N5MBM Echolink/Allstar/IRLP nodes - Operational

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Weekly Net Schedule

6 meters  -  52.35 tx  51.35 rx with a tone of 103.5  - AllStar Node 42413 -   Operational

2 meters - 145.150 tx 144.55 rx with a tone of 103.5 - AllStar Node 42414Operational

 1.25 meters - 224.900 tx 223.300 rx with a tone of 103.5 -AllStar Node 42471 - Operational

70 cm - 441.625 tx  446.625 rx with a tone of 103.5 - AllStar Node 42466 - Operational

70 cm - 441.300 tx 446.300 rx with a tone of 103.5 -AllStar Node 43035 - Operational

W5TZ - 70 cm - 441.800 tx  446.800 rx with a tone of 127.3 - AllStar Node 4078Operational

33 cm - 927.150 tx 902.150 rx with a tone of 103.5 - AllStar Node 42817 Operational

 

12/25/2015:  The transition to an ALL Asterisk controller based system is now complete.  The Arcom has been retired to duty on our 220 repeater only.  The internet connection has been upgraded and is now more reliable.  Lightning protection has been installed.  The 900 MHz repeater is now operational! 

09/13/2015 - Got my node numbers and waiting for hardware to show up to connect nodes into an AllStar Asterisk controller built out of an old Windoze Vista PC converted to Acid Linux...  Which is probably going to make me rethink and rebuild and RE-engineer how my whole multi-port repeater works!  It is all a grand experiment anyway, right?!?

5/15/2015:  I am in the process of researching options to add these features to our repeater system. It's all a work in progress...   It seems everyone has their own standard and own way of doing things. 

What I am faced with is a choice.  Allstar, IRLP, Echolink all have their following.  I am not familiar enough with all three of them to make a really appropriate choice, I don't think.  But in my research I discovered that one of these standards I already had gear that could work - Echolink.  A Signalink USB sound card adapter that has a PTT output and a spare PC.  Their software interfaces with the internet conencting repeaters and will feed that audio into my repeater and control it with a PTT line using a proprietary VOX circuit.

I plugged it all in, installed the software and it works!  Well, sort of...  I have it set up for inbound but no outbound yet.  Making it full duplex is a bit trickier than it looks.  It needs a radio port off of my controller I don't have to spare.  But I can feed audio FROM the internet into the repeater now for things like the Alaska Morning Net and others.  Over time I have enjoyed listening to the Alaska Morning net and others available over the web.  Now it can be put on the repeater - to one port or all ports at the same time.

I have not setup an Echolink Repeater account yet - I just got a plain old node number.  I will wait to do that until I get it all setup for full duplex.  I am still weighing my options on a controller upgrade that will give me enough ports to tie everything together like it should be.  Asterisk looks promising!  I have been experimenting with feeding the WIN system into the repeaters just to see how HOT the heatsinks get and see if my internet connection will keep things running smoothly.  (So far so good!)

At this time, I have three auxillary audio inputs I can use for stuff like this.  Echolink is on the first port.  I have two other inbound NON duplex ports available.  I am still investigating Allstar and IRLP.

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