[FADCA] Melbourne W4MLB-8/9 FPAC Alive once more!

[bud thompson]

Monday August 1, 2005

Yesterday the Melbourne FPAC switch was returned to full service thanks to
the efforts of Karen KD4DJX and Eric KD4DJW from the sponsoring PCARS club,
and Bill N4XEO, Charlie N3PPC, and bud N0IA.  Locals Vic W5SMM and Bob K2BJG
stood by for several hours ready and testing the user ports.

The Melbourne FPAC has the following active ports:

1200b User access LAN 145.09
9.6kb User access LAN 441.05 (not yet coordinated)
UHF 1200b backbone to Vero (ready to change to 9.6KB when Vero is ready.)
UHF 9.6kb backbone to Orlando

A fifth port has been configured for possible link to Cocoa in the future.

Five of the six quick connects have been assigned and one reserved.

The 1200b User access port was tested flawlessly by both testers.  The 9.6kb
User port was tested flawlessly with one of K2BJG's 9.6kb set ups, but the
other was not all that successful.  W5SMM's 9.6kb set up worked, but was not
very satisfactory.  While it appears the 9.6kb User port is working okay (as
evidenced by one excellent tester out of three,) it is not clear what the
problem is with the other two.  It is possible the 9.6kb User port is
experiencing local QRM/noise of some sort at the site.  That will be
evaluated later.

The backbone south to Vero worked but the link might be a tad slow.  The
situation at Vero since the hurricanes is not known.  That said, the West
Palm Boys were making their way from the West Palm LAN through to the
Melbourne LAN.

The Orlando port was not evaluated as the Orlando switch has not been moved
to its proper site.

There is no TNC, radio, or antenna on the 5th port.

All routing was checked before we left the site.

What's next?  - Moving the Orlando site to Orlando and putting the Clermont
site on the air.

Now, we need a switch at Bartow - who is taking that initiative?

I just this weekend had an inquiry from a (small?) group in Poinciana
wanting to get on the network.  Where is Poinciana, you ask?  Why, 33 miles
SSW of Clermont, 33 miles S of the proposed Orlando site, and 25 miles East
of Bartow - need I say more?

73,

bud N0IA
386 574 4124