Top of the Hillsborough Tower

The TV Hill Tower
Images courtesy of NC4CD

DFMA Repeaters - WR4AGC

The DFMA maintains and operates a number of repeaters. They are shown below with their frequency, offset direction, and PL tone if required.

Hillsborough

Open autopatch (ID before use!), IRLP Node 8658
    147.225+ PL:82.5
    224.260- no PL (AllStarLink Node)
DMR, PRN Network
    443.1375+

Durham, TV Hill

Open autopatch (ID before use!), IRLP Node 4441
    145.450- PL:82.5 (accessible by Echoink)
    444.100+ PL:82.5

    53.610- PL:88.5 (no autopatch or IRLP)

Durham, VA Hospital

    444.450+ PL:100.0

Other Area Repeaters of Interest

443.275+ PL:100.0 Rougemont (NC4CD)

442.150+ PL:131.8 UNC-TV Tower (OCRA)
442.150+ PL:131.8 UNC-TV Tower (K4ITL)

145.230- PL:107.2 Moncure (OCRA)

443.475+ PL:131.8 Siler City (OCRA)

146.880- no PL Raleigh, Skywarn repeater

AllStarLink System

Talk to the World On 224.26 (de NC4CD)

DFMA has a repeater on the 220 MHz. ham band. It is on our Hillsborough tower, and it's on 224.260MHz, negative offset, and no PL tone. Over the last few months, Adriano, KV7D, and I have been working to link this repeater through the AllStarLink system, which is “a network of Amateur Radio repeaters, remote base stations and hot spots accessible to each other via Voice over Internet Protocol. AllStarLink runs on a dedicated computer including the Raspberry Pi. It is based on the open source Asterisk PBX software. Asterisk is a powerful system capable of controlling one or more radios. It provides linking of these radio 'nodes' to other systems of similar construction anywhere in the world via VoIP,” according to the AllStarLink website. The audio quality of AllStar is excellent, and it provides the capability to cross-connect with many other modes.

At the present time, we have configured our local machine to automatically connect through the AllStarLink network to the remote locations on the chart below. If you have 220MHz capability, feel free to make friends with other hams across the nation and beyond.

If you don't have a radio for this band, some of the newer Baofang models will provide access at a very reasonable cost. Older radios by Alinco, Yaesu, and others can be found from time to time, and are still useable through our repeater even if they do not have PL tone boards installed.

DFMA-Hillsborough 224.260 MHz. AllstarLink Schedule

Times are Eastern Time Zone.

Using Autopatch on DFMA Repeaters

Autopatch allows access to the phone network through repeaters that include the necessary hardware. It allows for emergency or short personal conversations. (Non-personal use is not allowed by your amateur license.) This service may be useful if cell phone access is not possible. (Forgotten cell phone, dead battery, no service, etc.)

Use of autopatch requires the use of a numeric pad on your radio including the "*" and the "#" keys. DFMA policy requires you to ID with your callsign before use. Lack of ID subjects you to summary disconnection by a control operator. ID after completing your use is the standard FCC requirement.

Personal Autopatch

To connect: ID, then
Press PTT and dial * + 919 + 7 digits or * + 984 + 7 digits.
Do not release your PTT in the middle of this sequence; any interruption will cause it to fail.
Interruptions in fringe areas due to dropouts or interference can also cause failure.

When the connection is made, inform your party that whatever they say is public. This is half duplex. You cannot both talk at once. Your signal has precedence. You are limited to 3 minutes!

To disconnect: press "#" then ID.

Emergency Autopatch

Use 911 for Durham County emergencies or 910 for Orange County emergencies. (Consult your DFMA Repeater Guide for other options.)
To connect: ID, then
Press PTT and dial * + 911 or * + 910

When the connection is made, you may need to explain that you are using a ham radio relay and the dispatcher's location indication will be that of the repeater site, not the location of the emergency. This is half duplex. You cannot both talk at once. Your signal has precedence,

To disconnect: press "#", then ID.