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During the holidays the Black Mountain repeater site upgrade was completed. This included a replacement of the home brew 70cm repeater with a new “Swinton Standard” repeater chassis. A home brew multimode 2m repeater has been introduced to this site to provide overlapping coverage together with 2m VK4RSA Sarina multimode to the south. The new repeater controller houses the powerful Odroid SBC which uses an ocotacore processor. The 2m radio shelf interfaces to the mmdvm modem and the 70cm shelf interfaces to the DSTAR DVRPTRv1 board and both modems hang off the Odroid single board computer. The site has also been upgraded with remote monitored CCTV and intruder alarm system.

Please try the new multimode 2m repeater 146.650MHz -600KHz (P25, DMR and DSTAR)

Multimode repeater controller has two modems and Odroid single board computer

DSTAR available in Bowen QLD

Mick, VK4CMW in Bowen has completed his D-Star Hotspot that will service the Bowen and surrounding area. The hotspot is using DVRPTR v1 modem, Raspberry Pi3 and Motorola M120 Radio into a home brew J-Pole antenna at 15m.

The hotspot frequency is 145.725

RPTR1 VK4CMW C
RPTR 2 VK4CMW G

New DSTAR repeater at the Gemfields

New DSTAR repeater at the Gemfields commissioned

438.725MHz -5MHz

RPT1 VK4HTN B

RPT2 VK4HTN G

Located near Emerald in central Queensland. The Gemfields area includes the towns of Sapphire and Rubyvale famous for unique gemstones. The new repeater has been built around Tait 8200 radios, DVRPTRv1 and Raspberry Pi. The repeater will be linked to DCS028Q and is sponsored by Bob VK4HTN. Thanks Bob for the internet connection and access to the 40m tower. We are also hearing talk of two other DSTAR repeaters in the pipeline for Longreach and Mt Isa areas.

 

Dashboard http://124.178.243.230:82/

Mt Archer DSTAR repeater site in Rockhampton

Mt Archer DSTAR repeater site in Rockhampton

Big welcome to Rockhampton DSTAR users

The Rockhampton DSTAR repeater is now fully operational. The installation work has been completed on Mt Archer this morning to rearrange the rack space and fit the new equipment. The antenna installed is a single side mount dipole. Reports are that the repeater is working well and gives good coverage to amateur radio operators in the Rocky area. The system was tested by Lawrie VK4YN at the Gladstone Marina about 90km away with good signal reports. This new digital setup includes a 70cm DSTAR repeater linked to DCS028Q as well as a new APRS modem. This is a great achievement for the RADAR club and marks the successful completion of a project that was started some time ago. The system has been put together by volunteers and showcases the great work that can be done to make our hobby more interesting. The platform has been build using Tait TM8110 radios, DVRPTRv1 modem and Microsat WX3in1 APRS modem. Some of the features of this home brew system include:

  1. remote access to the equipment using the internet
  2. temperature of transmitter radio shown at APRS.fi
  3. temperature of the enclosure (building temp)
  4. site supply voltage
  5. temperature controlled cooling fan
  6. AC mains supply fail alarm by email
  7. door open alarm by email
  8. SMS messages can power cycle the Raspberry Pi or WX3in1 modem
  9. mountain top receive only iGate for APRS
  10. if all else fails, selcall activated 12 volt bus reset relay

The frequency is 438.350MHz -7MHz offset RPT1 VK4RMA B RPT2 VK4RMA G

Dashboard vk4rma.dyndns.org:82

APRS data https://aprs.fi/telemetry/a/VK4RAR-3?range=day

rockydstar-radios-front

rockydstar-radios

Mt Acher Antennas

Sarina-North-VK4RSA mmdvm_vk4rsa

DSTAR Port B added to Multimode Odroid

The Mackay area in Queensland now has another 70cm DSTAR repeater commissioned today. This is a DVRPTRv1 running off the same Odroid that powers our 2m multimode repeater. Climbing work was completed by Lawrie VK4YN with a new 2m RFI Collinear antenna installed together with a 70cm dipole for the port B DSTAR. We also installed CCTV for weather watching and carried out other minor repairs to our site.
438.275 -5.4
rpt1 VK4RSA B
rpt2 VK4RSA G
Dashboard http://jordancreek.dyndns.org:82/
vk4rsa-portB-radios VK4RSA Rack