WB4GBI

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM WB4GBI

2014-04-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM WB4GBI

As many of you already know, Todd (KA4OAK) and I spent the day last Friday working on Cross Mountain, the home of the 145.47 and Todd’s 147.36 repeaters. While it appears that we have correct some of the problems with 147.36, the noise on 145.47 still persists. Therefore, I will be changing out the old stationmaster repeater antenna and heliax line later this week. The tower crew is tentatively scheduled for Thursday morning, May 1^st. This will not be an inexpensive process, but it is necessary, as the existing 145.47 repeater antenna has some age on it and it showing the classic signs of failure (“arcing” noise on duplex, reduced range, etc.). Please be patient with me as I attempt to get 145.47 back to its high level of performance. Thank you!

Tim Berry WB4GBI

www.wb4gbi.com

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ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK...

2014-02-12T19:46:00.001-08:00

ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK…

Well, phooey. This time last week, I was reporting that the 146.94 repeater had failed. On Friday, of course, thanks to Todd (KA4OAK), I was able to get .94 back on the air with a spare repeater. Now, today, I have to report that the 145.47 repeater has failed, most likely due to a defective power amplifier (PA). I had to shut down the repeater at the end of January, due to a spurious emission problem. It was interfering with other repeaters and their users. While it seemed to be behaving this time, I knew that I would eventually need to pay it a visit and see what it's status was.

As I write this, there is almost three inches of snow on the ground at my home. I can only imagine how much there is at the top of Cross Mountain. Fortunately, the weather is supposed to improve over the weekend.

In the meantime, the SKYWARN group that uses 145.47 has moved to 146.73. The 470 amateur radio group net, normally held on .47 on Thursday evenings, will be on 146.94 this week. As of this writing, all of the other repeaters are on the air and serving the East Tennessee amateur radio operators as they are supposed to. Please bear with me and I will get 145.47 back on the air as soon as possible. Thank you!

73 de Tim WB4GBI

www.wb4gbi.com

146.940 is BACK ON THE AIR!!!

2014-02-07T19:33:00.001-08:00

As many of you know, the 146.94 repeater had a malfunction on Wednesday afternoon as I was doing some routine maintenance at the repeater site. I had to leave it off the air, as the Tennessee Basketball broadcast for the Vol Radio Network awaited me in Nashville. As I traveled West, I missed being able to hear .94 all the way to the Cumberland/Putnam County line as I usually do. After the basketball game on Wednesday Night, I was unable to go to the repeater site yesterday (Thursday) as I had other work-related obligations. However, I also knew that too many people and organizations depended on .94, and I didn't want it to be off the air any longer than I had to be.

Today, Todd (KA4OAK) and I went to the 146.94 site in the early afternoon. Once there, I determined that the receiver for .94 was going to need to be removed for more service work than could be done at the repeater site. Todd and I placed a spare repeater on the air to serve until I can get my receiver repaired and back up the mountain.

146.94 is BACK ON THE AIR!!! The initial reports from the spare repeater are very encouraging!

A HUGE THANK YOU to Todd, KA4OAK, for without him there would have been no return to service for .94 today. Those of you who know Todd already know that he is a class act gentleman. Today was just further proof of that. I am proud to be his friend.

73 de Tim WB4GBI

www.wb4gbi.com

I hate to write this one, but...

2014-02-06T07:58:00.001-08:00

146.940 is off the air!

I need to inform everyone that the 146.940 repeater is OFF THE AIR. While at the transmitter site yesterday, I was able to restore 444.300 and another commercial repeater back to service. While doing some routine maintenance to 146.94, it stopped passing repeat audio. The problem was worsened by the fact that I had no time to troubleshoot it, as I had to leave immediately for Nashville for the Vol Radio Network. I do not take having ANY of my repeaters off the air well, especially the .94 machine. I will be going back to the mountain as early as this evening or tomorrow morning. Thank you for your patience!

Tim Berry
timb447457@aol.com

Some repeater updates from WB4GBI

2014-01-26T12:10:00.001-08:00

January 26, 2014

Well, it's been a while again...but here are some repeater updates that I hope you might be interested in....

1) The 145.47 repeater is temporarily off the air. I had to shut the repeater down late Thursday night after it was determined to be causing interference to other repeaters and frequencies. I hope to be able to pay a visit to the repeater site within the next day or two to restore it to service. I *definitely* want it back on the air before the 47 Net on Thursday Evening!

2) In case you haven't heard or seen the news on my website...I am THRILLED to announce that I have taken over operation of the 146.85 repeater, formerly the WA4KJH repeater. Keith and I went to Cove Mountain back in October and I brought the repeater to my home for repairs and upgrades. I have replaced the duplexer with a newer model pass/reject duplexer, retuned the receiver, and am in the process of installing the remote control equipment that all of my repeaters must have. I hope to have the repeater on the air in "test mode" very soon from a temporary location. But I am also very pleased to inform everyone that the 146.85 repeater will be returning to its home on Cove Mountain as soon as possible! I have been able to reach an agreement with the site landlord that will allow its return. I hope you will be looking for 85's return to the 4000+ AMSL site very soon! 146.85 is another "Heritage" repeater in East Tennessee, tracing its roots back to the early seventies. I will add some historical information (and maybe some pictures) to the website as they become available.

3) While traveling for the Vol Radio Network, I have had some time to revise and upgrade the website. I still have some more work to do, but I hope you will pay it a visit- www.wb4gbi.com.

With the exception of 145.47, ALL of the repeaters are up and running. A HUGE "Thank you" to Todd Overbay, KA4OAK, for tuning the new .85 duplexer, and to Kevin, W4KEV, for re-setting the 224.34 repeater when it failed earler this week. And, last but not least, Thank you for using the repeaters!

Thanks for reading! I subscribe to a repeater group's listserver in Georgia where the owner frequently updates everyone on the goings on with his repeaters. If you would like to hear more from me, how about an email letting me know that you got this one? Thanks in advance!

73 de Tim WB4GBI

www.wb4gbi.com

IRLP is coming to WB4GBI/R 145.17!

2013-07-30T21:28:00.001-07:00

The WB4GBI 145.17 repeater will soon feature an IRLP node!
From Tim, WB4GBI:

Last Friday (7/26/2013), Joe, K1RBY, called and asked if I would be interested in his IRLP node, as he is relocating to Florida. I have been wanting to try IRLP for some time, but I wasn't sure how to proceed. I would need to purchase the needed equipment, connect it together, program the node computer, and set the transmit and receive audio levels. Thanks to Joe, I now have a complete IRLP node, ready to go!
I am in the process of re-programming the node radio from a simplex channel to the 145.17 repeater pair. When you use the IRLP node on 145.17, it will sound just like another repeater user... only this user will bring us fellow amateur radio operators from around the world!

For more specific user information about IRLP, please check out their website. To use IRLP, you will need the four digit "node" or "reflector" number. That information is available on the website as well, click HERE. The WB4GBI 145.170 IRLP node is 8342.

In order for my repeater to work properly on IRLP, I have had to make some changes to the repeater itself. I am changing the repeater to use tone squelch (PL) on a full time basis. The tone is 118.8 Hertz, similar to my other repeaters. The addition of the tone does NOT mean that the repeater is closed! It is in place to insure that no unwanted audio or signals are passed into the IRLP system. There are a couple of other modifications that I need to complete before I am ready to place the node on the air.

I will have more details after I get the repeater and node radio completed. Stay tuned!

Thank you, K1RBY!!

73 de Tim WB4GBI

WB4GBI/R 53.150 is BACK ON THE AIR TO STAY!!!

2013-06-11T07:43:00.001-07:00

The WB4GBI 53.150 (-) Repeater is BACK ON THE AIR TO STAY!!

From Tim, WB4GBI:

After a call from the FAA in which they were concerned that the WB4GBI 53.15 repeater was interfering with some aircraft communications, one of my control operators turned the repeater off. I was out of town and unavailable last week when this happened, and could not make it to the repeater site to check the transmitter with a spectrum analyzer to confirm or deny the problem. While I believed that 53.150 was not at fault, this is a very serious matter. When the FAA requests that you shut a transmitter down, there is NO argument, hence the quick shutdown by my control operator. When I returned, I was going to check the repeater transmitter while in contact with the FAA communications technicians, and with my test equipment. While en route back to East Tennessee, I was contacted by the technician who informed me that they still had a problem, but since 53.150 was off it could not be coming from that transmitter. So, just in time for the Knoxville Hamfest, its back on the air! A HUGE "Thank You" to Tim, KE4OTZ, and Josh, KI4WWY, for taking care of this particular issue!

Tim Berry
www.wb4gbi.com

ANYONE INTERESTED IN D-STAR?

2013-06-09T21:14:00.001-07:00

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM Tim, WB4GBI:

ANYONE INTERESTED IN D-STAR??

After meeting with several individuals at the Knoxville Hamfest, I have decided to investigate the possibility of placing a D-STAR repeater on the air. D-STAR is a digital mode of communications that connects via the internet to other, similar repeaters around the world. It takes very specific equipment in order to work. If you are unfamiliar with the D-STAR mode of repeater operation, you can read more about it at this site: www.dstarinfo.com. If you are interested, or know another amateur radio operator that might be interested in a D-STAR repeater, please contact me at the email link at the bottom of my webpage. This will NOT be an inexpensive process. Because of the high up-front investment to purchase the equipment, I want to gauge the interest of the East Tennessee repeater users before taking the next step. I am also looking for some individuals who would be willing to help support the project.

Thank you! 73 de Tim WB4GBI

Tim Berry
www.wb4gbi.com

53.150 is TEMPORARILY OFF THE AIR

2013-06-03T09:22:00.001-07:00

BREAKING WB4GBI REPEATER NEWS!

The WB4GBI 53.150 (-) Repeater is TEMPORARILY OFF THE AIR.

From Tim, WB4GBI:

I have had to temporarily turn the 53.150 repeater off. I have been unavailable this past week, and during that time, one of my control operators fielded a phone call from the communications specialist for the FAA in East Tennessee. There is an interference problem involving a mixing of two frequencies which is interfering with aircraft navigation. While I do not believe 53.150 is at fault, this is a very serious matter. When the FAA requests that you shut a transmitter down, there is NO argument, hence the quick shutdown by my control operator. As soon as I can, I will go the 146.625/53.150 site and work with the FAA to determine the exact cause of the problem. Thank you for your patience and understanding! And just when it was starting to get busy... :-(

73 de Tim WB4GBI

Tim Berry
www.wb4gbi.com

The saga of the 146.94 interference

2013-05-04T10:03:00.001-07:00

THE STORY OF THE 146.94 INTERFERENCE, May 2-3, 2013

Good Morning!

I know I haven't "blogged" for a while, but I thought this might be a good subject to start back with, since it involves one of my repeaters being OFF for for over two days. Lots of folks have asked about it. Those of you who were kind enough to subscribe to my 'blog will get the 'news' first ! :-)

Thursday morning, as I was starting my day, I received word that someone was transmitting continuously on 146.34 MHz, causing the repeater to be "locked up" until the time-out timer took care of things. Sometimes, when someone would attempt to "kerchunk" the repeater, there would be just enough of a signal reset that the repeater would come back up again for the duration of another time-out cycle. At this point, I decided that the best thing to do was to remotely command the repeater off. I did not consider this decision lightly. 94 and .47 are my two busiest repeaters with daily activity from the wee hours of the morning until some of the second shift folks go home late in the evening. However, the signal into the repeater was quite strong, and anyone who tried to have a QSO on .94 would be "scrubbing" the offending signal until the time-out occurred. Some of the .94 regulars moved to 146.625 while this problem existed (hint...146.625 does pretty good on its own...). I hoped that the person who had left their radio keyed up would find it and the problem would go away. I checked the repeater several times during the day and the signal was still there.

On the Thursday night 145.47 net, I mentioned that .94 was off and asked everyone to listen on 146.34 and let me know if they heard a continuous carrier at their location. There was a ham from Jellico that said he had a weak signal at his location...I didn't get his call sign. But I thought..."from that far away? getting to the .94 site in Sevier County?" But he was RIGHT...

A question was asked to me..."Why don't you just turn on a tone?" First of all, it is not my policy to have continuous tone squelch on any of my repeaters except 927.0625. This is my policy for several reasons. The most important one is that it makes the repeater less "user friendly." Travelers thru our area could find one of my repeaters with a QSO in progress, but be unable to join in or call for help if they do not know the correct tone. Only one of my repeaters (147.075) has a controller which could announce the tone, but those are not cheap and typically do not fare well in lightning prone environments. The use of tones on a repeater is not a magic fix for all problems, but it does help with intermittent problems. I will occasionally use a tone on 145.47, 146.625, or 146.73 in order to keep them on the air (118.8 Hz). There *is* a tone decoder on .94, but I do not have it operational yet. I may try to finish that this summer. However, a tone decoder would NOT have helped with today's particular problem, as the offending signal was continuous, and everyone would have had to have been stronger than it was to overcome it and keep the repeater receiver unmuted.

After the first full day (Thursday) with the offending signal still going strong, I decided to try to find it. Friday morning, I met up with Danny, N4ZAA, who had already been tracking the signal and took me to a spot in Northeast Knox County where it was the strongest. I had a 4 element VHF yagi antenna with me and attempted to "shoot an azimuth" to where the signal was coming from. From there we went to North Knox County, Union County, and Anderson County. The tests were inconclusive, as we would see several "peaks" in the signal from different directions. In the mid-afternoon, we were joined by Cleve, KB4UAL, and Frank, W4NCS, who also had a directional antenna. Through a series of several stops, we found our way Northward into Union County and Claiborne County. We found the signal in several places, and it was quite strong, but never strong enough for us to say that we were getting very close to it. I traveled to several high locations in the area that I knew from my two-way radio days. I went to tower sites that I haven't seen for 20 plus years. It was a beautiful day and the scenery was great, but we weren't getting close enough to the problem signal yet. Todd, KA4OAK, joined us when he returned to the area after working out of town for the day. He had also heard the signal in several places, but we were still were not close enough.

When we traveled into Kentucky on US 25 (thru the tunnel), we got a very strong signal. However, it disappeared rather quickly in either direction that we traveled. We received some reports via 145.47 from the Middlesboro, Kentucky area. At this point, Cleve and I decided to split up. He went to the home of a local ham who had a beam antenna to check the direction from his location, and I traveled to Pine Rock mountain to see if I could get a clear direction from the top of the mountain. Both of us determined that the signal was coming from West of the Middlesboro-Pineville area. By this time, it was getting dark, and we had just about decided to give up and go home to Knoxville. However, a breakthrough happened. I found a ham on 146.55 simplex that was in London, who told me he had the offending signal "full-scale." Additionally, Bo, KI4VMR, was on 145.47 (which had been serving as our coordination frequency) and told us that he had the 146.34 signal full scale on his portable two meter radio with the antenna removed. He was right in the area. I met back up with Cleve and Frank, and we headed up US 25 from Pineville to Corbin. By now it was fully dark.

By this time, Bo had to go to work. Elizabeth, KJ4NRY, volunteered to lead us to the area where Bo lived. We met on US 25 and traveled toward Corbin. By now the 146.34 signal was strong enough that we could hear it on our hand-helds inside our vehicles. As we approached Corbin, it became strong enough that Cleve could not attenuate it using a selectable attenuator pad (guess who forgot his?) and we could indeed hear the offending carrier without antenna attached to our portables. It was time to look around.

I was familiar with the tower that we could immediately see as we came close to Interstate 75, as a very close friend of mine is the Chief Engineer of the radio stations that utilize the tower for their signal delivery. We drove to the entrance of the studio building adjacent to the tower. We could not attenuate the signal at all whatsoever. I made a phone call to my friend, who was now in Knoxville winding down for the evening. He called the station owner, who traveled to the site and let us into the building after we explained the situation. He knew all of the equipment inside the building and went immediately to the equipment that we and he suspected was the culprit. The removal of the AC power confirmed our suspicions...the 146.94 interference was finally gone after over two days!!!

The offending equipment was a UHF amateur repeater with a two meter remote base. Was this interference intentional? Of course not. We did not pursue troubleshooting any further after the AC power feed was unplugged; that is the discretion of the site owner and the owner of the repeater. By this time, it was almost midnight, and Cleve, Frank, and I had a hour plus trip back to Knoxville.

I was unable to restore .94 to service until I got back in range of my UHF control receiver at the 94 site. I was able to access my control receiver for the .94 site on Caryville Mountain as I traveled South on I-75. When I successfully commanded 146.94 back on, there were folks waiting. One said..."Its back!!" We had a great coming-home roundtable QSO until I made it back home a little after 1 AM.

I'm happy to say that the WB4GBI 146.94 repeater is back on the air serving the ham radio operators of East Tennessee, just like it has since 1967 and that's the way I want it to be.

I want to say a HUGE Thank you to all of these Amateurs that made this "mission" a success:

Danny, N4ZAA

Cleve, KB4UAL

Frank, W4NCS

Todd, KA4OAK

Bo, KI4VMR

Elizabeth, KJ4NRY

and to all the others that helped us along the way with signal reports, directions, and monitoring.

On a separate note, THANK YOU to all of your for your prayers, concern and caring during the passing of my Mother. She went home to Heaven last Friday. It still hurts and probably will for a long time. A friend once told me..."Your mother is your 'rudder.' " She left a wonderful legacy to myself, my brother and my sister. We were her proudest accomplishments. I know where she is, and I will see her again someday. I hope I continue to make her proud until then for the rest of my life.

73 de Tim WB4GBI

Tim Berry
www.wb4gbi.com

SAD NEWS

2012-09-09T18:09:00.001-07:00

SAD NEWS ....

To all of the WB4GBI repeater family,

It is with a heavy heart that I share this news with you. Matt Kirby, WB4IOB, who was one of the founders of the 146.73 repeater, passed away this past Friday. For those of you who didn't know Matt, you missed an opportunity to be around one of the smartest, classiest people I have known. Matt and his brother Sam (WB4HAP), founded the 146.73 repeater in the early seventies. I remember when Matt and Sam placed .73 on the air, they told us in the RACK newsletter "not to buy crystals yet; they were still testing." How many of you remember crystal-controlled two-meter radios?

Matt was very active on two meters, 440 Mhz, and the HF bands, as well. He had the FCC First Class Commercial license, which was the "Extra Class" of the commercial radio world. He also enjoyed his houseboat on Norris Lake and taught many to ski. Several hams are on the air today due to Matt being their "Elmer." What may surprise you is that Matt did all of this while suffering with Cerebral Palsy all of his life. He spent his entire life in a wheelchair. Matt lived his life to the fullest and never let his disability interfere with any of the accomplishments that exemplified his life. Please remember his family in your prayers. Here is a link to the online obituary:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/knoxnews/obituary.aspx?n=matthew-owen-kirby&pid=159729461#fbLoggedOut

I took over the 146.73 repeater in 2007 when Sam, WB4HAP, became a silent key. I always hoped that Matt was pleased with what I was doing to get .73 back on English Mountain and return it to its once great service to the Amateur Community. Matt got a scanner at a RACK club meeting after Sam passed, and the first thing he asked me to program in it was 146.73. Matt was a great amateur radio operator, but more importantly a great person.

73 de Tim WB4GBI

FINALLY!! The new 146.94 antenna is installed and on the air!

2012-08-09T14:48:00.001-07:00

FINALLY! The new 146.94 antenna is installed and on the air!

I'm sure you all probably know that I have been (im)patiently waiting on the opportunity to replace the 146.94 repeater antenna, which had been "arcing" on weak signals in recent months. I have had the new antenna onsite and ready for install for well over a year. Since this antenna is 250 feet up on one of my employer's towers, I had to wait until I needed to have our usual tower climber on the site and up the tower for an official (company-needed) reason. Otherwise, it would be a VERY expensive replacement. Well, the official reason finally happened a few days ago when one of our top-of-the-tower beacon lights went out. The FCC and FAA are very strict about tower lights and their operation. I had only 15 days to get the lights repaired on this 330-foot tower, so I scheduled our tower climber, Tower Services (from Chattanooga) to change the lights as soon as the weather allowed. We tried last Tuesday and were rained out, but today, the weather, the tower climber, and my schedule all cooperated! Initial reports from some of the .94 users are very encouraging! There are reports of as much as a 5-db improvement in signal strength. I will post pictures soon, but if you are interested in the type of antenna that .94 now proudly uses, just click on this link: http://www.wiscointl.com/celwave/antennas/pd220/index.htm

Please note that the .94 antenna does NOT have the secondary director shown in the picture. In addition, this is the same kind of antenna that 145.47 has used since its installation on Cross Mountain in 2007! That one sure has served well, hasn't it?

As promised, I have asked for NO additional support from the WB4GBI repeater users after the fiasco involving the previous .94 antenna. That one was removed three years ago, and the old DB-224 was rebuilt after the company refused to honor their warranty on the new antenna. I hope this one lasts a long time; that will make the $1,200 investment worth the wait.

So now, what's next? I am awaiting the same opportunity to replace the 146.73 antenna and relocate it much higher on the tower that where it is presently located; I have a new antenna standing by and ready for it. This tower, however, is one on which I rent space, so I must follow the owner's rules regarding climbers and locations. Hopefully, this will happen very soon.

I also want to replace the antenna on 147.075, and will be waiting on an opportunity similar to the one that came about for 146.94 today.

Lastly, I want to install the 53.15 repeater antenna on the same tower on which 146.625 is located. That tower will be much easier to schedule...I know the owner really well :-)

IMPORTANT NOTE: The autopatch on 147.075 is presently DOWN. The phone line protector that was on the phone line was destroyed by a lightning storm. I hope to have it replaced within the next week or so. And yes, believe it or not, there are still some folks that use the autopatch. You might need to, as well, when the next storm hits... and your cell phone is inoperative. :-)

Thanks for reading, and 73 for now!

Tim Berry WB4GBI
timb447457@aol.com

VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING WB4GBI/R 927.725 Mhz!!

2012-04-25T22:24:00.001-07:00

VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR WB4GBI/R 927.725 USERS!!

As of Wednesday, April 19^th, 2012, the WB4GBI 900 Mhz repeater is now on 927.0625 Mhz, with a PL access of 151.4 Hz. Why did this happen? As those of you with 900 Mhz radios already know, my 900 Mhz repeater was not working well at all. Even the strongest of signals were experiencing "arcing" and noise as they transmitted thru the repeater. I was finally able to spend some time at the repeater site (the same site as 146.94 and 444.300) and troubleshoot the problem.

Kevin, W4KEV, has already placed his 900 Mhz repeater on the air from Sharp's Ridge in the center of Knoxville. When he did so, he experienced noise and interference problems as well. What he discovered was the same information that I used when troubleshooting mine. The 900 Mhz band is a "shared" band, meaning there are lots of other services, licensed and unlicensed, that are in the same "neighborhood" as we are. Some of those services are "spread spectrum," meaning that they emit an RF signal over a broad range of frequencies. This includes hospitals, some cordless phones, fixed links (ever wonder about all those yagi antennae on traffic light control systems?), and remote meter-reading devices used by electric utilities, etc. Kevin discovered that the 900 Mhz spectrum was littered with this kind of noise at his site above 927.100 Mhz (remember I was on 927.725).

After checking the repeater thoroughly for "desense" and antenna problems, and finding none, I decided to re-program the Motorola Quantar repeater and give it a try. The results are REMARKABLE. Users who were constantly noisy and hard to copy were quiet. Even when users are less than fully quieted into the repeater, they were not "arcing" as they were before. The data burst noise that appeared in the repeater at regular intervals is GONE. Finally, I can be proud of how the repeater is performing.

Lastly, Kevin has installed a link radio that has our two 900 Mhz repeaters linked together. So far, it seems to be doing very well.

For those of you who have one of the Motorola MCS2000 radios that were purchased recently, you can find my new frequency by selecting "ATL 0625" in the first zone of programming. There is a repeater in downtown Atlanta that is on this same frequency and PL tone. I picked this frequency and tone combination on purpose, as it is already in the MCS2000 radios that I have programmed. This is one channel above the "NFARL" channel that Kevin's repeater is on. Or, you can contact me and I will make arrangements to re-program your radio for you.

I have just received notification that my coordination request for the frequency change was approved by SERA. Thanks to Mike Bishop, WM4RB, for his quick response.

And on a final note, while at the repeater site, after taking care of a couple of matters for the " Frog," (that's the nickname of the radio station whose tower we share), I was also able to complete some work on the 146.94 repeater which removed the FM broadcast audio from the repeater audio. Now I know some will be disappointed that they can no longer hear the faint country music on 146.94, They can tune to 107.7 and hear it for real J.

I have the 53.150 Mhz antenna in hand, and will be installing it post haste! Get your six meter radio ready!

73 de Tim WB4GBI

Tim Berry

***PLEASE NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS!!!***

tim.berry@cumulus.com

Tim Berry WB4GBI

Chief Engineer

Cumulus Media-Knoxville

WIVK-FM WNML AM/FM WNRX-FM WOKI-FM

OFFICE: 865-212-4519 (leave a message, I will be paged)

FAX: 865-909-0821

check out my website at www.wb4gbi.com

Chief Engineer

Vol Radio Network

IMG College/University of Tennessee

Tim Berry
timb447457@aol.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

2011-12-23T08:45:00.001-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I know that this blog is supposed to be my feeble attempts at describing my repeaters and the goings-on involving them, but I wanted to take this opportunity and share with you a small essay that I discovered years ago. I used to read this little essay on .47 when it was newly on the air. It reminds me of the real reson for the season.

One Solitary Life

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself...

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.

All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas! May God Bless you and keep you this holiday season and throughout the year!

THANK YOU to all of you who use my repeaters. By doing so, *you* help me enjoy this great hobby and public service that we call Amateur Radio. I would much rather hear each of you on my repeaters, where they are facilitating your communications, than I would be talking on them myself.

73 de Tim WB4GBI

How about a little news?

2011-12-09T07:13:00.001-08:00

HOW ABOUT A LITTLE NEWS?

Its been since September, hasn't it? Well, now that football season is over, I can "catch up" just a little. The real "catching up" won't occur until until basketball season is over in the Spring. Such is the life of a college sports radio engineer.

But here's some good news!! Thanks to the help of a donor, I have just ordered a NEW antenna for the 53.15 six meter repeater! I have also re-coordinated it to the 146.625 site where it will be in its new home. Why did I re-coordinate from English Mountain? Here's why: I have to RENT tower space on English for 146.73. Renting more space for the six meter repeater would be an additional recurring expense, and as an individual repeater owner I need to keep those at a minimum. The new antenna will be here in a few weeks. One thing about the .625 site...I don't have to pay rent-it's mine.

There are several new callsigns showing up on the 927.725 MHz repeater! Recently, I have heard WB4CTW, K4BWG, and WA4FLH. I hope the same will happen when 53.15 returns to the air.

The antenna is here and the monies are set aside for the 146.73 antenna relocation. As soon as the weather, the tower owner, and the tower climber are all on the same page, it will be relocated. The Jefferson County ARES group is making 146.73 their home for the JCARES net...here's hoping more folks will discover 146.73 from its lofty perch on English Mountain!

I hope to write another blog entry before the end on the month, but in case I don't- Here's wishing you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a happy New Year! And let us all remember the REAL reason for the season, the celebration of Jesus's birth.

73 de Tim WB4GBI

145.47 is 30 years old!!

2011-09-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

145.47 is 30 years young!!!

30 years ago, on September 17, 1981, a long-time dream of owning my very own amateur radio repeater was fulfilled. 145.47 first went on the air at my parent's home in South Knoxville. I had to call people on the phone to get them to find it and try it. Today, it's on top of Cross Mountain and is used and enjoyed by a great number of Amateur Radio operators. It hosts several nets, including the Thursday night 47 net that has had as many as 80-plus check-ins. Last Sunday, a group of wonderful folks gathered with me at Norris Dam State Park to celebrate the 30th anniversary of my big dream. THANK YOU to all who attended, helped with the event itself, called on the radio with well wishes, and who use and enjoy the repeater every day!

Special Thanks to: Ralph Lockhart, WB4CTW, for the “birthday” cake, and for staying at the picnic shelter to reserve our picnic spot!

Also, thanks to Rick, N4JTQ, for organizing the event, and inviting folks on the nets.

Thanks to Gloria, KJ4BHF, for helping with the food and drinks at the picnic.

In other news: I installed the $500 isolator on 146.73, and unfortunately the intermod problem did not completely go away. It is very weak, however, and I hope that moving the antenna higher up the tower and away from the offending UHF antennae will eliminate the problem altogether. Please “cross your fingers…” that the vertical separation will help, and also it will get the .73 antenna above the tree line and help its coverage that way as well!

Thanks for subscribing to the blog…This time of year, with my “other” job, I don’t get to write as much. But I *do* hope you use and enjoy the repeaters-that makes the efforts to keep them up worthwhile!

73 de Tim WB4GBI

Tim Berry

***PLEASE NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS!!!***

tim.berry@cumulus.com

Tim Berry WB4GBI

Chief Engineer

Cumulus Broadcasting of Knoxville, TN

WIVK-FM WNML AM/FM WNRX-FM WOKI-FM

OFFICE: 865-212-4519 (leave a message, I will be paged)

FAX: 865-909-0821

check out my website at www.wb4gbi.com

Chief Engineer

Vol Radio Network

IMG College/University of Tennessee

good news for 146.73!

2011-07-13T17:20:00.001-07:00

Good News for 146.73!!

For those of you who remember 146.73 as Sam (WB4HAP, SK) and Matt (WB4IOB) Kirby’s repeater, and how well it worked from it’s English Mountain home, you know that I have not been able to duplicate their great success since I returned .73 back to English almost two years ago. It’s been a “work in progress,” and I’m happy to report that progress is being made!

If you have tried .73 lately, you have noticed that it has had a “squeal” in the audio on occasions when it has been keyed up, or when it has been up with a QSO in progress. The squeal is a result of an “intermod hit,” or two or more (in this case three) signals that mix together and produce a different signal that is the sum or difference of the others. Intermodulation, or “Intermod,” has long been a nemesis of Mountaintop repeater operations, but sometimes it is misdiagnosed, or confused with other problems. When Sam had 146.73 on English for all of those years, he never had to deal with this problem- probably because the offending transmitters in question were not on the mountain or on the air. In this case, while Todd (KA4OAK) and I were on a recent trip to English Mountain, we actually observed the problem in person for the first time. We were changing the LMR 400 cable on .73 for ½ inch heliax, which by the way eliminated all of the “desense” that the repeater had and really perked up the coverage. It allowed me to take the repeater back to full power, and re-connect the receiver preamp for weak signals. I learned the hard way to never use LMR400 for duplex repeater service. But the “squeal” continued. While we were there, we found one of the commercial UHF trunking transmitters in the building was “keyed up” every time that .73 had the problem squeal. The noise was consistent with this UHF transmitter being active.

“So,” you think- “it’s that fault of that commercial transmitter!!” Well, not so fast. The offending signal is actually produced when two UHF transmitters (there is another one involved) and the 146.73 transmitter are all “up” at the same time. How did I determine this? There several software programs out there in shareware and software land that will help you calculate all of the possibilities. I tabulated the frequency of EVERY transmitter on the tower and loaded them into a database. The software that I used showed a “fifth-order” intermodulation product caused by three transmitters that would cause a signal to be generated on 146.13 Mhz. Recognize that frequency? It’s the INPUT to 146.73. The two UHF transmitters are on a combined antenna system, which means that they already have an isolator in place to keep one transmitter’s RF from going back into the other transmitter(s)’ RF output section. However, 146.73 did not have one of these devices. RF from the outside world could make it back into the .73 PA, and cause the “mix” to happen. So, armed with an intermodulation report, and a clean bill of health from the owner of the UHF transmitters (who gladly checked them just to make sure), I ordered an isolator tuned for 146.73. Isolators are not cheap. They are precision-tuned devices that allow RF on the tuned frequency to pass in one direction, but nothing to pass back into the PA on any other frequency. Mine was almost $500. Now you know why repeaters and their upkeep are not cheap J. Most commercial tower sites now require the use of an isolator.

In just a few short days, we will find out if the RF “mix” was occurring in the .73 transmitter, or if I will have to spend more time and effort troubleshooting this perplexing problem. I’m betting that I have found it, and .73 will make another huge step in becoming the mountaintop high profile machine that it once was and deserves to be again. Stay tuned here on the blog…or better yet, come check 146.73 for yourself!

73 de Tim Berry WB4GBI

Its baaaacccckkkk!!!!

2011-05-30T20:30:00.001-07:00

It’s baaaacccckkkk!!!

This afternoon, my XYL Tammy (KB4TQO) and I went to Cross Mountain and replaced the power supply on the 145.47 repeater. A few quick checks (duplex power, “desense,” and remote control function), and I am happy to report that 145.47 is back up and ready to go. I am also happy to report that *this* power supply has the provision for battery backup, which I hope to add the batteries for in the very near future. Stay tuned!

73 de Tim WB4GBI

Tim Berry WB4GBI

Chief Engineer

Citadel Broadcasting of Knoxville, TN

WIVK-FM WNML AM/FM WNRX-FM WOKI-FM

OFFICE: 865-212-4519 (leave a message, I will be paged)

FAX: 865-909-0821

check out my website at www.wb4gbi.com

Chief Engineer

Vol Radio Network

IMG College/University of Tennessee

145.47 is off the air!!

2011-05-28T20:51:00.001-07:00

145.47 is OFF THE AIR!!

Late Friday Afternoon, I was on .94 when a fellow ham asked me why they could not get in to 145.47. I was surprised (based on his location), but then imagine MY surprise when I couldn’t access it either!! Today, I made a hurried trip to Cross Mountain to see what was wrong. I thought I had the repeater repaired and in fact a couple of QSO’s were made and then it failed again. The problem seems to be in the GE MASTR II power supply for .47. When it has been on the air for a while, the DC voltage drops to 2 volts (well below the 13-14 volts the repeater needs). It appears that the AC transformer is overheating and opening up.

The Good News: I have a spare power supply.

The Bad News: I ran out of time today, as it is a 1 hour trip (one way) to the repeater site. I will try to get the new power supply to the site tomorrow or (at the latest) Monday, which happens to be an off-day for my employer.

Speaking of Monday...how many of you have a Veteran in your family? Perhaps a relative...in my case my grandfather (Fred O. Berry, Sr.) served in World War II. Even if you don’t have a veteran in your family, let us all remember that Memorial Day is a time for us to pause and remember the sacrifices that they made for our freedoms. If they are still with you, tell your family member “Thank You.” Make it from all of us. Freedom isn’t free. Many have paid with their lives. And that is why we remember on Memorial Day.

73 de Tim WB4GBI

Tim Berry WB4GBI

Chief Engineer

Citadel Broadcasting of Knoxville, TN

WIVK-FM WNML AM/FM WNRX-FM WOKI-FM

OFFICE: 865-212-4519 (leave a message, I will be paged)

FAX: 865-909-0821

check out my website at www.wb4gbi.com

Chief Engineer

Vol Radio Network

IMG College/University of Tennessee

147.075 is back on the air!!

2011-05-25T19:29:00.001-07:00

147.075 is back on the air!

Hooray! After a week of shutdown due to it causing interference to Kevin (W4KEV)’s 145.37 repeater, I was able to pay a visit to the 147.075 site on Tuesday Evening. I exchanged the defective PA (power amplifier) with one that I had as a ready spare. The result was a “clean” signal from 147.075, with no interference to other repeaters. It’s back on the air and ready for your use!

Remember, 147.075 has an open autopatch for your use. I realize that in the age of cellular phones that an autopatch is not as needed as it once was, but there are still a significant amount of autopatch calls that are made by .075 users. And what about those areas up in the mountains where there is NO cellular service? I have heard several autopatches from HT’s up on the tops of some of the mountainous areas within the Smoky Mountains National Park. In case you are interested, you can check out the instructions on how to use the autopatch at www.wb4gbi.com/middlebrook.html.

I also discovered yet another antenna problem, this one on .075 itself. It appears that I have an antenna or heliax problem on the repeater antenna. This is going to make it harder for portables and distant stations to access 147.075. Rest assured, as soon as I can get a tower climber to the site I will address this one along with the other sites.

Thanks for reading the ‘blog. I know there are over 50 subscribers…but I don’t have any feedback as of late when I write an entry. Hello…(tap,tap,tap)…is this thing on? J

73 de Tim WB4GBI

Tim Berry WB4GBI

Chief Engineer

Citadel Broadcasting of Knoxville, TN

WIVK-FM WNML AM/FM WNRX-FM WOKI-FM

OFFICE: 865-212-4519 (leave a message, I will be paged)

FAX: 865-909-0821

check out my website at www.wb4gbi.com

Chief Engineer

Vol Radio Network

IMG College/University of Tennessee

In case you were wondering...

2011-05-21T20:26:00.001-07:00

In case you were wondering…is Amateur Radio relevant anymore?

This came via email today from Rick, N4JTQ. I hope he doesn’t mind me forwarding it…

I was sitting at my desk when I heard a call on the 145.470 repeater today, the 21st of May, a emergency call, I got up and responded to the station WA4HSM Alvin from Knoxville who was on the Dragon, apparently a Biker took a curve a little fast and went down, and ran off the road, when Alvin stopped their was another lady there who was a medical person, the bike rider was unconscious, Alvin stated a emergency on the repeater, and requested I call for emergency services, which he had the phone number , called and advised dispatch we had a MVA, gave him my location and information and proceeded to advise the emergency,we relayed information between us and emergency units where dispatched to the scene..a little later Alvin called back and advised that Police ,Fire and EMS was on the scene, the man was conscious, and in fact there was another wreck on up the road, apparently the emergency personal was not able to get out on their radio's, but thanks to Amateur Radio, and Tim Berry who owns and maintains the 145.470 amateur repeater communications ,continued .. and everything looks like it turned out for the best, thanks to all who where able to assist in this accident..
Time Line
Call From Alvin on repeater 11:53 am
Dispatch Notified at 11:55 am
Dispatch sends out units at 11:57 am
Great response !!

Richard Sawaya Sr Amateur Extra Class
Emergency Management Agency Logistics Officer for Sevier County
President Sevier County Emergency Radio Service
Emergency Coordinator Sevier County & TN ARES
Co Founder Of The 470 ARG Net
ADEC for District 6 Skywarn
ARRL VE Manager, ARRL ARECC Instructor & Examiner
CoCoRahs Weather Station TN-SV-5

“When all else fails…Amateur Radio!!!”

73 de Tim WB4GBI

Hey! Why is 147.075 off the air?

2011-05-18T06:16:00.001-07:00

HEY!! Why is 147.075 off the air?

This past Sunday (May 15^th), I received an email that my 147.075 repeater was interfering with Kevin (W4KEV)’s 145.37 repeater. After checking it, I found this info to be true and turned the repeater off remotely. When I have had interference, I expect the person responsible for the offending equipment to remove it from the air until the problem is solved, and when it’s my fault I should not be any different.

I made a trip to the .075 site on Monday morning, and found the transmitter power amplifier (PA) to be unstable. I tried re-tuning it and operating it at different power levels, but I could get the offending spurious signal out of Kevin’s repeater receiver, so it remains off. Now, for the (hopefully) good news: I do have a spare PA, so I will try exchanging them in the next day or so as time permits.

147.075 is by no means my busiest repeater, but it does have the autopatch that is useful to several area hams that I have heard use it from time to time. It is also where I intend to have an IRLP node someday.

As for the other repeaters, I am still waiting on the opportunity to replace the 146.94 antenna with the new one that is at the site and ready to go. This is just a matter of logistics; as I am trying to get the weather, my available time, and an available tower climber to be together all at once. The same applies for the 146.73 repeater. Hang in there…I want .94 and .73 to be the best repeaters they can be. George and Sam (K4HXD and WB4HAP, the respective original owners, both SK’s) would expect nothing less.

Thanks for reading the ‘blog, and I look forward to hearing each of you on the air soon!

73 de Tim WB4GBI

Tim Berry WB4GBI

Chief Engineer

Citadel Broadcasting of Knoxville, TN

WIVK-FM WNML AM/FM WNRX-FM WOKI-FM

OFFICE: 865-212-4519 (leave a message, I will be paged)

FAX: 865-909-0821

check out my website at www.wb4gbi.com

Chief Engineer

Vol Radio Network

IMG College/University of Tennessee

145.470 is BACK ON THE AIR!!

2011-04-06T21:59:00.001-07:00

145.470 is back on the air!!

After a local (not utility-related) AC power issue was repaired, the .47 repeater has returned to the air!

We now return you to a working repeater, already in progress… J

73 de Tim WB4GBI

Tim Berry WB4GBI

Chief Engineer

Citadel Broadcasting of Knoxville, TN

WIVK-FM WNML AM/FM WNRX-FM WOKI-FM

OFFICE: 865-212-4519 (leave a message, I will be paged)

FAX: 865-909-0821

check out my website at www.wb4gbi.com

Chief Engineer

Vol Radio Network

IMG College/University of Tennessee

145.47 is off the air!

2011-04-05T19:59:00.001-07:00

145.470 is off the air!

I’m sorry to report that .47 is off the air after last night’s storms. I suspect that its status may be due to a lack of AC power at the repeater site. I had intended to try to make my way to the site today, but had to take care of other storm related damage to the equipment of my employer(s). Gotta pay the bills, you know… J

While I’m on the subject of AC power, I do want to pass along that I have a battery-reverting power supply and some gel-cell batteries to try to install at the .47 site, assuming my landlord permits. This would keep the repeater on the air for a short while after the commercial power fails, but probably not as long as the AC power has been off this time. But I do hope it would help keep .47 on the air as long as possible. If *did* have a battery backup, we would have to be careful with .47’s “up” time to maximize the battery life.

These other WB4GBI repeaters have emergency (generator) power: 146.73, 146.94, 147.075, 224.34, 444.300, and 927.725. I just wanted to pass this info along if you ever find yourself needing amateur communications in a widespread power outage situation. I am very fortunate and thankful that these repeaters are at sites that are emergency-power ready.

I will report on .47 as soon as I have checked out the site, hopefully tomorrow. Thank you for reading, and for your continued support of my repeaters!

73 de Tim WB4GBI

WB4GBI/R 927.725 is on the air!

2011-03-12T16:22:00.001-08:00

WB4GBI/R 927.725 is on the air!

On Tuesday evening, after an “unplanned” trip to the WIVK transmitter, I took the new WB4GBI/R 900 MHz repeater to the mountain. Since there was already an antenna waiting there (abandoned by a paging company when they changed sites) I was able to hook the repeater to this existing antenna without having to wait for the tower crew, which is scheduled to come to the site and change the .94 antenna. So, it’s on the air! And much to my surprise, there were SEVERAL users already on the repeater when I returned from the SEC basketball tournament in Atlanta today.

The 900 MHz amateur radio band is unique in that there are NO amateur manufacturers that make equipment for this band. All of the equipment, including the repeater itself, is commercially made equipment by Motorola and Kenwood. And further, not all of the 900 MHz commercial equipment out there will adapt itself to Amateur Radio use. If this band interests you, please consult with someone who has experience with the specific types of transceivers to use and which to avoid. Otherwise, you could waste your money on a very nice doorstop.

I will write more about 900 MHz and my experiences in a later blog. If you have any questions in the meantime, please email me. An email link is on the website. Have a great weekend!

73 de Tim WB4GBI