[FADCA] Re: Melbourne FPAC & NTS

[John H. Green]

Hi Rick
    I was able to connect to W4MLB ok this afternoon and I agree with 
your comments concerning COA. I tried forcing a connect to #coa and when 
it timed out looked at the heard list on mlb - no response to the 
connect request. I do see node broadcast and node id from #coa, it looks 
like they are not hearing anything - unless Bud is able to connect from 
his direction. Best thing to do is to let the folks in Cocoa know that 
the node in not receiving on 2m and 223mhz. I sent Bud the name of the 
contact person in Cocoa. It is in the laptop here - if Bud doesn't have 
it handy I will dig it out..
73  John

W4RP wrote:

>Clayton and I installed the melbourne FPAC switch today.
>
>We installed everything, did SWR and power checks on all antennas, and did
>connection checks.
>
>There are still some problems.  Maybe not so big.  But here they are.
>
>1)  2 meters.  High VSWR on 2.   we couldnt' get to the antennas on the roof
>because the door was locked, but the antenna exhibits high VSWR.
>
>>From the site, we can connect right up to my house first off, no problem.
>so power is getting out.   Later from home, I was able to do local access
>easily, all radios show full bars on lcd,  good sig strength.
>
>SO:  we need to do some antenna work.  Clayton says he has spare ringos, we
>can set up and tune one on the ground and replace the one on the roof of the
>building.  The 2 meter ant is the only ant we can easily get to without
>climbing so things will work fine they way they are for now, and we will
>correct the vswr on 2 soon.   but it works well enough as it is now.
>
>
>2)  220.
>
>Not sure what to think there.   power measures 80 watts out,  ant vswr is
>about 1.5.    connecting to #COA was 'flakey'   worked sometimes, and
>sometimes not.
>
>went home, tried connecting to #COA via switch -- no go.   tried connecting
>to COA1 from 2 meters at home, no -go.   beacon heard from COA1 though.
>
>Tried another radio, this one did connect to coa1 then cross connect to
>#coa.  Tried to connect to w4mlb-8 and get failure message.  Connect to
>w4mlb-8 and check stats -- it sees #coa just fine.
>
>I don't know what to think at this point -- the link to #coa on 220 is
>flakey from the switch.  and the link to COA1 from 2 meters is flakey from
>here at home.  although, his signal strength is very strong.
>
>
>
>I tried linking down to vero, stuart, okechobee, etc.  and everything comes
>up real fast, no problem.
>
>so we are back to were we were -- local access and 70cm access south is
>good.
>
>70cm power is 25 watts,  swr is 1.3.   seems to be solid.
>
>
>
>gotta go back to work now, so that's it for now -- - i'll try some more
>testing tonite.
>
>
>John,  try working some stuff up from your end and see what you can see.
>
>
>cheers
>
>
>rick
>
>
>
>  
>