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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 !

Monday 29 April 2013

GB3JB Up-date 29th April 2013

Hi All,

Andover Boot Sale.

Thanks to the Andover Club for allowing me to set up a pitch, free of charge.  Very much appreciated.

Thanks also to Dave, G0AYD, for his very kind donation of items, that were sold at Boot Sale.  His bits, along with a couple of bits and pieces of mine, enabled me to generate £23.40p for GB3JB funds.

Thanks also to Colin G4SXR and Daphne 2E1CMZ, for their donation of £5 for GB3JB funds.

Thanks to Jon G0IUE, for donating a coax lead, for sale.  However, since this was constructed of RG-214 double screened coax and with good quality "N" connectors, with Jons' approval, it has be put into the GB3JB spares box.

I was hoping that perhaps more individuals would have supported JB, by donating items, or allowing us to sell items on their behalf, for a small commission, but alas, no. 

As many of you will be aware, I am currently selling-off Clem G3UGRs' kit.  Mostly via eBay, but I was also able to sell a few items at Andover, raising over £35 for the charities.


Regarding the Tower.

Thanks to Chris, G6WHI, we will hopefully see the construction of the base for the tower being started, this week.

Between Chris and myself, we have provided Radio Structures with all the information they require to build the base.  This is costing around £300, delivered.

However, our hole, now needs to be cleared of the slippage which has reduced it in size somewhat, over the intervening months since the tower was obtained and the hole dug, and it now also needs to be increased in size from it's current 1m cube, to a 1.5m x 1.5m x 1.5m cube, i.e. 3.375 cubic metres.

I am hoping that we will see the base being delivered to the site within the next couple of weeks.  So, if anyone is feeling suitable energetic, your services would be much appreciated in sorting the hole.

I would like to think that we can have the base installed / concreted in, by the bank holiday at the end of May.  If this can be achieved, then with allowing the concrete the nominal 28 days to set properly, we could have GB3JB back on at the end of June.

When it comes to the actual installation of the tower.  Thanks to Stuart M6MFW, we have secured the services of a 15m "cherry picker" and a 15m self-erecting "PA tower", a "3PH 16A generator", and a "7.5 ton truck", to enable the the tower to be erected and installed on it's base and the antenna system, etc., to be installed.

I really do hope that the users of GB3JB, appreciate all the efforts and commitment that others are making to enable the repeater to be put back on air, and I also hope that they will show their appreciation by not just using it, when it's back on, but also by financially supporting it.

With this latter point in mind.  I've been having a brief look around on the web, and 3.375 cubic meters of concrete, suitable for a tower base, seems to come out at around £430.

Also, as previously, advised, we have a single Solar Panel.  The replacement for the stolen unit.  However, to successfully enable the system to keep running, from just Solar power, we need another panel.  The cost of a second panel, of the same type as the existing panel, is around £230.

So if any of you feel so inclined, any donations would be VERY much appreciated.

The cost of the new base and associated installation expenses, will leave the kitty, EMPTY, to say the least ..........., as the finances currently stand.

It should also be considered that in addition to the above expenditure, there will be a need to install anti-climbing devices on the tower, to deter any idiots, either sober or otherwise, from attempting to climb up it.


Regarding the Turbine.

Huw M0WDX, has basically offered to take a look at the beast, and to fit an up rated bearing, if that is at all possible and if it is not damaged in any other respects and subject to the up rated bearing fitting within the physical constraints of the enclosure.

Although the new tower base is being constructed with the possibility of the Turbine being re-installed, and therefore the additional wind loading this will add, it is by no means certain that the turbine can be salvaged at this time.  It all depends on what Huw finds when he fully strips it down.

Hence the need for the 2nd Solar panel.
 

Insurance.

The RSGB public liability insurance is now due for renewal, and this will be dealt with in the next couple of days.

Good job we made some money at the Boot Sale.


 
Cheers & 73's
Dave, G3ZXX.


P.S.:

To those who I have previously provided with my HOME telephone number, please note:

Our home phone number will be changing on either the 1st or 2nd May.

At the moment I do not know what the new number will be.

I'll advise as soon as it is known.

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