Newbie Pondering a Portable Repeater

[akardam]

I'll preface this with the note that I'm a newbie to repeaters, so bear with me :)

I've recently obsoleted a couple of my Icom commercial mobile radios, and I'm thinking of making a portable repeater out of them a la Haloncloud's portable repeater here:

http://batboard.batlabs.com/viewtopic.php?t=38075

This repeater's main purpose would be as a temporary/emergency local area repeater (i.e. go park it on top of a hill and provice handheld coverage within a 5 mile or so radius). The requirements are pretty simple:

1. It needs to have a CW IDer (duh).
2. Duplex operation with two radios.
3. It would be nice if it had a courtesy tone, but that's not absolutely necessary.

I would obviously need a power source, duplexer, and controller, in addition to the radios. My first question is that since I've not come across a RICK like unit for my Icom radios, is there any controller kit that anyone could recommend? Would it be a simple matter to rewire a RICK for operation with my Icom radios? As for PL's, would the controller be responsible for handling them, or would the radios be? (i.e. if I had it setup for PL in and out, vs PL in CSQ out). I'd also have to think about duty cycle and cooling for the TX radio, even if I ran the thing at low power.

Anyway, any help/suggestions/suggested reading or sites would be appreciated.

Thanks,
akardam

[radiokid]

I may be mistaken, but Icom does make a RICK like product. I have seen them in some catalog. I don't remember which model # it works with. I think it was in World Radio is where I saw it. God luck, Radio kid.

[mancow]

I tried finding the ad but I believe someone on here was selling CES repeater maker boxes for $25 or so.

I have one and haven't found the documentation on how to use it yet but it looks like just the thing you would need.


mancow

[kcbooboo]

I'd recommend that you let the radios handle encoding and decoding of PL. Also, if the receiver is capable of disabling it's PL decoder (i.e. leaving you with carrier squelch only), that you find a way to switch that feature on and off. You never know when someone else will show up whose radio doesn't have the right PL tone. Depending on the controller you end up with, you might be able to control the PL decoder from the controller.

I've had good luck with the CAT-200 controllers made by Computer Automation Technology (I think that's the name) in Florida. They're pricey but work well. They have both voice and CW ID capability and recognize touch-tones for control Fully configurable timing and beacon modes are provided. My first repeater used a pair of MaxTracs and this controller, as well as a duplexer and power supply. This was all I needed and it worked very well. My second repeater is a MSF5000 base station that also uses a CAT-200 controller and an external duplexer.

Bob M.