Hi Guys, I started a few years back working on a DTMF Keypad locally to program the controllers. I needed to buffer the audio to make it work, but never finished it. Maybe someday I will. There used to be a company the sold a Keypad setup for the CAT Controllers.
Kenneth Cook, W8DZN 5726 Timpson Rd. Caledonia, Ohio 43314 ARRL VE, ARRL Registered, Certified Instructor/Examiner for ECOMM Levels I, II and III IS-22, IS-100, IS-120A, IS-200, IS700, IS-800 and IS -802 Certified. W8DZN Repeaters in Bucyrus, Ohio Repeaters 147.165 PL88.5 & 442.525 PL88.5 _____ From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:repeater-buil...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mike Besemer (WM4B) Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 6:12 PM To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] Repeater Control Operator via Other-Than-Phone-Line Mike, Im thinking along the same lines as what youre saying. I got the manual out and found that I can remotely activate the serial port without having to flip the switch. Id thought of using a relay as well, but wanted to avoid any additional hardware. Both of the CAT ports are in use, but I might be about to parallel the audio into one of the ports to allow DTMF control as well. More to think about why do I get myself into these things?! 73, Mike WM4B From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:repeater-buil...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mike Morris Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 4:19 PM To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] Repeater Control Operator via Other-Than-Phone-Line Basically you cross-connect a serial port from the IRLP computer to the CAT controller. Then you remote into the IRLP computer, and you can program the CAT just as if you were local to it. And the serial cable from the IRLP box to the CAT will have to "cross over" the transmit and receive data lines. I've never used a CAT controller, so have no idea how the remote programming is done. If serial won't work for you , then you can always use the DTMF send feature of the IRLP software to send DTMF strings to one of the receiver audio inputs of the CAT. I helped out on one repeater where the owner had AUX 3 output of the IRLP card wired to a reed relay coil. One armature of the relay was wired to the receiver audio in connection on the repeater controller , the normally closed contact was wired to the repeater receiver audio, the normally open contact was wired to the IRLP sound card output. With AUX3 off the system worked normally, with AUX 3 on it allowed remote programming. As to the serial port on the CAT being active, well, you will have to handle that as a separate project. As I said above, I've never seen a CAT controller in person. Do you have to flip the switch between operating and programing, or can you leave it in the programming enabled position and still have the system usable?? Worst case, use the above idea and use a multiple pole relay, with one pole across the particular section of the DIP switch? Then "flip the DIP switch" remotely with an AUX output? Mike WA6ILQ
