When people contact Kevin through the Repeater Builders page for advice and opinion on a subject, he always tries to answer the query to the best of his ability.   There are times when he can't provide an answer due to the broadness of the subject and differing specific types of equipment that are commonly used.   In this instance, he usually refers the person to one of the general or specific repeater e-mail lists, as there are more people to draw information from.   Some of you have relayed that you are not into email lists and for that reason, this Elmer list was created.

These Elmers listed below have years of experience dealing with duplex radio and have agreed to help answer general and technical questions concerning communications systems used in repeater, linking, or remote base service.   These individuals may have differing types of expertise based on their personal preference and experience.  Some of our Elmers speak other languages than English.

If you have an inquiry, feel free to contact an Elmer via email.   They are willing to try to answer your question to the best of their ability.   No question is too simple.   The Elmer won't think your question is dumb.   Please realize this is a free service and it may take some time for the individual to review the problem and offer advice or opinion on the matter.

The Elmers listed below will provide information on the following subjects to the best of their ability:

= Equipment selection/recommendations
  - Repeaters (stations and duplexed mobile radios)
  - Linking/remote base radios
  - Antennas
  - Duplexers
  - Filtering products (cavity filters, isolators, etc.)
  - Voting comparators
  - Voting receivers (remote or satellite receiver sites)
  - Controllers
  - Crystals
  - Power supplies
  - Surge/lightning arrestors
  - Transmission lines and connectors
  - Preamplifiers
  - Power Amplifiers
  - Crossband couplers
  - Audio Processing
  - Tone signaling  (PL, Channel Guard, Call Guard, CTCSS)
  - Testing and servicing equipment

=Model-Specific Questions (specifications, troubleshooting, tune-up, modifications, etc.)
+ RF Products
  - GE
  - Motorola
  - Glenayre/Quintron
  - Maggiore
  - Hamtronics
  - Kenwood
  - Yaesu/Vertex
  - ICOM
  - Spectrum
  - Home Brew

+ Controllers
  - SCOM
  - Link Comm
  - ACC
  - MCC
  - CAT
  - NHRC
  - CSI
  - Pacific Research
  - Zetron
  - Home Brew

+ Other Products
  - RVS
  - Hall (voters and remote base controllers)
  - Astron
  - Communications Specialists

= Theory and Engineering Questions
  - Filtering/duplexing/isolation
  - Troubleshooting techniques
  - Analog circuit design
  - RF circuit design
  - Digital circuit design
  - Transmission line theory
  - Coverage modelling/path analysis
  - Antenna design/theory
  - Intermod analysis
  - Isolation analysis
  - System troubleshooting (desense, noise, intermodulation, etc.)
  - Performance/optimization (audio quality, antenna patterns, etc.)

= Implementation Concepts
  - Linking schemes
  - Installation techniques and materials
  - Tower/rigging techniques and materials
  - Interfacing/Third-Party Equipment
 

To email any of the individuals below, just click on their name.   Your mailer will open up with the email address and subject line already filled in.   You may add to the subject line, but please don't modify the part that is automatically filled in.

The email address that is preloaded into your mailer will NOT be a useable address.
You will have to correct it by replacing " at " with "@" and " dot " with "."
Sorry, but this address disguising is needed due to the spambots that search the web for valid email addresses.

Jeff DePolo WN3A
Jeff is a Broadcast and Communications Consultant as his day job, specializing in designing, constructing, and maintaining broadcast and telecommunications facilities.  He has built and maintains many repeater systems, both his own as well as for commercial clients and other amateurs and radio clubs.  Jeff will attempt to answer any technical questions regarding amateur repeaters.

Ray Vaughan  KD4BBM
Ray has been building repeaters from GE Mastr Exec II radios for many years.   He prefers to be contacted only about building repeaters from GE Exec II's, namely Desktop Stations.   You can also look at Ray's website on building repeaters from Mastr Exec II Desktop Stations.

Kevin Custer  W3KKC
Kevin has been around radio for many years and has several commercial, gmrs, mars, and amateur repeaters including two very large amateur link systems in western PA.  Kevin helps with numerous individual and club repeaters in Pa, Va, Md, Wv, and Ohio on bands from 10 meters to 900 MHz.  He will attempt to answer any technical questions concerning commercial or amateur repeaters.  Kevin's area of expertiese is the Micor, Mastr II, MVP, and Hamtronics lines.
Kevin's Repeater Builder website.
Please email this Elmer using plain text only, NO HTML emails please.
[This allows me to thread replies into your mailing.]

Jim Hartzell  WA3UQD
Jim has been in Two-Way for 30 years building and maintaining repeaters from manufacturers like GE, Motorola, RCA, and SEA.  He will attempt to answer any technical questions concerning commercial or amateur repeaters.  His specialty is concerning the controllers from Computer Automation Technology (CAT), especially the CAT-1000.   Jim has provided articles concerning the CAT controllers here on this site.

Steve Makky, Sr. KA2AYR
Steve has been working on many communications systems for over 22 years from amateur to public safety, many on sites that are in RF dense environments including unique sites like the World Trade Center and Empire State Building.  He has many attributes including a General Radiotelephone Operator's License, many Motorola product specific schools and is a certified "Emergency Number Professional".   Steve likes operating on 6 meters but uses and maintains RF components to 900 MHz. including Hamtronics equipment.  He may be able to assist with RF equipment, site, intermod, antenna, feedline and coverage related issues.

Chris Baldwin   KF6AJM
I have extensive experience with the Motorola SpectraTAC Total Area Coverage voting system, specifically experience with its usage in the amateur repeater systems.   I really enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience with others, as it doesn't seem there are many people who know about this system, especially in the ham band, who are on-line and willing to help.  I also have experience with the MICOR repeater radios, and the SpectraTAC system's interconnection to it. I've done remote-site linking (translation) for SpectraTAC on 420MHz and 900MHz.

Juan, XE2SI  Habla Espanol
Juan writes: "I would like to participate in the Elmer program.   I have been a ham since 1964, I started in the old days of 2m AM in the "you had to build your own equipment" era, then I started on repeaters in 1972 using old tube type radios, now I am very familiar with Motorola Mitreks and Micors, have done a good quantity of repeaters for amateur use and also for commercial freqs., with a simple COR to sophisticated controllers and with comunity tone panels, have done experimenting also with LTR trunking.   Presently I have a two-way radio business here in Tijuana, Mexico since 1977 were I have direct dealership from Kenwood LMR in Los Angeles.   I can help as an Elmer with the spanish speaking people that visit your web site, I am online most of the day because the nature of my work...
Hope I can be of some help to all people interested in experimenting in this hobby."

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If you have knowledge on the subject of repeaters and would like to participate in the Repeater Elmer program, send an email to: Kevin Custer, W3KKC

Page last updated 11-December-2003 by WA6ILQ
The information presented in this web site and on these web pages is © Copyrighted 1995 - current by Kevin Custer W3KKC and multiple originating authors.