Batboard

Small near by PD is wanting to put a repeater on line, since their district has increased in size and is a heavly wooded area and simplex just aint covering it any more. Coverage for mobiles and HT's is about 30mi radius. They only have 1 freq so obviously they'd have to get another channel. No tower just a 150' water tower. Vhf Hi-Band, and no money to upgrade to anything fancy. Any suggestions on a good repeater for reasonable price??? Also I have never done an install on a repeater, tons of mobiles/bases ect but no repeater experience. Obviously some of this will have to be contracted out beyond me but for now I figured I'd get suggestions.

As this is a police department, the only route that you should consider is to employ a qualified service shop to supply and install proper equipment.
It would be a dis-service to the end users not to install a proper system.
Lives depend on a system like this.

HERE! HERE! Well said Alan

fred flintstone, check some of the other topics here for more information. Also look at HumHead's posts/topics here, he is doing the same thing. I can help with the engineering and equipment needed, and as this has been discussed in detail on the posts, contact me in PM for more.

Will

The first thing you need to do is inform this department that it isn't going to be cheap to give their officers a reliable communications system. To do it right, they are going to spend some $$$
A 150' water tower will probably be good for your ceverage- as long as the proper antenna is chosen.

....like Will said.

allan-

I will be working with a professional company, but it specializes more in repair than system installs. We are fully aware that the system has to be reliable since it is public safety and would not even begin to put anyone at risk with a sub-par system. The owner of the business is a police officer so he knows first hand how important reliable communications is! I was just wondering if any of you guys had any suggestions, since they seem pretty persistent to do this, even after being told that it really should not be done cheaply.

Fred,

You might consider a Motorola MTR2000 for the repeater. This is a quality ifrastructure grade unit which should serve reliably for many years.

It is a lot less money than a top-of-the-line radio like a Quantar and yet it is a lot more radio than a repeater made up by hooking two low-tier mobiles together.

We have quite a number of these installed in public safety systems in this area and they have performed well.

I second the idea of the MTR2000. Very reliable unit for public safety and VERY reliable. It's a REAL repeater designed to operate for many years and in hellish locations and climates.

I would have to agree with the mtr2000 also. I think it would be a much better system for them. Funny it was mentioned about hooking 2 mobiles together for a repeater. That idea was mentioned by the PD and I kind of kringed Anyway I also read the posts from hum-head on a similar deal and got several good ideas. Thanks Guys! Any more suggestions are greatly appreciated.

As far as repeaters go, I have to disagree.The DX Radio systems RTF series is blowing our MTR's out of the water.

Just my $0.02

DX who? Yugos got great gas mileage too. Here today - gone tomorrow.

Go with the winner.

Before spending money on electonics...as much of the available cash should be spent on a high-quality antenna and high quality feedline...

you can play with different types of repeaters later, but if your antenna and/or cable is junk, you will be spending a lot of time climbing that 150' water tower regardless of what repeater you have

I guess I take for granted the elevation and terrain differences here in upstate SC. I service numerous VHF and UHF sites here and have been using DX (Not the "WHO") Radio Systems RTF series repeaters. They literally blow the MTR2000 off the mountain. We are overcrowded with VHF sites and as I'm sure you all know that is a nightmare. One of the sites is at a little over 1100 feet above sea level. There is a 60' forrestry tower on top and that's where the antenna is located. Mobile coverage is well over 50 miles and handheld coverage is almost 96% of the county (would be closer to 100% discounting the conditions if it were not for another 1100' peak at the edge of the county. If you want to see real coverage, check out our Highway Patrol's Low Band system! I think somebody earlier said it best; hire a good consultant and engineer. What works for us, may not work for you, but the fact is, you know what you need and the dealers know what you can get. Talk about it, and plan the system. Visit other agencies and find out what works and what doesn't work for them, then challenge your dealer to provide. THere is also something called the "Domestic Preparedness Grant" that funds monies through states for things such as "interoperability" or communications. You can find it on the Department of Justice's web site.

Just my $0.02

The MTR2000 in VHF is a realy good repeater. As was stated the antenna design is the most important part.
Too much antenna gain can kill your range.