New Repeater System - Originally posted 16 Aug 2014

[Admin]

_____________________________________________
From: Russ Payne [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2014 3:30 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: New NARA Repeater


Hi All,

NARA's new repeater has been on the air now for almost a month and is performing very well.  Our thanks go out to Keith, KB8VUL, for securing the repeater for us after it was taken out of service elsewhere.  And great big thanks to Jim Horvat, W8WRP, who put his exceptional technical skills to work converting the repeater to 2 M use. He spent countless hours in the conversion, the installation of the new CAT-250 controller and in interfacing the link control receiver. He also did the programming of the controller. Many hours of burn time were put on the repeater at Jim's QTH before he gave it his ok to move it to Horns Hill.  Tom Ecleberry, WB8YOK, our repeater technician, supervised the move and got it all connected on the Hill. Many thanks to Tom for his fine work. Also thanks to those who showed up to assist with the heavy lifting.

Here are some high-lights of the new repeater:

*  Mastr-3 commercial grade high performance repeater base station.
*  Power supply and RF PA are continuous duty rated.
*  75 watts output vs. 27 watts of the old repeater.
*  Receiver has much better sensitivity than old machine.  Low power HT's should work better in reaching repeater.
*  Improved frequency stability over a wider temperature range.
*  Repeater is totally enclosed in a cabinet which will keep out the mice.  No longer necessary to feed them poison.
*  SPECIAL NOTE - The repeater now has a PL tone which will be used only when necessary to avoid interference.  It will remain as an open repeater for all to use under normal conditions.
                                  If on the infrequent circumstances it will be put in PL mode by control operators, the PL tone is 141.3 the same at the NARA 440 repeater. You may want to program it into
                                  your rigs repeater transmit frequency (146.28) so it is handy if needed.

As for the old 88 repeater, the plan is to leave it in place on Horns Hill as a standby for a period of time as we gain confidence in the reliability of the new repeater. At some future date it will be taken in so it can be reworked and cleaned up physically. Once this is accomplished it will be housed it its own critter proof cabinet and returned to Horns Hill as a standby 88 repeater.

Please enjoy the new repeater and put it to good use. And please remember to identify with your call sign at prescribed intervals and use proper language and decorum while on the air.

On behalf of Jim, W8WRP and Tom, WB8YOK,
73,
Russ, W8ATA
Chair- NARA Repeater Committee

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