[GCARC] 2M repeater power issue?

[Vinnie Sallustio]

Hi.

Over the last 2 Sundays, I have not been able to hear the Ares/Races net at 8pm. This is a new problem and nothing in my radio has changed. My antenna is in the attic and has not changed in 15 years. The symptoms sound like a whole lot of white noise like a kid AM walkie talkie from the 1970s.

I notified Karl and Jim who were the net ops. I just got on the repeater with Jim, and he totally distorted and unreadable. So we trouble shot. I copy several repeaters fine, like Newtown, the 145.390, the KC3DUX, and the 440 N3KZ. All are normal.

I decided to try an HT with my tape measure beam, and that worked. I put the HT on the base antenna, and I get the same noisy reception, as I get on the base unit.

I have ruled out my radio(s) and antenna.

I live in southern Gloucester County in Woolwich, and I can throw a baseball to the Salem County line.

It appears that it may be a weak signal issue, which points to a power problem

Is there any way this can be investigated?

Vinnie