Repeater

Repeater System Update

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Hello all,

Last month, a vote was cast to link the Williamstown repeater back into the larger system of VHF repeaters, comprised of W1BD Cabot, K1VIT Lincoln Peak, and W1AAK Killington (146.88).

Williamstown (W1BD)
Yesterday, after correcting a receiver de-sense issue on the link radio, the link was once again enabled and tested, performing quite well in both directions. We are once again using the club’s analog MSF5000 repeater. However, a recent unknown issue has caused radio traffic to pass only in one direction; from Lincoln/Killington/Cabot to Williamstown, but not back. We are going to unlink from the rest of the system until this problem is solved.

Cabot (W1BD)
The Cabot machine continues to perform very well on the receive side. The power amplifier is running 25 watts out, which doesn’t cover quite as far as intended. The audio level was noted to be higher than that of Williamstown, and slightly more “harsh” sounding. There are plans to work on this machine to correct the audio issues, and possibly increase the output power so transmit and receive patterns match each other more closely.

Lincoln Peak (K1VIT)
More information here: http://www.k1vit.com/repeaters/

Killington (W1AAK)
This repeater is owned and operated by the Northeast FM Repeater Association.

Should you have any questions, comments, or concerns about these repeaters, please don’t hesitate to reach out:
CVARC – contact (at) w1bd dot net
NFMRA
Vermont Interconnect Team

September meeting 9/2

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Hi all,

Our September meeting will be held via Jitsi teleconference, using the link below:

https://meet.jit.si/W1BD-CVARC-Meeting

The password is the output frequency of the Williamstown repeater.

We’ll be discussing club updates and news, repeater status, and volunteers needed for the foxhunt coming up on the 19th. After that, we’ll host “office hours”, where those wishing to hang around with questions or other items of interest are welcome to do so – otherwise, the meeting will be over and you’re not obligated to stay.

See you on Wednesday!

73,
-Patrick, KC1DPM
CVARC President

July meeting 2020

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Good afternoon all,

I hope everyone enjoyed their Independence day weekend. We will be having our monthly meeting this Wednesday, July 8th at 6pm, hosting online via Jitsi. You do not need to provide any personal information, nor do you need an account to join. You may use a microphone and webcam if you like, or you may dial-in: +1.512.647.1431 PIN: 1339 1611 95#

You may join the meeting using the link below:
https://meet.jit.si/W1BD-JulyMeeting

The password to join the meeting is the output frequency (in megahertz) of the Williamstown repeater.

Please contact us with any questions.

We’ll be discussing some club updates, field day results, and activity ideas for the summer/fall. See you then!

73,
-Patrick, KC1DPM
CVARC President

Groton Trail Run – repeater info and aid station access

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Here is information for volunteers this Saturday.

Repeater: 447.42 MHz, negative 5 MHz offset, 67.0 Hz PL tone required for access.

Directions to Boulder Beach
Take Route 2 through Plainfield, and continue on into Marshfield. Turn right onto Rt 232, and continue through Peacham. Keep driving on 232 until you see the entrance for Boulder Beach State Park on the left – this is Boulder Beach Road. Continue straight and you will reach the entrance to Boulder Beach.

Coldwater Brook Bridge aid station
Approximately 2 miles from Boulder Beach Road at the end of Coldwater Brook Road. Coldwater Brook Road (unsigned) is on the left 1.8 miles from Route 232 on Boulder Beach Road. (Coldwater Brook Road is directly across from Log Pile Lane on Boulder Beach Road.) Google maps may show this as “Gravel Pit Road” – they mean it! A 4WD/AWD vehicle with good ground clearance (such as a Subaru Outback) is preferred to reach the aid station. The path is rocky and bumpy and makes for slow goings. Leave yourself plenty of time to reach the aid station. Park in the clearing just before the bridge and make sure not to block the path.

Lanesboro Rd aid station
Lanesboro road is right across the Owl’s Head Mountain entrance on Rt 232. The aid station is 500ft down the hill.

New Discovery aid station
New Discovery Campground 4239 VT RT 232, Marshfield, VT 05658. After entering the campground, follow the road 0.5 miles toward Osmore Pond. Aid station is on the right.

Telephone Line Trail aid station
100 yards north along the Telephone Line Trail from the back of campsite #11 at Big Deer Campground.
Big Deer Campground, 1467 Boulder Beach Rd, Groton, VT 05046
Park at the campground entrance or at campsite 11 (if allowed) and walk to the aid station.

Kettle Pond
This aid station is at the Kettle Pond day use parking lot, off Rt 232.






Williamstown Repeater Link

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The Williamstown repeater is currently experiencing an issue with its RF link into the CVARC linked repeater system.

Based on some initial diagnostics, there appears to be a issue with the antenna system of the link radio which carries radio traffic from Cabot and Lincoln Peak into Williamstown. The issue is likely being caused by antenna icing, or damage from falling ice.

Because of steeply decreased antenna performance, there isn’t enough RF signal strength at the link receiver to overcome interference from adjacent in-band high power transmitters at the tower site. Because of this, signals from the link may seem strong one moment and completely unreadable the next.

The Williamstown repeater itself is functioning properly as a standalone repeater. Cabot and Lincoln Peak are still linked by RF. There is no evidence to suggest problems with basic repeater functionality at this point.

Unfortunately, I am out of town for a week starting early tomorrow morning. I will promptly investigate the issue further on my return and will work towards implementing a solution. In the mean time, I may make the decision to disable the Williamstown link altogether until it is repaired. I will notify the club if this decision is made.

I appreciate your understanding with this issue, and I will post updates as they become available. I apologize for any inconvenience this system failure has caused.

Best,
Chris Craig
K1MHZ