Join the Waikato VHF Group Net on Sunday evenings at 20.45 hrs local NZST
on either 146.950 MHz or 145.675 MHz repeaters or the IRLP reflector 9505.
on either 146.950 MHz or 145.675 MHz repeaters or the IRLP reflector 9505.
NEWS and NOTICES
Sunday Night News & Net - 11 Dec 2011
The Net will be in recess from Sunday, 25 December, 2011 to Sunday, 8 January, 2012. It will therefore resume again on Sunday, 15 January, 2012. Seasons grettings from the Waikato VHF Group.
News Items from Oct 2011 Committee meeting - 30 Oct 2011
Site Reconstruction: A site is still being investigated for the extension of the 2m "WaiPlenty Network" to the Waihi/Whangmata area.
National System: New node installed by Mercury Bay, Branch 85, operational at Opito Bay.
Funding: We are waiting on the outcome of an application to the WEL Trust for funds to complete the extension of the 2m "WaiPlenty Network" to Maungakawa, north east of Huntly.
Old Group Records: These are to be offerred to the Hamilton Public Library, in the first instance, for archiving.
Beacons: 2m beacon is operational again from the Hamilton telephone exchanges. A new site is being investigated for the 70cm beacon.
Meetings: Numerous meeting ideas were put forward.
Equipment Sale - 11 Sep 2011
Western Suburbs Radio Club, Used Equipment Sale, is being held Saturday, 8 October, 2011, at the Rosebank Road primary School, 217 Rosebank Road, Avondale. The sale starts at 9am and closes at 12 noon. There is an entry fee of $2.00 payable by all visitors. Cafeteria with hot sausages, biscuits, tea or coffee available on site. Plenty of parking available.
Life Membership - 4 Sep 2011
At the General meeting today, Russell Richardson (ZL1RWR) was unanimously elected a life member of the Group.
WaiPlenty - 2m Network - 4 Sep 2011
At the General meeting today, it was agreed, after some discussion, that the new 2m network, would be called the "WaiPlenty Network".
Optimal Repeater for Hamilton - 2 August 2011
With the recent changes made to the repeaters around the Waikato, it has been noted that some mobiles operating in the Hamilton area are still using '695 MHz. They will probably find if they use Te Uku '5675 (with -600KHz split) that they will experience better access to the new linked network.
New Repeater on National System - Mercury Bay '480 - 2 August 2011
A new extension to the National System is now operating from a site overlooking Opito Bay on the eastern Coromandel peninsula. Mercury Bay '480 transmits on 434.800 MHz, and to access it, you need to transmit to the repeater on 439.800 MHz. With no viable radio path from this eastern Coromandel site to an existing National System ULS (Kaimai, or Brynderwyn), it operates as an extension off Edgecumbe ‘9975 174km away, hence the inverted frequencies.
News Items from July 2011 Committee meeting - 1 August 2011
Site Reconstruction: Approval has been given to site equipment at Maungakawa. Te Weraiti and Te Uku have been linked and are working satifactorily
Linked Network:A possible name of “WaiBop Network” is being proposed for the eventual 4 repeater linked system. We welcome your feed-back?
Raglan/Te Uku Site: The site at Te Uku is to be known as Te Uku and not Raglan
Funding: An application is to be made for funding for equipment for the Maungakawa site
Review of Inc. Societies: A note about this will be in the Newsletter
Meetings Ideas: The committee is still looking for meeting topics and possible guest speakers
Linked Network:A possible name of “WaiBop Network” is being proposed for the eventual 4 repeater linked system. We welcome your feed-back?
Raglan/Te Uku Site: The site at Te Uku is to be known as Te Uku and not Raglan
Funding: An application is to be made for funding for equipment for the Maungakawa site
Review of Inc. Societies: A note about this will be in the Newsletter
Meetings Ideas: The committee is still looking for meeting topics and possible guest speakers
Repeater Linking - 22 June 2011
On the 22 June the '6950 Te Weraiti and '5675 Te Uku were linked after the installation of the Linking Matrix at Te Uku. For those amateurs in the Hamilton, Cambridge, Raglan and Ngaruawahia areas, '5675 Te Uku is the repeater to use.
Hamilton Branch 12 - 2011 Market Day - 6 June 2011
The Hamilton, Branch 12 Market Day is to be held on Saturday, 13th August, at the Waikato Table Tennis Club, Edgecumbe Street, Hamilton. Further details can be found HERE on the Branch 12 website.
146.950 Mhz Repeater - 24 May 2011
The 146.950 Mhz repeater on Mt. Te Aroha was turned off at around 12.45pm to day and all equipment removed from the premises. This brought to a close 37 years of 2-metre repeater service from Mt. Te Aroha. Almost immediately the 146.950 Mhz equipment on Te Weraiti was activated as the replacement for the Te Aroha site. It will be a few days before the IRLP node is restored to '6950 (on a temporary basis) as the radio equipment has to be modified. Any problems or coverage issues can be reported to - branch.81@nzart.org.nz
CHANGES to Waikato/Bay of Plenty 2m Repeater - 23 May 2011
From around midday on 24 May the 146.950 Mhz Te Aroha repeater will be turned off permanently. A short while later the 146.950 Mhz repeater on Te Weraiti will be activated. This will also mean that the IRLP node will not be available for about a week, due to equipment having to be modified. When the IRLP node comes back on, it will be on 146.950 Mhz Te Weraiti until such time as the link is established between Te Weraiti and Te Uku, when it will be transferred to 145.675 Te Uku. The IRLP node will then be available on both repeaters. See further details below.
EXTENSION to the NATIONAL SYSTEM - 8 May 2011
An extension to the National System is proposed for the Mercury Bay area. The node is to be located at Opito Bay, accessing Mt Edgecumbe, a distance of 173km across the Bay of Plenty, as this is the only viable path. All other paths were found to be too lossy. The proposed frequency for the terminal at Opito Bay is 434.800 MHz.
CHANGES to 695, TE AROHA - 8 May 2011
Due to the requirement to vacate the Kordia site on Mt. Te Aroha, the 146.950 MHz repeater will be turned off late May, 2011. After it is turned off, the new 146.950 MHz repeater on Te Weraiti will be turned on. There maybe a short period when neither is on the air. The IRLP node will continue to operate on Te Weraiti '695, on a temporary basis, but could be off for about seven days, due to the radio equipment having to be reprogrammed.
It will be approximately 4 weeks before Te Weraiti '695 can be linked to Te Uku '5675, due to some of the equipment, ex Te Aroha, requiring modification. When Te Weraiti '695 and Te Uku '5675 are linked, the 6549 IRLP node will be connected to Te Uku '5675 permanently.
A drawing of the proposed 2m network for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty can be seen HERE.
For updates on the latest situation, keep tuned into the Waikato VHF news and Net at 8:45pm on a Sunday evening.
News Items from May 2011 Committee meeting - 3 May 2011
Site Reconstruction:
Rigging has been done at Te Uku; Approval in principle to establish 2m
repeater at Maungakawa with Proposed repeater and link frequencies to
hand
Te Aroha '695 Switch Off: Timed for the last week of May
Proposed National System extension: The Mercury Bay Club has proposed an extension to the National System to be located at Opito Bay, with linking to Mt. Edgecumbe. Technical support being provided
Meeting Ideas: Discussion held
Remits: Discussed
Beacons: All beacons have been removed from the Hamilton CAX for changing to new frequencies. Will probably be relocated to a new site due to access difficulties.
Te Aroha '695 Switch Off: Timed for the last week of May
Proposed National System extension: The Mercury Bay Club has proposed an extension to the National System to be located at Opito Bay, with linking to Mt. Edgecumbe. Technical support being provided
Meeting Ideas: Discussion held
Remits: Discussed
Beacons: All beacons have been removed from the Hamilton CAX for changing to new frequencies. Will probably be relocated to a new site due to access difficulties.
New 13cm (2304MHz) Record - 30 Jan 2011
On 27th January 2011, Stephen Hayman (ZL1TPH) and Adrian Pollock (VK4OX) set a new record for the 13cm band, with a record distance of 2315.5 Km. The previous record was 1885.5 Km, set in February 1978.
TAURANGA REPEATERS -16 Jan 2011
Information just received says that the Tauranga, Branch 39, 2m repeater (680 Minden), has been linked to the Te Puke, Branch 53, 2m repeater (7175 Shaw Road), via the Branch 53, 70cm repeater (855 Shaw Road). This link-up is for a trial period of 3 months. If the linking path fades excessively or is subject to interference at Minden, or found to cause interference at Minden, the linking may be discontinued.
OTO Digipeater - 17 Dec 2010
The 144.575MHz receiver and associated TNC was installed on 16 Dec. 2010. The system now has a TNC using WA8DED software for BBS packet operation and a TNC using UIdigi for APRS operation. The output of the 144.575MHz receiver is connected to the UIdigi TNC and the 144.650MHz receiver output is connected to the WA8DED TNC. The output of the two TNC's is connected to a logic circuit, which allows the first packet in (if both channels have packets on them), to be the only packet out to the 144.650MHz transmitter.
News Items from November 2010 Committee meeting
Te Weraiti:
Planning is progressing for the moving of '695 to this site around
March/April 2011. As new equipment is being installed, the equipment on
Te Aroha will be turned off just prior to Te Weraiti going live.
Licences: All licences are up to date, with the final 3 due shortly.
Te Aroha '840: This equipment will be removed from Te Aroha when the equipment for '695 is removed.
OTO Digipeater: Still waiting on a visit to Rangitoto.
Funding for New Equipment: Applications are to be made to various funding organisations to cover cost of new equipment that is required.
Sponsorship Of Licence Fees: We still have many licences available for sponsorship. Further details below.
Beacons: The Hamilton beacons still need to be changed to their new frequency.
Licences: All licences are up to date, with the final 3 due shortly.
Te Aroha '840: This equipment will be removed from Te Aroha when the equipment for '695 is removed.
OTO Digipeater: Still waiting on a visit to Rangitoto.
Funding for New Equipment: Applications are to be made to various funding organisations to cover cost of new equipment that is required.
Sponsorship Of Licence Fees: We still have many licences available for sponsorship. Further details below.
Beacons: The Hamilton beacons still need to be changed to their new frequency.
Te Aroha 840 - 15 Oct 2010
Due to the licence expiring and the committees decision not to renew it, '840' was taken off the air on 15 October, 2010. '840 was initially established as '860' on a temporary site in Hamilton during March 1982 and moved to Te Aroha in July that year. It changed to the '840 assignment in November 1993 when the present Tait equipment was installed.
News Items from August 2010 Committee meeting
Te Uku: Notch filter installed ahead of ‘5675 receiver. Has stopped brief bursts of interference.
Te Weraiti: Approval has been given to establish ‘695 on this site. New Icom FR5000 repeater equipment to hand.
FMTAG: Applications submitted for relocation of ‘695 & IRLP link, plus request for new link between Te Weraiti & Te Uku.
Beacons: Licences have been issued for the 3 Hamilton beacons on the new frequencies.
Licences & 840: When the licence falls due in September for ‘840 Te Aroha, it will not be renewed, so will be turned off permanently.
Funding: Committee looking for sources of funding. Please contact committee with any ideas.
General Meeting: The next general meeting to be held at Branch 39, Tauranga club rooms at Tauranga Yacht Club on Sunday, 5th September, at 1.30pm.
Te Weraiti: Approval has been given to establish ‘695 on this site. New Icom FR5000 repeater equipment to hand.
FMTAG: Applications submitted for relocation of ‘695 & IRLP link, plus request for new link between Te Weraiti & Te Uku.
Beacons: Licences have been issued for the 3 Hamilton beacons on the new frequencies.
Licences & 840: When the licence falls due in September for ‘840 Te Aroha, it will not be renewed, so will be turned off permanently.
Funding: Committee looking for sources of funding. Please contact committee with any ideas.
General Meeting: The next general meeting to be held at Branch 39, Tauranga club rooms at Tauranga Yacht Club on Sunday, 5th September, at 1.30pm.
Kiwisat
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Copyright - Waikato VHF Group - 2011