KB3AWQ 6 Meters

11/18/2024

Below is an updated map for 444.900. Yesterday Mike K4MTP and Ed N3MSK were up to Williamsport and brought a power amp for UHF from a Motorola Micor, and has a circulator on it. The PA which is able to do over 100 watts but is at 75 watts and is able to do continuous duty. Using the Kenwood TK-8180H (the repeater radios), which was turned down from 50 watts to around 20 watts to drive the amp and should keep the radio happier with running less than half of its power. Everything is using a 30 amp switching power supplies currently, the amp needs about 25 amps when it's in use so that has its own power supply. There is no desense on 6 now with the supply being swapped, and there is no desense on 444.900 with the added power.
We found that the desense that was occurring on the 6 meter receiver from when 444.900 transmitted was actually the 50 amp switching power supply that was being used. I had some replacements, so it wasn't an issue.
They tried 6 meters in several locations going back home, and the last time he tried was at the Turnpike, and he was making it pretty good. Mike makes his way around the eastern part of the state with working at towers sites as a tech and has told me he has received 53.050 in many areas with a good signal in some of the areas he has been in, in Wayne and Pike county, and he said he will be up that way today so he will try things. I think I covered at least most everything. See how it goes! Thanks again to Mike for all he does and continues to do, and for Ed making the trip with him from Easton and Mike from just south of Long Pond.
I just remembered that I left some out from the email I sent for those who got that. The site noise floor was about 6 db on 6 meters with the Ringo Ranger antenna which has been used over that last several years up there. We found that there is still an issue with the regular dipole for 6 as there was 24 db of noise coming from that and we all agreed that it is most likely a solder joint at the antenna end of the connector that would need resoldered on the braid so we are back to using the Ringo for 6 receive until that can be corrected.
Receive on 444.900 has usually been better than transmit, so the extra power may balance things a bit more. Below is a UHF coverage map for 75 watts.

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07/17/2024

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06/24/2024

53.050 now doing 25 watts.

04/18/2024

444.9 is back on the air, as is 53.050

04/16/2024

It appears the 444.900 repeater transmitter is not working. This also affects the 53.050 repeater by not allowing it to work and also leaves 147.300 as standalone. 29.660 repeater will also work as standalone. It may be until this Saturday until I make it up there.

12/27/2023

Last night, we changed 52.490 simplex into a split site repeater. 53.050 –1 MHz offset, PL 131.8. The receiver is 3 air miles west of the transmitter, which is doing 45 watts. Everything is still linked to the rest of the system, the only difference is the frequency and that it is a split site repeater now. The transmitter is receiving 444.900 directly over RF. Visit Repeaterbook for the listing.