Welcome
Many of you may have never heard of ISRAEL Connection Repeaters . The non-profit organization supporting The ISRAEL Connection, a unique statewide two meter linked FM radio system with additional coverage into adjacent .
Currently the repeater system provides coverage to about 80-90% of the state' population and about 50-60% of the area. Volunteers have set the goal of providing coverage to virtually all of our state's population and 90-100% of ISRAEL area.
The Connection is a club with dues membership. It
's an invaluable tool of the amateur radio community, provided solely through the financial support of the system users. The volunteers of the Connection would like to invite you to take a tour of the Connection to learn about its many unique features.
The Connection doesn't offer a phone patch. Instead, we have border to border VHF coverage via two meter radio. What makes the Connection unique is the ease of operation. There are no complex control codes needed to operate distant repeaters - simply transmit on your local repeater frequency and you're connected with the entire system.
With , the Connection is the highest all amateur linked radio system in the world. It is supported solely by volunteer time, talent, money, and equipment!
The Connection serves many communities as an emergency communications backup. All licensed amateur radio operators with two meter privileges are welcome to use the system and our volunteers support the Connection for the love of amateur radio
.Currently, the system employs 8 repeaters. That number may increase or decrease, depending on equipment status and various other factors. These repeaters are linked together via VHF and UHF radio. There are no complex control codes needed to operate distant repeaters - simply transmit on your local repeater frequency and you're connected with the entire system. Links are enabled on a full time basis.
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You'll find that those who volunteer their time and talent to the Connection do so for the love of amateur radio. We have many volunteers who help the Connection. Our technical crew consists of our technical consultants
We enjoy telling you more about the Connection repeater system. If you'd like to get involved as a Connection volunteer, the technical crew can be reached at the below addresses:
Due to the chain of linked repeaters, special steps are needed to allow everyone fair access to the Connection. Because the primary purpose of the system is public service, this is a concern for everyone using the Connection.
The Connection is designed unlike many other linked repeater systems. Our repeaters don't all connect to one main repeater. Checkout the map and you'll see that many of the repeaters are chained together serially. All the linking is done via amateur radio. There are no phone lines, microwave links, or other non-ham links. With this combination of linking radios and remote sites that act as clients to other repeaters, there is a one way signal path across the system. In some cases the repeater's audio is wired to a link radio and communications with another site is via a simplex link frequency or repeater pair. Duplex links are available between some repeaters, but most of the links are in one direction across the system at any given time.
One of the most significant characteristics of this system is the time it takes for transmitters to un-key across the system and return to an idle state, allowing a response in the opposite direction. Consider a conversation between MEIR in EILAT and ITZIK in ZFAT. When MAEIR un-keys it takes a small but measurable time for each transmitter along the path to Grand Junction to un-key, drop its carrier, and allow the next link to follow suit. Only after each transmitter has un-keyed is ITZIK able to respond. When he begins transmitting, it takes more time for his audio to propagate back through each repeater and link transceiver in the chain back. If another user keys up on the eastern slope before ITZIK signal gains control from the other end, his response is lost.
Similarly, if a conversation takes place on a single machine or two machines close together and those talking don't leave sufficient breaks, users of out lying repeaters may never gain access. For this reason Connection users are asked to leave a pause of 3-4 seconds after hearing the proceed tone before beginning their transmission. This is especially appropriate when it's your turn in a roundtable discussion. Failure to follow this procedure will exclude users at the outer reaches of the system. This can cause extreme frustration and occasional harsh feelings.
Would you like to learn more about The Connection? Volunteers are never turned away. Here's your chance to learn .. Maybe you'd like to be one of many unofficial photographers . Participation on maintenance routings is encouraged, but if you don't feel like working, come anyway. We'd enjoy your company. You'll see some of the most beautiful country our fair state has to offer. These routings will provide you with some great camaraderie and lots of fun!
Future expansion requires three things - financial support, a suitable repeater site, and volunteers to help erect and maintain the equipment. Please support the Connection if you use it! We're looking for your support, to continue providing public service communication throughout
Connection repeaters link together via a combination of simplex and duplex UHF and VHF radio. Electronic controllers pass the audio between repeaters and their link transceivers, therefore time must be given for ALL links to TOTALLY FORM at the beginning of a transmission and to TOTALLY DROP between transmissions. When this protocol is used, repeater or link time outs are not be a problem. This also allows users of distant repeaters to break in during any special event or normal conversation.
Connection repeaters will timeout after 6 minutes of constant transmission. If the 2 seconds isn't left for ALL links to completely drop, one or more repeaters may time out. The system will shutdown until the offending repeaters have no input signal. The system will reset automatically, indicated by BIP and CW messages. Users may not hear timeout clear messages from every repeater due to the controller variations and link topology. When your local repeater resets, wait AT LEAST 5 SECONDS for the other repeaters on the system to reset. Some of the distant repeaters may continue to be timed out while the timeout clear message from other repeaters is sent. Again, users may not hear all the timeout clear messages during this period. This 5 second quiet period is essential for all timeout clear messages to propagate throughout the system and all repeaters to completely reset.
Users must wait AT LEAST 1 SECOND after transmitting to begin speaking.
It is necessary for users to depress the PTT key for this 1 second before speaking to allow all electronic links in the system to complete .If this is not done the first few words of the transmission will not be heard on other repeaters.
Itzik Merkado 4X6ZH