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Posted: 7/8/2008 10:19:33 PM EDT
I searched for IRLP within 30 days, and nothing.


Anyone running an IRLP repeater?  I just ordered an IRLP board and wondering if I need help if anyone here has experience.  I'm going to wire my FT8900 to it for a while to experiment with it on a simplex repeater freq on 2m.  I'll likely change over to a commercial radio later on once i get it figured out and a better, higher repeater location/coordinated etc.  I figure the radio running on 5w wont burn it up.

Link Posted: 7/9/2008 4:59:27 AM EDT
[#1]
No but I'd love to hear how it goes for you. I've got a couple of machines I could easily turn into a node but I haven't gotten off my ass to order the board yet.
Link Posted: 7/9/2008 9:07:57 AM EDT
[#2]
I belong to a club that has an IRLP node on our former repeaters. We have since lost the old and gained new sites and have not got the IRLP node back up yet.

Once you got the keying scheme done and your audio levels set you should be good to go. You could use it at your house and tie into a local repeater that is out of range for an HT and rag chew without worrying about the whole cross band repeat thing just to experiment.
Link Posted: 7/9/2008 9:09:21 AM EDT
[#3]

Quoted:
No but I'd love to hear how it goes for you. I've got a couple of machines I could easily turn into a node but I haven't gotten off my ass to order the board yet.



Heh Heh. Yeah I just clicked order last night and should get the board from Canada next week.  It looks pretty easy to setup.  The only 'catch' is you are required to use Linux * CENTOS * to operate it, which is fine with me.  I have a spare box sitting here which will run it great.

Link Posted: 7/9/2008 9:11:28 AM EDT
[#4]

Quoted:
I belong to a club that has an IRLP node on our former repeaters. We have since lost the old and gained new sites and have not got the IRLP node back up yet.

Once you got the keying scheme done and your audio levels set you should be good to go. You could use it at your house and tie into a local repeater that is out of range for an HT and rag chew without worrying about the whole cross band repeat thing just to experiment.



Yeah this system will be at the house for me.  I gotta Diamond X300 outside that is being used for my APRS radio, which is kinda a waste!    Since the radio is a crossband radio, there are options.  I'm going to leave it on 2m simplex repeater freq and see how stable it is for a while and get familiar with how it operates before I get too technical.
Link Posted: 7/9/2008 11:09:21 AM EDT
[#5]
Make sure you keep us up to date! I would really like to get a 1st-hand view on running a node before I decide to plop down $188 on the stuff.
Link Posted: 7/9/2008 11:43:59 AM EDT
[#6]
Damn! It's that much now? Last time I checked I want to say it was $99.
Link Posted: 7/9/2008 12:55:40 PM EDT
[#7]

Quoted:
Damn! It's that much now? Last time I checked I want to say it was $99.


New IRLP 3.0 requires CentOS to make it work. It comes as a package bundle. The $188 price includes the "suggested donation."
Link Posted: 7/9/2008 9:43:20 PM EDT
[#8]

Quoted:
Make sure you keep us up to date! I would really like to get a 1st-hand view on running a node before I decide to plop down $188 on the stuff.


$163 for me.  Theres a $40 'assumed' donation if you simply click the BUYNOW Link on their website.  I dontated $15.
Link Posted: 7/9/2008 9:46:06 PM EDT
[#9]
The weird part is, I'm making a cable.. I'm not paying 50$ for one someone else made with 5$ in parts.

Two wires go to the sound card's in and out, and to the radio's RX/TX.

I bought a mono plug cable and cut it in half to make two.  The problem is, the center core, and the outer braided wire have continuity and are the same.  I'm thinking I got the wrong cable. I'm not sure if I should simply cut off the outer shell and just use the inside of it, or not.

Link Posted: 7/10/2008 5:52:18 AM EDT
[#10]

Quoted:
I bought a mono plug cable and cut it in half to make two.  The problem is, the center core, and the outer braided wire have continuity and are the same.  I'm thinking I got the wrong cable. I'm not sure if I should simply cut off the outer shell and just use the inside of it, or not.

www.cop-talk.net/pix/radio/wire.jpg


Something is wrong there. shield and center should not have continuity in an audio application.
Link Posted: 7/10/2008 7:24:52 AM EDT
[#11]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I bought a mono plug cable and cut it in half to make two.  The problem is, the center core, and the outer braided wire have continuity and are the same.  I'm thinking I got the wrong cable. I'm not sure if I should simply cut off the outer shell and just use the inside of it, or not.



Something is wrong there. shield and center should not have continuity in an audio application.


Yep, I think I got the wrong type of cable.
Link Posted: 7/10/2008 10:46:56 AM EDT
[#12]
Oh yeah, way wrong cable. Oops.  

Ok now that I got the CORRECT ONE!


The DB9 connector was too small to fit everything in it, even if I stripped back the rubber protector I still could never have crammed it all in there at least in my unprofessional soldering opinion.

So I did the following, Taped it up good and secured it with some zipties.  I think it'll work good.  Maybe later if I have any problems with it, i'll get more technical with it, but I cant see anything being wrong with it.




And after finishing it off.




Now to wait for the IRLP goodies to arrive, install the CENTOS and install this mess!
Link Posted: 7/19/2008 8:58:13 AM EDT
[#13]
Just as an update to this thread, the cable in the photo's didnt work.  I had to pull it apart and re-do it.


I did get everything working nd installed however the radio refused to acknowledge the PL tone from the rear DIN plug.  I ordered a prefab cable from irlpcables.com which uses the front MIC port, which is supposed to fix this issue.  So now I'm simply waiting for a cable.  I drove around and experimented with it a little and it works good.

Link Posted: 7/21/2008 11:01:03 PM EDT
[#14]
The node is online and working great so far.  Still no cable from irlpcables.com, so no PL tone being used.  Otherwise the link works great.
Link Posted: 8/5/2008 3:57:02 AM EDT
[#15]
Now have echolink and IRLP installed on same system.  

I have a GM300 25w radio on the way which should be here friday or saturday.  Should provide much better audio than the Yaesu, and will force the PL tone.    The 8900 dosent have PL tone enc/dec out the back DIN port.

I'll post a couple pix of the setup later on.

If anyone cares to get any info on the setup drop me a pm, or reply.
Link Posted: 8/5/2008 4:18:30 AM EDT
[#16]
Well, I may be (almost) one step closer to heading down this path myself. I've started talking to somebody about buying their repeater. We'll see what happens. Not sure if I'll look to do Echolink, IRLP, or both.
Link Posted: 8/5/2008 4:36:27 AM EDT
[#17]

Quoted:
Well, I may be (almost) one step closer to heading down this path myself. I've started talking to somebody about buying their repeater. We'll see what happens. Not sure if I'll look to do Echolink, IRLP, or both.


I'm doing a simplex node, so it's much cheaper, and less complicated.  I can always crossband it to another existing repeater if I wanted more coverage.

Here's my X300 on the roof of the casa.
Link Posted: 8/5/2008 5:42:18 AM EDT
[#18]
How long did it take to get your board/CD once you ordered it?
Link Posted: 8/5/2008 1:13:12 PM EDT
[#19]

Quoted:
How long did it take to get your board/CD once you ordered it?


I had it within 5 days. It was fast.  The IRLP board is a LOT smaller than it looks in the pix too.
Link Posted: 8/9/2008 11:18:30 PM EDT
[#20]
I've installed the GM300 2m radio recently, and enabled echolink on my node now so I have both running.  The new radio runs great. I need another one !
Link Posted: 8/17/2008 11:13:07 PM EDT
[#21]



( Note the high-tech cooling system )
Link Posted: 8/18/2008 12:55:31 PM EDT
[#22]
I've just been offered a server with a v3.0 board for $250. It's just been sitting around for a while. Do you'll think it would be a good idea to get that, or should I just order it new online?
Link Posted: 8/18/2008 2:19:53 PM EDT
[#23]

Quoted:
I've just been offered a server with a v3.0 board for $250. It's just been sitting around for a while. Do you'll think it would be a good idea to get that, or should I just order it new online?


Make sure it works of course, but I was actually looking for one used before I ordered mine. You shouldn't have any trouble with it.
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