Quoted:
...Yaesu is running a special on their new System Fusion machines for $600 ...Those that have used [System Fusion] chime in and educate me.
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Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your new board may be in for a real bad time. The DR-1x repeaters have been nothing but trouble, and the teething period is insane. A local club was shipped two, back to back, with dead transmitters. The duty cycle rating on them is pathetic: recommend turning them down to 20W or less and run an external amp if required. Not possible to have a courtesy tone if run in mixed-mode. Not able to be coordinated as narrowband, as even "digital narrow" isn't. actually. Narrowband. No way to eliminate the squelch tail with CTCSS, and if run without, I can sometimes hear a "double squelch crash" on some local machines.
You can't save enough money to make up for the fact that they're sub-standard repeaters. If you are not yet under contract, get out. If you are, see if you can break. Find a nice, quality, commercial machine with 100% duty cycle at the desired output, and do it right the first time.
Best of luck.