Loose Notes 3/14/15

  So what's been happening over the past week? Glad that you asked: 

• K0LAV (Paul) has moved the antenna on his 147.390+ (PL 94.8) repeater to a tower at 125 feet up. That's a lot better than his previous 30 foot antenna height. It takes me 12W to "ker-chunk" it, but it comes back with an S+ signal on my FT-897D. For those of you that aren't familiar with the Yaesu S-metre on that radio, everything above S9 is shown as S+ -- except for full scale, which is S++. Bear in mind that I'm on the opposite side of the metro, and only using an exterior mobile, mag-mount whip. It might be nice to enter your own experience as a propagation report on the 147.390's RepeaterBook page. I've heard other local operators tell me that the machine came back to them only S2, so try it again now that the antenna is much better. 

• KA0KMJ (John) is in the process of getting a UHF PA for his (SNP) 444.725+ (127.3 PL) C4FM repeater operating in hybrid mode out the NW suburbs. Yaesu has downgraded the duty cycle for full-power operation of the DR1-X repeater, so John plans to run a mere 5W into a Henry PA with 50W output. This should keep things cool on the DR1-X, while remaining within the rating for the mobile duplexer. K9EQ (Chris) did something similar, though with higher output, for the UHF .525 Medtronic repeater a few months back, so the principle is sound. I wouldn't be surprised if more System Fusion repeaters didn't follow the same path, as the PA on the DR1-X can't seem to handle extended QSOs at full power.

• The MARA 444.800+ (114.8 PL) had a bit of down time Friday night into Saturday. The RX sensitivity of the MSF-5000 repeater dropped dramatically, but it was back in operation Saturday morning. The repeater has had continuing issues with "RF whiskers", and may need to taken down again for a more thorough cleaning. Small crystalline "hairs" grow out of the cavity -- which is a pretty weird concept -- and cause shorts in the MSF-5000's receiver. 

• N0AGI (Nagi) has had a WIRES-X box set up on his UHF 442.175+ (100.0 PL) C4FM repeater for a few weeks now, and KE0NA (Dave) has been trying to set up a WIRES-X link with the 223.900- (100.0 PL) repeater this week. Nagi also confirmed rumours that he's seriously scouting out tower options for his Prior Lake repeater, which could expand the RF coverage for his UHF machine beyond the SW suburbs. Also, Nagi has completed his (previously-mentioned) "Shack-To-Go" project. Video documentation can be found on Nagi's blog.

• In an on-air QSO with KE0CRW (Greg), I found out that the C4FM 444.100+ repeater (which is the former 444.925+ HandiHam machine), has WIRES-X enabled. So, while the TCFMC has been woefully unable to keep their EchoLink node logged on for years, they now have internet-based access to one of their repeaters.

• I've been noticing sporadic traffic on the GMRS 462.575+ channel this week. I'm unaware of a local repeater on that pair, and it doesn't last long enough for a CTCSS scan. Anyone know something about this?

• Local amateur FM mastermind N0YNT (Matt) is currently operating out of an undisclosed West Coast location, but he wrote back and noted one of  the differences between the Twin Cities and California FM scene:
  

  Like every other populated city, there was nobody to talk to on the various 2 meter machines. It appears that most people in California have found their "cliques" and those are off of two meters. (One ham described two meters in the Bay Area as "The Learning Band", a "one click up from C.B., only licensed.") heh.