As you can gather from about a million of my previous posts I am using a Cat 300DX controller.
I am not happy with its performance? It works fine, I just feel that it could be better. One of my things is that when it is cold out the controller doesn't want to know anything about DTMF commands?? Has anyone else had this problem?? My radio is in an outdoor cabinet and is subject to temp changes, but there is other equipment in their keeping things fairly warm.
Anyway, here are some I am looking at:
NHRC
Link
S-Com
I am going to be adding a doug hall RV/2 to my system and want the ability to turn off different voting sites. Can I accomplish this easier with a particular controller??
Happy Holidays, Rob
Poll: Best Repeater Controller- Need Info
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I have owned the LINK RLC-3 and S-COM 7K controllers, as well as the ACC RC-850. All of these are very good controllers, but their respective designs and technologies are extremely dated. S-COM was on the verge of coming out with an all new, state-of-the-art controller well over a year ago, but they subsequently abandoned it due to extremely weak Ham market demand. They have since re-introduced their 7K controller, which had been discontinued in favor of their all new controller, until the marketplace forces (or lack thereof) killed off that idea.
I've asked LINK about their plans for a new controller numerous times, and I get the impression that they see the same weak Ham outlook for repeater controllers as does S-COM (Hams are abandoning FM repeaters like rats jumping off a sinking ship, and going to increasingly cheap cellular, and/or playing with their PC's on the net).
We are still using an S-COM 7K controller connected to a DIU 3000 that supports mixed mode ops on our Conventional UHF Quantar. This arrangement works extremely well, and is completely transparent. It is an excellent choice for this sort of P25 application, although you have to make a small mod (interrupt the RX to TX audio path in the 7K), so the Quantar and DIU 3000 remain "in charge" of things, and you can automatically fully handle legacy analog FM and IMBE modes (e.g., it's automatically mode steered by the DIU 3000, based on the mode of the input signal). By plug-n-play connecting the S-COM 7K controller to the DIU 3000, it provides a nice (programmable) hang time carrier in IMBE mode. We've had a blast with the DAB, and it works like a champ in both FM and IMBE modes.
It's a shame that Ed Ingber’s (WA6AXX) ACC RC-850 is still the best repeater controller ever built, and I believe far superior than either the LINK or S-COM current (albeit extremely dated) product lines.
Given the choices, I would first try to find an RC-850 on eBay. I saw one recently that was NIB with the latest firmware, and it went for $400. Short of that, I would opt for the S-COM 7K, especially with its way cool DAB. The 7K is definitely your best choice if you want to plug-and-play it to a DIU 3000 (plugs right into the RJ-45 port on the rear of the DIU 3000), and have a fully transparent controller on your IMBE Quant.
http://www.scomcontrollers.com/
Enjoy!
larry
I've asked LINK about their plans for a new controller numerous times, and I get the impression that they see the same weak Ham outlook for repeater controllers as does S-COM (Hams are abandoning FM repeaters like rats jumping off a sinking ship, and going to increasingly cheap cellular, and/or playing with their PC's on the net).
We are still using an S-COM 7K controller connected to a DIU 3000 that supports mixed mode ops on our Conventional UHF Quantar. This arrangement works extremely well, and is completely transparent. It is an excellent choice for this sort of P25 application, although you have to make a small mod (interrupt the RX to TX audio path in the 7K), so the Quantar and DIU 3000 remain "in charge" of things, and you can automatically fully handle legacy analog FM and IMBE modes (e.g., it's automatically mode steered by the DIU 3000, based on the mode of the input signal). By plug-n-play connecting the S-COM 7K controller to the DIU 3000, it provides a nice (programmable) hang time carrier in IMBE mode. We've had a blast with the DAB, and it works like a champ in both FM and IMBE modes.
It's a shame that Ed Ingber’s (WA6AXX) ACC RC-850 is still the best repeater controller ever built, and I believe far superior than either the LINK or S-COM current (albeit extremely dated) product lines.
Given the choices, I would first try to find an RC-850 on eBay. I saw one recently that was NIB with the latest firmware, and it went for $400. Short of that, I would opt for the S-COM 7K, especially with its way cool DAB. The 7K is definitely your best choice if you want to plug-and-play it to a DIU 3000 (plugs right into the RJ-45 port on the rear of the DIU 3000), and have a fully transparent controller on your IMBE Quant.
http://www.scomcontrollers.com/
Enjoy!
larry
Rob,
I guess a lot of your questions could be answered depending on what your requirements are. The S-com 7K will support a second transmitter (the repeater counting as one) and three different receivers (the same holds true the repeater receiver counts as one) Then there's the Link Com that is user freindly for creating several different links. The RLC-4 if I'm not mistaken will support a second stand alone repeater (I don't have the Link manual handy right now I'm just going from memory which is like a bunny rabbits tail short and fuzzy)
Both are pretty straight forward I do think you can do more customizing with macros with the S-com line. I've got a 7K on my repeater and have yet to have a glich with it after 7years. I've done some stuff with the Link stuff on some of my Red Cross projects. Larry is right though...you can't beat a RC-850
Doug
I guess a lot of your questions could be answered depending on what your requirements are. The S-com 7K will support a second transmitter (the repeater counting as one) and three different receivers (the same holds true the repeater receiver counts as one) Then there's the Link Com that is user freindly for creating several different links. The RLC-4 if I'm not mistaken will support a second stand alone repeater (I don't have the Link manual handy right now I'm just going from memory which is like a bunny rabbits tail short and fuzzy)
Both are pretty straight forward I do think you can do more customizing with macros with the S-com line. I've got a 7K on my repeater and have yet to have a glich with it after 7years. I've done some stuff with the Link stuff on some of my Red Cross projects. Larry is right though...you can't beat a RC-850
Doug
May the Schwarz be with you.
Link-Comm
I like the Link Comm. I liked them more when they were cheaper. The RLC1 and 1Plus work real nice for something simple. We have a RLC2 early production (SN 75) We have had some problems with it, but once the firmware was right it has been fine. It did lock up on us once after many years of proper operation.
What I look for in a controller is the ease of use of the output lines. I use Delta and Rangr radios for remote bases with either 16 or 32 channels. I like macros that are easy to setup for channel selection, the number of macros, and a logical system for switching the outputs manually.
That said, I have been using a lot of CAT250 controllers lately because of cost. Have not had DTMF problems, and we have stuff in an old military comm truck box. Gets very hot and as cold as it gets here, which is not too bad (Kalifornia).
I would say to contact CAT about your problem and see if it can be worked out with them.
I have no comment on the Doug Hall unit. Used one once and now only use GE/Ericsson voters.
Good luck. Getting the right controller for your application is not an easy task.
Josh
What I look for in a controller is the ease of use of the output lines. I use Delta and Rangr radios for remote bases with either 16 or 32 channels. I like macros that are easy to setup for channel selection, the number of macros, and a logical system for switching the outputs manually.
That said, I have been using a lot of CAT250 controllers lately because of cost. Have not had DTMF problems, and we have stuff in an old military comm truck box. Gets very hot and as cold as it gets here, which is not too bad (Kalifornia).
I would say to contact CAT about your problem and see if it can be worked out with them.
I have no comment on the Doug Hall unit. Used one once and now only use GE/Ericsson voters.
Good luck. Getting the right controller for your application is not an easy task.
Josh
