Batboard

Can I use a HLN3333 or similar R.I.C.K repeater interface and two trbo XPR5550 or XPR4550 mobiles to create a simple digital trbo repeater?

Thanks

I would NOT use the dammed R.I.C.K., WAY too many problems.

Buy the cables from MRE. (someone help with the correct site info.)

g8tzl2004 wrote:Can I use a HLN3333 or similar R.I.C.K repeater interface and two trbo XPR5550 or XPR4550 mobiles to create a simple digital trbo repeater?

Thanks

No, not really. You won't get two timeslots and your talkgroup IDs won't pass nor will your unit IDs. Hope you weren't planning on using private calls. Oh yeah it'll sound like garbage too because you'll be double vocoding.

escomm wrote:

g8tzl2004 wrote:Can I use a HLN3333 or similar R.I.C.K repeater interface and two trbo XPR5550 or XPR4550 mobiles to create a simple digital trbo repeater?

Thanks

No, not really. You won't get two timeslots and your talkgroup IDs won't pass nor will your unit IDs. Hope you weren't planning on using private calls. Oh yeah it'll sound like garbage too because you'll be double vocoding.

All good points, although depending on his definition of "simple", two timeslots and IDs probably aren't necessary. I've actually done this for a couple of applications, connecting disparate types of systems just to get audio between them, and the resulting double-vocoded sound to my ears isn't really any different than regular TRBO audio, IMO. I didn't use a RICK though, I simply wired the accessory connectors together with the proper pinouts & programming, turned off AGC and set the audio levels at the accessory pins manually with the CPS digital gain fields.

Thanks for the useful feedback.

Do you have any info on building the simple accessory cable and the correct CPS settings?

g8tzl2004 wrote:Thanks for the useful feedback.

Do you have any info on building the simple accessory cable and the correct CPS settings?

It's really very simple. Each radio needs a ground, TX audio, RX audio, and PTT. Each radio is also capable of a low COR signal output when receiving a qualified signal.

So, you google "XPR4550 accessory pins" and get the pin layout...or search for it in the CPS help, it is in there. The TX audio, RX audio, and Ground pins are all 'hard coded'. The PTT and COR can be just about any of the programmable pins, although the factory default for PTT is already set for pin 17 in the CPS.

Connect any of the ground pins from one radio to another. Cross-connect each radio's RX & TX pins. Cross-connect each radio's COR and PTT pins. Bam, there's your cable.

Program each radio's COR to be active low, that's what the PTT pin will be looking for.

Turn off AGC, set your rear accessory gains manually...I find -3 to -6 db to work well.

Many thanks for the info - its much appreciated