Darcom 9000 II System

[frakertw]

I have a customer that still uses a Darcom 9000 II scada system for monitoring power around their community. They are using remote units that have a Motorola FUF1906BA radio. I have been able to repair a couple of them either by visible component failure or alignment. Questions: Is there anyone that still repairs these units? OR Are there schematics available? Searching the web has yield few if no results.

[Bill_G]

Don't know. I'll check to see if we have any manuals. I don't think I've ever touched a Darcom. Worked on plenty of Intrac in it's day ... which are gone. Most people have moved on to ip based systems either over dsl, cable tv internet, or unlicensed PTP microwave. Some are still using UHF and VF low speed links from a number of vendors like Dataradio (now called something else - I forget), Esteem, and even Black Box. SCADA is still a niche market. It has a lot of players, but I don't think any of them can claim they dominate.

[frakertw]

Thanks Bill. I am sure that the radio I am working on is not reparable, i.e. even with a schematic it might be difficult to troubleshoot. And as these units are long past their support date, I am sure there is not a repair facility. Would be nice if there is a direct replacement out there

[Bill_G]

Doesn't look like we ever touched a Darcom. I have manuals for Intrac, Intrac 2000, and Intrac 2000 Plus, but no Darcom.

Nope - you won't find a direct replacement for it, but you may be able to find something that can transport the data if it's in a standard format. ie: RS232 low speed serial (1200 to 4800) across one link (a pair of radios). There are no over-the-air standards. How one manufacturer handles FSK will be different than another's. Just different enough that they won't exchange data. If you have a polled system (the master station continuously calls each node and they transpond), then you are stuck at replacing everything to upgrade. If you have a report by exception system (remote site only reports when an event occurs and master acks), then with some careful work, you might be able to parallel two masters on the same channel that comm with their remotes ignoring the others. It would give you a migration path. Your other choice is to migrate by changing technology. If you're in an urban area, dsl and cable are good choices, but 802.11a wifi will probably be congested. If you are rural, you might be able to get away with wifi. Or you can get a new license to use low speed serial over the air. There are a lot of choices. An engineering consultant can help you figure out the best route to go.

[fineshot1]

I have a complete Darcom cage F2792A that i can ship if i can find a suitable box that i was never able
to use or find any doc's on if needed.

[RFguy]

I have some service manuals with schematics. Also a few spare modules. I will ship them if you want to cover postage.