The L'Anse Creuse ECHO Repeater Status

as of January 2010

The LCARC Repeater Tower


2 Meter ECHO Repeater  N8LC 147.080+
In Line at the Sterling Hgts Firestation #5 Site
Repeater Motorola MSR 2000
Controller Advanced Computer Concepts RC-85, Firmware V5.0
Duplexer 76 Machine Temporary Loaners
Antenna Decibel DB-224
Feedline Heliax
   
   
   
   
   

Extra VHF equipment

Repeater Maggorie Hi Pro
Repeater Kenwood TXR-720 (bad PA), serial#60100139
Controller Advanced Computer Concepts RC-85, Firmware V5.0
Pre-Amp? Advanced Receiver Research P144VDG
Pre-Amp? GLB Electronics Model 147.680, ser#7154
Duplexer Wacom WP-641 Bp-Br Serial 1808
Antenna Antenex FG 1443 (3db Fibreglass antenna)

2 Meter Antenna. 2 Meter Antenna Ted, K8EO. Ted, K8EO "Site Founder"

Latest events at the repeater site:

January 27, 2010: N8PYN, N8GEO, K8HVI, K8RO, N8HUL. Added 100hz tone to the 2mtr Repeater. This should cut down the DX type noice getting into the machine. However, a person without 100hz tone will still bring up the repeater, but with no audio. Did not have enough time to fix this issue. Will set for a future tech session. Also, the 440 repeater was not receiving very well. Antenna checked fine. Amp checked fine. The Kenwood radio was having issues. So, we shut down the 440 repeater and N8HUL will try to service the Kenwood radio.

March 25, 2009 N8PYN, N8GEO, K8HVI, K8RO, N8REZ. Fixed the 2mtr Receiver which was off by 2100 to 3400 cycles on Receive input. Installed a new crystal set and was back to spec.

December 2006 N8PYN, N8RLP, K8HVI. Got a blown powersupply. 440 amp is down. Estimated $80 to repair the amp.

4/19/2006 8Pm, N8PYN, N8RLP visited the site and reduced the audio level in the controler for the 440 machine. Also, installed a Motorola preamp on the 440 machine. Recieved on the air help and signal reports Dale K8RO and Dave N8HUL. The 440 machine- sounds much better.

1/18/2006 8Pm, N8PYN, N8RLP, N8REZ, K8HVI, AND N8GEO, visited the site and reduced the attenuation from 9db to 6 db on the 2mtr receive line at the RX input to the repeater. Also, reinstalled the 440 machine. Increased its power from 1 watt to around 60 watts(at radio rx out). 440 users should be pleased.

3/20/05 11am, Marty/K8HVI visited the site and put 9db of attenuation in the receive line at the RX input to the repeater.

3/14/05 This morning, 3/14/05 at 9am, Marty/K8HVI turned the repeater on manually. It did not transmit noise so he left the site. Within 15 minutes it started transmitting the noise again. The repeater allowed K8HVI to turn it off remotely. The repeater was left in this state. Possibly to be turned on later in the day......

3/13/05 Around 11am Sunday 3/13/05, the repeater was continuously running with the "noise". After many attempts, Marty/K8HVI was able to shut it down remotely. Later around 2pm, K8HVI turned it back on remotely. It accepted the command on the first attempt. It immediately went to continuos noise transmitting. K8HVI was unable to remotely shut it off. Thus K8HVI had to drive to the site to manually turn it off around 2:30pm. At 10pm. K8HVI went to the site to turn it back on. It went straight to transmitting noise. In addition, K8HVI was unable to remotely shut it off while transmitting at the base of the site. Thus, K8HVI manually shut it off. That is where the repeater was left for the night.

5/12/04 Mid-Day - The Antenna was replaced with a new Hustler G7-144. The old antenna and feedline were swept for problems and it was shown to have a bad jumper. Thus, a new antenna and a new jumper were put inline. This was all performed thanks to the unbelievable efforts of Ted Bak to make it all happen!!! Again, this type of work is not cheap and Ted has made it happen again. The next time you talk to Ted, make sure you tell him thanks.

3/17/04 7:30pm - The Technical Committee Meeting was held in addition to some work being performed on the motorola repeater. The motorola repeater was found to have a diode missing from the squelch tail board. It was fixed and tested as OK. However, due to recent problems of breaking in and out of all signals, which is believed to be the antenna or conector for the 2 meter antenna is bad. Thus, it was agreed not to put the motorola in line. Thus, not have the motorola transmitting into a bad antenna. Also, the 440 machine was taken out of line and will be moved to the Downtown Detroit Site (put inline on 3/18/04) to test if this could be a good location to improve the 440 coverage. See the Technical Committee meeting minutes for more detail.

10/7/03 7pm - A tech session at the repeater site was performed by our ARRL Section Technical Coordinator, Wallace Murray, KE8HR. He performed all kinds of tests on the system with highend tech equipment.

9/30/03 Early AM - The repeater was remotely shut off due to squirrelly noises being generated. By PM, the repeater was turned back on.

9/16/03 3pm - The repeater was remotely brought back up.

9/16/03 9:45am- The repeater was remotely shut off due to squirrelly noises being generated.

9/13/03 - This is my first attempt to list the current status/update of the repeater. It has been acting up and the Repeater Team is working the issues. I am putting info in here as best I can. Let me know of any corrections.....send to Marty at [email protected]

 

THE 440 ECHO REPEATER  N8LC 442.925+
In Line at the Sterling Hgts Firestation #5 Site
Repeater Kenwood UHF TKR-820, ser#71000099
Controller Advanced Computer Concepts RC-85, Firmware V5.0
Duplexer Tx-Rx System Inc. Model 28-70-09, serial#2536
Antenna ???
Feedline ????
Amplifier "after market" repeater duty PA
Preamp Motorola Preamp
   
   
   

Extra UHF equipment
Repeater  
Controller  
Pre-Amp? Advanced Receiver Research P432VDG
Amplifier Mirage D1010N 10w In --> 100w Out.
Antenna Diamond X-50N, Dual Band 2m/70cm

440 Ant.. 440 Antenna Highly Unreliable Lid.Dave, N8HUL "Site Deployment Manager"

 


 


Sent feedback or bug reports to Marty, K8HVI K8HVI_email.jpg