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SITE LAST UPDATED ON: Saturday, 10/01/2015 @ 4:35 pm local time.

RV63 - Out 145.7875 MHz - In 145.1875 MHz - 103.5 Hz ctcss (G).


GB3JB is funded solely by donations from its' users and supporters. There is no club or group to join and no annual membership fee. We rely totally on your good will.

The system is located in South Wiltshire, in IO81vc, and provides coverage across South Wiltshire, South Somerset and North Dorset, with specific areas such as the City of Salisbury, Salisbury Plain, the Blackmore Vale and Cranborne Chase being well within its range. Coverage also extends, for fixed stations, across most of central and parts of North Wiltshire, Southern Dorset and West Hampshire, plus parts of North and West Somerset. See coverage map.

GB3JB is an analogue voice repeater, with no internet linking, simple intuitive logic and no bells or whistles. The beacon sends callsign and locator. The invitation to transmit is a single dit.

To access the repeater, users must continually transmit a 103.5 Hz ctcss tone. There is NO 1750 hz tone burst capability.

The system timeout has been reduced to 3 minutes, so please set your rigs' TOT accordingly.

The simple rules for using GB3JB ....

(1) GB3JB is available for ALL Licensed Radio Amateurs to use, be they 'newly licensed' or an 'old timer'.

(2) All users of GB3JB are expected to operate their station within the terms of their specific licence conditions and restrictions.

(3) When in QSO, please wait for the invitation to transmit (a single dit), and always leave a pause between overs' - always give others a chance to call-in.

(4) Please use good operating practices and procedures. Mobiles have priority. Remember, if a station calls in, during the gap between overs', always acknowledge them and please DON'T leave them sitting on the side, while everyone else has an over.

(5) Only use the minimum power necessary - remember there are other repeaters on the same channel. The repeater only transmits with 25 watts ERP, so if its' 5/9 with you, you don't need to use 50 watts to a high gain vertical, when 5 or 10 watts will do. If you use 25 watts ERP, then the signals strengths should be reasonably reciprocal.

(6) If, under lift conditions, you wish to use another repeater on RV63, please turn off the 103.5 Hz ctcss tone, otherwise you will still access GB3JB.

(7) Remember that you are Radio Amateurs, using an Amateur Radio facility, so please use the appropriate operating practices and procedures.

Since you have taken the trouble to get an Amateur Licence, surely it's not to much to expect of you, that you use Amateur Radio abbreviation and accepted terminology, such as the Q-codes. We do not have a '20', we have a 'location' or 'QTH'. We do not have a 'personal', we have a 'name', etc., etc., If you still use CB, that's fine, no problem, BUT please leave the CB lingo for CB, and not when you use GB3JB or any other Amateur Radio facility or the Amateur bands.

and finally .....

(8) Ignore any idots - If you don't hear a callsign, do NOT respond - EVER !

Tuesday 26 February 2013

It Never Rains, But It Pours !!!!!

Hi All,

It seems like only 14 days ago, I was e-mailing you all with the joyous news that GB3JB was back on air, having replaced the antenna that had been damaged in the earlier gales.

Well GB3JB is off air again .......

It went off at approx., 9:30 pm yesterday evening (Monday 25th) during a QSO between G0AYD and M0MWS ... so you can blame them !!!!! (hi hi).

Upon inspection, this morning, it was found that the batteries were effectively flat, below 10 volts each, and the dc/dc converter had switched off.

Despite the windy conditions, the turbine was not charging and appeared to be having trouble spinning in the breeze.

I returned to the site, this afternoon, and with the assistance of David G0AYD, and my son Paul M3BDI, we lowered the turbine.

It would appear that the main Turbine bearing has gone, yet AGAIN !!!

If we tried to spin the blades by hand, with our best effort we could only get about 270 degrees of rotation, before it stopped.

I have brought the Turbine assembly back to my QTH, where I will attempt to strip it down and determine the exact fault.

I have also brought the batteries back, so that I can cycle them back up to a full charge, ready for putting back into the system.

I have also brought the repeater assembly back, to give that the once over.

I will advise on my findings, as soon as I have anything to report.

As some are aware, I have had a new Solar panel, to replace the one that was stolen, for many months now.

However, even though it is highly likely that this very expensive replacement panel, (nominal 24 volts at 250 watts), is capable of running GB3JB, on it's own, there has been absolutely no intention of installing it, until it can be securely mounted high up on the tower, well above the anti-climbing security, or securely fixed to the roof of the Barn.  This is still the position.

This latter install option is not favoured by the owner, since the roof is now quite old and has shown itself to be quite brittle, as was seen by the damage it received in the same gales, that damaged the repeaters antenna.

Therefore, if it turns out that it is the turbine bearing, and / or any other major problem associated with the turbine, please note that GB3JB, will not be put back on air, until the Tower is finally installed.

Similarly, it would be unlikely that the turbine, would be repaired / replaced for the third time.  Since it appears to be unable to deal with the conditions that prevail at the site.

So please be prepared for yet another long break in service.  Unless of course, there is someone out there who is prepared to "grab the bull by the horns" and take on the responsibility of getting the Tower installed.

Thanks to John, G0VPJ, we now have some drawings dealing with the new base for the tower, but I am still trying to arrange an appointment with the site owner, since there is a requirement to use the barns RSJ's in the load bearing/sharing of Johns' design.

Any assistance would be VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.



Cheers & 73's
Dave, G3ZXX.

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