Wednesday, December 24, 2014

The K5TRA Allstar Web Transceiver

This is a very cool project from Tom - K5TRA.

Attached are some photos of my (just completed) Christmas toy, an Allstar web transceiver.

Complete with DTMF mic, just plug-in power and network and it functions just like a radio transceiver.








Here is more construction information of this device.....

The boards are:

BBB,

modified USB audio FOB,

audio PA, and one of my regulator/fan control boards.

Attached is the schematic for the regulator/fan board.




In this application, I’m only using the regulator and LED driver (no fan).

I used SMD to mod the FOB and tacked the leads to the back of the FOB board with a hot glue gun.

I  used a 1&7/8” Green-lee punch to make the speaker hole in the enclosure.

I found the speaker grill on eBay.

The enclosure is a Hammond 1454N  ($20.76 from Mouser).

The front panel LEDs are TX, RX, and HB (heartbeat).

The mic PTT line pulls the FOB COS line (SMD diode to pin48 of CM108) low to key.

Merry Christmas,
Tom - K5TRA



Enjoy!

 All For Now
Comments Invited - 73

SmØke out.....

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

The Prototype RLP 900 Mhz Repeater


This repeater has been on the build table for a couple of years now.
Been working on it in my spare time, early this morning 
I wired up the power distribution and the fan. 
I also laid out the proposed controller equipment locations to decide where that stuff should go.
Right now it is just a low power (8 watt) repeater, with the appropriate PA 
it could be a 20 watt power house at 927 Mhz.


I know Alex, KD6VPH would say bad things about me since I am using surplus TK-930 
(800 Mhz) LTR trunked LMR radios but hey it is a hobby and I don't care if it is wide band (5 Khz) or narrow-band (2.5Khz)at 900 MHZ since we hams can do what we want and I use what I have. 
I actually set the TX deviation to be narrow-band anyhow just to play nice with others.


These 800 Mhz  radios are a dime a dozen anyhow and they convert up to (902/927) just fine.
Besides KØXM and I have a "few" of these in the "warehouse" anyhow!
This will make a nice fill in link repeater with the addition of a Beagle-Bone Black Linux
controller and a DMK Universal Radio Interface (URI).

The system cabinet is a scratch and dent blemished Duracomm  RLP power supply chassis.
We get those on occasion and they end up in the scrap bin, so I grabbed one and proceeded
to lay out the repeater. It is 2U high and about  16 inches deep and 17 inches wide.

Even now has a official serial number label!
Of course it will never get close to 10 Amps, more like 5 or 6 Amps,
but in case I add a extra PA brick I have the label covered

Rear View - Just need to Add Antenna and Network Connections....


Will publish some more on this as time goes on......

Check out this web page on other Kenwood 902/927 Mhz conversions.

Have a Joyous Holiday....

All For Now 
Comments Invited - 73


SmØke out.....