W8DC Supersystem Repeater Information

GRARA has received two very generous grants towards the refurbishment of our Supersystem Repeater. The first grant, in the amount of $10,000, is from the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. The second grant from the Steelcase Foundation is in the amount of $5,000. We have begun to purchase new equipment and are in the process of installing it.

Because of work that will be commencing on the repeater, there may be times in the next few months where the repeater will be down for maintenance or running in a test mode. The following box will be updated when this occurs. Please note that there may also be times when certain repeater functions are not available, and that the access codes will be changing when the new controller is installed. Watch this space for updates on this exciting project. Also, please note that many repeater commands might change. Watch this page for updates on how to access repeater features on the new machine!

W8DC Supersystem Repeater Status Green = System operational Yellow = Currently being tested, may or may not be working properly Red = Currently non-operational Blue = Planned upgrades/replacement
Control Equipment	Repeater Controller Currently running on the old A/D Technologies DRC-186 repeater controller. We are preparing for the transition to our new Link-Comm RLC-3 full-featured repeater controller purchased with Grand Rapids Community Foundation grant money.
	2 Meter Receiver Voting System Currently running on the old Doug Hall Electronics voting system. We are preparing for the transition to our new LDG Electronics RVS-8 voting system purchased with Grand Rapids Community Foundation grant money.
	Digital Voice Recorder Integrated into the A/D Technologies DRC-186 controller. We are preparing for the transition to our new FF Systems FF-8070A DVR System purchased with Grand Rapids Community Foundation grant money.
2 Meter 147.260 +	Main Transmitter WLAV-FM Tower, Pettis Ave. NE New power amplifier purchased with Grand Rapids Community Foundation grant money, to be installed soon. Receiver/transmitter pair to be upgraded with Steelcase Foundation grant money.
	Main Receiver, Red Cross Building New receiver installed and operational on old controller 11/05, purchased with Grand Rapids Community Foundation grant money.
	North Receiver, W8DC Tower, Sparta Permanently down. Looking for new north receive site. Equipment to be upgraded with future grant money.
	South Receiver, W8HVG Tower, 92^nd Street Temporary replacement receiver/transmitter pair installed 8/05, to be upgraded with Steelcase Foundation grant money.
70cm 444.400 +	Main Transmitter, Red Cross Building New power amplifier installed 1/05 purchased with Grand Rapids Community Foundation grant money. Exciter to be replaced with future grant money.
	Main Receiver, Red Cross Building New receiver installed and operational on old controller 2/06, purchased with Grand Rapids Community Foundation grant money. This receiver is being adjusted for proper operation, you may have difficulty accessing it for periods of time.
6 Meter 52.760 -	Main Transmitter, Commercial Tower, 92nd Street Temporary replacement receiver/transmitter pair installed 6/2005, to be upgraded with future grant money.
	Main Receiver, Red Cross Building No antenna on receiver at this time. Receiver to be upgraded with future grant money.
1.25 Meter 224.640 -	Main Transmitter, Red Cross Building To be returned to the air with Steelcase Foundation grant money received.
	Main Receiver, Red Cross Building To be returned to the air with Steelcase Foundation grant money received.

If the Supersystem is down, we invite you to use our secondary 2-Meter Repeater, 146.760MHz -600KHz, 94.8 PL.

Covering most of Kent County, the W8DC Supersystem Repeater currently operates on two-meters and 70 cm (the 6 meter links will be operational soon, you can currently listen to the system on the output frequency 52.760 MHz). The two-meter side receives on 147.860 MHz and transmits on 147.260 MHz. A 94.8 Hz CTCSS (PL) tone is required for access. On the 70 cm side, the repeater receives on 449.800 MHz and transmits on 444.400 MHz. Plans are in the works to restore full functionality on 6 meters and 220.

If you operate the system on 70 cm, you will tickle the 449.400 MHz receiver at the Red Cross and the repeater will re-transmit your signal from there on 444.400 MHz.

If you operate the system on two meters, you will come in on one of three receivers. The South receiver is on the 92nd Street Hill on a commercial tower, ~~the North receiver is located in the old Sparta Rodeo on a tower owned by GRARA~~ (the Sparta site has been deactivated and will be removed. We are looking for ideas for a new North Receive Site), and the main receiver is at the Red Cross building, where the guts of the repeater are located. Signals from the North and South receive sites are transmitted back to the Red Cross on secret link frequencies, where a device called a "voter" chooses the best of the three signals to re-transmit. This way, no matter where you are in Kent County, the receive site that picks up your signal the most strongly is the one that is repeated and re-transmitted on 444.400 MHz.

Our two-meter transmitter site is located at the WLAV-FM transmitter tower located in an apple orchard off of Pettis Avenue, North of 3 Mile Road. At this site, a receiver picks up the 444.400 MHz signal from the Red Cross and re-transmits it onto 147.860 MHz. GRARA sincerely appreciates the donation of tower space from Citadel Broadcasting and WLAV!

The repeater controller is an A/D Systems DRC-186 controller. It is a special daughter card that plugs into the motherboard of an old 486 computer. The software is DOS based. Unfortunately, the company that made the DRC-186 no longer supports this product. GRARA has recieved the first grant toward our Repeater Refit: 2005 project and has purchased a new controller, a Link-Comm RLC-3. This will be brought online hopefully by the end of February.

The following features are open to the Amateur public from 6:00 AM through 10:00 PM Please use your best judgment:

This repeater also has an autopatch. The autopatch is open to the Amateur public from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. We don't have any rules that are any more specific than the applicable FCC rules concerning the autopatch. We don't want to have to make more restrictive rules. So please use your best judgment when it comes to usage of our autopatch so we can continue to provide this service. To use the autopatch, key up, identify yourself, and then press *nnnnnnn (replacing the ns with the phone number you wish to dial). The repeater will announce the autopatch and then connect you. To hang up, press #. Be sure to identify upon hanging up.

GRARA members have the additional benefit of being given the access codes for a multitude of repeater features, including 24-hour autopatch access, reverse autopatch, and voice mail.

Listed below are the emergency autodial codes for the repeater. These are available 24 hours a day. Feel free to print this out and keep it with you for emergencies. If in doubt, just key up your microphone and dial 911 or ***9:

Sheriff Departments
Allegan County Sheriff	***14
Ionia County Sheriff	***17
Kalamazoo County Sheriff	***18
Kent County Sheriff	***1
Montcalm County Sheriff	***19
Muskegon County Sheriff	***16
Ottawa County Sheriff	***0
Michigan State Police
Rockford Post	***2
Wayland Post	***15
City Police Departments
East Grand Rapids Public Safety	***6
Grand Rapids Police	***8
Grandville Police	***11
Kentwood Police	***4
Lowell Police	***13
Rockford Police	***12
Walker Police	***10
Wyoming Police	***5
Other Services
Poison Control	917

2 Meters:	70 Centimeters:	1.2 Meters (coming soon!)	6 Meters (coming soon!)
147.260 MHz +600 KHz, 94.8 PL	444.400 MHz +5 MHz, 94.8 PL	224.640 MHz - 1.6 MHz, 94.8 PL	52.760 MHz -500 KHz, 94.8 PL

Key Sequence	Name of Command	Instructions/Comments
#1	Echo Test	After punching in the key sequence, unkey the mike, wait for the repeater to acknowledge your command, key up your microphone, and say something. The repeater will echo back what you've said.
#2	Deviation Test	After punching in the key sequence, unkey the mike, wait for the repeater to acknowledge your command, key up your microphone, say "Hello, Test, 1-2-3" , and unkey the mike. The repeater will echo back your deviation.
#3	DTMF Test	After punching in the key sequence, unkey the mike, wait for the repeater to acknowledge your command, key up your microphone, and punch in a DTMF key sequence. The repeater will echo back what you've punched in.
#4	Check Time	This will echo the time on the controller.
#5	SINAD Test	After punching in the key sequence, unkey the mike, wait for the repeater to acknowledge your command, key up your microphone (don't say anything), and unkey the mike. The repeater will echo back your your signal to noise ration in decibels.
#6	Frequency Test	After punching in the key sequence, unkey the mike, wait for the repeater to acknowledge your command, key up your microphone (don't say anything), and unkey the mike. The repeater will echo back your frequency.
#7	Mail Listing	Lists all the users who currently have mail waiting.
#9	Play Announcement Message	This will play the announcement message announcing any events, swaps, or reminders.

The W8DC Supersystem Repeater

Special Announcement: