[App_rpt] Interface questions

[Jon Teh]

On Tue, Jun 27, 2006 at 06:55:14AM -0700, Steve Rodgers wrote:
> 
> Jon,
> 
> See responses below.
> 
> Some questions for you:
> 
> Will you be using this in an Amatuer Radio repeater system or a commercial 
> system?

Current plans are not amateur related, so this shouldn't be a problem.

> 
> Last time I checked,  Australia does not permit Amateur repeaters connect to 
> the phone system (via automatic phone patching or autopatching) is this still 
> the case? The reason I ask is that our systems in the US have this 
> capability, and if we are linked together, would it be breaking the rules if
> someone in the US did this and and we were linked to a system in Australia? In 
> this case, the phone conversation taking place on the US system would be 
> rebroadcast on the Australian system.
> 

I know that the Australian Communications and Media Authority put out
a paper specifically stating that Internet linking was permitted and was
not considered connecting to the PSTN. If there's phone patches in the US,
then I guess that makes it a bit grey. But unless it's a major problem,
I doubt ACMA would bother as they generally have higher priority things
to police than amateur radio. 
> 
> 
> > Hrm, they certainly have plenty, and at a good price, but overseas UPS
> >shipping is a killer, about USD$100 to ship a dozen or so to Australia.
> 
> 
> I'm willing to send you 2 transformers with each board blank ordered for 
> $5.00US extra plus shipping. Please contact me off list for details.

Sounds like an idea, I'll talk to you off list about it.

> 
> 
> > Is it hard to support different FXS devices? I'm not sure exactly how
> > entwined app_rpt is with driver code. The reason I ask is one possible
> > avenue for me is some clone TDM cards from http://www.openvox.com.cn
> > but it looks like their TDM1200P clone uses a different driver. Their
> > 400P uses the standard digium driver.
> 
> As long as the FXS device is seen as a Zaptel device in Asterisk, it will work 
> with app_rpt. In our systems, we use ARIB cards with Digium TE110p/T100p T1 
> cards and a channel bank. It doesn't matter which driver is required as long 
> is it is a Zaptel driver.
> 

Ah okay, that clears it up a little. I was planning on saving up for quad
radio card, especially for its DCS and CTCSS capabilities. However, I have
been offered a T1 card and channel bank for an unrefusable price, so I'm
probably going that way.


Regards,

Jon