SYSTEMS

INC.

Installation and Operation Manual for

Control Station Combiners
VHF, UHF, and 746 to 869 MHz

Manual Part Number

7-9425

TX RX Systems Inc. 8625 Industrial Parkway, Angola, NY 14006 Tel: 716-549-4700 Fax: 716-549-4772 sales@txrx.com www.txrx.com
 Manual Part Number 7-9425
Copyright © 2006 TX RX Systems, Inc.
First Printing: October 2006

Version Number Version Date

1 10/20/06

2 11/20/06
 Warranty Symbols
This warranty applies for one year from shipping date. Commonly Used

TX RX Systems Inc. warrants its products to be free from defect in material and workman-
ship at the time of shipment. Our obligation under warranty is limited to replacement or
repair, at our option, of any such products that shall have been defective at the time of WARNING
manufacture.
TX RX Systems Inc. reserves the right to replace with merchandise of equal performance
although not identical in every way to that originally sold.
TX RX Systems Inc. is not liable for damage caused by lightning or other natural disasters.
No product will be accepted for repair or replacement without our prior written approval. CAUTION or
The purchaser must prepay all shipping charges on returned products. TX RX Systems ATTENTION
Inc. shall in no event be liable for consequential damages, installation costs or expense of
any nature resulting from the purchase or use of products, whether or not they are used in
accordance with instructions. This warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, either ex-
pressed or implied, including any implied warranty or merchantability of fitness. No repre-
sentative is authorized to assume for TX RX Systems Inc. any other liability or warranty
High Voltage
than set forth above in connection with our products or services.

Terms and Conditions of Sale

PRICES AND TERMS: Prices are FOB seller’s plant in Angola, NY domestic packaging
only, and are subject to change without notice. Federal, State and local sales or excise Use Safety
taxes are not included in prices. When Net 30 terms are applicable, payment is due
Glasses
within 30 days of invoice date. All orders are subject to a $100.00 net minimum.
QUOTATIONS: Only written quotations are valid.
ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS: Acceptance of orders is valid only when so acknowledged ESD
in writing by the seller. Electrostatic
SHIPPING: Unless otherwise agreed at the time the order is placed, seller reserves the Discharge
right to make partial shipments for which payment shall be made in accordance with
seller’s stated terms. Shipments are made with transportation charges collect unless
otherwise specified by the buyer. Seller’s best judgement will be used in routing, except
that buyer’s routing is used where practicable. The seller is not responsible for selection Hot Surface
of most economical or timeliest routing.
CLAIMS: All claims for damage or loss in transit must be made promptly by the buyer
against the carrier. All claims for shortages must be made within 30 days after date of
shipment of material from the seller’s plant.
Electrical Shock
SPECIFICATION CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS: All designs and specifications of Hazard
seller’s products are subject to change without notice provided the changes or modifi-
cations do not affect performance.
RETURN MATERIAL: Product or material may be returned for credit only after written
authorization from the seller, as to which seller shall have sole discretion. In the event
of such authorization, credit given shall not exceed 80 percent of the original purchase. NOTE Important
In no case will Seller authorize return of material more than 90 days after shipment from
Information
Seller’s plant. Credit for returned material is issued by the Seller only to the original
purchaser.
ORDER CANCELLATION OR ALTERATION: Cancellation or alteration of acknowledged
orders by the buyer will be accepted only on terms that protect the seller against loss.
NON WARRANTY REPAIRS AND RETURN WORK: Consult seller’s plant for pricing.
Buyer must prepay all transportation charges to seller’s plant. Standard shipping policy
set forth above shall apply with respect to return shipment from TX RX Systems Inc. to
buyer.

Disclaimer
Product part numbering in photographs and drawings is accurate at time of printing.
Part number labels on TX RX products supercede part numbers given within this manual.
Information is subject to change without notice.
 Table of Contents
General Description ............................................................................................ 1
Unpacking ............................................................................................................ 2
Installation............................................................................................................ 2
Operation.............................................................................................................. 4
Maintenance......................................................................................................... 4

Figures and Tables

Figure 1: Rear view of the control station combiner ............................................. 2
Figure 2: 4 channel VHF and UHF interconnect diagram..................................... 2
Figure 3: Functional block diagram ..................................................................... 4
Figure 4: RX signal flow........................................................................................ 5
Figure 5: TX signal flow ........................................................................................ 5
Figure 6: VHF and UHF 8,12, and 16 channel interconnect diagrams ................. 6
Figure 7: VHF and UHF 32 channel interconnect diagram................................... 7
Figure 8: 746 thru 869 MHz 4 and 8 channel interconnect diagrams ................... 7
Figure 9: 746 thru 869 MHz 12 and 16 channel interconnect diagrams ............... 8
Figure 10: 746 thru 869 MHz 24 and 32 channel interconnect diagrams ............. 9

Table 1: Combiner specifications .......................................................................... 1

Table 2: Model matrix............................................................................................ 3

Table of Contents Manual 7-9425-2 11/20/06

 GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Control Station Combiners are used to reduce the
number of antennas required on a communications
site. They ensure that predictable radio-to-radio
isolation is maintained regardless of the individual
radios TX or RX operating mode or antenna isola-
tion characteristic. Control Station Combiners from
TX RX Systems Inc. are frequency agile with pre-
dictable isolation, both analog and digital compati-
ble, and their low profile provides for space efficient
installations. Single antenna-port control stations
may be connected to these combiners to provide
operation on two-antenna configurations (one TX
and one RX), or through a duplexer to a single
antenna (i.e. TX/RX). These combiners can signifi-
cantly reduce tower clutter and loading, as well as
simplify cabling installation at control center facili-
ties.
Specifications for the control station combiner are
listed in Table 1. The rear view of a typical com-
biner is shown in Figure 1 with the corresponding
interconnect drawing shown in Figure 2.
A functional block diagram for the typical control
station combiner is shown in Figure 3. The com-
biner interfaces the single antenna port of the con-
trol station to either a transmit or receive antenna
depending on the control stations mode of opera-
tion. During receive operation the combiner will
provide a path from the control station to the
receive antenna as shown in Figure 4. While dur-
ing transmit operation the combiner will provide a
path from the control station to the transmit
Parameter
Minimum Frequency Separation (MHz)
Transmit RF Power (per channel)
TX - TX Isolation (dB)
Antenna - TX Isolation (dB)
TX - RX Isolation (dB)
RX - RX Isolation (dB)
Return Loss (dB)
Operating Temperature (° C)
Connectors
Table 1: Control Station Combiner specifications.
TXRX Systems Inc. Manual 7-9425-2
antenna as shown in Figure 5. Both paths are pro-
vided without switching.
The transmit signal path through the combiner
includes a circulator, isolator, and hybrid combiner.
The circulator couples signals in a circular fashion.
It is a three port device that couples signals from
the first port (connected to control station) to the
second port (connected to transmit antenna) with
little insertion loss. The next stage is an isolator
which is used to dissipate any reflected transmit
energy from the antenna. Hybrid combiners are
then used to combine all of the control station
transmit signals into a single TX antenna port.
Receive signals from the RX antenna port are first
applied to a splitter network and then routed to the
third port of each respective circulator. The circula-
tor allows signals applied to the third port (con-
nected to receive antenna) to pass to the first port
(and the control station) with little insertion loss.
Models are available in several bands including;
132 to 150 MHz, 150 to 174 MHz, 380 to 450 MHz,
450 to 520 MHz, and 746 to 869 MHz. Within each
band standard configurations of either 4, 8, 12, 16,
or 32 channel capacities are available. There is
also a 24 channel configuration available in the
746 to 869 MHz band. Table 2 lists all of the mod-
els available as well as their insertion loss and rack
height. For ease of installation the control station
combiner is constructed in modular shelves of 1
RU each.
Specification
No Limitations
50 Watts
60 Minimum
60 Minimum
60 Minimum
60 Minimum
> 15 Typical
-10 ~ +50
N (Female)
11/20/06 Page 1
 UNPACKING
After factory final-testing your Control Station Com-
biner is packaged then shipped motor freight or
UPS. It is important to report any visible damage to
the carrier immediately. It is the customer’s respon-
sibility to file damage claims with the carrier within
a short period of time after delivery (1 to 5 days).
Factory test results are packaged with the unit and
should be retained by the customer for future refer-
ence.
INSTALLATION
The system is designed to be mounted in a stan-
dard EIA 19” rack. Due to the weight of the individ-
ual units rear support is required for each. A pair of
1/4 x 20 threaded inserts (one on each side of the
unit) are provided for this purpose.
Interconnect diagrams for the VHF and UHF 8, 12,
16, and 32 channel configurations are shown in
Figures 6 and 7. Interconnect diagrams for 746 to
869 MHz systems are shown in Figures 8 thru 10.

RX Port Control Station Ports TX

Ground Lug Port

Figure 1: Rear view of the VHF and UHF 4 channel control station combiner.
Model 43-57A-01-04 shown as an example.

From Duplexer To Duplexer

or Dual Filter or Dual Filter

T/R T/R T/R

RX TX

TX/RX TX/RX TX/RX TX/RX

Antenna Antenna Antenna Antenna
Port Port Port Port

Radio Radio Radio Radio

Figure 2: Interconnect diagram for the VHF and UHF 4 channel control station combiner.
Model 43-57A-01-04 shown as an example.

TXRX Systems Inc. Manual 7-9425-2 11/20/06 Page 2

Model Number Description Insertion Loss Height Installation Diagram

43-36-01-04 132-150 MHz, 4 Channel 7.5 dB 1 RU Figure 2

43-36-01-08 132-150 MHz, 8 Channel 11 dB 3 RU Figure 6

43-36-01-12 132-150 MHz, 12 Channel 14 dB 4 RU Figure 6

43-36-01-16 132-150 MHz, 16 Channel 14 dB 5 RU Figure 6

43-36-01-32 132-150 MHz, 32 Channel 18 dB 11 RU Figure 7

43-37A-01-04 150 - 174 MHz, 4 Channel 7.5 dB 1 RU Figure 2

43-37A-01-08 150 - 174 MHz, 8 Channel 11 dB 3 RU Figure 6

43-37A-01-12 150 - 174 MHz, 12 Channel 14 dB 4 RU Figure 6

43-37A-01-16 150 - 174 MHz, 16 Channel 14 dB 5 RU Figure 6

43-37A-01-32 150 - 174 MHz, 32 Channel 18 dB 11 RU Figure 7

43-57A-01-04 380 - 450 MHz, 4 Channel 7 dB 1 RU Figure 2

43-57A-01-08 380 - 450 MHz, 8 Channel 11 dB 3 RU Figure 6

43-57A-01-12 380 - 450 MHz, 12 Channel 14 dB 4 RU Figure 6

43-57A-01-16 380 - 450 MHz, 16 Channel 14 dB 5 RU Figure 6

43-57A-01-32 380 - 450 MHz, 32 Channel 17 dB 11 RU Figure 7

43-57B-01-04 450 - 520 MHz, 4 Channel 7 dB 1 RU Figure 2

43-57B-01-08 450 - 520 MHz, 8 Channel 11 dB 3 RU Figure 6

43-57B-01-12 450 - 520 MHz, 12 Channel 14 dB 4 RU Figure 6

43-57B-01-16 450 - 520 MHz, 16 Channel 14 dB 5 RU Figure 6

43-57B-01-32 450 - 520 MHz, 32 Channel 17 dB 11 RU Figure 7

43-83G-01-04 746 - 869 MHz, 4 Channel 8 dB 1 RU Figure 8

43-83G-01-08 746 - 869 MHz, 8 Channel 11.5 dB 1 RU Figure 8

43-83G-01-12 746 - 869 MHz, 12 Channel 15 dB 3 RU Figure 9

43-83G-01-16 746 - 869 MHz, 16 Channel 15 dB 3 RU Figure 9

43-83G-01-24 746 - 869 MHz, 24 Channel 15 dB 4 RU Figure 10

43-83G-01-32 746 - 869 MHz, 32 Channel 18.5 dB 5 RU Figure 10

Table 2: Control Station Combiner Model Matrix

TXRX Systems Inc. Manual 7-9425-2 11/20/06 Page 3

After the shelves are installed they should be inter-
connected as shown with the provided cables. All
of the cables required to interconnect the shelves
together are included in the shipment.
The system should be securely installed in a dry
vibration free environment. Avoid areas of high
heat or direct sunlight. All cable connections are N
style (female). All cable connections to the com-
biner should be made with double-shielded or
semi-rigid heliax cable. High quality N style con-
nectors that use either silver or gold plated con-
tacts should be used. It is also impor tant to
observe the power handling ratings of any cables in
transmit systems. Connect the control stations and
filters/duplexer to the combiner making sure to con-
nect the correct equipment to the correct port.
Labels are affixed next to each port to help you
make the right connections.
Do not make or break connections to or from the
combiner with transmit power applied. Insure the
control stations are turned OFF before you touch
the cables.
Control Station 1
Control Station 2
Control Station 3
Control Station 4
Figure 3: Functional block diagram of the control station combiner.
Model 43-57A-01-04 shown as an example.
TXRX Systems Inc. Manual 7-9425-2
OPERATION
After connecting the control stations and filters/
duplexer the system is ready for operation. The
combiner is a passive device requiring no external
power source.
MAINTENANCE
No special maintenance is required for the com-
biner. This is a passive device of rugged mechani-
cal and electrical design. Check for loose or
corroded connectors on the interconnect cables
whenever an inspection is performed on other sta-
tion equipment. Remove any dust or debris and
insure adequate air flow around the unit.
Because the combiner is a passive, and non-tun-
able device, field repairs are not required. Field
repair is limited to the replacement or repair of
damaged cables. Failure of the unit is usually due
to excessive transmit power levels or lightning
damage. Damaged units should be returned to the
factory for repair.
Control Station Combiner
RX Signals
from Filter
or Duplexer
TX Signals
to Filter
or Duplexer
11/20/06 Page 4
 Control Station Combiner

RX Signals
from Filter
Control Station 1 or Duplexer

Control Station 2

TX Signals
to Filter
Control Station 3 or Duplexer

Control Station 4

Figure 4: RX signal flow through the control station combiner.

Control Station Combiner

RX Signals
from Filter
or Duplexer

Control Station 1

Control Station 2

Control Station 3
TX Signals
to Filter
or Duplexer

Control Station 4

Figure 5: TX signal flow through the control station combiner.

TXRX Systems Inc. Manual 7-9425-2 11/20/06 Page 5

 From Duplexer 8 Channel Combiner To Duplexer
or Dual Filter or Dual Filter

2-Way
RX R R T T TX
GD Master
Combiner

Channel
GD
RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX
5-8

Channel
GD
RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX
1-4

From Duplexer 12 Channel Combiner To Duplexer

or Dual Filter or Dual Filter

4-Way
RX R R R R T T T T TX
GD Master
Combiner

Channel
GD
RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX
9-12

Channel
GD
RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX
5-8

Channel
GD
RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX 1-4

From Duplexer 16 Channel Combiner To Duplexer

or Dual Filter or Dual Filter

4-Way
RX R R R R T T T T TX
GD Master
Combiner

Channel
GD
RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX
13-16

Channel
GD
RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX
9-12

Channel
GD
RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX 5-8

Channel
GD
RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX 1-4

Figure 6: Interconnect diagrams for VHF and UHF 8, 12, and 16 channel control station combiner.

TXRX Systems Inc. Manual 7-9425-2 11/20/06 Page 6

 From Duplexer 32 Channel Combiner To Duplexer
or Dual Filter or Dual Filter

2-Way
RX R R T T TX
GD Master
Combiner

Dual
4-Way
RX R R R R T T T T TX RX R R R R T T T T TX
GD GD Master
Combiners

Channel
GD GD
RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX
25-32

Channel
GD GD
RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX
17-24

Channel
GD GD
RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX 9-16

Channel
GD GD
RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX RX T/R T/R T/R T/R TX 1-8

Figure 7: Interconnect diagram for the VHF and UHF 32 channel control station combiner.

From Duplexer 4 Channel Combiner To Duplexer

or Dual Filter or Dual Filter

GD RX T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R TX

From Duplexer 8 Channel Combiner To Duplexer

or Dual Filter or Dual Filter

GD RX T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R TX

Figure 8: Interconnect diagrams for 4 and 8 channel (746 to 869 MHz) control station combiners.

TXRX Systems Inc. Manual 7-9425-2 11/20/06 Page 7

 From Duplexer 12 Channel Combiner To Duplexer
or Dual Filter or Dual Filter

RX R R T T TX 2-Way
Master
GD Combiner

GD RX T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R TX

GD RX T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R TX

From Duplexer 16 Channel Combiner To Duplexer

or Dual Filter or Dual Filter

RX R R T T TX 2-Way
Master
GD Combiner

GD RX T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R TX

GD RX T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R TX

Figure 9: Interconnect diagrams for 12 and 16 channel (746 to 869 MHz) control station combiners.

TXRX Systems Inc. Manual 7-9425-2 11/20/06 Page 8

 From Duplexer 24 Channel Combiner To Duplexer
or Dual Filter or Dual Filter

RX R R R R T T T T TX 4-Way
Master
GD Combiner

GD RX T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R TX

GD RX T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R TX

GD RX T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R TX

From Duplexer 32 Channel Combiner To Duplexer

or Dual Filter or Dual Filter

RX R R R R T T T T TX 4-Way
Master
GD Combiner

GD RX T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R TX

GD RX T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R TX

GD RX T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R TX

GD RX T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R T/R TX

Figure 10: Interconnect diagrams for 24 and 32 channel (746 to 869 MHz) control station combiners.

TXRX Systems Inc. Manual 7-9425-2 11/20/06 Page 9

 NOTES

TXRX Systems Inc. Manual 7-9425-2 11/20/06 Page 10