The W9RCA Repeater
June 13, 2011 THE W9RCA REPEATER IS OFF THE AIR INDEFINITELY. WE LOST OUR SITE.
The RCA Amateur Radio
Club operates the open repeater on 146.28/88 MHz. The repeater is also an
EchoLink node (6522). The transmitter is located on the east side of
Indianapolis near 38th Street and Sherman Drive. There is a receiver at the
transmitter site along with additional receivers near I-465 and 10th St., 86th
and Township Line Rd., and Meridian St. just north of the downtown area.
SUBAUDIBLE TONE ACCESS:
The repeater is often in
subaudible tone access which is known as "Private Line" (PL) or
"Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System" (CTCSS). It is required that
an 88.5 Hz subaudible tone be encoded on your transmitted signal to use the
repeater.
When
your tone encode is turned on (your radio is transmitting a subaudible tone),
the repeater receiving system gives your signal priority over other signals,
such as DX stations working other '88' repeaters, which may be entering the
receivers at the same time.
The
repeater also transmits the 88.5 Hz tone if you wish to use the 'decode' function
on your radio to block out distant repeaters operating on 146.88 Mhz.
CARRIER ACCESS:
In the carrier access mode, any signal on the input
frequency will bring up the machine. In times of band openings, or interference
on the frequency, the machine may be put into touch tone or sub-audible tone
access.
TOUCH TONE ACCESS:
If the repeater is in touch tone mode, you must hit
'88' on your touch tone pad to get the repeater to respond. Once the repeater
is 'UP', it will continue to operate in the normal mode until the carrier has
been off for several seconds. Then it will again require the '88' digits to
re-activate it. REMEMBER - If the repeater doesn't respond, press '88' on
your touch tone pad.
TIMER:
The repeater time-out is about 3 minutes. The timer
is reset at the end of the tail beep, which occurs 0.25 seconds after the input
signal drops.
POLICING THE REPEATER:
REMEMBER - FCC regulations, Section
97.113, prohibit any communications which result in financial benefit to YOU OR
YOUR EMPLOYER.
Repeater use is a privilege to be enjoyed and used to help ourselves. Anyone
found violating FCC rules or the known policies of the repeater will be asked
not to use the repeater. We appreciate your inputs. If you feel someone is
using the repeater inappropriately, the repeater trustee will investigate and
take action if required. Please email Webmaster@W9RCA.org
with details of the problem and information on how we should contact you for
more information. Thanks!
W9RCA EchoLink Information
May 2, 2011 Due to circumstances beyond our control, Echolink is no longer available.
It is unknown at this time
if or when the service will be restored.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
EchoLink
is a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) program that allows hams to connect
with other hams in other parts of the country or the world using the Internet
to reach the distant amateur's computer, repeater, or simplex link. EchoLink
information is avaliable from many places on the web including www.echlink.org.
A list of all currently active EchoLink Stations and Node Numbers is available
from www.echolink.org/logins.jsp.
Tips
on the use of EchoLink on the W9RCA Repeater:
First, check to see if the EchoLink is operational and if it
might already be connected. Key your transmitter, give your call sign, and
enter DTMF digits 08 (88.5Hz CTCSS tone may be required). If the EchoLink is
operational the response will be either "DISCONNECTED" or
"CONNECTED TO XXXXX" where XXXXX is the call sign of the connected
station.
If EchoLink is already connected, the connected station
should hear any transmission you make. Announce your presence - "W9XXX
listening via EchoLink, Over."
If EchoLink is NOT CONNECTED, your choice would be to
connect to a station using it's node number or key in one of the codes in the
table below to play one of the information messages. Node numbers for all stations currently connected to the
Echolink system can be seen at http://www.echolink.org/logins.jsp
.
EchoLink will respond with one of the following messages:
"CONNECTING TO XXXXX" or you may get the response "XXXXX NOT
FOUND."
If you got the "CONNECTING TO...." message, wait
until you hear "CONNECTED TO XXXXX" and then give a short call. If
you got the "NOT FOUND" the station is not currently logged into the
EchoLink server.
On occasion the connection is actually made but not
announced. If you get "CONNECTING TO XXXXX" followed by silence,
enter DTMF digits 08 to get the status of the connection.
If you successfully connected to a station, when you are
finished with your QSO, key in the DTMF 73 to disconnect.
W9RCA
EchoLink DTMF Control Codes:
|
Command |
Description |
DTMF |
|
Connect
to a specific node |
Connects
to a station on the Internet, based on its node number. 4, 5, or 6 digits. |
Node number |
|
Disconnect |
Disconnects
the station that is currently connected. If more than one station is
connected, disconnects only the most-recently-connected station. |
73 |
|
Disconnect
ALL |
Disconnects
ALL stations that are currently connected. |
73* |
|
Node Status |
Gives
current status of this node. |
07 |
|
Connection
Status |
Announces
the callsign of each station currently connected. |
08 |
|
Reconnect |
Reconnects
to the most recently connected station. |
09 |
|
|
|
|
|
Info |
Plays a
brief ID message. |
0* |
|
Current
Time & Temperature |
Plays
current time and temperature. |
0** |
|
Help file |
Plays the
HELP file. |
0*** |
|
|
|
|
|
Temperature |
Plays
current temperature |
*88* |
|
Current
WX |
Plays
current Indianapolis weather conditions. |
41* |
|
WX
Forecast |
Plays
Indianapolis weather forecast. |
42* |
|
Weather
Warnings |
Brief
warning |
43* |
|
Weather
Warnings |
Warning
summary |
44* |
|
Weather
Warnings |
Full text
of warning |
*89* |
|
|
|
|
|
Shortcuts |
Lists
node shortcuts. |
411 |
|
Echotest |
Shortcut
to ECHOTEST. |
#1 |
|
Handiham |
Shortcut
to the HANDIHAM conference. |
#2 |
|
Geophysical
Alert Message |
U.S.
Dept. of Commerce / NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center daily solar
terrestrial indicies and space weather summary. |
*99* |
Updated
13-Feb-2007 by David Spoelstra, N9KT
Updated
03-Dec-2007 by AF9A
Updated
31-Jan-2010 by AF9A
Updated
10-Feb-2010 by AF9A
Updated
19-Feb-2010 by AF9A
Updated
10-Apr-2011 by AF9A