Argent Data Systems

05/30/2026

Our new NFC configuration app is finally out! ADS-SR1 simplex repeaters made in the last few months have shipped with NFC support, and now Android users can download the Argent Device Tools app to configure and update their SR1 - just launch the app and tap your phone to the device to bring up the configuration, edit it, then tap again. Firmware updates are easy as well.

Recent ADS-WS1 weather stations also have NFC support, and we'll be adding support for the WS1 to the app soon. An iOS version is planned, but might still be awhile.

09/03/2025

Our new online store is up! After 20 years it was long overdue for an upgrade. Old user accounts are gone but we can still retrieve your order history if you need to look something up. Please let us know if you run into any glitches!

Our ADS-SR1 is the most full-featured simplex repeater controller on the market. It can be used for range extension, automated radio checks, radio voicemail, timed announcements, CW identification, repeater site coverage testing, and more. Since it works on the audio side of the radio, it can be use...

08/02/2024

The Ham Radio Workbench interview with Argent Data Systems founder Scott, N1VG is up!

iTunes Google Play Music Stitcher Android ​ Direct RSS

06/10/2024

16-inch VHF BNC rubber duck antennas are now only $5! A weekend warehouse cleanup turned up a whole case of these and since we're not currently selling any data radios that work with them they're just taking up space.

01/15/2024

Our office suffered a minor fire today. There was no damage to the building and no serious injuries and it was quickly extinguished, but the main electronics lab is full of fire extinguisher powder.

The next batch of OpenTracker USBs and EchoBridges will be delayed a few days due to cleanup. If you are waiting on a repair, let us know what it was - some of the paperwork got blasted around the room.

And remember to charge your lithium ion batteries in a safe spot! The fire department says that our neighbors down the street lost two rooms to a li-ion fire a few months ago.

08/18/2023

We're now taking preorders for the new EchoBridge! It's a dedicated radio-over-IP linking appliance that supports EchoLink as well as independent operation without a directory server. If you're running a dedicated PC as an EchoLink gateway, switching to the EchoBridge could pay for itself in electricity costs in under a year.

It takes the same cables as our ADS-SR1 Simplex Repeater so chances are we've already got cables for your radio of choice. Setup is quick and easy. Preorders also have the option to get their callsign laser engraved on the case.

Thanks for everyone who's stuck with us as we recover from the pandemic and all of the component shortages! We're not quite back up to full speed yet but we're getting there.

The EchoBridge is an easy-to-use, simple, efficient, and secure RF gateway appliance designed both for EchoLink® and standalone applications.

03/18/2023

Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you know we're still here, we just had some technical difficulties with our page.

And by technical difficulties I mean weeks of desperate attempts to get anyone at Meta to help or even acknowledge a problem. If you run a business page, make sure you have at least two admins assigned at all times!

Apologies to everyone who didn't get an answer to their messages here. We'll be catching up this week.

12/02/2017

The ADS-SR1 simplex repeater turns 10 years old today! And we're pleased to announce that the updated ADS-SR1 Mk II started shipping yesterday. A new 32-bit processor gives it more than 10x as much processing power as the original for improved DTMF decoding and more room for new features, while drawing less power - and the price is still the same as it was a decade ago.

New features are in the works, including NFC for configuring the repeater from your Android device.

07/29/2017

A quick demo of some scripting capabilities on the latest ADS-SR2 repeater controller prototype. As soon as the ADS-SR1 was out, users started asking for relay outputs. There's only so much space in a pocket-sized device for relays and connectors, though, and not everyone has the same relay needs.

So instead of internal relays, the SR2 has a Modbus RTU interface. The relay board shown here is a generic 10 amp quad relay available for under $10 delivered, and there's a huge spectrum of Modbus RTU compatible devices available.

This demo shows a BASIC script of just a few lines being triggered by a DTMF macro to implement a randomized "wheel of fortune" with the relays. This was set up entirely on the device itself using the built-in text editor, no development tools or compiling required, and the editor (like the rest of the command shell) is also accessible via telnet.

Beyond Modbus, the SR2's scripting language is being expanded with features that make it simple to work with APRS packets, Echolink connections, sound files, DTMF macros, file transfers, and everything you need for your radio automation projects.

06/05/2017

This was the result of a morning of experimentation with Echolink on an ADS-SR2 prototype. This board layout exists mostly to serve as a proof of concept for a few ideas. The variants headed for pilot production are about half this size and have aluminum extruded housings.

The board, which was originally designed to be a dual-channel simplex, duplex, or cross-band repeater controller with option network connectivity demonstrated today that it's able to log in to Echolink, connect to the test server, and play the received audio out one of the connected audio ports.

It'll take a little more work to get status updates and directory search functions working, and to be able to route incoming data out to the network, but it does look very much like Echolink type functions can be integrated into the device for zero added hardware cost.