Annual repeater report 2012 – 2013
No major projects have been undertaken this year after the significant work at Hautai Hill last year. The next planned major project is the installation of a fourth repeater at the Emerson Street water tank, previously our linking site. We still have our secure equipment cupboard on the site and a current lease for the use of the site. Some of the infrastructure from the linking installation is able to be re-used for the new repeater. Work is progressing on assembling the technical equipment and preparing to manufacture the linking hardware. Fund raising applications and licensing are the first items to cover and then the work of the final assembly of the technical equipment can begin in earnest.
Weather Sked operators
Our numbers remain thin on the ground. Moeraki no longer has a permanent operator with John McLellan in the “Rendall on Reed” rest home. Martin Finnie helps out with local conditions most evenings during the year. Keith and I carry the duty shifts with Rowan Leck and Terry Thomas filling in on occasions.
Our repeater and linking sites.
Swampy summit linking site.
No work apart from routine checks by our landlord.
MM 66 on Cape Wanbrow.
No work but a suspicion this site is now working better with the analogue TV transmitters on the site switched off. It is known that other VHF operators on the site were suspicious they were also suffering similar de-sensing problems but no concise tests have been carried out to confirm our suspicions. On other sites where tests could be accomplished, the analogue switch-off has resulted in improvements to VHF communication operations.
MM62 on Hautai Hill
Apart from the apparently reduced coverage from our main aerial, everything continues to test fine and works satisfactorily.
MM 64 on Hinahina Hill
A routine visit unearthed no problems. The stays on the pole supporting our antenna were re-tensioned to straighten the pole. The site was inspected again this weekend with no problems in our department although another user’s aerial had fallen down and was repaired.
The repeater system continues to provide an excellent service but Dunedin area coverage will be much improved with the advent of the fill-in repeater at Emerson Street. The channel that will be used is yet to be allocated. I note again that with the exception of the Cape Wanbrow and Swampy Summit installations, most of our aerials, aerial infrastructure and repeaters radios are now fully or near fully depreciated and over 10 years old. There is no immediate need to replace any of the equipment and we hold adequate spares but within 4 to 5 years, we will need to be budgeting for some replacement/upgrades.
Martin Balch Repeater Trustee
