[W1SMH] Repeater update, 5/9/2003

[Clayton L. Coleman]

Update on KB5TBB/R:

On Wednesday, April 30, a permanent replacement to the Spectrum
equipment that previously ran the repeater was replaced.  The repeater
is now running 50 watts brought to you by a Kenwood repeater.  I will be
providing more details about the system in the near future.  However,
for now I'd like to pass along this information to you, the users.

1. The squelch is now much more "open" than it was previously with
loaner equipment we tested.  This should get us coverage comparable with
what was in place in years past.  I cannot guarantee coverage "like it
used to be" because things out of my hands in our operating environment
such as RF noise, atmospheric conditions, etc.  The new equipment has a
much "tighter" receiver than the old one.

2. The input PL/CTCSS tone remains at 127.3 HZ, though I am not making
promises as to what output tone will be in place permanently since
further testing is being done.  This means you should not set your radio
to "tone squelch" mode, only "tone encode" mode.

3. There is no courtesy tone - just a four second tail.  Unlike previous
repeaters, you do not need to let the squelch tail completely drop
before each transmission though it might be in good practice.  The
timeout timer is set to 2 minutes.  If you don't let the tail drop in
your conversation, that's okay so long as the repeater sees a carrier
drop between stations.  In the future, a courtesy tone might be used.

4. If you encounter unusual noise being transmitted by the repeater,
please report it to me directly via email or in person.  Include the
time, date, the operating location, and as many other details as
possible.  One key test you should perform is to listen on the input
frequency of the repeater at the time of occurrence.  On most radios
this is accomplished by hitting the "REV" button.  The potential for
interference from nearby paging increases as time goes by and I'm
working to filter out this nuisance.

If there are any other matters which you feel need clarification about
the repeater, please respond to me directly at kb5tbb@arrl.net.

Enjoy the new machine!!!

73,
Clayton KB5TBB