Kohala Hamakua Radio Club
Next meeting:
Date: Wednesday, June 12 2013
Time: 7:00pm
QTH:
Meeting place is at Hawai`i Preparatory Academy (HPA), Energy Lab, in Waimea. Adjacent parking is available. The street address is 65-1692 Kohala Mountain Rd (Hwy 250).
ARRL-affiliated group interested in amateur radio and good fellowship.The Kohala Hamakua Radio Club is an
Currently, there are no membership fees and all are welcome to attend.
The club meets in Kapa'au on the second Sunday at 1400W (2:00PM) in ODD months (Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, Nov). Conference Room, (Enter in rear of Gym Building), Hisaoka Gym, King Kam Park, Kapa'au
Also, the club meets in Waimea on the second Wednesday at 1900w (7:00pm) in even months (February, April, June, August, October, December). Meeting place is at Hawai`i Preparatory Academy (HPA), Energy Lab, in Waimea. Adjacent parking is available. The street address is 65-1692 Kohala Mountain Rd (Hwy 250).
2013 Club Officers
President, Steve Milner, WH6N
Vice President,
Bill Wiecking KH6BI
Secretary-Treasurer, Norm Cohler, NH7UA
Technical Advisor: John Buck, KH7T
Webmaster: Len Winkler, KH7LW (please send me email if you have information or other ideas you want added to this webpage)
ARES BULLETINS REGARDING NEW REPEATER FOR NORTH HAWAII
ARES BULLETIN 2013.04.23 REPEATER PROGRESS REPORT
This is a progress report for the 2 meter ARES repeater we're planning to install at a site on the northwestern slope of Mauna Kea. Since the last progress report:
The matching funds from Google were received and the duplexer has been ordered. The manufacturer graciously agreed to sell it to us for the previously quoted price even though the original quote had expired. That's the good news. The bad news is that the shipping cost increased and they had to increase the delivered price accordingly. So, I placed the order but we will need to come up with a little more money to cover the additional cost of shipping. Estimated delivery date is 31 May 2013.
I have located and purchased most of the sub-assemblies I expected to get from the second CAP repeater. Some of these items were needed to complete the repeater while others will be set aside as backups. The only item I wasn't able to get was a spare RF power amplifier. I was hoping to get one of my buddies on the mainland to buy one for us at the Dayton Hamfest, but there isn't enough money in the kitty to pay for it, so we'll have to forgo that for now. I anticipated having to spend in the neighborhood of $200 or so for this plus shipping.
Negotiation with Parker Ranch to obtain a formal agreement for the site of the 84/24 repeater continues. The site visit prior to antenna installation still has not been scheduled. This is probably due to the fact that we don't yet have an agreement in place. Marc, WH7CA, asked to be added to the list of antenna installation volunteers. The volunteers are: Steve, WH6N, Dale, KH7LZ, Eric, KH6CQ, Eddie, WH7DG, Marc, WH7CA, and Bill, KH6BI.
At the March KHRC meeting, liability and equipment insurance for the repeater system was a topic of discussion. The club decided to buy these policies. The hat was passed, donations received, and Steve, WH6N, is in the process of buying the policies.
Our goal was to raise at least $4,000 for the ARES repeater project. As of 23 April 2013, $5,020 has been donated; $1,656.34 has been spent; and $3,678.40 has been committed for the purchase of the duplexer and bandpass filter. This leaves a negative balance of $314.74 and I still need to buy a bracket for mounting the antenna to the pole. Since the bracket I have in mind costs $162.00 plus shipping, and we won't know if it will be suitable until the site visit, I haven't ordered it yet.
There are three reasons for the cost overrun. First, most vendors instituted a 10% price increase on their products after I made the initial estimate. Second, the cost of shipping increased substantially. The most outrageous example of this was for the antenna. The actual shipping cost was $469.74 whereas the estimate was $125.00. In addition, the duplexer and bandpass filter have to be shipped via Fed Ex rather than by the USPS because the girth exceeds the USPS limit. I honestly didn't anticipate these increases when I put together the initial estimate. Third, although the original plan was to build the voice repeater first and then add the digipeater in the future, it became a lot more cost effective to do both simultaneously. In fact, doing this saved approximately $800. At this time, it appears we will need an additional $600 to finish the project. So, if you haven't already contributed, please consider doing so now. There are two ways you can go about doing this.
First, NK-CERT has made arrangements with the North Kohala Community Resource Center (NKCRC) to help fund this initiative. The NKCRC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, so contributions should be tax deductible. To make a contribution through them you can:
Go to http://www.northkohala.org
Click on Donate (near the top),
Scroll down to "Find a specific project to donate to" and click the link, In the drop down box, scroll down to "North Kohala CERT" and select it, Click "Donate Online Now" and make your contribution.
Finally, earmark your donation for the ARES Repeater Project by sending an email to info@northkohala.org and say your donation is intended to be used for the ARES Repeater Project.
Second, if you would like to support this project but are not interested in the tax deduction, I will accept cash and personal checks made out to me for deposit into the repeater account. This method actually allows more of the money donated to go into the project since NKCRC charges an 8% fee for their services.
Either way, mahalo for your donation.
73 and aloha, Eric KH6CQ
District Emergency Coordinator
Hawaii Amateur Radio Emergency Service
ARES BULLETIN 2013.03.25 REPEATER PROGRESS REPORT
Negotiation with Parker Ranch to obtain a formal agreement for the site of the 84/24 repeater continues. Since the last update was issued, Bill, KH6BI, has met with them several more times.
The second MSR 2000 repeater we were expecting to receive from CAP will not be coming according to Paul, KB2RUZ. This means that we will have to locate a few more pieces of equipment than originally anticipated in order to complete the repeater. I have notified all those who might be able to help and check the auction sites on a regular basis. So far, I have located and purchased the PL modules, the 100.0 Hz reeds for the PL modules, the microphone, and the station manual.
At the February KHRC meeting, we discussed the work that needs to be done at the site to install our new antenna. It was decided that a group of us should visit the site to see what we have to work with and identify any issues that could be addressed in advance. The following members volunteered: Steve, WH6N, Dale, KH7LZ, Eric, KH6CQ, Eddie, WH7DG, and Bill, KH6BI. A date for the trip has not been set yet.
I'm still looking for a Motorola GM300 VHF transceiver for the packet digipeater station. If anyone knows where we can get a GM300 with model number M43GMC29C1 or M43GMR29C1 at a reasonable price, please let me know. (The C2 version will not work in the lower portion of the 2 meter band.)
Our goal is to raise at least $4,000 for the ARES repeater project. As of 26 March 2013, $3,180 has been donated; $1,571.07 has been spent; $55.47 has been committed for the purchase of parts; and, a balance of $1,809.01 remains in the account. This amount plus future contributions will be used to purchase the duplexer and the other items needed to complete the project. At this time, there is not enough money in the account to order the duplexer. If you haven't done so already, please consider making a contribution. There are two ways you can go about doing this.
ARES BULLETIN 2013.02.25 REPEATER PROGRESS REPORT
Negotiation with Parker Ranch to obtain a formal agreement regarding the site of the 84/24 repeater is progressing. Bill, KH6BI, met with them again on 25 February and
provided additional information they requested. I received the instruction manual for the Kantronics KAM Plus TNC from Herb, WY6G, on 18 February.I received the Andrew DB224E antenna on 22 February. The next step is to assemble and test it prior to installation. Again, a big mahalo to Paul, KB2RUZ, for his assistance with this purchase.
I have been testing, troubleshooting, and refurbishing the MSR 2000 repeater. The power supply has been restored to operating condition and now meets factory specifications. I have identified some components in the plug-in modules that need to be replaced. They need to be ordered.
At the last KHRC meeting, we discussed the work that needs to be done at the site to remove the old antenna and install our new antenna. It was decided that a group of us should visit the site to see what we have to work with and identify any issues that could be addressed in advance. The following members volunteered: Steve, WH6N, Dale, KH7LZ, Eric, KH6CQ, Eddie, WH7DG, (who was off island but expressed an interest in helping), and Bill, KH6BI. A date for the trip has not been set yet.
To implement the 100.0 Hz PL tone recommended for use by all two meter repeaters on the island of Hawaii, we need to obtain two additional Motorola plug-in modules. They are a TRN5073A PL module and a TRN5292A MPL Encoder module. I have begun searching for these on e-Bay and elsewhere, but if you happen to know where I can get them, please let me know.
I'm still looking for a Motorola GM300 VHF transceiver for the packet digipeater station. If anyone knows where we can get a GM300 with model number M43GMC29C1 or M43GMR29C1 at a reasonable price, please let me know. (The C2 version will not work in the lower portion of the 2 meter band.)
I updated the purchasing and technical documentation folders so this information will be available in the future.
Our goal is to raise at least $4,000 for the ARES repeater project. As of 25 February 2013, $2,680 has been donated; $1,239.74 has been spent; $131.25 has been committed for the purchase of channel elements; and, a balance of $1,440.26 remains in the account. This amount plus future contributions will be used to purchase the duplexer and other miscellaneous items needed to complete the project. At this time, there is not enough money in the account to order the duplexer.
ARES BULLETIN 2013.01.29 REPEATER PROGRESS REPORT
Still no word on the proposal Bill, KH6BI, submitted to Parker Ranch officials regarding the site for the 84/24 repeater.
I picked up a 100 foot length of Andrew LDF4-50 Heliax feed line with type N connectors on each end that Roland, AH6RR, offered to the project.
I received quotations for the Andrew DB224E and Telewave ANT150D6-9 antennas. The DB224E was about $200 less than the Telewave, so it has been ordered at a cost of $946.34 which includes shipping and insurance. Even though we got a 35% discount off the list price of the antenna, the shipping charge was more than I anticipated. A big mahalo to Paul, KB2RUZ, for his assistance with this purchase.
The Channel Elements were received from ICM on 29 January, 2 weeks ahead of schedule.
I'm still looking for a Motorola GM300 VHF transceiver for the packet digipeater station. If anyone knows where we can get a GM300 with model number M43GMC29C1 at a reasonable price, please let me know. (The C2 version will not work in the lower portion of the 2 meter band.)
I updated the purchasing and technical documentation folders so this information will be available in the future.
As of 29 January 2013, $2,580 has been donated to the ARES repeater project. Our goal is to raise at least $4,000. To date $293.19 has been spent on double-shielded coax and silver plated connectors; $1,076.34 has been committed for the purchase of channel elements and antenna; and, presently a balance of $2,286.81 remains in the account. This plus additional contributions will be used to purchase the duplexer and other miscellaneous items needed to complete the project.
If you haven't done so already, please consider making a contribution. There are two ways you can go about doing this.
First, NK-CERT has made arrangements with the North Kohala Community Resource Center (NKCRC) to help fund this initiative. The NKCRC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, so contributions should be tax deductible.
I will issue additional progress reports as this project continues to move forward. Len, KH7LW, is publishing these updates on his web site. You can find all of them at www.hamradioandmore.com/khrc.htm. Until next time, thanks for supporting the Amateur Radio Emergency Service in the North Hawaii district.
73 and aloha, Eric KH6CQ
ARES BULLETIN 2013.01.21 REPEATER PROGRESS REPORT
Aloha,
This is a progress report on the 2 meter ARES repeater we're planning to install at a site on the northwestern slope of Mauna Kea. Since the last progress report, I have done the following:
The silver plated coaxial connectors and double shielded coaxial cable I ordered from The Wireman have arrived a week ahead of schedule.
I picked up the cavities that Bob, AH6J, had offered. I need to test them to find out if they will be suitable for our application.
I sent out RFQs for the antenna and am waiting for replies.
I updated the purchasing and technical documentation folders so this information will be available in the future.
Bill, KH6BI, has submitted a written proposal to Parker Ranch officials regarding a site for the 84/24 repeater. We are waiting for their decision.
Len, KH7LW, is now publishing these updates on his web site. You will find them at www.hamradioandmore.com/khrc.htm. Tell your friends.
ICM expects to ship the reworked channel elements on 12 February.
I'm thinking about using a Motorola GM300 VHF transceiver for the packet digipeater station. If anyone knows where we can get a GM300 with model number M43GMC29C1 at a reasonable price, please let me know. Note that most radios are C2 versions and those will not work in the lower portion of the 2 meter band.
This week one more Ham made a donation, so as of Monday 21 Jan 2013, we have $2,048 in the project account. The goal is to raise at least $4,000. Please consider making a donation if you can. There are two ways you can go about doing this.
First, NK-CERT has made arrangements with the North Kohala Community Resource Center (NKCRC) to help fund this initiative. The NKCRC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, so contributions should be tax deductible. To make a contribution through them you can:
Go to http://www.northkohala.org
Click on Donate (near the top),
Scroll down to "Find a specific project to donate to" and click the link, In the drop down box, scroll down to "North Kohala CERT" and select it, Click "Donate Online Now" and make your contribution.
Finally, earmark your donation for the ARES Repeater Project by sending an email to info@northkohala.org and say your donation is intended to be used for the ARES Repeater Project.
Second, if you would like to support this project but are not interested in the tax deduction, I will accept cash and personal checks made out to me for deposit into the repeater account. This method actually allows more of the money donated to go into the project since NKCRC charges an 8% fee for their services.
I will issue additional progress reports as this project continues to move forward. In the meantime, thanks for supporting the Amateur Radio Emergency Service in the North Hawaii district.
73 and aloha, Eric KH6CQ
District Emergency Coordinator
Hawaii Amateur Radio Emergency Service
ARES BULLETIN 2013.01.14 REPEATER PROJECT
Aloha,
This is a progress report on the 2 meter ARES repeater we're planning to install at a site on the northwestern slope of Mauna Kea. Since the last progress report, I have done the following:
Len Winkler, KH7LW, has graciously agreed to let me post these updates to his website for all to view. You will find them at www.hamradioandmore.com/khrc.htm. Tell your buddies!
Bill, KH6BI, has been in discussion with Parker Ranch officials regarding a site for the 84/24 repeater. He has written a proposal and is waiting for their response.
ICM expects to ship the reworked channel elements on 12 February. We lucked out because ICM announced a price increase just after I placed the order; however, they honored the price they originally quoted me.
I ordered the silver plated coaxial connectors and double shielded coaxial cable from The Wireman because they had the lowest price. Like ICM, The Wireman is also increasing the price for the double shielded coaxial cable but I got our order in under the wire so we got the lower price. I expect to receive the parts by 24 January.
I received quotations from TX-RX Systems and Telewave for their duplexers. I am still trying to get additional performance and shipping details from Telewave. The application engineer at TX-RX Systems provided additional technical information relevant to our specific application and has made a suggestion on how we could improve our design.
Bob, AH6J, has some cavities available and has offered them to the project if they would be useful. I am checking the specifications and will see if any would be suitable for our system.
I'm thinking about using a Motorola GM300 or Spectra VHF transceiver for the packet digipeater station. If anyone knows where we can get a GM300 with model number M43GMC29C1 at a reasonable price, please let me know. Note that most radios are C2 versions and those will not work in the lower portion of the 2 meter band.
I continued recording the purchasing and technical documentation for this project so it will be accessible in the future.
At the 13 Jan KHRC meeting, two more Hams made donations, so as of Monday 14 Jan 2013, we have $1,508 in the project account. The goal is to raise at least $4,000. Please consider making a donation if you can. There are two ways you can go about doing this.
First, NK-CERT has made arrangements with the North Kohala Community Resource Center (NKCRC) to help fund this initiative. The NKCRC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, so contributions should be tax deductible. To make a contribution through them you can:
Go to http://www.northkohala.org,
Click on Donate (near the top),
Scroll down to "Find a specific project to donate to" and click the link, In the drop down box, scroll down to "North Kohala CERT" and select it, Click "Donate Online Now" and make your contribution.
Finally, earmark your donation for the ARES Repeater Project by sending an email to info@northkohala.org and say your donation is intended to be used for the ARES Repeater Project.
Second, if you would like to support this project but are not interested in the tax deduction, I will accept cash and personal checks made out to me for deposit into the repeater account. This method actually allows more of the money donated to go into the project since NKCRC charges an 8% fee for their services.
I will issue additional progress reports as this project continues to move forward. In the meantime, thanks for supporting the Amateur Radio Emergency Service in the North Hawaii district.
ARES BULLETIN 2012.11.28 ARES NEW REPEATER FOR NORTH HAWAII
Aloha,
I want to bring all of you up to date on what's been happening lately regarding a new repeater initiative. The short story is that I'm currently working on a 2 meter repeater that, according to computer models, will cover the entire North Hawaii ARES district from Kona airport to Hawi to Kapaau to Waipio Valley to Honokaa to Paauilo.
Last month Paul Rollman, KB2RUZ, transferred possession of a Motorola MSR 2000 repeater formerly used by the Civil Air Patrol to our ARES group. This is a commercial grade repeater capable of putting out up to 100 watts of power on 2 meters. It is one of the best radios Motorola has ever made, has a very high reliability history, uses plug-in modules, and is easy to work on. This model was sold from 1980 through 1995 and the starting price for low-end models was in the $5000 range.
A few weeks ago, Bill Wiecking, KH6BI, suggested that we locate a repeater on Parker Ranch land at an elevation of 5888 feet. This location already has ac power, a 100 foot telephone pole, which is currently being used only as an antenna mast, a small out-building to shelter the equipment, and is accessible with a 4 wheel drive vehicle. Bill agreed to be the repeater trustee; therefore, the repeater will identify with his call sign.
Last week, I exchanged several emails with Rick Ching, KH7O, the ARRL repeater coordinator for the State of Hawaii. The upshot is that we have been assigned 146.38/98 as our repeater pair.
What we need to do now is monitor 146.38 MHz as often as possible to see if we hear any signals on that frequency. If it's clear, then I can go ahead and order the channel elements for the receiver and transmitter; if not, then we'll have to see if we can find another repeater pair to use. So, I'm asking each of you to monitor 146.38 MHz as much as you can between now and 15 December and report back to me with your results.
In the meantime, I will continue refurbishing and testing the MSR 2000 and working will Bill to obtain a formal agreement with Parker Ranch. In addition, I have already modified the MSR Squelch Gate Module to add a Morse code identifier (Hamgadgets ID-O-Matic II) to satisfy the FCC's requirement for identification.
Ed Vasquez, WH7DG, has pledged to donate two high capacity deep-cycle batteries that are compatible with the internal charger already present in the MSR power supply so the repeater can have a backup power source.
Vic Morris, AH6WX, researched the climatic conditions at the proposed site and offered suggestions and recommendations concerning what should be addressed in order to insure that the repeater system would be robust enough to survive at that location without a lot of maintenance.
We still need a few things to get this repeater up and running; they are:
Having the channel elements reworked to our frequency. Estimated cost $130.
Buy an Andrew DB-224E-E antenna. Estimated cost $730
Buy a Telewave TPRD-1556 duplexer. Estimated cost $2418
I don't have the funds to buy these items, nor do I think I should. So the question is how do we come up with the money still needed to complete this project? Should we rely on donations from all of the potential users? Should we solicit donations from outside our ranks? I'm willing to do the technical work but not the fund raising. So, if anyone would like to champion this facet of the project, I sure would appreciate your help.
Another part of our plan is to establish a packet radio digipeater at this location. Computer models show it should also provide coverage of the entire North Hawaii ARES district. Since none of the equipment necessary for the digipeater project is currently available, this will be done after the 2 meter voice repeater is placed into service.
For years there has been talk of the need for a stand-alone repeater that would serve the North Hawaii ARES district. This is our best chance to make this a reality.
To summarize, we need to monitor 146.38 MHz to see if any signals are heard on that frequency and we need to figure out a way to come up with the rest of the money needed to see this project through to completion.
ARES BULLETIN 2012.12.16 ARES REPEATER UPDATE
Aloha,
This is a progress report on the 2 meter ARES repeater we're planning to install at the Parker Ranch site.
I'm happy to report that the North Kohala Community Emergency Response Team (NK-CERT) has stepped up to take the lead in moving this project forward. Members of that group have prepared an article that will run in the December 2012 edition of the Kohala Mountain News describing the project, and they have made arrangements with the North Kohala Community Resource Center (NKCRC) to help fund the project. The NKCRC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, so contributions are tax deductible.
To make a contribution: Go to http://www.northkohala.org Click on Donate (near the top), Scroll down to "Find a specific project to donate to" and click the link, In the drop down box, scroll down to "North Kohala CERT" and select it, Click "Donate Online Now" and make your contribution.
Finally, to earmark your donation for the ARES Repeater Project, please follow up with an email to info@northkohala.org and say your donation is intended to be used for the ARES Repeater Project.
The goal is to raise at least $4,000 so we can put this repeater on the air. As of Friday 14 Dec 2012, the donations received totaled $1,840. Please consider making a donation if you can.
I will issue additional progress reports as this project continues to move forward. In the meantime, thanks for supporting the Amateur Radio Emergency Service in the North Hawaii district.
ARES BULLETIN 2013.01.01 ARES REPEATER UPDATE
Aloha,
This is a progress report on the 2 meter ARES repeater we're planning to install at a site on the northwestern slope of Mauna Kea.
As you know, the North Kohala Community Emergency Response Team (NK-CERT) has stepped up to take the lead in moving this project forward. Members of that group wrote an article that appeared in the December 2012 edition of the Kohala Mountain News.
http//www.kohalamountainnews.com
You can read it by clicking on the link above and downloading the December issue. The article is about three-fourths of the way down Page 4.
Since the last progress report, I have done the following:
I opened a bank account at First Hawaiian Bank in order to keep track of the money spent on this project.
I followed up with Bill Wiecking on getting written permission to install the repeater at the proposed site.
I sent RFQs (request for quotations) to International Crystal Manufacturing, TeleWave, and TX-RX for price and turn-around time on their products.
I began assembling the purchasing and technical documentation for this project so it will be accessible in the future.
As of Monday 31 Dec 2012, we have $1,840 in the project account. The goal is to raise at least $4,000. Please consider making a donation if you can.
NK-CERT has made arrangements with the North Kohala Community Resource Center (NKCRC) to help fund this initiative. The NKCRC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, so contributions should be tax deductible.
To make a contribution: Go to
http://www.northkohala.org Click on Donate (near the top), Scroll down to "Find a specific project to donate to" and click the link, In the drop down box, scroll down to "North Kohala CERT" and select it, Click "Donate Online Now" and make your contribution.Finally, earmark your donation for the ARES Repeater Project by sending an email to
info@northkohala.org and say your donation is intended to be used for the ARES Repeater Project.I will issue additional progress reports as this project continues to move forward. In the meantime, thanks for supporting the Amateur Radio Emergency Service in the North Hawaii district.
ARES BULLETIN 2013.01.07 ARES REPEATER UPDATE
Aloha,
This is a progress report on the 2 meter ARES repeater we're planning to install at a site on the northwestern slope of Mauna Kea. Since the last progress report, I have done the following.
I followed up with Bill Wiecking who is working on getting written permission to install the repeater at the proposed site.
For those of you following the project from it's inception, there has been a change in the frequencies the repeater will use. This resulted from the fact that several members requested that a digipeater be co-located with the voice repeater in order to provide packet radio coverage to the same geographical area. Although I am in full agreement with this concept, it places additional demands on the voice repeater system.
The frequency separation between the digipeater's transmitter and the voice repeater's receiver would have been less than 1.9 MHz. This meant that whenever one of the transmitters was keyed, the other receiver would have been desensitized unless additional filtering was installed and this would have been expensive. So, by working with Rick, KH7O, the repeater coordinator, I was able to get a frequency pair higher in the band that results in a frequency separation of more than 2.79 MHz. The bottom line is that now both the digipeater and the voice repeater will be able to operate simultaneously without interfering with one another.
In addition, I will donate a combiner so that both the digipeater and the voice repeater can use the same antenna and feed line thus eliminating the need to buy another antenna and feed line for the digipeater. As a result of this change, the voice repeater will now receive on 147.84 and transmit on 147.24 MHz.
Just to be clear, the equipment I am buying now is for the voice repeater. The digipeater will be added to the system at a later date when and if a suitable radio and TNC (terminal node controller) become available. I just wanted to consider the implications of adding the digipeater now so that we would not incur additional expenses later on when the digipeater station is added.
I sent the transmitter and receiver channel elements to International Crystal Manufacturing (ICM) for reworking. They will remove the crystals currently in the channel elements, install new crystals cut to our frequencies, as well as test and calibrate the temperature compensated oscillators in the channel elements. The quoted turn-around time is 6 weeks after receipt of the channel elements. The quoted cost is $122 plus shipping by first class mail. I should receive the reworked channel elements by 15 February.
The vendor I have been using for silver plated coaxial connectors and double-shielded coaxial cable had a huge price increase last year so I felt it necessary to locate another source for these parts. I researched various vendors and sent an RFQ to The Wireman for the specific parts needed for the repeater.
I exchanged emails with sales engineers at Telewave and TX-RX Systems in order to clarify ambiguities in their company's product literature. Once I get confirmation on the performance specifications for their duplexers, I will decide which one best fits the requirements for this project. To date, the folks at TX-RX have been more forthcoming than Telewave.
Herb, WY6G, donated a Kantronics KAM Plus TNC for the digipeater portion of this project. This is an excellent unit and I'm looking forward to putting it into service.
I continued recording the purchasing and technical documentation for this project so it will be accessible in the future.
As of Monday 7 Jan 2013, we have $1,840 in the project account. The goal is to raise at least $4,000. Please consider making a donation if you can. There are two ways you can go about doing this.
NK-CERT has made arrangements with the North Kohala Community Resource Center (NKCRC) to help fund this initiative. The NKCRC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, so contributions should be tax deductible. To make a contribution through them you can:
Go to
http://www.northkohala.org Click on Donate (near the top), Scroll down to "Find a specific project to donate to" and click the link, In the drop down box, scroll down to "North Kohala CERT" and select it, Click "Donate Online Now" and make your contribution.Finally, earmark your donation for the ARES Repeater Project by sending an email to
info@northkohala.org and say your donation is intended to be used for the ARES Repeater Project.But that's not the only way to make a donation. If you would like to support this project but are not interested in receiving a tax deduction, I will accept cash and personal checks made out to me for deposit into the repeater account. This method actually allows more money to be applied to the project since NKCRC charges an 8% fee for their services.
You can read an article written by the North Kohala Community Emergency Response Team (NK-CERT) by downloading the December issue of the Kohala Mountain News from http//www.kohalamountainnews.com. The article is about three-fourths of the way down Page 4.
I will issue additional progress reports as this project continues to move forward. In the meantime, thanks for supporting the Amateur Radio Emergency Service in the North Hawaii district.
73 and aloha, Eric KH6CQ District Emergency Coordinator Hawaii Amateur Radio Emergency Service
2011 International Hamfest in Waimea at the Waimea Community Center pictures:
2010 International Hamfest in Waimea at the Waimea Community Center pictures:
For more information, contact Len Winkler, KH7LW
REPEATER INFO FOR THE BIG ISLAND
REPEATER INFO IN PDF FORMAT (courtesy KH6CQ)
| OUTPUT 8 | INPUT 8 | LOCATION 14 | CALL 8 | SPONSOR10 | LAST8 | GEOG AR | NOTES 20 | REPEATER NOTES: | |||||||||||
| 51.800 | 51.300 | Hilo | WH6XM | WH6XM | 4/14/09 | HAWAII | o100.0 | o open to all amateurs | |||||||||||
| 52.200 | 51.200 | Glenwood | AH6GG | AH6GG | 1/25/06 | HAWAII | aEXPlo141.3 | Bi Bilingual | |||||||||||
| 145.290 | 144.690 | Kau | WH6FC | WH6FC | 11/27/08 | HAWAII | oela100 | c closed private system | |||||||||||
| 145.310 | 144.710 | Hilo | AH6JA | AH6JA | 2/3/09 | HAWAII | orPKT | RB remote base | |||||||||||
| 145.350 | 144.750 | Glenwood | KD6QAI | KD6QAI | 6/18/05 | HAWAII | oelEXP | SNP shared non protected pair | |||||||||||
| 145.410 | 144.810 | Naalehu | KH7MS | KH7MS | 7/3/09 | HAWAII | o | t CTCSS tone frequency replaces the "t" on listing | |||||||||||
| 146.660 | 146.060 | Hilo | AH6GG | AH6GG | 7/20/01 | HAWAII | oela141.3 | TT DTMF access | |||||||||||
| 146.680 | 146.080 | Hilo | KH6EJ | BIARC | 11/27/08 | HAWAII | oelap | (CA) closed autopatch | |||||||||||
| 146.720 | 146.120 | Mauna Kea | KH6EJ | HSVOAD | 4/23/11 | HAWAII | oeax | e emergency power | |||||||||||
| 146.760 | 146.160 | Kulani Cone | KH6EJ | BIARC | 11/27/08 | HAWAII | oela | l linked | |||||||||||
| 146.820 | 146.220 | Mauna Loa | KH6EJ | BIARC | 11/27/08 | HAWAII | oelx | p portable | |||||||||||
| 146.880 | 146.280 | Pepeekeo | BIARC | 11/27/08 | HAWAII | oela | r RACES affiliated | ||||||||||||
| 146.920 | 146.320 | Kau | KH6EJ | BIARC | 11/27/08 | HAWAII | ola | s ARES affiliated | |||||||||||
| 147.000 | 147.600 | Glenwood | AH6GG | AH6GG | 1/25/06 | HAWAII | aelo141.3 | x wide area coverage | |||||||||||
| 147.040 | 147.640 | Mauna Loa | AH6JA | RACES | 4/23/11 | HAWAII | oelrx | z direct access to law enforcement | |||||||||||
| 147.100 | 147.700 | Hilo | WH6HQ | WH6HQ | 11/26/08 | HAWAII | o | WX weathernet | |||||||||||
| 147.140 | 147.740 | Pahoa | NH6P | W6YM | 11/11/06 | HAWAII | oelx | EXP experimental | |||||||||||
| 147.160 | 147.760 | Hualalai | WH6DEW | HWARS | 11/27/08 | HAWAII | oela | # DSTAR | |||||||||||
| 147.280 | 147.880 | Keaau | NH6HT | AH6HN | 11/27/08 | HAWAII | o | ||||||||||||
| 147.320 | 147.920 | Waimea | NH7HI | KARS | 11/27/08 | HAWAII | aelo100.0 | ||||||||||||
| 147.380 | 147.980 | Waimea | KH7T | KH7T | 11/27/08 | HAWAII | aoelEXP | ||||||||||||
| 442.025 | 447.025 | Glenwood | AH6GG | AH6GG | 12/24/02 | HAWAII | aEXPlo156.7 | ||||||||||||
| 442.250 | 447.250 | Pahoa | NH6P | W6YM | 11/11/06 | HAWAII | oel114.8 | ||||||||||||
| 442.275 | 447.275 | Kahua | AH6GR | MCDA | 9/2/08 | HAWAII | o136.5 | ||||||||||||
| 442.500 | 447.500 | Keaau | KH6EJ | BIARC | 11/27/08 | HAWAII | o | ||||||||||||
| 443.400 | 448.400 | Kau | KH7MS | KH7MS | 4/12/10 | HAWAII | oels | ||||||||||||
| 443.400 | 448.400 | Kona | KH7MS | KH7MS | 7/11/10 | HAWAII | oe100.0 | ||||||||||||
| 444.150 | 449.150 | Hilo | AH6JA | BIARC | 4/12/10 | HAWAII | alor | ||||||||||||
| 444.350 | 449.350 | Mountain View | KH6QAJ | KH6QAJ | 8/17/05 | HAWAII | oel | ||||||||||||
| 444.450 | 449.450 | Kohala | KH6EJ | BIARC | 11/27/08 | HAWAII | o | ||||||||||||
| 444.600 | 449.600 | Kau | KH6EJ | BIARC | 11/27/08 | HAWAII | olae | ||||||||||||
| 444.725 | 449.725 | Hilo | WH6FM | WH6FM | 1/18/10 | HAWAII | #ol123.0 | ||||||||||||
| 444.750 | 449.750 | Hilo | AH6JA | BIARC | 11/12/07 | HAWAII | ola | ||||||||||||
| 444.900 | 449.400 | Kona | AH6RF | AH6RF | 7/14/02 | HAWAII | o | ||||||||||||
| 444.900 | 449.400 | Hilo | WH6FM | WH6FM | 4/15/10 | HAWAII | #ol100.0 | ||||||||||||
| 444.925 | 449.925 | Hilo | KH6KL | KH6KL | 8/11/08 | HAWAII | oel | ||||||||||||
In the Hilo area, listen mainly on 146.76. In Kona, listen mainly on 147.16.
In Kohala and around Honoka'a, 146.94 on Maui may give better results.
Rick Ching KH7O, the Hawaii Frequency Coordinator maintains a Full
list of Hawaii Repeaters.