Hi Guys,
On a mixed mode IMBE Quantar, is it possible to have no CTCSS/DCS in analog mode? Has anyone done this?
Cheers,
Matt
Quantar mixed mode problem
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Re: Quantar mixed mode problem
Actually that question isn't quite right - what I meant to ask is
"Can it be done without the ASTRO digital noise going over the analog 4 wire interface when operating in IMBE mode"
"Can it be done without the ASTRO digital noise going over the analog 4 wire interface when operating in IMBE mode"
Re: Quantar mixed mode problem
It can. What is your goal here? Give us a better idea of what you are wanting to do. I have a mixed mode Quantar operating here on the bench that operates in in-cabinet repeat in digital mode, but still allows analog mode to operate as usual with a voting comparator and console and all of that. Of course in my situation a DIU is being used to facilitate the analog stuff instead of the digital stuff, but it's pretty neat being able to key up on "channel 1" on the console and be in analog, and "channel 2" and be in digital. I digress.
Re: Quantar mixed mode problem
Very nice.
The Quantar is linked to an analog network of repeaters, so in analog mode we need it to pass the audio out the back into the link radio.
In digital mode it is to be purely standalone.. Its been awhile since I looked at the config so I shall dig back in and come back with more info.
Cheer,s
Matt
The Quantar is linked to an analog network of repeaters, so in analog mode we need it to pass the audio out the back into the link radio.
In digital mode it is to be purely standalone.. Its been awhile since I looked at the config so I shall dig back in and come back with more info.
Cheer,s
Matt
Re: Quantar mixed mode problem
OK. If you want, I can send you a codeplug from my Quantar that is configured as I stated above. The audio coming out of the back of the station LINE 2 connector has status tone on it for the voting comparator, but that is turned off easily enough.
I think the real trick to all this though is using the DIU for it's digital keying... I can send you a codeplug from that as well if you'd like. The comparator tone-keys the DIU which in turn digitally keys the Quantar (even in analog mode). The console then tone keys via the comparator for console priority.
It's a rinky-dink method of doing this that Motorola said cannot be done, but I'm doing it. Do you have a DIU? I saw one on eBay recently for $550 buy-it-now. I must say from my experience the DIU opens up a lot of possibilities that the Quantar cannot do by itself, even in analog mode. The "PATCH" port on the back of the DIU is pretty useful as well once you figure out how to interface it.
You may not need the DIU at all if you're creative.
I think the real trick to all this though is using the DIU for it's digital keying... I can send you a codeplug from that as well if you'd like. The comparator tone-keys the DIU which in turn digitally keys the Quantar (even in analog mode). The console then tone keys via the comparator for console priority.
It's a rinky-dink method of doing this that Motorola said cannot be done, but I'm doing it. Do you have a DIU? I saw one on eBay recently for $550 buy-it-now. I must say from my experience the DIU opens up a lot of possibilities that the Quantar cannot do by itself, even in analog mode. The "PATCH" port on the back of the DIU is pretty useful as well once you figure out how to interface it.
You may not need the DIU at all if you're creative.
Re: Quantar mixed mode problem
Thanks for the info - I would love a DIU but right now I can't afford to dump any more money into radios.
I went back over the problem - and here is a better description. The Quantar is mixed mode as above. We are using the line out on the telco connector to feed audio into the link. The CD pin on the telco connector will activate whenever there is P25 or Analog going through the repeater, so whenever there is a P25 conversation going through the Q, the linked analog repeaters all key up with silence. The workaround was to kludge some logic together in the wildcard tables to activate a pin on the telco connector when the correct CTCSS tone was detected (RX PL DETECT) - however this forces us to use CTCSS in analog mode which is a problem for us.
The repeater has a 4 wireline card which means we only have the "basic" wildcard state tables... which means that the RX ANALOG state isn't available to us.
Is there still a way without the 8-wireline card or DIU?
I went back over the problem - and here is a better description. The Quantar is mixed mode as above. We are using the line out on the telco connector to feed audio into the link. The CD pin on the telco connector will activate whenever there is P25 or Analog going through the repeater, so whenever there is a P25 conversation going through the Q, the linked analog repeaters all key up with silence. The workaround was to kludge some logic together in the wildcard tables to activate a pin on the telco connector when the correct CTCSS tone was detected (RX PL DETECT) - however this forces us to use CTCSS in analog mode which is a problem for us.
The repeater has a 4 wireline card which means we only have the "basic" wildcard state tables... which means that the RX ANALOG state isn't available to us.
Is there still a way without the 8-wireline card or DIU?
Re: Quantar mixed mode problem
I have not tried this personally but others have reported that it works.
Using the RSS/CPS, go into the station configuration and tell the station that it has an 8-wire card and enhanced wildcard.
Obviously the station configuration won't match if you use the 'validate' function, but the station will run OK. Equally obvious, you can't use the I/O functions that don't exist on the 4-wire card , but what you want is the larger logic feature set of the enhanced wildcard and that should work fine.
If you try it, let us know how it works for you.
Using the RSS/CPS, go into the station configuration and tell the station that it has an 8-wire card and enhanced wildcard.
Obviously the station configuration won't match if you use the 'validate' function, but the station will run OK. Equally obvious, you can't use the I/O functions that don't exist on the 4-wire card , but what you want is the larger logic feature set of the enhanced wildcard and that should work fine.
If you try it, let us know how it works for you.
Re: Quantar mixed mode problem
I had read a similar thing on the web over here http://www.repeater-builder.com/motorol ... r-tip.html
The difference is that they seem to think you need access to an enhanced board in order to do the initial setup..
I'll have a crack without it and see what happens
The difference is that they seem to think you need access to an enhanced board in order to do the initial setup..
I'll have a crack without it and see what happens
Re: Quantar mixed mode problem
You do not need the 8-Wire WL card to lie to the station and tell it that it has one. Just select it in the programming software and it'll believe you.
Your link/Quantar receiver situation doesn't use PL? Otherwise you can pull a line off the back that goes active on PL and your set. As for running the analog side in carrier squelch, well, you are kind of SOL in that situation because the carrier detect line on the Quantar is going to change logic states regardless of what modulation it's receiving, digital or analog. You may have to give a little to get a little.
If you can't get the results you want with the solution xmo suggested, you're going to have to buy a DIU to do what you want. The up-side to this is that you can run digital into the Quantar and come out the link in analog and vice-versa, INCLUDING DTMF signaling in both analog and digital mode.
Your link/Quantar receiver situation doesn't use PL? Otherwise you can pull a line off the back that goes active on PL and your set. As for running the analog side in carrier squelch, well, you are kind of SOL in that situation because the carrier detect line on the Quantar is going to change logic states regardless of what modulation it's receiving, digital or analog. You may have to give a little to get a little.
If you can't get the results you want with the solution xmo suggested, you're going to have to buy a DIU to do what you want. The up-side to this is that you can run digital into the Quantar and come out the link in analog and vice-versa, INCLUDING DTMF signaling in both analog and digital mode.
Re: Quantar mixed mode problem
We have managed to trick the box into thinking it has the advanced wireline features, without the 8 WL card ever being present.
Essentially we can't run a tone on analog because the OF's complain that we have put CTCSS on an emergency repeater so analog mode has to be carrier squelch, this will make things much better!
Cheers,
Matt
Essentially we can't run a tone on analog because the OF's complain that we have put CTCSS on an emergency repeater so analog mode has to be carrier squelch, this will make things much better!
Cheers,
Matt
Re: Quantar mixed mode problem
Tell 'em to get with the times.
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blackwater
- Posts: 50
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Re: Quantar mixed mode problem
This answers one of my questions. I'm fixing to put up a mix-mode Quantar on a linked system that is all analog. If I go with the DIU then can the Quantar be setup to just pass analog traffic along the system, and the digital act as a stand alone? Am I reading that correctly?d119 wrote:If you can't get the results you want with the solution xmo suggested, you're going to have to buy a DIU to do what you want. The up-side to this is that you can run digital into the Quantar and come out the link in analog and vice-versa, INCLUDING DTMF signaling in both analog and digital mode.
Also, say I wanted to link two-three Quantars together via IP over a 500 mile range, can they be linked just in digital mode via the DIU? or are there other ways to do it? There isn't that much info that I've been able to find about linking these repeaters.