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Reviews For: ID-O-Matic

Category: Ham Shack Accessories

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Review Summary For : ID-O-Matic
Reviews: 26MSRP: 20.00
Description:
The ID-O-Matic is a multipurpose, PIC microcontroller based project that nearly everyone can use. In its most basic form, it's a simple 10-minute timer with audio and visual outputs to remind you when it's time to ID.

But wait, as they say -- there's more! How about a variable delay timer that announces your call sign or any other message, in Morse code at a speed you choose? How about CW keying and PTT outputs so you can attach it to a "fox" transmitter, or an emergency crossband repeater? And how about inputs for squelch or COR to make a repeater IDer that works the way you want it? And how about a serial interface to connect to your shack computer, laptop or terminal? And how about a Morse keyboard mode that sends text from your keyboard in Morse code (new in V2.0!) It's all there. Sorry, no Ginsu knives or fruit peeler included.

The ID-O-Matic can meet a pretty wide range of needs. Out of the box, so to speak, it will light up a green LED until nine minutes have passed. The LED then turns yellow, and at 9 minutes 30 seconds starts blinking yellow/red. At ten minutes the ID-O-Matic beeps at you until you reset it with the pushbutton, then starts over.

Using the built-in RS232 serial interface, connect it to a terminal or a PC with a terminal emulation program (Procomm, Hyperterminal, etc) and you can set your own delay from 1 second to over 9 hours. You can control when the LED turns yellow and when it starts blinking. You can also choose between the default beep, or just type in your call sign or any other mesage up to 64 characters long to hear it in Morse code. When in CW ID mode, ID-O-Matic will send the message, then automatically reset and start timing again.

You can also select repeater mode. In repeater mode two additional inputs can be used to control when ID-O-Matic sends your selected Morse code ID. You can use a squelch, COR, PTT or other signals of your choosing. You can optionally have the ID-O-Matic send a courtesy beep at the end of each transmission.

In Morse keyboard mode, text you type is sent in Morse using the speaker, CW and PTT outputs. Letters A-Z, numbers 0-9, AR, BT, SK and punctuation ( . , / ? @ ) can be sent (yes, even the new @ sign). You can also use the + and - symbols to increase or decrease the code speed in the middle of a message if you want.

Regardless of the mode used, the PTT output is active 100ms before and 100ms after the CW ID, and the CW output can be used to drive a keying transistor for CW transmitters. Speed is variable from 5 to 60 words per minute, and the audio pitch is also variable via the menu.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.hamgadgets.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00265
N8MRC Rating: 2018-02-17
Update Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The first repeater I had I sold along with the ID-O-Matic. I bought a second one to use with my 2m repeater...5 years and not one problem. He added a USB to the board, very easy to program and use..
AD0JA Rating: 2015-11-17
Excellent Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Great little IDer! I have the ID-o-matic II tied to two Motorola GM300s and it works great. Dale provides top notch support! I made a boneheaded accident and reversed the polarity, frying the voltage regulator. Dale sent me a new one, free of charge no questions asked.

If you are looking for a durable basic IDer, this is the way to go.

Now, if only it supported DTMF commands...
W5BE Rating: 2015-06-29
Great repeater controller Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is a fantastic little board which performs extremely well as a simple repeater controller. I've built a couple UHF repeaters using Motorola Radius mobiles and the ID-O-Matic version 2 boards. The end result is a very reliable "no-frills" repeater that sounds good and meets identification requirements like a champ.

Hookup is relatively easy... bring B+ to an unused pin on the mic jack in the TX radio and bring COS to an unused pin on the mic jack in the RX radio. With these modifications done you'll have all of the connections necessary at the mic jacks to operate the ID-O-matic.

I haven't yet tried the later board version (ver IV) which provides the voice ID option... will likely do so in the future... but for now I am very satisfied with the way the units I have in service are working.

KD8KPH Rating: 2013-12-03
Awesome! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Received my ID-O-Matic Kit and assembled it in about an hour. The unit works great. The board is good quality and the parts are as well. Nice design and excellent documentation.
KG4RUL Rating: 2013-08-16
Works So Well, I bought another Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had built one previously to provide ID for a backup repeater. Liked it so much I got another, to put on the shelf, to use for fox hunts or whatever suits my fancy.
W4ZWA Rating: 2013-08-15
Great kit Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I acquired the kit for less then $10.00 of ebay. It was actually the first kit I ever put together and it went together without any problems. Only problem that was encountered was my fault. Easy to program off Windows XP using a IBM computer. Currently have it in repeater mode as a ID for my simplex echolink node. Looking to buy another kit to have in the shack and looking forward to the new ID-O-Matic III.
LA4AMA Rating: 2013-02-13
Good Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is an update to my first review.

I measured with oscilloscope that the voltage signal from hitting the Enter button reaches the PIC16F1827 input, so the signal goes there, but there is no outut from the PIC16F1827. So there is a big possibility that there is a programming error in the PIC16F1827.

After email to: sales@hamgadgets.com I got a reply from Dale, he has sendt me a new PIC16F1827 so hopefully this will solve the problem.
KC0GLA Rating: 2012-10-12
Update to previous review Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
After posting the previous review (assuming the kit was no longer under warranty) Dale N0XAS did offer to fix if I would mail it to him. After a couple of weeks turn around it was delivered back to me on August 23. A quick hook up and ran a very quick power up internal self test. It seemed to work correctly. Since a full functionality test had not been completed at that time, other tasks have been keeping me busy up to this point, a post would of been too hasty. I pulled out the breadboard and components and have been able to verify the kits functionality. I did not get a letter or e-mail on exactly what was the problem, but from careful inspection none of the solder joints were touched. Since the only components that do not require soldering are the two IC's my assumption is the micro controller IC was the culprit and was replaced or reprogrammed. I do thank Dale N0XAS for taking the time and effort repairing it.
The previous review rating of 2 still stands due to all the frustration and time getting this to work. If the micro controller had been programmed correctly it would of gotten a 4 due to the bill of materials list not being complete and up to date. Also no plated solder mounting holes for the DB9, just holes. Assuming that all the rest of the micro controller chips have been tested or fixed it should make a nice build for a intermediate to advanced kit builder. 73 de KC0GLA
KE7UFP Rating: 2012-06-08
Great Little Kit. Super deal. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bought this kit to build a simple HT interface for a Fox Hunt Transmitter. This was my first venture into PIC based components. I was working with no experence with these. So far everything has worked out very well. Took me an hour or so to build it and about the same to learn the programming and run a couple of different versions. It has been running a 3 min interval CW ID for my VX-5 HT for about 4 days now. Really good circuit card. Pretty good instructions. Nice design. 2 Thumbs up.
AB0RE Rating: 2012-06-05
Great kit! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've soldered together a couple of these now. Both times they were easy to put together and worked as they should once powered up. The ID-O-Matic is chock full of handy features. I used the first as a 10 minute ID timer. The second one I built is used to key an Icom HT as a foxhunt beacon. This kit is an incredible value for the money paid. Dale and his wife are both super friendly people and Dale provides phenomenal post-purchase support for all of his kits. You can't go wrong with this one.