Custom GR300 repeater setup help

[Jay G.]

Hello All. I'm sure someone out here can give me the right way of doing this.

Existing bi-directional crossband repeater - VHF to UHF.
I want to add a UHF input which would output to BOTH the UHF and VHF side.
Essentially creating a true UHF to UHF repeater, and the output from the repeater goes out to VHF as well as UHF, and the VHF then also goes back onto the UHF side.

Can someone help me out on the 16 pinnning I will need to do? I realize this is a custom cable.

thanks!

[KB2ZTX]

I have one on the air at home. All the info is in the RICK book. I dont have it in front of me at this time, but will dig around for it.

[motorola_otaku]

There are a couple of ways you can go about it. I'm assuming a few things here:
-your UHF radios will be used as a standard duplex repeater.
-the VHF radio is secondary.
-you are using the 16-pin accessory connectors and not the 8-pin RJ45 mic jacks.
-you are using Pin 8 as COR.

First and foremost, reset the DIP switches for standard repeater operation.

One way is to build a crossband repeater cable and connect it between the VHF radio and J4-ACC on the RICK. It would go like this:

Code: Select all

J4        VHF
7----------7
8----------3
3----------8
11---------5
5----------11

Downside of this is that you don't reap the audio processing benefits of the RICK going from VHF to UHF and vice-versa. Upside is that you get to keep your hang time on the UHF-UHF repeated side.

An alternative way would be to draw TX signalling and audio from J3-TX, do likewise for receive on J5-RX, and combine these to feed your VHF radio. It would go like this:

Code: Select all

J5        VHF
11--------11
8----------8
7----------7

J3        VHF
3----------3
5----------5
7----------7

Downside to this is that you'd have to disable hang time, because it will cause TX/RX flip-flopping on the VHF radio and prevent someone from "breaking in" on the VHF side during hang time. Upside is that the cross-band audio will sound much better.

The best way would be to get another RICK box, configure it for cross-band repeating, and connect it between your VHF radio and J4 on the original RICK which is then configured for standard repeater operation.

[Jay G.]

Currently, its a crossband setup, and both radios are actually CDM1250's
The goal here is to add a low power GM300 or similar as a UHF input only radio.
So I guess, YES i will be switching it over to a true UHF inband repeater with the VHF link.

Q: Will the VHF be able to rebroadcast EVERYTHING from UHF and will the UHF go back over VHF if done this way.

Thanks for the help!!!

[Jay G.]

Ok, spent a few hrs today at the site trying to get it working, with no luck. Is it possibly the fact that i'm using CDM's and not GM300's?

Any ideas?

Am I better getting an amateur controller to do this?

[Jay G.]

Sucess! I found out the hard way that the RICKS will only allow it to use this setup with GM300's. it wont work with maxtracs or CDM1250's.....No clue why though...

[motorola_otaku]

I found out the hard way that the RICKS will only allow it to use this setup with GM300's.

Uh... no? I've used several flavors of Maxtrac, SM50s and even M1225s in RICK-based repeater setups.

What was the problem you were having with Maxtrac radios? No TX keying, no repeated audio, or something else?

Oh, and I got your PM about 2 months late. Glad to hear you were at least able to put together a working setup.