| 4-18-2017:
Added a GMRS repeater. While not an
Amateur repeater, it does provide services
to non ham radio users. It may move to
a better location at some point. See
GMRS for more information
10-29-2016:
The 2 Fusion repeaters were placed onsite
today. Battery backup should provide 2
days of limited use. Running on a G-9
at about 2550 or about 350 feet above the
valley floor in E-Town.
10-3-2016:
Changes again...Soon, both VHF and UHF
Fusion repeaters are moving to a new site
that has better overall North Methow
coverage. VHF will improve to possibly
include Washington Pass at the West end and
down close to Methow at the East end for
mobiles. VHF HT operation should be
from Early Winters to Twisp. UHF will
not have quite that coverage. Both
repeaters will be standalone. Expected
to deploy before the end of October.
4-22-2016:
Soon, the 444.850 Mazama Fusion repeater is
changing location and frequency to enhance
it's coverage up toward Washington pass.
New frequency is 145.210 +2.78 Mhz with DCS 026
and DSQ 01. The WIRES-X repeater will
change to 444.850 -5 Mhz, digital only DSQ
01 and continue
in room 21068 by default. No changes
to the Winthrop 444.850 Fusion repeater.
These changes will provide the best coverage
possible up toward Washington Pass and put
WIRES-X on a Fusion repeater to be useful in
Mazama and Winthrop. The interactive
use of frequencies and purposes may yet be
tweaked even more once we have some
operating time on the changes announced
today.
1-12-2016:
The Mazama Fusion repeater is now part of
the extender system, at least in part.
The extenders are able to hear all traffic
going through both the Mazama and Winthrop
UHF repeaters. But you cannot access
the extenders via the Mazama UHF repeater.
So any traffic on the Mazama UHF will be
repeated to all extenders (Mazama, Twisp and
Dyer Hill) but extender traffic will only
repeat to the Winthrop Fusion repeater (and
other extenders). Remember to switch
to the Winthrop repeater if you wish to
talkback to anyone using the extenders.
11-30-15:
The Mazama Fusion repeater was switched to 5
Mhz down (439.85 input) and DCS 023 to
complement the standardized Winthrop
repeater. Now 444.85 simplex is always
on 023 and one can monitor both repeaters or
use simplex. Use of digital mode now
will no longer bring up both repeaters as
well when operating in overlap areas.
This repeater will tentatively be moving to
a site about 200' higher than the current
location and will favor the western coverage
much more.
9-4-15:
The Fusion repeater in Mazama is now up
again on a 25' higher antenna, at least
temporarily. Would expect better
coverage into Winthrop now. The plan
is still to package it up into a cabinet
with the current TRBO repeater for better
coverage yet. The move should occur in
October.
9-1-15:
The Fusion repeater RF has been repaired and
has been back in town for 3 weeks. The fires have slowed down
its deployment at Mazama. It is going
to be packaged with the TRBO repeater at a
better site and return soon.
7-18-15:
The Winthrop Fusion repeater RF output
detonated on 7-17. The Mazama repeater
is now at Winthrop and the extenders are now
working again. SQL was turned off, the
voice ID'er was turned off and is now CW
(does not mute user audio). DCS is
still 023 and RF output is unchanged at 20
watts.
7-6-15:
The Twisp Extender is down for
repair (now back in service)...should be back on-site 7-7-2015.
The Brewster Extender will have a new UHF
channel soon, not yet determined, possibly
444.850 Simplex, same DCS of 026.
5-16-15:
New APRS digipeater installed at upper Dyer.
Kenwood radio is now the cross-band link to
Twisp. Temp on 446.500, DCS 026.
Both the digipeater and the extender are
working well. DC system is almost
done, still need to add the low voltage
dropout circuit for the back-up battery
protection. The Fusion repeater will
be moved to upper site in the near future
for an antenna elevation gain of about 220
feet and better overall coverage,
especially in Pateros and in the lower
Methow Valley.
4-15-15:
Mazama Fusion installed on 444.85, DCS: 026,
SQL: 001 (same as Winthrop for testing
simultaneous use in digital mode only.
Currently running 20 watts into a G6
antenna.The
Dyer Hill repeater will soon be moving to
the upper site (181 feet higher plus another
50 feet on the pole. This should
enhance all areas of coverage. The
Digitipeater also to be installed. FM
Extender to Winthrop will work around the
repeater/digipeater if it can co-exist on
the same site.
3-15-15: After much
testing, this is the short term outlook:
Frequencies and DCS in the table above are
updated and correct, no linking to Dyer Hill
to be implemented at this time, Coverage: WA
pass to Carlton are seamless, (lower) Dyer is good
in much of the North Methow valley direct.
Other linking options still to be considered
for the future.
3-12-15:
Attempted to add in the Twisp extender and
had operational problems. Twisp is not yet active, Winthrop
is now on DCS 025 023 FM, DSQ or SQL:
5 1 and the Mazama extender
is on DCS 025 026 FM.
Twisp will be re-installed on Friday the
13th and hopefully will work well. If
not, then likely Twisp will be on 146.56
58 FM on DCS 025 and will not be linked to
Dyer Hill until a better method can be
implemented in the future.
3-11-15:
(lower) Dyer Hill was installed, CSQ but
soon to be DCS 023 025. The
frequency is: 146.740, minus .6 Mhz , DCS :
025, 20 Watts out, coverage even to Twisp
and Winthrop. Twisp cross band
will was be installed 3-12-15 for
full valley linking, but did not work
correctly, so rescheduled for 3-13-15. |