ASTRO Quantar Remote Interface Opinions

[ASTROMODAT]

Hi, Gang!

I'm new to this group, and it sure looks like a GREAT bunch of folks---very knowledgable people with a GOOD sense of humor!

My company (Zcopters) is getting ready to order a new ASTRO Quantar repeater (110 watt UHF 438- 470 MHz conventional ASTRO CAI/APCO 25 w/ DES OFB w/ tripple circulator & factory duplexer, plus battery revert) from Motorola. We need interconnect capability, so we plan to order and have Motorola integrate the Motorola MRTI 2000 interconnect. This requires that the entire order goes into an "SP mode" since we need the ASTRO DIU 3000 and the MRTI 2000 colocated in the same rack as the Quantar repeater. This greatly complicates the order and lengthens the delivery way out.

Anyways, we plan to re-use our existing Zetron Model 280 digital DSP tone remote sets at our various business locations and in my home (since these units cost almost $1,500 a piece, and they are fairly new).

May I humbly ask 5 questions regarding my Quantar order? (Please excuse my ignorance!):

1) Will this set-up w/ the Zetron Model 280 desk sets give us good results, or would we be better off going with the Motorola digital desk set, or even their analog desk sets? Our Zetron desk sets are currently connected to a Micor repeater with a 4-wire private line (3002 circuit).

2) I originally thought that the 4-wire interface would make sense, but I'm hearing that there might be an advantage to order the Quantar with the 6- wire interface option (allows 4-wire for voice, plus 2-wire for dedicated and fully separate tone signaling). Apparently, some encryption setups are better off and/or need the 6-wire interface? Is it possible that the 6-wire interface may be needed on the Quantar, yet the DIU 3000 interface to the MRTI and the Telco line may be only 4-wire?

3) Is there any need for the ASTRO modem? We have no plans to trunk on our 450 system.


4) Should I spend the extra money on the various wild card options (you can get up to 24 wild cards if you spend enough---seems like a waste).

5) Any other options I should consider ordering, especially if they can't be added later ?

Thanks, in advance, for any of your kind help you might be able to provide me in this matter! Over the years, I have found that it is very advantagous to know EXACTLY what you want from Motorola BEFORE finalizing the order---sort of like a prepared Boy Scout...

Larry

[xmo]

Called a special emergency meeting of the Batlabs Central Astro Configuration Investigation Committee (BCACIC).

BCACIC assembled the following to assist in configuration experiments:

1] VHF Quantar Astro repeater
2] VHF Quantar Astro control station
3] Quantar instruction and service manuals
4] Quantar RSS Rel 12.03.00 and manual
5] One DIU3000
6] DIU owners and service manuals
7] DIU RSS 7.01.20 and 7.01.18 & RSS manual
8] One VHF Astro Saber III portable (also IMBE)
9] Two VHF XTS3000 portables(with IMBE flash)
10] Comtegra & T5600 consoles
11] Service monitor
12] Transmission test set
13] DSO
14] Programming computers & cables
15] etc.

Please email your P.O. and we will provide you with the results of these tests.
...
...
Ok - OK - We didn't actually set all this up to answer your questions - you just happened to pick the same weekend to ask your questions as we picked for some learning experiments. We answered most of our questions and maybe some of yours...

1. Your Zetron desk sets should work perfectly with your new equipment as should your existing four wire control circuit. The DIU3000 supports tone remote (or E&M) analog control consoles via either 2 or 4 wire connection (programmable).

2. The manuals show a four wire interface between the Quantar and the DIU. That is what we used for both analog and digital (mixed mode) operation. Two wire connection does not appear to be supported. We found nothing to suggest an application for a six wire connection. (Encryption uses a cartridge that goes inside the DIU)

3.) You stated that your Quantar, DIU, and MRTI will be co-located. In this case you do not need the Astro modem. The Astro modem for the Quantar (and a companion option in the DIU) allow the DIU and a remotely located Quantar to be connected by a four-wire private line. This is a $1500 option on the Quantar.

When co-located you need the V.24 option in the Quantar ($500) The DIU appears to come standard with V.24 capability.

You must have one of these two options to connect the DIU to the Quantar.

4) The wild card is a hardware interface option for the quantar that allows external devices to influence station operation as well as providing a way for station commands (executed from the console) to provide outputs to influence other devices at the site. If you don't need those abilities - you probably don't need the wild card.

5. What else is there that you want to do? The radio is pretty capable out of the box.

BTW - there is a jack marked "PATCH" on the DIU3000 and appropriate programming parameters in the RSS so the MRTI should be a happy camper.

Also found what appears to be a bad bug in the tone table part of the 7.01.20 DIU RSS and had to revert to the 7.01.18

[ASTROMODAT]

Hi, xmo!

Glad I didn't give you a PO#, or I'd expect a big bill for for all this work! Thanks so much, as your advice is MUCH appreciated!

You have outlined an excellent solution! Since I have to pay for a 4-wire, 3002 (Type 5) Private Line Telco circuit to provide a connection from my tone remote desk sets to the proposed DIU 3000 (co-located at the mountain top Quantar repeater), it seems like it would make WAY more sense to NOT co-locate a DIU 3000, nor the MRTI 2000 patch, at the remote Quantar site. Instead, I should add an ASTRO modem at the Quantar repeater site, and also configure an ASTRO modem in the DIU 3000 at my business location. Then, I could locally connect my Zetron Model 280 tone remote desk sets, and the MRTI, to the DIU 3000. This way, I would have the same transport costs, but with the huge advantage of having the DIU AND the MRTI at my business location. Also, the security is much better since everything would be in the encrypted mode at the repeater site, and the DIU would be at my business location, where we would manage and load the secure key(s). I beleieve that this would also avoid having an SP order since everything will now be standard/out-of-the-box. Motorola had told me that if I had a DIU 3000 and MRTI co-located with the Quantar repeater, it would be an SP (more cost and a longer order interval time). Makes sense to me now why they were saying it would be an SP---I can't imagine any reason why one would want to co-locate the DIU and MRTI at the repeater!


Thanks again, xmo! What a GREAT solution!

Larry

P.S. Why would someone opt for the DGT-9000 digital desk set? The DGT-9000 digital mode is for what reason? Is it really analog, but it utilizes digital DSP?

[Astro Spectra]

Hi xmo or any other Quantar expert,

Do you know why you have to purchase the V.24 option to go on the wireline board when there is the spare 'General Purpose' synchronous RS-232 port (connects to SCC4) already on the back of the Quantar?

Note: The general purpose connector is J15 the DB-25 above the Ethernet BNC.

John

[xmo]

Now how would Motorola be able to improve the corporate bottom line and contribute to general domestic economic recovery if they gave away something they can sell for $500 ????

On the other hand, it could be because of distributed processing.

SCC4 communicates with the microprocessor on the station control board whereas the Astro data (V.24 or modem) comes from & goes to the microprocessor on the wire line interface board.