FARA PacketCluster

DX Spotting Node

W1FY, 145.61 MHz

Open to all hams in MetroWest... Come check us out!

Welcome to the information page about FARA's PacketCluster node, W1FY!

At the July, 1997 meeting, the FARA Board created a committee to investigate sponsoring a DX spotting node under the club's auspices. The committee worked in the fall and winter. The Board authorized construction of a pilot node at the March, 1998 meeting. Construction occurred during the summer of 1998 and... since Labor Day...

WE ARE ON THE AIR!!!

Vital Statistics:

• The node is located in Hopkinton, Massachusetts at 42º 13' 00" N, 71º 30' 44" W.
• We are running on temporary antennas at about 510 feet above mean sea level. The permanent antennas will be about 20 feet higher.
• The system is in pilot test mode. While it is on the air most of the time, we are taking it down periodically for testing and upgrades.
  • On the RF side of the house, we are working to improve the performance of the 2-meter user port, as well as our backbone connection to KB1H in Connecticut.
  • On the digital side of the house, we are working to improve system stability. We have done substantial work in getting the PacketCluster software more memory to work with, and we are tweaking a number of the system parameters. We will soon replace the firmware in the user-port TNC to provide greater robustness during times of high utilization.
• The station's digital sysops are NC1N, KA1USL, NB1B, and KC1YR. The RF system coordinator is W1RH.
• Specifics about our progress are posted periodically on the node. Check the login banner messages for more details.

Find out more!

• What area will the node cover? We've run several propagation prediction models.
• Who is on the committee?
• See for yourself the presentation that led to the Board's project approval.
• Read about the project's history in the Framingham Circuit, FARA's newsletter.

Have questions about these pages?

• Contact Charlie, NC1N.

Visitor number since we moved this page on 9/28/98

Last Update: 28 September 1998