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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 !

Wednesday 15 January 2014

Turbine, Controller & Battery Voltage

Hi All,

Just a quickie, to confirm that GB3JB, is now fully operational.

The re-wired (by me) controller appears to be working correctly, at this time, and the battery voltage has held steady, over the last 48 hours.

However, I have been unable to assess the turbine "breaking" function, which cuts in when the turbine is producing too many volts, and exceeding the charging voltage of the batteries.  There has not been enough wind / volts, yet.

Of course the battery voltage at this time is no where near high enough to invoke the facility.

The off-load voltage being 24.6 v; The on-load, RX squelched, voltage being 24.5 v;  The on-load, system in repeating mode voltage being 24.3 v.

I will now not return to the site to carry out any further system checks, until Friday, unless of course something goes wrong.

I have been having discussion with the Turkish manufacturer of the system, and I am currently awaiting feedback regarding the life expectancy implications for the turbine, as a result of the system having been installed, with an incorrectly assembled controller / rectifier unit.  This having placed the turbine winding's directly across the 24 volt battery supply  -  BIG sparks, loads of current flowing through the winding's.

They have at this time offered to ship a replacement controller / rectifier unit.

I am pushing for the complete system to be replaced.

Cheers & 73's
Dave, G3ZXX.
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