147.060 back - as of 7/11

The 06 repeater is back in service.  The RC210 controller failed in an unsafe way (with PTT asserted).  The Kenwood repeater has its own time-out timer, so it shut off the transmitter when that timer expired.

While your SCARS Technical Committee considers the next steps (diagnosis, repair/replace) the repeater remains in service.  Because the repeater is running "stand-alone", the only noise it will make is the CWID at the appropriate interval.

147.060 off the air - 7/9

147.060 off the air

Shortly after the July SCARS meeting, the 147.06 repeater failed.  In its absence, please make use of the W5NOR UHF repeater on 443.7 (141.3 Hz tone) or the N5MS OU repeater on 146.88 (no tone).

Your Technical Committee Chair happened to be listening at the time.  The transmitter came on about 1220 or so and stayed on for several minutes.  Usually, when a mobile station "sits on their key", you can hear other stations trying to key up.  Their signal will often heterodyne with the station holding the repeater open; sometimes their signal is stronger and they capture the receiver.  No activity of this type was noted.  The repeater did not ID or make any other sounds or announcements (i.e., "Repeater Time Out").  Since the Technical Committee Chair happened to be on Alameda at the time, and on his way home, he stopped in front of the repeater site and attempted to execute some commands on the regular input as well as the discreet control channel to no effect.  In addition, and of interest, he tried to key the repeater from his mobile while listening on an HT.  From that location, his signal should have easily overridden any other signal.  No heterodyning or other evidence of the mobile signal was heard.

Some time later, the transmitter dropped and has not been heard from again.

Several weeks ago, it was noted that the repeater controller (a component separate from the repeater itself that handles ancillary functions) was no longer answering the telephone line when a connection was attempted.  A visit to the site has been planned since then but schedules haven't permitted it.

It is hoped that members of the Technical Committee Tactical Squad will be able to visit the repeater site on Monday, July 11th, to investigate.

NORMAN APRS digipeater

On a happier note, some updates to SCARS APRS node are upcoming.  As readers will recall, the county required the use of the antenna the club had been using (but did not own) for the APRS digipeater and the digi has been off the air for the most part since then.

Using a new transceiver, this node is back on the air from a temporary location (the location shown on the aprs.fi map may be inaccurate).  More importantly, the TC has ordered a multicoupler which will allow the digi to be connected to the same antenna as is being used by the W5NOR 147.060 repeater.  More information about APRS can be found at the links above as well as kcaprs.org.