Simoco PRM8020’s Ready for new owners.

The other day I took delivery of some Low Band Simoco PRM8020 radios. They are a bit more basic than the SRM9000’s which I described in an earlier post.

Ready For Collection.

These are a 64 channel 25 watt, well-built and very rugged radios.

I programmed in the whole 4m band starting from channel 1 as 70.000 to channel 41 as 70.500 (all with 12.5 Khz spacing). The Cavan Link Frequency on 70.2875 has the CTCSS of 74.4HZ and the 4M Gateway (EI4FMG) on 70.350 has the CTCSS of 88.5HZ programmed on to them.

4m Channels programmed into PRM8020's.

Front of Radio.

I then programmed the 4 buttons on the bottom under the display as follows (left to right):

1.       The scan start/stop is done with the music symbol note.

2.       The user can change the 10 channels that they want to cover in the scan by using the “speaker” symbol. The channels selected for scan will have a “V” symbol displayed over the speaker symbol.

3.       The “A” button for turning on and off the CTCSS, the letter “V” will be displayed over the “A” button when CTCSS is turned off.

4.       The squelch on/off is done by pressing the “B” button.

The Up and Down buttons on the left of the display are not in use, the Up and Down buttons on the right of the display are for channel Up/Down.
To turn On/Off the radio just push the rotary knob on the left of the radio, this knob is also rotated for volume.
As you can see in the photo I have a small quantity already programmed ready to be dispatched to their new owners, but I hope to be getting more in the near future!!

More Simocos.

Here I have added a photo of some more of my Simoco SRM Radios, this time in my second shack. Again I have 3 of them, one for 4m, 2m and 70cms.

Another 3 Simocos.

In this shack I also have a Simoco SRM 9030 remote display.

This display shows me more information and also has DTMF on it, and it also gives me a signal meter….Very handy.

I only need one of these remote heads as I can plug it into any of the Simoco radios that I am using at the time.

VHF Contests including 70MHz in 2012

Date	Time (UTC)	Contest	Sections	Notes/Special Rules
01 Apr	0900 - 1200	RSGB First 70MHz Contest	SF, O
19 Apr	1900 - 2300 CET	NAC Contest		1 point/km + 500 bonus points per WWL.
13 May	0900 - 1200	70MHz CW Contest	SF, O	Postcode and country mults
17 May	1900 - 2300 CET	NAC Contest		1 point/km + 500 bonus points per WWL.
27 May	1400 - 1600	RSGB 70MHz Cumulatives #3	SF, O	RSGB Cumulative Contest
29 May	2000 - 2230	70MHz UKAC	AO, AR, AL, AX	UK QTH Locator mults
21 Jun	1900 - 2300 CET	NAC Contest		1 point/km + 500 bonus points per WWL.
24 Jun	1400 - 1600	RSGB 70MHz Cumulatives #4	SF, O	RSGB Cumulative Contest
7 - 8 Jul	1400 - 1400	VHF NFD	Open, R, L, M, FSO, FSR	70MHz from 0600 - 1400. See special rules at (see VHFNFD)
19 Jul	1900 - 2300 CET	NAC Contest		1 point/km + 500 bonus points per WWL.
22 Jul	1000 - 1600 local	70MHz Trophy Contest	SF, SO, O	Postcode and country mults
31 Jul	1000 - 2230	70MHz UKAC	AO, AR, AL, AX	UK QTH Locator mults
12 Aug	1400 - 1600	RSGB 70MHz Cumulatives #5	SF, O	RSGB Cumulative Contest
16 Aug	1900 - 2300 CET	NAC Contest		1 point/km + 500 bonus points per WWL.
09 Sep	0900 - 1200 local	RSGB Second 70MHz Contest	SF, O
20 Sep	1900 - 2300 CET	NAC Contest		1 point/km + 500 bonus points per WWL.
23 Sep	1200 - 1600	Practical Wireless 70MHz Contest	Low Power, Open	1 point/QSO. QTH locator multipliers
18 Oct	1900 - 2300 CET	NAC Contest		1 point/km + 500 bonus points per WWL.
30 Oct	1000 - 2230	70MHz UKAC	AO, AR, AL, AX	UK QTH Locator mults
15 Nov	1900 - 2300 CET	NAC Contest		1 point/km + 500 bonus points per WWL.
20 Dec	1900 - 2300 CET	NAC Contest		1 point/km + 500 bonus points per WWL.
26 - 29 Dec	1400 - 1600	RSGB Christmas Cumulative Contest	SF, O	1 point/QSO. QTH locator multipliers

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Shona do gach duine.

DTMF Commands for EI4FMG.

If you know the number of the node you want to connect to simply press those numbers on your DTMF Microphone or Dialler, for example 57007 will connect you to EI2MOG which is a 2m Gateway on 145.2125.

Here are other commands you may want to use:

00 – Connect to a Random Station.

01 – Connect to a Random Repeater/Link.

02 – Connect to a Random Conference.

03 – Connect to a Random User.

#  -  Disconnect last Station.

# # - Disconnect all Stations.

09 - Reconnect last Station.

08 -  List all Stations currently connected.

EI4FMG Streaming live audio on: "www.radiorefrence.com"

As from today I have got the 4m Gateway to stream live audio on to the Radio Reference Website. You can listen to the Gateway by clicking on the following link:
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?feedId=10926

Click to enlarge image.

EI4FMG Continuing tests.

The 4m Gateway is now running for over 2 weeks on test at my QTH, so far it has attracted over 100 stations that connected directly to it from all over the world. I have set up the echolink program to add everybody who has connected to save their callsigns into “favourites” so that I can see where in the world they are calling from, so far there has been a vast amount from USA and Australia, even had Ken EI4IU calling from Orlando Florida using his I-Phone….

As you see in the photos the Gateway is using a Green Pye Cat 70Mhz vertical antenna (approx. gain of 3dbd) which, at the moment is up on a 35 foot telescopic mast (Courtesy of Pat EI2HX), this will give the Gateway a good “soak” test for locals using “RF” to link into it.
So far the Gateway can be worked in County Monaghan and Aidan EI5KB/GI7FHC can hear it at his home QTH just outside Newry.

Mast and Antenna.
 (Click for larger picture)

4m Antenna on top of Mast.
(Click for larger picture)

Base Of Mast.
(Click for larger picture)

The “gubbins” of the station is running from my workshop and as can be seen in the photograph is a Motorola GM350 and a beautiful EI4JR interface into an old IBM desktop computer, if you can zoom into the monitor you will see on the right side of the screen is part of the list of the stations who used internet to connect.

EI4FMG running in EI4DIB's Workshop.
(Click for larger picture)

I was up on Fieldstown, Monasterboice on Friday, where the Gateway will finally be located and discussed with Brian (EI9GTB) as to the location of antenna and equipment, at the minute Brian is doing some renovating of the building that EI4FMG will be located in so as soon as that is done the Gateway will be re-located to its permanent site. Within a week or so myself and Pat (EI2HX) and possibly one or two others will be going up to the site to erect the antenna in order to have it already there before we bring the Gateway up.  

I will, as always, keep you all up to date on the progress of the Gateway.