[DCART] Repeater update

[Dale]

   The 441.250+ repeater on McClellan has a new receive antenna. The previous one has been slowly falling apart. Hopefully there will be a noticeable improvement in the sensitivity of that  repeater. 

This repeater and the 147.270+ repeater are both located at the same facility on McClellan and are normally linked together. Coverage should be similar on both but if you have dual band capability, I encourage you to try both to see which works best at your location. 

The repeaters have a clear line of sight north to Reno and Sparks and south into Carson Valley and Carson City. There is also a third low level repeater in downtown Minden on 443.750+ (no pl) that is linked into the system. This may work well for anyone operating with a handheld in Minden or Gardnerville. All three of these repeaters are normally linked together, but they can be unlinked at the discretion of the DCART EC if the need arises. 

These repeaters (the W7DI system) are all open repeaters and all hams are encouraged to make use of them. However, there primary purpose is to be available to DCART for emegency operations. They are all located on sites with emergency power and should provide reliable operation.

Another repeater available to us for emergency use is the SIERA 147.330+ repeater located on Leviathan peak in Alpine County. This will serve us better for any operation in the south end of Douglas, or in Alpine County.

There are several other amateur repeaters located in the area that may be more suitable for any given operation, however, the owners or Trustees of those repeaters should be contacted before assuming to use them for an operation. Also, if there is a large scale event occuring in the area, they may be in use by other groups. 

I welcome any comments or suggestions on the operation of these repeaters.

Dale Anderson, KV7S