The General forum is where users can discuss any topic regarding Motorola communications equipment - hardware, software, etc. There are also several focused forums on this board, so please take the time to ensure that your questions doesn't fall into one of those categories before posting here!
Hi,
I'm putting an MSF5000 repeater on in an Amateur band. The ID'r is programmed, but when it IDs it normally strips the transmit PL off. This may be cool in commercial service, but hams expect to hear an ID. (The mobiles will be using PL decode).
Is there a way to program or otherwise have the ID'r come on and still retain transmit PL? P.S. The only board in the control tray is the SSCB.
You can lengthen the repeater hang time such that it is long enough so the PL remains on while the transmitter IDs. That could be as long as 10-15 seconds depending on the speed you choose for the ID. Now will your users want to let the repeater stay on the air that long, just so they can hear the ID?
Another alternative is to use a separate, external repeater controller which generates its own ID and hang times, disable the MSF5000's ID and repeater hang timers, and then you have better control over what the radio does. There's info about exactly this project in the MSF5000-specific section of BatLabs. But be prepared to spend a couple hundred bucks on a decent controller. After fighting with the MSF5000, this is the way I went.
It's obvious that /\/\ designed the MSF5000 without hams in mind. I guess the commercial users don't want to hear the ID, so by doing it with PL turned off, they satisfy the FCC and keep their paying customers happy.
Bob M.
Last edited by kcbooboo on Wed Sep 28, 2005 5:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I'd try it as-is first. There will be no "beep" to indicate the receiver has squelched up (you'd need an external controller for that), and the users might be happy not to hear the ID all the time anyway. I believe there's an option to have the timeout timer reset when the received carrier goes away, or after the transmitter drops out. Choosing the latter may cause some people to timeout the repeater because they wouldn't hear that the ID is holding the transmitter on the air. Controllers differ in when they reset their timers, so your mileage may vary.
The interfacing isn't too bad. I did it mostly through the phone patch connector on the control board. I used a CAT-200 controller which is simple yet was sufficient for my needs.
instead of turning off the repeater ID and using an aftermarket controller...go the other way around and turn off the repeater TX PL and get an aftermarket PL encoder..they're cheap and easy to install (you can still use the repeater RX PL)
I've had my MSF on 440 for about 5 years now, and I still can't find a reason to spend $300-$500 on a external controller just so I can hear the ID when using PL decode. Users want to hear it when they kerchunk, press the decoder key off or take the mic off hook if they are using commercial stuff.
P.S. The only board in the control tray is the SSCB.
