Repeater Status Report 20160802

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Good evening, folks!

Quite a busy week, this one. I had my 6-monthly checkup including a stress ECG (Doc is happy and also met our puppies), we have a political event tomorrow (do your bit!) and this week’s status report includes the long-awaited Schedule of Events. Okay, so it’s called something else but that looks a little more impressive in an announcement 🙂

These are the events that have been sent through. If you have something on the go, either a regular weekly bulletin or a sports-type event… or even a K9 exercise (not our puppies!) then drop a line to the WCRWG, or send me an email and I’ll channel it through. Sports events etc should be sent through as early as possible so that they can be listed in at least 2 reports before they occur. It’s always a good idea to get the word out in plenty of time.

So, have at it… here ya go! 🙂

WCRWG_Status_Report_20160802

Repeater Status Report 20160726

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Hi, peeps!

My inbox was pretty bare this past week, excluding the usual spam, notes from the bank telling me to stop spending money, notes from the bank also wanting to lend me money, notes from the bank saying that staff has gone on leave, notes from the bank telling me how much money I’ve spent… and notes from the Vet and the Doc telling me I owe them money!

I wonder if I can interest them in a report instead? You lot get it for free, of course…enjoy! 🙂

WCRWG_Status_Report_20160726

Repeater Status Report 20160719

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Hi!

Got your updated repeater status report right here, for your reading pleasure. As indicated, there will soon be a section for listing regular repeater use, such as club and SARL bulletins, and also for detailing scheduled events such as sports or exercises. Clubs, please send your bulletin plans so that they can be included in the section.

Also, please don’t forget to send your beacon reception reports 🙂

Enjoy! 🙂

WCRWG_Status_Report_20160719

Maintenance Hawequa 20160709

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Jan (ZS1VDV) and a friend departed to Hawequa around 09:00

Arrived on site 09:45, little to no wind and about 5 degrees.

View towards Worcester from Hawequa

View towards Worcester from Hawequa

Started to try reproduce the current interference problem. Could only get it to happen when our repeater started to transmit first and the the commercial repeater in our hut second.

Next step was to measure our duplexer and bandpass filter (RX) and second harmonic filter after the circulator. I did not check SWR, because this was checked on the previous visit. Nothing could be found wrong with our filters and duplexers. (The bandpass filter on RX does add about 2dB insertion loss on 145.050 Mhz and will need to be replaced as this sets our total insertion loss for the duplexer and bandpass filter to about 4 dB).

145.650 Duplexer (Sinclair Q202)

145.650 Duplexer (Sinclair Q202)

Bandpass filter in RX path

Bandpass filter in RX path

Then scanned with a SDR spectrum analyzer. Found that the commercial repeaters RX and TX frequencies was labelled wrongly. Could not find any strange signals. About -85 dB filter on the TX frequency of the commercial repeater in the input path.

SDR Spectrum Analyzer

SDR Spectrum Analyzer

So the only conclusion was that the interference is a mix of our output signal, but mixed with the commercial repeaters signal. The second harmonic filter was replaced by a bandpass filter to make sure that our transmission path is clean.

New bandpass filter installed

New bandpass filter installed

This did not solve the problem.

For now removed the CTCSS on TX path. Will check in with commercial repeater owner to add a circulator to their repeater.

Resolved the battery voltage that was reading wrong. The sense wire got damaged and was replaced.

Left for home around 13:50, about 9 degrees.

Arrived home around 14:30

Maintenance Hawequas 20160703

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Jan ZS1VDV, Dirk ZS1VDB and Paul ZS1V departed Stellenbosch for the Hawequa 145.650 site at about 9.30am on Sunday 3 July.  It was sunny but cold, with a light dusting of snow on some of the nearby peaks.  Dusting of snowJan applied a filter to the cooling fans and a modification to the 2m repeater linking cable.  The latter being necessary as part of a correction to the incorrect emphasis on audio from the links to the 2m repeater.  The change necessitated a complete re-alignment of the audio through the link controller.

Soldering in a tight space

The SWR on the 2m antenna system was tested and found to be satisfactory.  An inspection of the antennas and the coaxial feeds also found everything in good order.

A source of interference on the 2m repeater was also identified and this will be taken up with the operator of the equipment in question.

Ice on the rocks

The team returned to Stellenbosch at about 2.30pm in dire need of hot coffee.

Paul
ZS1V

Repeater Status Reports 20160614 & 20160621

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Yup, you read that right. I’ve been more than a little busy lately, still am, and forgot to post the weekly reports here on the website. Sure, they went out on email but that’s only half the job. So, bundled together in a single posting we have 2 reports! Oui, deux rapports, twee verslae, zwei Berichte, dois relatórios!  🙂

Enjoy!

WCRWG_Status_Report_20160614

WCRWG_Status_Report_20160621

Maintenance Jonaskop 2016-06-05

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On Sunday 5 June, the team consisting of Jan ZS1VDV, Paul ZS1V, Mike ZS1TAF, David ZS1DDK and Andre ZS1AN headed to Jonaskop to attend to a number of issues at the 145.675 repeater site.

It was a sunny, but cold day at around 1C when the team arrived, but warming to a comparatively pleasant 7C by the time we left at around 5pm.  A light breeze aided in keeping everybody’s hands cold.

Jan ZS1VDV selecting the correct scalpel

The following tasks were completed:

  • Replacement of a faulty speech chip in the controller and re-enable temperature and voltage measurement macros
  • Correction of the audio emphasis for audio from the links to the 2m repeater
  • Realignment of audio talk through levels
  • Installation of a second backup battery
  • Reinstallation of the VHF ferrite circulator and harmonic filter after the latter was retuned
  • Improve station grounding
  • Install vent covers on the equipment housing
  • Investigate and correct interference problem on the 2m repeater – VHF SWR was high (> 2.5)
Mike ZS1TAF and Paul ZS1V attending to the VHF SWR

Mike ZS1TAF and Paul ZS1V attending to the VHF SWR

At the end of the day, a light crackle in the repeater tail was traced to the audio mixer in the controller.  This was also corrected.

FLTR Paul ZS1V, Jan ZS1VDV and Andre ZS1AN

FLTR Paul ZS1V, Jan ZS1VDV and Andre ZS1AN

Photo credit: David ZS1DDK

The team arrived home again around 19.30.

Paul
ZS1V