I recently updated the radio firmware and the DSP firmware to the latest available in a Fusion DR-1 repeater owned by WA4QHN, and installed it in place of the analog Mastr II repeater.
WA4QHN 444.100 Salem, AL Repeater Running in Stand-Alone, Dual (auto) analog or digital operating mode
As of May 14, 2018, the 444.100(+)
WA4QHN Yaesu Fusion DR-1 repeater. Installed and working great on 444.100(+) 123.0 PL. Currently running in “auto/auto” mode (output type follows input type), so it can be used in C4FM digital modes, or in analog FM mode.
repeater in Salem, AL is a dual mode (auto in / auto out) analog and C4FM machine. If you access it with an analog FM radio (CTCSS/PL tone of 123.0 Hz required to access it via analog) its transmitted output will be analog. Likewise, if you access the repeater using C4FM it will match the input and transmit in the same digital mode it receives.
There is potential for this repeater to be linked to other area repeaters or a wide area network of some sort in the future, but for now it is simply a standalone repeater. Either way, area amateur radio licensees are welcomed to use the repeater, which is in a nice location. The upgrade from using the old Mastr II to the Yaesu Fusion
A dual-band antenna near the top of this tower, located in the area of Salem, AL, serves the 444.100 repeater as well as a 2M repeater, both identified by the WA4QHN callsign.
Updating the firmware for the radio and the DSP version in the Yaesu Fusion DR-1 isn’t too difficult overall. Except for the fact you have 15 screws to remove just to get the cover off the repeater so that you can switch it into “update” mode for installing the new firmware.
repeater did result in better receive sensitivity, and in C4FM digital modes the audio quality is really a huge step up from the typical “white noise” associated with analog FM.
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