Plans

Everything here is subject to change!!

Install everything in this repeater cabinet that I picked up at the Lincoln hamfest to keep the gear neat and tidy and to keep mice out:

It’s on it’s side / it should be vertical

Packet: I’ll start with a KPC-3+ and maybe an MFJ Data Radio that I have and move up from there. A Yaesu FT-1500 is ready to go for more RF power. I want to get one of the TNC-X kits and make a Raspberry-Pi based TNC. Other hardware and software TNC’s will be tested as well. Planning on using 145.010 for packet. Might even try some 9600 baud packet some day.

220 Mhz band: I’m intrigued by the 220 band and I will be doing tests from the site on 220. Just don’t know yet what those tests will be.

UHF repeater: I have two UHF repeaters and duplexers, but the duplexers need tuned. I’ll start with a simple analog voice repeater to get any bugs worked out and learn all I can from that. Then I want to get one of the MMDVM digital voice modems and start learning how that all works. Might investigate linking the two repeaters someday. Might built a “permanent” cross-band repeater — something with a higher duty cycle than my FT-8900R.

Repeater controller: Don’t know yet. I was thinking I’d get a S-COM 7330 like is on the MAARS repeater so I could get familiar with it. Time and money will tell….. There are lots of options here and the Raspberry-Pi based controllers are very interesting to me….

Antenna: There will be many antennas tested at the site. But, if I had to choose right now, I’d say my goal is the Comet CX-333 Triband Base Antenna along with the Comet triplexer so three different radios/bands can use the one antenna. That’s a ways off, however. Meanwhile, there are plenty of antennas to test!

And more!