Summit Sentinel, February 2003
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The Las Cumbres Amateur Radio Club Newsletter Summit Sentinel, February 2003 |
Contents of the Summit Sentinel, mailed to members late February 2003; Editor: Dan K6PRK.
| February 24, 2003 Volume 25, Issue a "From the Sierra to the Sea, …This is K6FB repeater" |
Las Cumbres Amateur Radio Club P.O. Box 2415 Cupertino, CA 95015 k6fb@arrl.net www.qsl.net/k6fb |
- Dan K6PRK
The social part of LCARC has kind of been in limbo for the past year or so. The biggest reason is probably because everyone has had their noses to the grindstone and has little time for ham radio.
The technical end of the repeater has been quite active and there have been some nice additions to the system.
The club purchased a remote base system several years ago, but we had some technical difficulties making it interface with our controller.
Tom K6KMT and I finally got the remote bases running late last year.
We now have the capabilities to operate the remote bases on 10 meters, 220,440 and 1.2 GHz. All of the remote bases are connected to their own separate antennas.
Last year there were incursions by a repeater coming on 223.88 MHz and 145.45MHz. These repeaters were both uncoordinated and it took considerable effort to get these 2 co-channel repeaters to move to a different frequency pair.
Everything is now clear on both frequencies.
The reason that an incursion occurred on 223.88 was because of inactivity. The repeater was not being used by our club membership and was only keyed up occasionally. Our 220 repeater is now linked to our 2-meter/440 repeaters and will show activity on the frequency.
The amplifier on the 2-meter side had a burned trace on the PC board and dropped down from about 55 watts into the antenna to only about 1 watt. This happened about July 2002. No one seemed to notice it and someone put a repeater on our 2-meter frequency in Shingle Springs, CA.
That new repeater caused some serious interference both on our input and output.
The amplifier was repaired and acted as in incentive for the uncoordinated repeater operation to move to a different pair.
There have been occasions where a spur from the 2-meter amplifier drifts across our input and causes de-sensing and noise. The manufacturer will not repair the amplifier and we must consider the purchase of a new one.
In the meantime the 160 watts 2-meter amplifier has been disabled and we are only running about 5 watts into the antenna. We want to replace the amplifier very soon or the frequency will be in jeopardy again.
The replacement amplifier will run about $600.
Your membership dollars are what help to keep K6FB on the air. When the time comes we hope to count on your renewal.
Except for the amplifier issue the repeater is in great shape.
73, Dan K6PRK
Look for your ballot in this mailing. Please vote!
- Jey KQ6DK
Our current web site has been languishing for a while. It presently shows "current events" for 2001. Jey KQ6DK has returned as club webmaster to spruce up the site a little!
If you'd like to take a look at the web site today there's a map to the next Fifth Saturday Breakfast on March 29th.
http://www.ihot.com/~k6prk/k6fb.html
Tune in again soon for the new and improved web site! Your thoughts omega replica watches and suggestions are always welcome on this site. If you have some content that would be of value then contribute! E-mail Jey at kq6dk AT arrl DOT net
March: Ballots arrive. Please review and send in your vote. Mail by March 26 or bring your ballot to the Fifth Saturday Breakfast, March 29th (see next item)
March 29th Fifth Saturday Breakfast Hick'ry Pit Restaurant, 980 E Campbell Ave, Campbell. Nearest cross street Bascom Ave, near the Pruneyard. 8:30 AM. Guests, friends, and family welcome! Talk-in on K6FB.
May 31 Fifth Saturday Breakfast Location TBD. Share your favorite breakfast haunt and plan our next destination!
June 28-29: Field Day Is anyone interested in mounting a K6FB station? It's time to be thinking about it already!
Summer Picnic Date and location TBD. Where is a good park to plan our picnic?
August 30 Fifth Saturday Breakfast Location TBD. Where to go? Where to go?
November 29 Fifth Saturday Breakfast Location TBD. This one follows Thanksgiving!
Holiday Party Date and location TBD
- Jey KQ6DK
The Las Cumbres ARC Net is held every Monday evening at 7:30 local time on the K6FB/R 2-Meter/440/220 repeaters. Guests and visitors are always welcome to check in.
Volunteers are needed to take net control duty for the following week's net. Suggestion: Take a net control shift and sharpen your radio skills!2003-04 Las Cumbres ARC Directors
PresidentKen Carey, KN6CKVoice Repeaters (All are linked)
- K6FB/R: 145.450 MHz (-) PL=100
- K6FB/R: 442.575 MHz(+) PL=100
- K6FB/R: 223.880 MHz(-) PL=100
Packet
- K6FB-1: Digipeater: 145.050 MHz
- K6FB-2: Bulletin Board: 145.05 MHz
- K6FB-7 Node (alias LCARC): 145.050 MHz
- K6FB-5 tcp/ip "losgatos" [44.4.8.1], 145.750 MHz
© 2003, Las Cumbres Amateur Radio Club