The W9RCA Repeater
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
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