EchoLink Node K2RRA-R (#217959)

As of 2/23/2010, I am no longer hosting the K2RRA-R Echolink node.  Any issues regarding the node should be directed to RRRA and/or kb2chy@frontiernet.net.

All information below is mothballed and kept online for posterity, and is likely depricated.

I currently maintain EchoLink node 217959, K2RRA-R. EchoLink is a method of connecting Amateur Radio operators and voice repeaters via the Internet with voice over IP (VoIP) technology.

It is a full-time Internet link to Rochester Radio Repeater Association's K2RRA 146.880 MHz amateur radio repeater located in Rochester, New York and is always available for general amateur use.

The link PC and radio are located at my parents house in Webster, NY, and is running on the same PC that hosts the websterweather.com website. The PC, radio, cable modem and firewall (and Time Warner DVR) are powered through a beefed-up UPS, providing over 30 minutes runtime in the event of a commerical power failure. For more information about the PC server and weather station hardware, check the WebsterWeather Project page.

Besides Internet audio linking, the node also provides on-demand playback of current weather conditions, weather forecast, and severe weather alerts for the greater Rochester area via the 146.880 MHz Repeater in Rochester. Additionally, instant notifications (push) are sent over-the-air when severe weather alert is issued by the National Weather Service.

Prior to issuing DTMF commands, please remember to announce your callsign.

In order to satisify FCC 97.213, the link radio has a transmit timeout (deadman's switch) of three minutes. During pre-recorded news playback on Sunday nights when segments are longer than three minutes, a 50 millisecond gap is inserted every two minutes to reset the timer on the radio. If an EchoLink user exceeds three minutes of transmit, the link radio will cease transmitting and EchoLink will force the user to unkey, so try and keep things as brief as possible.

Hardware

• Yaesu FT-2800m at 10 watts
• RIGBlaster Nomic PTT control
• 70' of cheapo Radio Shack RG-8 coax (no link, go save your quarters for something decent, like TMS LMR-400)
• Cushcraft A148-3S 3 element beam

DTMF Commands

C - Connect by node number
CC - Connect by Call
## - Disconnect by node number
### - Disconnect all
00 - EchoLink Information
000 - EchoLink Status

C1 - Connect to N2TY 145.170/447.075 MHz TARA Repeaters (Capital Region of New York)
C2 - Connect to N2HLT Repeater System (Fingerlakes, Southern Tier of New York, Northern Pennsylvania)
C3 - Connect to the *NCPENN* Echolink conference server / IRLP Reflector 9058

80 - Current Time

81 - Weather Conditions at websterweather.com
82 - Weather Forecast for the Greater Rochester Area
83 - Severe Weather Alerts for the Greater Rochester Area
84 - Severe Weather Alert Summary for the Greater Rochester Area

88 - Temperature at Westfall Road

89 - Temperature at websterweather.com.

91 - WWV's Geophysical (Solar) Alert Message (Updated daily at Noon)

8097 - Link Down
8098 - Link Up
0510 - Listen Only Off
0511 - Listen Only On

Example: To connect to node 420, press C420. To disconnect a connected EchoLink node, press ##. If more than one EchoLink node is connected and you wish to disconnect all, press ###.

Technical

For my own reference or for others attempting to set up their own EchoLink node, here are the settings I have found to best work with the K2RRA repeater:

• Carrier Detect: VOX
• VOX Delay: 1000ms
• Anti-Thump: 250ms
• ClrFreq Delay: 2500ms
• Squelch Crash Anti-Trip: Checked, 200ms

ChangeLog

Additional ChangeLog info over on the WebsterWeather Project page, since the PC used in this project is shared.

1/29/2010

• The link is offline due to an RFI issue.  It will be put online only on Sunday nights through the end of February.

8/4/2009

• Upgraded EchoProducer to v3.4.6.
• Rebooted Server

6/28/2009

• Installed a 120mm fan on the heatsink of the Yaesu 2800m link radio to provide active cooling.

4/24/2009

• Installed RoMac's 10 Band DSP Graphic Equalizer processing for all audio passed from RF to the Internet/Echolink in an attempt to supress the K2RRA repeater CW ID (1360 Hz) and courtesy tone (1600 Hz). Lots of tweaking will be required and it will be a work in progess.  Next time I am in town, tests will be conducted on simplex for EQ and compression of audio passed from PC to RF.
• Changed the audio frequency and loudness of the Echolink node CW ID so it won't continue to trip the repeater controller commands.
• Upgraded EchoProducer to v3.3.4.
• Rebooted server.

2/14/2009

• Added an external (USB) sound device, replacing the previously used onboard (motherboard) sound device.  The previously used onboard sound only had mic-level inputs, resulting in greatly reduced dynamic range for Internet users listening to RF audio on the repeater.  Also, the audio driver has automatic gain control, so users on RF should hear louder audio from Internet users and news announcements that have low audio levels.  Aligned audio levels to maximize decoding of DTMF tones.
• Updated EchoProducer to v3.2.3.
• Swapped FT-2800M radios to try and isolate a hum in transmitted audio, which seems to be present regardles of input source.  This suggets that it is just a part of this model radio... maybe I'll check a few service menus and play with the mic input level.  The audio sounds fine, but it's not perfect.
• Reduced transmit power output from 10 to 5 watts, as RF was getting into the weather station on transmit, causing erroneous temperature readings.
• Changed the BIOS so that the server will come back online after a power outage which lasts longer than the UPS can sustain.

1/30/2009

• Added DTMF command 91 (Solar Indexes from WWV).

1/20/2009

• Updated EchoProducer to v3.1.7.  Installed assorted Windows Updates.  Rebooted.

1/4/2009

• Updated EchoProducer to v3.1.5.  Added DTMF command 89.

12/28/2008

• Changed the node callsign from KB2CHY-L to K2RRA-R.  The node number will remain the same.

12/19/2008

• Updated EchoProducer to v3.1.4 (and added a number of new DTMF commands to allow muting announcements)

10/28/2008

• Upgraded Echo Producer to v3.1.0.

10/24/2008

• Uninstalled EchoProducerPlus and installed EchoProducer v3.0.9.
• Added DTMF command 84, which will speak a summary of any current severe weather alerts.
• Ordered a polyphaser for lightning protection; To be installed spring 2009 to the existing ground rod.

10/13/2008

• Ditched the 100' of RG-58 feedline and sketchy omni-directional antenna with 70' of RG-8 and a Cushcraft A148-3S 3 element beam.
  The link radio is now making it to the repeater full quieting with 10
  watts. Also, a three minute deadman timeout has been implemented to
  satisify FCC 97.213.