Because our new solicitors have made considerable progress with our "site documents", in just two days they have made more progress then the previous volunteer solicitors did in four months!
We feel this is the time and opportunity to advise you all of “The Plan”,
Note: We don't have a date yet.
first things first We must agree & sign the documents:
The Plan.....
We need to fit our “our space” with the repeater's equipment,
We too are volunteers with limited time, this will take more then hours!
We may well be able
to get our UHF speech repeater GB3SU on air with a temporary aerial first.
It is likely that our VHF speech repeater GB3SH will be next on air.
GB3SH & GB3SU will not be linked to anything, there are other repeaters in the locality that do “Echo link ”. - We have no plans or desires to “link them”.
Following the speech repeaters will be GB7MT , on UHF, it's a mono-mode Yaesu Fusion repeater, it will be internet linked soonest.
GB7IV will be last, it's a VHF mono -mode D-Star repeater, which will also be Internet linked, Currently its on air from Chandlers Ford, It too will move to this far better site, however, it has to go off air for a while, ( to move it, from Chandlers Ford to Thorn Hill for starters ) as its still borrowing the GB3SH duplexers, This is because We are still awaiting the GB7IV duplexer interconnecting cables which been miss-laid in their journey from Tyneside. We need them to be found, or Someone will have to make them.
In summery then: We
don't know yet: when we will go on air, however GB3SU should be first.
GB3SU & GB3SH are speech repeaters and won't be linked to anything.
GB7MT is a Yaesu Fusion Repeater, and will be linked,
GB7IV will be last, its a D-Star repeater and will be Internet linked.
For the technically
minded: our repeater will share aerials, that is to say four repeaters
will share two aerials!
Finally We have no plans for any other repeaters, on other frequencies.
Also: We Have permission
for a Weather station: giving details such as temperature, wind direction
& speed, Rainfall and amount per hour, and pressure, facility for
data retrieval too. We can only advise of our thoughts on this, as its
not been purchased yet.
There may even be a Weather camera just to make it interesting.
SHRG Committee
Not a lot has happened over the last few months, as a result we have dropped our volunteer solicitors, and have appointed recommended cost effective solicitors to look over our Rental document.
It is hoped they will take days to do this important job, not months.
Rack:
We have obtained a replacement 19" rack, as per pictures , which
is much more suitable for our needs.
GB3SU Logic:
We have taken the unexpected extended time as an opportunity to improve
the logic on GB3SU,
the changes include: 3 hour time out,
anti-kerchunk filter, - to discourage pinging of the repeater!
hog timer, after 3 minutes a re-occurring double pip is broadcast
double pips at end of each over.
End of contact pip,
Note: the CWID is
generated inside the Transmitter, it can neither be stimulated to send
the Morse ID demand, or stop!, thus it is possible that the CWID will
clash with the pips generated by the
" logic " which is run by a PIC chip.
When its going on
air:
This is down to "approval" of the "documents" ( thus
the change of solicitors ) and rental signing,
We had hoped for summer, a few months ago, We still hope as soon as possible,
but can give no date.
Andy G4MYS
For scale, Ive put
in one of the British Gas Duplexer filters, they may end up on IV, Ive
all ready scrounged a copper plate for the floor of the rack.
Thus everything in the left hand cab will have to go in the right hand
cab, plus some of the filters i carefully stashed at the rear of the cab
out of sight like the dual and duplexer and the VHF mono band filters.
Good job no cables were cut! Ill leave the earth bonding lines in situ,
as there is no point taking them out.
From our point of
view the new rack is usefully larger, will contain both SU & SH and
as this new one on the right is not weather sealed, the side panels, and
loverly smoked glass door can come off and make the install a whole lot
more easy! In addition it has massive fans in to keep the equipment cool!
We are very grateful to Forest FM 92.3FM for their very kind donation
of their old rack.
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Nigel G7POC
***PROGRESS UPDATE***
Sorry its been quiet through the summer months. But each week progress with our landlord and solicitors continues. I is unfortunately taking slower than we anticipated.
Attached is picky of SU undergoing behavioral testing ( as is the new VHF / UHF combiner ) i've put SU into a dummy load with the VHF / UHF combiner , and its own duplexers, on the lowest power from the programmed radio we get 4 watts to the load bearing in mind the load is a good SWR....
The behavioral testing is to check its CWID frequency and it seems to
be just under 15 minutes, it lost 5 seconds over 25 hours to be a 15 minute
interval,.
As a point of interest the CWID is inside to TX radio. .... the one with
the mic in the picky.
Next weekend Ill do another weekend: 3 days of testing, after that Ill
be happy it works and ready to fit.
( we dont have access yet to site )
Having established
that GB3SU generates 6 watts, on its lowest power setting, and after the
duplexers and VHF/ UHF Combiner ( where SH goes in ) we get 4 watts,.....
so we only need to count in the RF feeder losses and the aerial gain...
We should run around 8.5watts ERP with this aerial. which is about 50%
of our full power . We will go on to full power when our main aerial is
fitted.
This gives an opportunity to tell everyone its on a temp aerial with low power ( were allowed 17 watts with SU ) due to Main aerial not fitted yet! We cant fit main aerial as we have no idea how long the coax run is, and we not running RG 213 coax! --The jacket is not tough enough for this "mast" bearing in mind the wind vibration problems of wearing on the vinal, and the resultant water ingress, high VSWR and poor performance!.
Andy G4MYS
CLICK ON PICTURES TO EXPAND
Those wanting to upgrade to a full licence need to present themselves at SMC School close,
Chandlers Fords Industrial Estate
EASTLEIGH
SO53 4BY
Next Monday 11th June by 1900 Local time !
Can you please advise all those who wanted to come one way or another that,
This is the time and
the place to attend & were unlikely to de-furr another week due to
a lack of attendee's!
Next Monday 4th June
1530 at Southampton Crematorium, East Chapel.
Pass the east chapel by driving to the right, and park up, wait outside
along side the wall in from of the entrance doors.
The address is Bassett Green Road, Bassett,
Afterward the funeral at the Crickets Arms in Chestnut Road, Eastleigh.
You are asked not to wear black this is a family request...
My Best regards Andy
G4MYS
This completes the collecting together of filters and duplexer's needed to get all four of the repeaters on air. ( GB 7 IV is on air using the GB3SH duplexer's currently )
The Caverties or Duplexer's allow the transmitter and receiver to use the same aerial without the Transmitter shoving RF into the receiver, so good are they a the receiver is unaware the transmitter exits at all!
Unfortunately these duplexer's are less vital parts, like the inter connecting cables. In total there are 6 duplexer's.
3 of the duplexer's are on frequency or near enough, viz within 1Khz
2 have come on to frequency, with adjustment and;
1 is on 169MHz ish!, this one has been removed from its case in the past, screws are missing, and part of the locking mec is jammed,
All these 5 are below 1.2 to 1, with a bandwidth of less then 96kc, the equipment at work will tell me how many db each will yield, we need better then -60db between them.
Check out the pictures to the right
Pic 1 Official receipt picy in received, uncleaned but tested state rule
on top to allow for sizing
Pic 2 with 19" 1U high, UHF repeater for scaling, this repeater,
donated to us, is a GB3SU possible standby, its condition is unknown,
and is thought to be not working.
Any input on the
duplexer's are welcome, as I have no Paperwork whatsoever, in particular
the coupling of them together , as the cables have been lost.
One odd thing about them is: some tune clockwise to go up in frequency,
while others adjust anticlockwise to go up in frequency!
PIC 1 Click To Open
PIC 2 Click To Open
G4HCL Chris Lorek
G4HCL Obituary
It is with sadness that we have to inform our followers of the passing
of our Chief Engineer Chris Lorek G4HCL who recently passed away suddenly
while
on holiday. He will be greatly missed by the team as he was a key player
in our progress and was also the drive with GB7IV.
At an early age Chris
obtained his written Amateur exam in the mid 1970s, getting the callsign
G8IYA, later passing the CW test so he could work the 4M band as was the
requirements of the time, he he soon obtained the callsign G4HCL. He was
married to Sheila whom who he had 3 children with.
Many will recall Sheila was on the front of varis radio mags posing with
in particular Hand held radios.
He was involved in
the setting up of the Cambridge Repeater Group and GB3PI, Possibly as
by that time he was working for PYE communications part of the Philips
Group and was involved in the development of the F496 range of repeaters
which were a standard in their day.
Pye was based in Cambridge, By this time he has living in a town called
March, Cambridgeshire near to Peterbrough. Later on after moving to Chandlers
Ford in the early 90s, he was part of the Group who set up GB3EA in Cantell,
Southampton on 433.200MHz, becoming the which went on to become the South
Hampshire Repeater Group. The last repeater he set up was GB7IV at SMC,
a D-Star repeater yet to fulfil its full potential by being internet connected.
While Chris was working for Pye he was also fixing CB radios under the
name of "Dr Who" many of the local Amateur's and Cb'rs benefited
form his work.
Headhunted by Richard
Dimond G4CVI, of SMC, Chris became head of Research & Development
for some 25 years until he retired aged 59. During these years Chris was
the editor of "Ham Radio Today", and wrote articles for "Practical
Wireless" , and not always under his own name, he seemed to in particular
to enjoy writing reports on equipment, and the manufacturers, ans retailers
who almost seemed to queue up to send him equipment for review, in addition
he wrote many books on PMR radio conversion " PMR Conversion handbook"
1 and 2 , which are still sought after giving stroke by stroke instruction
on not just how to convert radios from the PMR bands but also where to
get the bits from. In his spare time Chris sat the American RAE soon obtaining
an Extra Class callsign, then becoming a Volunteer Examiner working with
other VE's in the Solent area to help Class B UK hams to upgrade to Class
A via the American system, and helping SWL's also to pass the exams the
US exams and obtain a British Licence.
Out of work time, Chris loved to travel by train with his friends some
from Poly in Plymouth and others from work... by many occasions on Excursions
the length of the country, by jet to the many countries of the world.
After retirement Chris moved to Yorkshire seaside town of Whitby where
he had many plans he joined the "North Yorkshire Railway" and
volunteered in the Signalling department, intended to do the advanced
driving test, brought a motorbike and even had an account with the local
taxi company. He went on two holidays in recent weeks, returning from
Africa and spending just one day in the UK, before going out to Mumbai,
India where he died of Septicaemia, a blood disorder, on Sunday 29 April
2018, a few weeks after his 61st birthday. Chris had a welcoming and hospitable
personalty, he has been greatly missed by many since he moved to Yorkshire,
few seem to live life to the full as he did, not just in fun and relaxation
for themselves, but also helping others, and even more so now, having
had his life cut short.
Our condolences and
thought are with his family.
Andy G4MYS Repeater Keeper
Just to update you all. It may seem quiet over the Easter break but we have been busy working on the repeaters testing etc...The repeaters are almost ready to fit, were waiting on parts from Canada for the aerial filters, however we cant fit the repeaters until final agreement takes place between our Landlords solicitors and ours, and this can take time, while we hope to have our repeaters on air soonest, although it may not happen until summer time 2018.
You will be the first to know here or following us on Facebook
Come along this Wednesday to growing Southampton Amateur Radio Club meeting at The Peartree Southampton where you can find out progress and meet the team behind the repeaters...
WEDNESDAY Evening: 18th April 2018 at the Peartree Inn, Woolston, SO19 7GZ
19:00 for 19:30 : large car park, no worries parking!
Drink policy: we purchase our own they sell soft drinks / Coffee, water and booze! however they don't do meals.
Andy G4MYS - Reperter(s) KeeperIn two weeks I go to collect the IV duplexers, then they can be cabled up, and aliened to frequency, Im looking forward to collecting them, and checking them out!
All AC equ Needs PAT certs, everything needs RF, And DC testing !
LINK
TO GALLERY
Andy G4MYS
The Southampton Amateur Radio Club meet for their AGM at The Peartree Inn Southampton.
The South Hampshire Repeater Group are also there for any questions and to report progress.
You can also get information on the Radio Amateur courses for those starting and those who wish to progress.
New and old members
always welcome. Good to see some of the old members coming back and returning
to the airways.
WEDNESDAY Evening: 21st March 2018 at the Peartree Inn, Woolston, SO19
7GZ
1900 for 1930 : large car park, no worries parking!
Drink policy: we purchase our own they sell soft drinks / Coffee, water and booze! however they don't do meals.
CLICK IMAGE TO OPEN
A very succesful day - Click Image
Andy G4MYS
UPDATE
Today we had a meeting
with our landlord about our repeater site.
While some paperwork has yet to be done, this is positive progress.
The committee agreed
amongst themselves that we will get GB3SH on air first, this is due to
site considerations.
Note: Due to a number of considerations we cannot give a firm date for
the repeaters to come on air.
However in the mean time the committee is busy providng information to
the landlord,
and we continue to work on the racks: fitting duplexers, filters, battery
back up isolation equipment.
GB3SU needs some work too to enable it to run off battery back up, including new logic.
We are yet to Test GB7MT, after its testing it too can be fitted to the rack with its duplexer and filters.
In the mean time GB7IV is on air from its location in Chandlers Ford,
It uses D star technology,
there are no plans to link it to the Internet until its moved to Thornhill
Andy (G4MYS)
The Southampton Amateur
Radio Club meet tonight at The Peartree Inn Southampton for their monthly
meeting. The South Hampshire Repeater Group
are also there for any questions and to report progress. You can also
get information on the Radio Amateur courses for those starting and those
who wish to progress.
New and old members
always welcome. Good to see some of the old members coming back and returning
to the airways.
WEDNESDAY Evening: 21st February 2018 at the Peartree Inn, Woolston, SO19
7GZ
1900 for 1930 : large car park, no worries parking!
Drink policy: we purchase
our own they sell soft drinks / Coffee, water and booze! however they
don't do meals.
Battery power ran without fault and now charging at 260mA
Andy G4MYS
Watch the latest edition of TX Factor with Carl G7AFT explaining System Fusion 2
Watch Here 2min 45seconds
in
for all to see. We are close to being on air with all 4 repeaters and we thank you for your support and also patience with the project.
GB7MT and avoiding a beer spillage!
Click Image To Open
MEETING
NEWS
FLASH !!! WE WILL HAVE REPEATER GB7MT AT THE MEETING FOR ALL TO SEE
Happy New Year to you all!
The Southampton Amateur Radio Club will be meeting on Wednesday 17th January.
Anyone interested to come along and talk about the repeaters
members of The South Hampshire Repeater Group will be on hand. There has
been much progress in December that we can talk about. It will
be good to see you there.
New and old members always welcome. Good to see some of the old members
coming back and returning to the airways.
WEDNESDAY
Evening: 17th January 2018 at the Peartree Inn, Woolston, SO19 7GZ
1900 for 1930 : large car park, no worries parking!
Drink
policy: we purchase our own they sell soft drinks / Coffee, water and
booze! however they dont do meals.