Repeater Performance:

During the summer of 2000, the CRA purchased a new Yaesu Vertex repeater,
Pacific Research controller, and Astron power supply. The new repeater
replaced two older machines; a Kendecom MR4 and a Motorola Micor, which now serve as backup machines. However, Tim Pepper reports that the Motorola receiver board is no longer functioning.

In June 2001, we conducted a full equipment review and inspection at the
repeater site. Based on this review, we planned the following improvements:

- Replace the 20-year old feedline with a new run of Andrew LDF4-50A 1/2"
Heliax. The new feedline will run the entire length, from duplexer output to
antenna input, eliminating a 30 foot jumper of Belden 9913 at the top of the
tower. The feedline will be grounded both at the top and bottom of the
tower, connected to professionally installed terminal strips and effective
ground put in place by the cellular vendors.
- Replace the Diamond F-22 antenna with a new commercial repeater antenna
from Celwave or Decible Products. The new antenna is being installed to
improve the coverage area and to provide increased survivability and
longevity.
- The new Andrew feedline and Celwave antenna were installed during a marathon 10 hour session on Saturday, November 7, 2001, by a 7-member crew planned and led by Tom Hammond/K8BKM. Except for the duplexer, the entire system has been replaced or upgraded within the last two years.

We hope you are enjoying the improved transmit and receive capability. Following the photos below is a wrap-up story of CRAP day. An update on a new duplexer is at the bottom of this page.

A day at the repeater site - Saturday, November 3, 2001

We got there before 9:00 a.m. Nick/N8ICK started climbing early to change a dozen ladder light bulbs to see in the dark ladder "tube". Tom/K8BKM went up after ground assembly around 10 for the whole day - never rested until after 7 p.m. Brad/N8SNM came soon after. Jim Vigne/KB8TXZ joined us and climbed, too. A 10.5 hour job. Everyone had a great time and was busy. Nick was up and down several times. Tom never left the top and didn't sit down up there. What a leader!! They were bushed.

In total, Secretary Tom, Nick, Brad, Jim Vigne, Trustee Tim/K8NWD, Treasurer Al/W8TCI and I (V.P. Harry/WD8NCY) were there. Jim had to leave at 3:00. Brad replaced Jim as a climber, so we had three on the tower ball at all times. We asked Tim, who had given up painting at home and joined us, to bring a 110v drill motor that we found we didn't need. The drill batteries had given out, but recovered just as Tim got there. Tim stayed for the duration and helped a bunch. Al arrived in the afternoon and was of usual help, frolic and delight while there. He worked between humor - really. I drove to Waterford around 6:15 p.m. for "outdoors-in-the-dark" take-out pizza and soda for the five of us remaining at the end.

The antenna and mast assembly was raised, with good planning and with apparent ease in about 30 seconds. So much time for sub-assembly, buckets up and down, routing up of heavy stuff, assembly on top, drilling, attaching, taping, weather proofing, etc. A long damn time!!

When finished and the guys turned it on, the repeater ID'd, but wouldn't "receive". Tim said he'd noticed that turning it off causes the repeater to come back up "listening" way off in some other range. Tom had to reset the receive frequency and clock via modem when he returned home around 8:15 p.m. or so. Minimal interference since then! Improved grounding may have helped. Much better antenna/hardline performance, in and out, as we see it.

Bill/WB8UIN, Tom/K8BKM and Nick/N8ICK developed and installed a keying circuit between the Vertex repeater and the Kendecom amplifier Saturday evening, 12/8/01. The lowest recommended repeater output of 10 watts to maintain audio purity yields 100 watts out of the amplifier with 1 watt reflected

On April 17, 2002, we replaced the existing TR-RX duplexer, suspected of having been affected by lightning and/or other causes, with an identical new set of 4 cans ordered one month earlier. Significant performance improvements seem to be evident. With this update, our hardware is new (less than 2-years-old) commercial grade from top to bottom.

Thanks to Bill/WB8UIN, we now have our older Kendecom repeater in working order for backup. Bill will work to refurbish the replaced duplexer as well.