Batboard

My company's mobile data system is down in La due to our 56K circuits to the towers being out (They are MCI ckts and guess where they all ran thru?? MCI's network center in........tada....New Orleans!)

We run the system as such:
Astro Spectras (UHF) conventional...Laptops talking to "RS232" port (center connector) on radio...Rptrs are Quantars...with V.24 interface which talks to a 56K ckt using Excalibar DAPs.
Of course the rptrs ONLY rpt "voice" not "data"....they route the data down the V.24 ckt to the DIU at the remote end and then to the RNC and our data network.....

Here is my idea:
Another Quantar programmed as a half duplex control station (talking TO the main rptr) at an office where the 56K circuit is available...making connectivity....then the rptr be programmed to pass the data packets as well as the voice packets...Is there any issues I need to worry about...timing, muting, turn around, etc???

WHAT do I need to do to set this up??? Has anyone made this work before?? MCI says it will be WEEKS or longer before our ckts are back up...and that is BAD for us...if I can get two major sites up as I outlined above, it would get most of our fleet working again (right now they are having to work everything on paper and call the dispatcher on cell phone as the dispatcher has NO connection to the rptr towers.....they normally use the consoles which talk out the rptrs themselves and not control stations, etc)

If you have ANY comments, please reply to my personal email...
wb5itt at gt.rr.com..I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has done this....would save me a LOT of time (something we have little of right now)....I feel pretty sure it can work...but if someone can CONFIRM it, I would feel MUCH better!

Tnx 73
Chris

Well, I tried something.....I enabled the parameter RDLAP ....that does allow the Quantar in rptr mode to pass "data" ....now it keys up when the mobiles tries to register with the RNC....

reprogrammed the other Quantar as a BASE...and on opposite freq...RCV looks good and XMTR set at 20watts...but it can neither HEAR or access the main rptr....(Astro access code matches)...What am I missing??? A Quantar should be able to "talk" to another one shouldnt it?? Anyone have an answer?? I suspect the antenna I was trying to use was not making the path (only 6 miles)...but the R2670 could, so I am a little stumped

Also, I want to be able to MUTE the BASE Quantar's rcvr when its xmtr is active...is there a setting for that and will that affect the V.24 output?

I see over 30+ views of my original post but no replies???? HMmmmmm I would have that someone would have something to say..

Chris

I assume what you are doing is connecting the V.24 link from the DIU to the Quantar control station instead of to the 56K circuit.

You may need to change some settings/switches/jumpers on the WLI board for a local connection.

That way the voice and data will be transmitted from the control station through the repeater. I do know of a location where they are doing exactly that - but it is a voice only system - still - if you can get the voice part working you should be able to get the data to work as well.

I am thinking you have to set the control station Quantar for digital remote control and re-program the repeater for no remote control at all. Then you may have to fiddle with the access code tables and the RNC may need some timing parameter changes to deal with the longer turn around time of the all-RF setup.

Have you called the Motorola System Support Center to ask the back room wizards how to set this up?

Well somewhat...the rptr is using the V.24 over the 56K ckt to talk to the DIU....but the 56K is dead....I wanted to have the remote Quantar (as a BASE) talk to the DIU and send the data thru the main rptr to the units...but nothing was right last night..
BUT I FOUND my problem.....as usual, it was late, I was tired and totally overlooked this...the DUPLEXER was not reversed ("Homer " DOH!)....Got that switched this morning...TADA!!! it took off working...not 100% perfect as I think the data from the RNC/DIU is going out AND coming back...thus choking things down a little...I need to figure out HOW to mute the BASE Quantar rcvr to keep that from happening...
BUT it IS working (and Mother M said it wouldnt!!! They swore it would not pass the Digital ID through the BASE unit..HA! Sounds like IBM when I was working on a ROLM CBX switch....and sure enough, I got it to work as I wanted and THEN IBM/ROLM asked me how I did it......hehehe sometimes I surprise myself..... =
I may have to play with timing issues (rptr hangtime and any delays I can find)....but it IS working....better than what they had before!! All those years with ham and commercial packet still pay off....

Chris