Ritron Repeater Plus information

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firemedic
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Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2002 8:00 pm

Ritron Repeater Plus information

Post by firemedic »

Anyone have the manuals for a Ritron Repeater Plus unit? I picked up one today for doing some work and it seems to have a wireline control card installed. Interested in converting it back to a normal repeater if I can get the info. Thanks for any information or pointing in the right direction.

Keith Dobbins KC8RFW
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N3UHD
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Post by N3UHD »

I don't know if you've tried the Ritron website, http://www.ritron.com/
They do have a section with Operator manuals. If you call and talk to the parts dept., they can probably get yoyu a service manual if you want one.

Hope this helps.
Bob
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RKG
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Post by RKG »

Tell me precisely what the model number and date of manufacture (if you know) is.

Typically, Ritron repeaters do not use a "wireline interface board." Rather, they have a 20-pin connector on the back that gives pretty complete I/O services, and a wireline control is effected by connecting a DC or tone termination panel to the appropriate pins on this connector, an action that does not defeat "normal" repeater operations.
firemedic
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2002 8:00 pm

Post by firemedic »

Unknown on the exact date but the 4 wireline interface was added in 1994 so somwhere around there or older.

Ritron Repeater Plus
FCC ID AIE9QZRR-454
Doc 1084 193 4664
On the side

On the Bottom is
FCC ID AIE9QZRRA-452

Has 2 different serial Numbers

Info on the wireline card is RW-4WA 4 Wire Interface adapter. Plugs into a 10 pin header with only 9 wires inside of the unit. Has 3 relays and some other parts and 2 slide switches. The unit itself has lots of jumpers on the mainboard and pots for adjustment and 6 dip swtiches. Set all of them to off and it repeats now but no PL in or out. It should have a PL of 100 as it says on the sticker and the frequencies listed are correct.

Thanks for any help or info.

Keith
RKG
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Location: Boston

Post by RKG »

1. The dip switches were on a Com-Spec TS-32 board, which both encodes and decodes PL on the RR-455, though there should be only 5 switches (not 6). All off should decode/encode 67.0. For 100.0, switches should be set: 0-1-0-1-1 (where 1 is On and 0 is Off). Presuming you only have one tone board intalled (the motherboard has holes for up to 4 and a diode matrix for combining them), the front panel Tone switch should be on the A side. If the repeater is operating CSQ both ways (i.e., neither decoding nor encoding), it sounds like some of the leads from the TS-32 may have been lifted.

2. The "interface adapter" sounds like a DC remote control termination panel. DC remotes superimpose audio on small current (but high voltage!) DC currents; the currents are siphoned off to work the relays (usually 2: PTT and Monitor). The audio I/O and relay outputs are then plugged into the appropriate pins on the backplane connector (which, if you look more closely, should have 20 pins, not 10).

3. If the repeater is otherwise working fine, I'd leave the "interface card" alone. Its presence should not interfere with normal "in cabinet" repeating, and removing it may force the repeater into permanent monitor mode (since a jumper may have been cut on the RR-455 mother board when the remote termination was installed). Just get the tone to work.

4. The pin-outs on the backplane connector are as follows:

1 = GRND
2 = GRND
3 = Rem Speaker
4 = ACC Tx Audio
5 = ACC Rx Audio
6 = Rx Audio (flat)
7 = Tone Sq Enable
8 = Tx Audio
9 = Rem Monitor
10 = Sq (-)
11 = Rem Mike Key (-)
12 = Tx CTCSS Tone (used for external tone boards)
13 = Rem Mike Hi
14 = Rem Mike Gnd
15 = Not used
16 = Tx Shutdown (repeater disable)
17 = Key (-)
18 = 13.5 VDC out (0.25A max)
19 = 12VDC + In
20 = 12VDC + In

Viewed from the rear of the box, the leftmost pin is #20 and the rightmost is #1.

The Maintenance and Operating Manual for this radio is Ritron Part No. 1451088B, and they should be able to supply you with a copy.

5. The pots on the RR-455 motherboard are all labelled on the silkscreening, and are for such things as Modulation Level (R365), Remote Volume (R352), 13.5VDC level set (R380), Local Mike gain (R320), Hang Time (R308), Remote Mike Gain (R319), Time Out Timer (R312), RF Power Control (R317) (be careful with this: this controls current to the transmitter, and should not be adjusted until the transmitter has been depowered to 8 watts with R317 at max). The Manual contains detailed and straightforward tuning and alignment instructions, but you'll need some good test equipment to do the alignment and should not attempt it without such equipment.

6. The hardest thing I've experienced with these radios is getting access to the transmitter module innards. There is a screw on the outside of the left side panel; this pulls the final transistor hard against the side panel, which is its heat sink. When this screw is removed, the transmitter module is freed up, but I've found that you cannot remove it far enough to remove the cover because it is blocked by the internal duplexer. The duplexer is fragile, so don't force things. Rather, you'll have to disassemble the left side of the case. Two cautions: the AC power supply is in the same area, so be sure the radio is unplugged from AC and the caps have been drained before sticking your fingers too close. Second, with the heat sink removed, the Tx final will quickly overheat; for testing, you can drill a hole in a fair sized piece of scrap aluminum and temporarily use the same screw to attach it to the Tx box to provide a heat sink.

For the money, these are great (if low power) repeaters; they will last a long time and hold their adjustments pretty well. Good luck.
firemedic
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2002 8:00 pm

Post by firemedic »

Some pics of the unit

Image

Image


Pretty sure it's not a RR-455 but don't hold me too that. Think it is around 1984, as one of the boards has a 1984 copyright.

Keith
RKG
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Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2002 11:41 pm
Location: Boston

Post by RKG »

The radio in your picture is different from the Ritron's I'm familiar with. Contact Ritron for a manual.
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