Voters and Remote Receivers

Overview and techniques.

VOTER: Voice Observing Time Extension for Radio

By Duane Hall KA8GVH

and Kevin Custer W3KKC

A voting comparator can greatly enhance your repeater. By using multiple receivers and a s/n
comparator (voter), you can expand your repeaters receive coverage in size, and in quality.

Basics-
The voting system is comprised of at least one... possibly several extra receivers placed at
locations remote from the main site to extend quality coverage of the receive end of a
repeater system. These remote receiver sites are more properly called Satellite Receiver Sites.
At the satellite receiver site, a receiver on the repeater input frequency listens for a user. If
the user is getting into the satellite site, the remote receiver opens and turns on a link
transmitter. This transmitter sends the users audio back to the main repeater site where
another receiver captures the link signal. This linkback receiver is connected to the voter along
with the main receiver so comparison of the two (or more) can be made. The better of the
two (or more) is selected by the voter and is transmitted out the main repeater transmitter.

A high profile transmitter is wasted if the receive coverage limits your range. Voting allows the
tx and rx coverage areas to be balanced. The main receiver at the transmitter site may have
reduced performance because of compromises made in the antenna system, or at a crowded
site with a high noise floor or suffers from desense from other high powered transmitters at
the site. The voter can help overcome the effects of these limitations because you don't have
to rely on one great receiver. A few well placed low profile receivers can often be more
effective. Even voting between two local receivers can get you some improvement.

Overlapping receivers allow the voter to remove the quick pops, fades, and picket fencing. As
the user fades in and out of the various receivers, chances are good there is another receiver
that is hearing the user fine at that moment. By continuously evaluating all the inputs, the
voter can piece together quality audio to provide your controller, what looks to be one super
receiver.

Hardware-
The Satellite Receiver site is made up of a quality receiver operating on the repeaters input
frequency, and a linkback transmitter. This set-up can be looked at like a crossband repeater.
The receiver captures a user and the resulting audio is relayed back to the main repeater site
using a linkback transmitter. The link-back is usually done on uhf or 900 megs and must be
done on or above 222.15 MHz. Many times the linkback transmitter is only on the order of a
watt or two because the satellite site is quite possibly line-of-site to the main repeater. At the
main repeater site a receiver listens for the linkback transmitter to send the users audio. This
audio and COS is fed to the voter for comparison.

Some systems use more than one satellite receiver site. There are different ways of getting the
signal back to the main site depending on how much money you want to spend. Some use
different frequencies for the linkback of each satellite remote, while some use the same
frequency. The drawback of running different frequencies is the need for a separate linkback
receiver for each remote site, at the main repeater site. While this is the most expensive
scenario, there are no drawbacks to its operation other than cost. These extra sites can be
configured "open" using 'carrier squelch', or in systems using CTCSS (commonly called PL) all
sites can be configured to use (or pass) the same PL tone. The user needs to know nothing
about its operation as it is transparent to them.

The alternative to the above is to use the same frequency for each linkback and then only one
extra receiver is needed at the main repeater site and the voter can be a 2 channel model.
However, since a user may be getting into more than one satellite site, each site must be PL'ed
differently or a heterodyne will occur on the linkback frequency. This makes the voting
process more difficult for the user because they have to know what PL to use for the specific
"zone of coverage" for a particular site.

It is possible to use phone lines to bring the audio to the voter, but leased lines are usually cost
prohibitive. Clubs that are associated with universities, hospitals, or other facilities that include
a large campus, can sometimes make use of the internal phone wiring for free. This conserves
a link frequency and saves on linking equipment costs. By adding multiple receivers in these
applications, improved in-building coverage can be obtained, as well as off campus coverage.
When linking over a medium that only has an audio path, an idle tone (status tone) can be
implemented to provide the COR status to the voter. Common frequencies for this are 1950 Hz
(GE) and 2175 Hz (Motorola). When the receiver is squelched, the tone is sent down the line.
When a user keys up, the tone is removed, and the audio of the radio traffic is sent down the
line. A tone decoder at the voter end of the audio path provides the needed COR to the voter,
based on the absence of this tone. This method can also be used with RF links, with the link
transmitter on continuously.

Audio-
The hard part of a voting system is matching the audio's. When it votes, you don't want the
audio characteristics to change. (other than s/n [quality]) That would allow you to hear the
instant it switches between inputs. Also, if they have different tonal qualities, you are not
getting a fair comparison. A shrill sounding link, compared to two regular sounding links, would
appear to most voters as if it had more noise, and the voter may be biased away from that
receiver. This would be unfortunate if it happened to be the better choice for intelligibility.
Using all the same equipment is a short cut, and can help speed up the process of matching
the audio's. The audio level from each rx is critical, but that is the easiest to match, simply by
adjusting the input controls to the voter. Limiting on the link, or any compression on the audio,
can cause a voter to misvote. The compression also compresses the noise floor, which is what
the voter uses to make its decision. This can cause the voter to like that channel better.

Instead of modulating your link a full 5K, only use 3.5 or 4 K of deviation. This will allow you to
keep your limiter at 5 K to prevent problems, but will allow the audio to remain linear. You can
boost the audio at the far end. When you listen to your link it may be a little low in level, but
you will know why.

De emphasis and Pre emphasis-

De emphasis and Pre emphasis causes a lot of confusion. To simplify, a user transmits and his
transmitter boosts the high end. This is pre emphasized audio. Normally a receiver does just
the opposite and removes this boost. If you get the recovered audio straight from the
discriminator, before the squelch gate, this is before the audio has that high end boost
removed. The best way to deal with pre/de emphasis is don't. The user's tx will do the pre-
emph. Let the users rx also do the de-emph. This means you need to get the non de-emph
audio right from the discriminator when you interface to the remote receivers and link
receivers. When connecting to the link transmitter, and main tx/controller, disable the pre
emphasis, or insert the audio past this circuitry. Do not simply hook it up to your mic jack.
Transmitters (exciters) with a true FM modulator work best for this because they don't
automatically pre-emphasize the applied audio like a phase modulator does. If discriminator
audio is used out of the satellite receiver, de-emphasis will need applied to the audio going to
transmitters with a phase modulator.

Perfectly flat audio is not always possible, but the less you mess with it, usually the better. If
the slope of the frequency response does not match exactly, each time you change this slope,
you introduce error. Some systems switch back and forth between pre/de/pre/de and they
seem to work. You will have a better chance at success if you keep it simple, and keep it flat.
Definitely avoid double pre emphasis. This is a common mistake because the user transmits
pre emphasis, but when you interface the remote receiver and get the audio from the
discriminator, you are getting the audio before it has been de-emph'd. Then the audio is
plugged into the mic jack on the link transmitter. Now you just added pre emphasis to audio
that already had the high end boosted once before. When someone says there system audio is
tinny or thin sounding, this is the first thing to suspect.

COR-
The COR presented to the voter, needs to accurately reflect the status and timing of the COR at
the remote receiver. COR transitions should be fast, so don't have hangtime on the link. This
would cause the voter to have a COR signal, without valid audio to compare. This dead audio
during the link transmitter's hang time would look very quite to a voter..... and the voter would
grab that channel. Gated audio from the receiver can also cause a similar problem. If the
squelch gate is delayed in opening, or ramps open, the selection process could be affected. If
you get the audio directly from the discriminator, before the squelch gate, you avoid this
problem. Once again, the less audio processing the better.

If you have to have hang time on the link transmitter, make sure the remote receiver is running
open squelch audio to the linkback transmitter to allow noise to be sent to the voter. This
should prevent the voter from selecting that link when its not really active, except at the end,
when it is the only input present. The longer the hang time, the longer the squelch crash out of
the voter.

CTCSS or PL-
If you will be using an access tone, here is one way to set up a system. The main/local receiver
is connected directly to the voter, so it is handled the same as a link receiver. Decode the
CTCSS and use this to signal the voter when it is active. Logically "And" the COR with Tone
Detect. Read this explanation on the subject. There is no need for MICOR bi-level squelch on
linkback receivers. The links rarely vary in strength. Stripping the CTCSS at this point is a good
idea, but you may get by without worrying about it. The voter may see large differences in
CTCSS level, and could be biased away from the input with tone. This is usually only a problem
when one has the tone stripped off, and the other doesn't. Try to keep things consistent.

At the remote site, you don't have to tone protect (PL) the receiver. Let the remote site pass
everything, including the users CTCSS. Passing the tone at a sufficient level can be a challenge,
depending on the equipment. The carrier squelch will allow any signal to bring up the link, but
if it doesn't have the right tone, it will not get past the link receiver where the CTCSS decoder
is. The reason for this is to improve the speed. With this method, there are only two decoders
in line before the user hears it. The link rx, and the users rx both have a decoder that introduce
a little lag. This method avoids making this 3 decoders. I would also choose a tone frequency
that is not too low. The higher tones decode slightly faster, and is also easier for the remote
sites to pass. Remember, the higher the tone, the more you may hear through the high pass
filter. (PL Hum on your audio) Avoid the extremes.

Many systems decode at the remote sites as well, but I wanted to show there are several ways
to accomplish the same thing. An advantage of decoding at the remote site is it makes it
easier, because you don't have to worry about getting the audio as flat at that crossband
repeater at the remote site. In other words, decoding the tone at the Satellite site may allow a
lesser quality linkback to be used.

Implementation-
Installing a large voting system doesn't have to happen all at once, and probably won't. By
letting the repeater grow and evolve, you can optimize the coverage area. Put on one remote
receiver, then evaluate the change to your coverage. Strategically select your next Rx site, and
gather equipment. Adding a 2nd receiver at the voter site can be a good stepping stone. Once
you get your receive coverage up to par, raise the transmitter antenna or add a power amp.
Then you can have an excuse to add even more receivers.

Things to Remember-
No hang time on the link tx.
No limiting on the link tx.
Match the audio's, the closer the better. Exact is nice, but close will work.

Questions ??- Feel free to email either author below.

html 11-13-1999 Kevin K. Custer W3KKC

Copyright 11-13-1999, 7-28-2000 Kevin Custer W3KKC and Duane Hall KA8GVH
Re-written 7-28-2000 by the above authors to include more detailed information.
All Rights Reserved.....

Limitations:
This simple voter has some limitations. For the money you will spend on the voter, it will be
the cheapest piece in the voting network to implement. After you see the advantages of
voting, this voter may not be sufficient to handle your needs. Go Here to read some additional
notes.

Changing Levels and Part Availability:

After building and implementing several of these boards in real life, I had a problem with levels
not staying put. Others have commented about having this problem. To solve the problem, I
replaced the cheap 2/3 turn pots with quality multi turn units like the Bourns Trim Pot. After
replacing the pots, the level changing problem went away and hasn't returned.
Bourns Trimmer Potentiometer 100K available from Digikey Corp.
Digikey part number 3299Y-104-ND $2.92 ea.
Use these for R1, R2, and R3.

Bourns Trimmer Potentiometer 10K available from Digikey Corp.

Digikey part number 3299Y-103-ND $2.92 ea.
Use this for R4.

The Op-Amp is available from Mouser Electronics in the form of a substitute in the NTE7141
(Mouser P/N 526-NTE7141) at $3.60 each.
American Microsemiconductor still has the CA3240E at just $1.10 each, but their minimum
order is $35.00.

COS Considerations:
Mark Kolber's original design is to be used with negative logic signaling. This is uncommon in
most modern ham and commercial receivers and controllers. If you need positive logic
signaling, the addition of the simple circuitry suggested below will aide in connecting the voter
to positive logic equipment.

This circuit will allow a positive logic COS (+ voltage when receiving a signal) to be connected to
the voters inputs.
Two of these circuits may need constructed if both receivers employed use positive logic.
Q1 is a 2N2222 NPN or equivalent.
R1 is a 10 K ohm resistor.
R2 is a 47 K to 100 K ohm resistor.

If positive logic is needed to drive a controller from the output of the voter, you have a choice.
You can eliminate Q1 & R39 on the voter, and positive logic is available at the intersection of
the 2, 10 K resistors (R37, and R38.) One could simply not install Q1 & R39 and just place a
jumper between the base and collector pads on the PC board. This will connect positive logic
to J6, the COR output. One problem, however, is the output capability is limited because of
the 10 K resistors. So, if you rather not modify the circuitry on the voter board, or if you need
more current driving capability, build the voter as suggested in the article and construct the
circuit below.

This circuit will produce a positive logic output from the voter, (+ voltage when receiving a
signal.)
Q1 is a 2N3906 PNP or equivalent.
R1 is a 1 K ohm resistor.
R2 is a 100 K resistor.
R3 is a 100 ohm resistor.
R4 is a 10 K resistor.
[ R3 is used as a current limiter in case the output is shorted.. the transistor won't blow, it can
be changed in value, or eliminated ]
Don't go higher than 5 K on R3, unless R4 is eliminated or changed up in value.

Operational Considerations:
Mr. Kolber's original design uses a long time constant for the averaging of the rectified voltage
produced by the users signal.
I have found that a shorter time constant was nicer, and more pleasing to me. If the timing of
the voter doesn't suit you, you can change the time constant by changing the value of the filter
capacitors C10 & C11. Both should be changed to identical units.
I have found that 33 uF tantalum capacitors made the voter more pleasing to me. This value
can be tailored to suit your need.

END

Determining the Best Quality Audio

A typical SNV-12 Signal-and-Noise Voter application is an LMR system in which mobiles and
portables can hear a repeater, but the repeater can’t hear them, due to their lower transmit
power and/or the antenna size or placement. Remote receivers can be positioned in the
communications dead spots, with audio from each receiver linked to the voter via IP or T1
microwave, IP fiber, landline, twisted pair, RF link, or fiber optics. The voter will select the best
quality signal from all unsquelched remote receivers and forward this signal to the repeater for
rebroadcast or monitor by a dispatcher, thus providing greater talk back range for the radios.

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Voting Comparators - an overview (repeater-builder.com)

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