a curiousity, not something that I need to do tomorrow (or probably ever)...
Keith
Building an iDEN repeater station - can it be done???
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kanabecsys
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Dan562
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- Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 7:30 pm
- What radios do you own?: Kenwood, Yaesu, ICOM, Motorola
Building an iDEN repeater station - can it be done???
Hello Keith,
Anything can be done .... for a price. Let me think about your request. Well you'll need:
Operating & Maintenance Center OMC
Packet Switch PS
Base Site Controller with the Transcoder and Call Processor BSC
I should ask, Do you need BSC in cabinet Redundancy?
Multi-Packet Switch MPS
Digital Audio Processor DAP
Packet Duplicator PD
Enhanced Base Transceiver Station EBTS
Channel Bank
Groomers for Telco Switch
MSC Telco Switch $$$$$$$
GPS Receiver for Digital timing
DACC Electronic Telco Switching
DSX manual switching & test panel with connecting cables.
The EBTS utilizes Quad QAM RF Transmissions so the station's RF amplifier is Linear Class B operation, you'll need the internal Duplexer and a large 28 VDC power supply like Telco uses with battery back up.
Are you going to use Sectored or Omni Directional Antennas with an Active Receiver Multi-coupler?
Test equipment: Bird Wattmeter with 100W, 50W, 25W & 10W Slugs, Service Monitor capable of receiving TDMA signal format, 250W Dummy Load, associated cables, Torx Bits and Nut Driver and regular hand tools.
All of the other Mobile Switching Office MSO components rely on 28 VDC High Current and Battery Back up operation.
You'll need at least to T1 Telco Lines, one heading out of the MSC to the PSTN and the second out of the DACCs from the BSC-CP to the EBTS remote site.
It would be a wise idea to have a HP J2303A Internet Advisor for troubleshooting T1-DS0 through 23 and Frame Relay Packets. You also may want a T-Bird for analyzing Telco problems.
Do you know how to write Datafill for each individual component in the MSO because that's something that needs to be done before taking the downloads from the OMC.
You'll need a couple of Man Machine Interface Computers MMI and a Windows NT Laptop computer with Procomm Plus for troubleshooting and downloading scripts into the individual boxes. Lots of /\/\ software, hours of reading and programming.
One last thing .... very deep financial pockets would help pay for the thing you want to build and a lot of patients while you're working on the system.
Well you're off to a running start.
Dan
Anything can be done .... for a price. Let me think about your request. Well you'll need:
Operating & Maintenance Center OMC
Packet Switch PS
Base Site Controller with the Transcoder and Call Processor BSC
I should ask, Do you need BSC in cabinet Redundancy?
Multi-Packet Switch MPS
Digital Audio Processor DAP
Packet Duplicator PD
Enhanced Base Transceiver Station EBTS
Channel Bank
Groomers for Telco Switch
MSC Telco Switch $$$$$$$
GPS Receiver for Digital timing
DACC Electronic Telco Switching
DSX manual switching & test panel with connecting cables.
The EBTS utilizes Quad QAM RF Transmissions so the station's RF amplifier is Linear Class B operation, you'll need the internal Duplexer and a large 28 VDC power supply like Telco uses with battery back up.
Are you going to use Sectored or Omni Directional Antennas with an Active Receiver Multi-coupler?
Test equipment: Bird Wattmeter with 100W, 50W, 25W & 10W Slugs, Service Monitor capable of receiving TDMA signal format, 250W Dummy Load, associated cables, Torx Bits and Nut Driver and regular hand tools.
All of the other Mobile Switching Office MSO components rely on 28 VDC High Current and Battery Back up operation.
You'll need at least to T1 Telco Lines, one heading out of the MSC to the PSTN and the second out of the DACCs from the BSC-CP to the EBTS remote site.
It would be a wise idea to have a HP J2303A Internet Advisor for troubleshooting T1-DS0 through 23 and Frame Relay Packets. You also may want a T-Bird for analyzing Telco problems.
Do you know how to write Datafill for each individual component in the MSO because that's something that needs to be done before taking the downloads from the OMC.
You'll need a couple of Man Machine Interface Computers MMI and a Windows NT Laptop computer with Procomm Plus for troubleshooting and downloading scripts into the individual boxes. Lots of /\/\ software, hours of reading and programming.
One last thing .... very deep financial pockets would help pay for the thing you want to build and a lot of patients while you're working on the system.
Well you're off to a running start.
Dan
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kanabecsys
- Posts: 104
- Joined: Sun Oct 03, 2004 11:30 am
Jeez, with a stock like in your basement you could run Nextel out of business! 
But isn't there such a thing as a 'small group' model, or some sort of controller system that can be run self-contained?
Closest example I can recall is an AMPS device that Moto made years ago (PCS-801, if I recall) that had 3 TX/RX modules and supported a small number of phones, but unfortunately I've never gotten to play with one (saw one come up on eBay last year, a mil surplus rig, but got outbid). That'd be cool if such a thing was available nowadays.
Maybe Cowthief would remember these, as he seems to have a background in military radio
Keith
But isn't there such a thing as a 'small group' model, or some sort of controller system that can be run self-contained?
Closest example I can recall is an AMPS device that Moto made years ago (PCS-801, if I recall) that had 3 TX/RX modules and supported a small number of phones, but unfortunately I've never gotten to play with one (saw one come up on eBay last year, a mil surplus rig, but got outbid). That'd be cool if such a thing was available nowadays.
Maybe Cowthief would remember these, as he seems to have a background in military radio
Keith
-
Dan562
- Posts: 533
- Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 7:30 pm
- What radios do you own?: Kenwood, Yaesu, ICOM, Motorola
Building an iDEN Repeater System
Hello Keith,
/\/\ iDEN put out a single box station called a "Microlite" Less calories more gusto. It came out towards the early part of 1999 and I don't know how well it did in the iDEN rural market.
What I basically provided was a Nextel MSO requirement but I did supply you with all of the necessary modules or kit numbers. I spent a couple of years out on the road, traveling across the USA and Canada as a System Engineer implementing these Nextel MSOs. It was interesting but it wasn't my forte as far as total system interest.
The only system I enjoyed working on was the iDEN 900 MHz Product Group Alpha system in Fort Lauderdale around Christmas 1997 and New Years 1998. I also had Las Vegas in the plans but a vacation came up and someone else had to go in my place, Oh well. I also did a MiKE system in Vancouver, B.C. in June 1998, Oh it was beautiful up there, we had record breaking temperatures in the 90s ... the local people were just about dying with the heat. The team of guys I was with were in seventh heavan!
The /\/\ iDEN system concept is based against a Cellular system and does not have a voting comparator, it samples the in bound subscriber signal through a DC measured voltage Signal Strenght Indicator and decides which cell site the subscriber unit should be on. In the interconnect mode, the subscriber unit is not working in a full duplex mode but is switching so fast between Tx and Rx that the normal human ear can not detect the operation unless the system is incorrectly set up. The Direct Connect as two-way radio works normal .... PTT to Tx and release PTT to listen Rx. There are 2 DS0s used for Voice Traffic and 3 DS0s for the Interconnect Telephone Voice traffic. Each RF Channel is 25 KHz wide but can carry 3 conversation plus signaling applications. It uses the TDMA format and QAM Quad signaling more efficient for spectrum use.
/\/\ signed a service contract with Nextel regarding the service repairs on the Infrastructure equipment. I don't think you'll find much surplus equipment floating around on eekBay.
Dan
/\/\ iDEN put out a single box station called a "Microlite" Less calories more gusto. It came out towards the early part of 1999 and I don't know how well it did in the iDEN rural market.
What I basically provided was a Nextel MSO requirement but I did supply you with all of the necessary modules or kit numbers. I spent a couple of years out on the road, traveling across the USA and Canada as a System Engineer implementing these Nextel MSOs. It was interesting but it wasn't my forte as far as total system interest.
The only system I enjoyed working on was the iDEN 900 MHz Product Group Alpha system in Fort Lauderdale around Christmas 1997 and New Years 1998. I also had Las Vegas in the plans but a vacation came up and someone else had to go in my place, Oh well. I also did a MiKE system in Vancouver, B.C. in June 1998, Oh it was beautiful up there, we had record breaking temperatures in the 90s ... the local people were just about dying with the heat. The team of guys I was with were in seventh heavan!
The /\/\ iDEN system concept is based against a Cellular system and does not have a voting comparator, it samples the in bound subscriber signal through a DC measured voltage Signal Strenght Indicator and decides which cell site the subscriber unit should be on. In the interconnect mode, the subscriber unit is not working in a full duplex mode but is switching so fast between Tx and Rx that the normal human ear can not detect the operation unless the system is incorrectly set up. The Direct Connect as two-way radio works normal .... PTT to Tx and release PTT to listen Rx. There are 2 DS0s used for Voice Traffic and 3 DS0s for the Interconnect Telephone Voice traffic. Each RF Channel is 25 KHz wide but can carry 3 conversation plus signaling applications. It uses the TDMA format and QAM Quad signaling more efficient for spectrum use.
/\/\ signed a service contract with Nextel regarding the service repairs on the Infrastructure equipment. I don't think you'll find much surplus equipment floating around on eekBay.
Dan