[CoARES-D10] UPDATE - D10 post net discussion

[Rob Strieby W0HDD]

This email is an update to one sent yesterday.  I actually found the
1994 New Ham Companion article for the construction of the dual band,
twin lead J-pole discussed below:
http://www2.arrl.org/tis/info/pdf/9409061.pdf.  

The original email is waiting for moderator approval since I managed to
send it through the wrong email account.  Please disregard the original
when it arrives. 

I participated in a post net discussion after the District 10 Wed. night
net on lessons learned from working the Big Elk Fire.  I pulled a
Saturday shift supporting the Salvation Army Disaster Team in Hermit
Park.  The decision was made to use the 147.375 Denver repeater, a
location that proved a challenge for the Hermit Park location.

Several of us made use of cross band repeaters to provide HT/portable
access to the repeater.  This repeater unfortunately has a long (2-3
second) squelch tail.  The use of a bi-directional cross band and it's
added tail made communications difficult.  My solution was to use a one
way cross band repeater with my Yaesu 8100. Jeff, K0JEF asked for the
8100 one way configuration and a second request came in to post this
info to the reflector.

The one-way cross band repeaters allows a dual band HT to listen on the
designated 2M repeater and transmit to the local cross band repeater on
70cm. The cross band repeater then transmits on the designated repeater
input frequency.  With the cross band repeater not retransmitting the
designated repeater traffic, the additional delay added by the cross
band re-transmission back to the HT is eliminated.  Of course, you need
enough antenna on your dual band HT to directly receive the designated
repeater traffic.  This also minimizes the power consumption of the
cross band repeater.

The one-way cross band repeater configuration for the 8100 is setup as
follows.

1.  With the 8100 in normal mode with VHF set-up on the left head and
UHF set-up on the right, dial in the designated repeater on the left,
including the required tone encode, if needed. Now verify repeater
access.

2. Dial in your 70cm cross band input frequency (446.50).  Setup up a
receive tone decode and remember to enable the same tone on the HT.  See
the 70cm frequency caution note below.  Set the 2M head (left) as the
active head.

3. Now power-off the 8100.  Now while holding down the RPT and the CNTL
keys, press the power button to power up the radio in one-way cross band
repeater mode.  Note the 8100 will function normally on the 2M repeater
while in this mode.  Since the 8100 uses the LCD for button labels, the
RPT key is the third button from the left and the CNTL key is the 6th
key from the left.

You now are operating in one-way cross band repeat mode.  Set up your
dual band HT to receive the designated 2M repeater and transmit on the
70cm cross band repeater input.  Note you need a true dual band HT for
this application.  I used both an Icom W32A and a Kenwood TH-F6A.

70cm frequency note:  The current band plan calls for 445.0 to 447.0 MHz
to be shared by aux and control links, repeater inputs and simplex
operation - under local control.  Checking with Doug Sharp, our
ccarc/frequency coordinator, links (repeater link frequencies) are not
currently under coordination.  Caution should be used not to interfere
with any repeater link systems.  Doug also said that work is being done
to better define the local band plan.

Last suggestion for remote locations.  Build a dual band, twin-lead
J-Pole and encase it in PVC.  Launch a rope up in a tall tree and hoist
the jpole as high as you can get it....

Thanks to everyone who helped with the fire fighting effort. 

73, Rob Strieby 
W0HDD 
Loveland.