Monday, March 31, 2014

70cm Repeater Is Back On The Air

...and we're back !

MAARC Technical Committee members Gary, KB9ZUV and Bill, N9RI visited the repeater site recently to connect our 70cm antenna and get the repeater back on the air.  Robert, KB7ZGB tagged along for logistical support and to poke holes in small metal objects.


After some unexpected delays caused by mismatched parts, the crew was able to get everything hooked up and tested.  Our 70cm repeater-- 444.375(+) with no tones-- is now operational.  Give it a try !


Gary, KB9ZUV preparing to trace power lines in the repeater cabinetBill, N9RI under the HVAC air handlers preparing the coax ends
Gary, KB9ZUV and Bill, N9RI running hardline to connect the antenna to the 70cm repeater





Inside view of the repeater cabinets. 2m/220 with duplexers on left tall cabinet, 70cm with duplexer on right short cabinet
The WB9HXG Repeaters. 2m & 1.25m Right, 70cm Left.

Coverage is pretty limited since we're only running on the exciter's output, but with a reasonable outdoor antenna the repeater should pick up most of Muncie without trouble.  Unfortunately HT users will have a rough time unless they are near Ball State.  We're actively looking into how we can address this and improve the coverage area.


If you're interested in building a quick yet effective base antenna for either monoband 70cm or dual band 2m/70cm, get in touch with us.  We have simple, proven plans available for cheap antennas you can build in under two hours.  Email or give us a call, we'll send you a copy.

That goes for scanner monitor listeners too-- these antennas work great for VHF/UHF receive only !

No comments:

Post a Comment