Category Archives: Hawequa

Maintenance Piketberg and Hawequa 2016-02-21

Posted on by

ZS1DDK and ZS1VDV started just past 05:00 in Bellville.  Loaded all equipment and left Stellenbosch 06:00 for Piketberg.

Arrived 07:45 at Piketberg Site.

On Inspection 3 main problems was found:

  1. There is a local signal creating interference on the VHF Repeater
  2. The controller was set to key the link on COS, with the problem that this was too often.
  3. The duplexer was not tuned well enough.

Remedies:

  1. The SQL of the VHF Repeater was set to 0.25microVolt.
  2. The controller was set to key the link on the presence of CTCSS(PL) and COS(SQL).
  3. The duplexer was retuned.

Other maintenance:

  1. The circulator was installed between the VHF repeater and duplexer.
  2. The controller FW was updated.

Left Piketberg site around 11:30.

Quickly had lunch in Wellington.

Arrived at 13:45 at Hawequa.

Problem:

  1. UHF Repeater was not TXing.

Remedies

  1. The repeat setting on the controller was in an inconsistent state, this was due to deactivation which was done 15 Feb to protect the TX radio.  The setting was deactivated and the reactivated.

Left Hawequa site around 14:15.

Arrived 15:00 in Stellenbosch unpacked.

Finally got home at around 15:45.

Maintenance Hawequa 2016-02-14

Posted on by

ZS1VDV and ZS1YT installed the link controller and radios back at 650 site today.

Something is however keying (breaking the sql) on the UHF RX link radio.

By disconnecting the VHF en UHF at Piketberg with dtmf tones, I did stop this from happening.  Which leads me to believe the problem is at Piketberg. (But does not exclude local noise at 650 site)

I would however like to confirm this, before doing a trip to Piketberg.

First thing, if you observe this noise on the 650 this week

  1. First try to send 8104 to 625 (piketberg).  If this does not solve it, or you cannot get in goto 2
  2. Send 8004 to 650.  This will disconnect the vhf en uhf links at Hawequa

Both these fixes only lasts 9 hours for now.

When you here the noise on the 650, check if you can here the same noise on 431.200 from Piketberg.

Any other info or ideas, please feel free to send.