[GCARC] 2M repeater power issue?

[Herb Dyer]

Is the 70cm analog affected also?
Herb KT2Y

On Fri, Aug 27, 2021, 8:39 PM Comcast Mail <colabrese at comcast.net> wrote:

> Jim, Good catch.  Since you are seeing a 10db drop in the signal from the
> repeater , I totally agree that someone from the repeater committee needs
> to check it out.   Most likely, the transmitter power output is down.
> Antenna or feed line problems would effect receiver performance as well.
> 73, Chuck
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> > On Aug 27, 2021, at 7:02 PM, Jim n2gxj <jim.n2gxj at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > We need help from repeater committee. Here's why.
> > Steve and I fine, full quieting while Vinnie saying having trouble
> hearing us until he increased rx gain at his end by using directional
> antenna. Of couse we suspected something at Vinnie's end first, but then I
> looked at rx power received at my base radio while Vinnie, Steve were
> talking over repeater. Recall the rx signal strength I am measuring is
> purely a function of the reaper and repeater antenna system.
> > What I usually see is +20 db over s9.  What I saw during this test
> surprised me. The signal I was receiving was 10 db down from normal. That's
> alot. On every tx from the repeater no matter who using it.
> > Didn't affect me using the repeater, as I'm close, but does offer a clue
> as to why Vinnie, on the fringe, needed the extra gain from a directional
> antenna to successfully have 2way comms with us on 147.180
> >
> >> On Thu, Aug 26, 2021, 10:20 PM Comcast Mail <colabrese at comcast.net>
> wrote:
> >> Hi Vinnie,
> >> A couple of questions….     And some suggestions.
> >> 1.  You say that you “ Just got on the repeater with Jim, and he was
> totally distorted and unreadable “. How was your signal into the repeater?
> Strong? Weak?  Could he read you?
> >> 2.  Have you checked the SWR?  Have you checked the feed line?
> Disconnect the antenna and connect a dummy load at the antenna end of the
> feed line.  SWR at the rig end should be 1.0 : 1.0.
> >> The high heat we’ve been having might have caused a problem with your
> antenna.  It gets very hot in the attic and the temperature cycling could
> cause an open internal connection in the antenna. With a coaxial antenna,
> an internal element could be disconnected and the SWR will still look
> fine.  The pattern and gain will be completely changed, but the SWR will
> look good.
> >> 3.  How are you receiving the repeater on the HT with a rubber duck?
> Has that changed?
> >> The fact that you can hear and get into the repeater with the HT and
> the small tape measure beam makes me think that the repeater is working OK.
> >>
> >> Try to get some signal reports from other users in the fringe areas of
> the county and see if they’re also having issues hearing the repeater where
> they once could.
> >> 73, Chuck, WA2TML
> >>
> >> Sent from my iPad
> >>
> >> > On Aug 26, 2021, at 7:42 PM, Vinnie Sallustio <
> Yankees_1996 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > 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
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