[FARC] Phone patch / autopatch questions and update on past homemade antenna topic

[John C.]

Hello all. What are minimum requirements for a radio with a phone patch, AKA a ham autopatch? I have found phone patch units that connect to a radio but they won't automatically start and stop broadcasts. The radios have to be manually started/stopped. Does the radio need to have a discrimator tap? I'm looking for an affordable used setup mainly to understand it. It doesn't need to connect to the public phone grid...just my in-home closed off-grid wired intercomm system.
 
These 2 products should work together and automatically but they are expensive and more than I need: A "HOLZBERG ST-5189" base station radio that works with a "CS-800" Phone Patch unit. I think the CS-800 is also a repeater. I don't have a license yet so I'm limited to FRS/MURS with no public phone link, only off-grid. Below are some overall links on this topic:

CS-800 - Full Duplex Telephone Patch:
http://www.directorpatch.com/%20INTERCONNECT%20.htm

Phone Patch Alive & Well or Dead & Gone?
http://www.eham.net/articles/7537

Help/suggestions appreciated. Send me a phone # if it is easier to explain that way. I'm also doing my best to make it to the dinner and I'll surely ask about this there too.

John C.

PS, A topic I asked the group about before: I finally setup a homemade vertical dipole cut for 26.5 Mhz and it receives from 26 Mhz on up to 47 Mhz just fine. I just soldererd an 8ft wire to the center conductor and soldered the lightning ground wire to the shield. (my soldering is better now thanks to the demo) The base is 8ft off the ground. My mobile Wilson CB antenna also receives 26-47 Mhz just fine but my practically no-cost dipole does better.