[FADCA] Update on Melborne FPAC Switch

[bud thompson]

All -  

At the Tampa Hamfest this past weekend I met with Eric and Karen Power and discussed plans for getting the W4MLB-8/9 FPAC switch back on the air. 

PCARS has not yet purchased a replacement antenna for the 2M LAN for the one that became MIA during the hurricanes.  Eric has been totally swamped with tower work due to the hurricanes and is out of town much of the time.  He doesn't see any let up in this until sometime in January.  

Eric has a commercial DB-224 of his own that he will put up at the site for the LAN when he gets the time.  We discussed trying for sometime after mid January if possible.

By mid January Charlie and I will have the dual speed (1,200b/9.6kb) VHF Mitrek for the LAN and both 9.6kb UHF Mitreks for the backbone ports ready.  We will have the VHF Mitrek married to one of the donated PK-96s TNCs (9.6kb) and a Tiny-2 TNC (1,200b.)  Each of the UHF radios will be married to a donated PK-96 TNC.  

When the antenna is installed and Eric has time for a site visit, we'll come to Melbourne and install all three radios.  This will release the existing vhf/220/and UHF radios for surplus.  We will install the new Mitrek/PK-96 9.6kb UHF port to Orlando.  On the VHF port we'll use the existing Tiny-2 along with the PK-96 for dual speed user access.  We will put the Mitrek/PK-96 on the Vero port at 1,200b, releasing the existing Tiny-2 for spare.  The present Tiny-2 on the 220 port is a loaner from me.

Note that the UHF port to Vero will be at 1,200b until the Vero end is changed over to 9.6kb.  At that time, all Eric will  have to do is press a switch on the back of the PK-96 on the Melbourne end and it will immediately turn to 9.6kb.  (How slick is that?)

We will bring the dual speed Mitreks / KPC-9612s for Rick and Ivars on this same trip - unless there has been an excuse to make that exchange sometime before.  We will definitely want at least one of these installed before we make the change out at the Trinity Towers site.

Loose ends . . . PCARS will need a set of 145.090 Mitrek crystals ($50+ postage) for the VHF Mitrek.  I'm ordering those this week.  Karen can send me the money whenever the club can approve the expenditure.  

I don't know the status of the UHF beams at the Trinity Towers site - forgot to discuss that with Eric.  I'm assuming one is in place for Vero as we've been using that 1,200b port.  The other UHF port has a loaner 220 beam of mine which can come down and needs to be replaced with a UHF beam pointing to Orlando.

The Orlando switch has not yet been moved but we have some hope of that being done before our trip to Melbourne.  If the switch goes in at the site we are expecting to use, the path is 51 miles.  We have a 12 element UHF beam for the Orlando end.  We will have a 100w UHF Mitrek available if needed on the Orlando end, but hope to make the route with 50w.  The beam will be about 110 -115 ft. agl.  The azimuth from Melbourne to this site is 288 degrees true.

Eric and Karen indicated a local repeater is being moved to be co-located at the site.  For the record, here are the frequencies that will be in use by the FPAC switch:

145.090 - 60w max power - vertical antenna
440.900 - 30-40w max power - beam to Vero
446.125 - 40w beam 228 degrees to Orlando

Note the output of 145.090 radio will ultimately be set to only cover the maximum extent of Brevard County 24/7.  Field testing over a period of time will determine the power output needed.


73,

bud N0IA
386 574 4124