MB7UB Upgrade?

For those using UiView/APRS in the Bath area will have noticed UB has been off quite a bit lately. The problem is that it runs with a VERY old laptop running Win 95! This is fine for what it needs to do. However, it appears the power supply on site seems to go off/spike/ etc. from time to time and the laptop resets itself. Unfortunately not back into UiView mode. I am very grateful to the fairies who seem able to attend the site and reset the system. I have at present sitting on the bench a Pac-Comm TNC-220 I hope over the next months get this working as a standalone digi, even running on a float battery to make things a little more reliable.

Repeater abuse

This is something that UB and 70cm repeaters do not suffer much from, thankfully. However, I have been listening on WR and there it is a different situation. So I thought I would publish some guidelines for you.

REPEATER ABUSE ADVICE

It is a sad fact of life that some persons appear to get their kicks from ruining Amateur Radio for others, especially when using repeaters.
This abuse can take the form of deliberate jamming, playing of music etc or even by stations making ingenious use of air time to deny others access while still staying generally within the terms of their own licence. Unfortunately recent months have seen an upsurge in abuse on many repeaters and the Emerging Technology Co-ordination Committee (ETCC) and Ofcom believe it is time not only to remind Repeater Keepers of their responsibilities in holding a repeater NoV but to also offer some advice in the management of abuse.
It is a fundamental requirement of their NoV that Keepers are responsible for monitoring the traffic passing through their repeater and taking appropriate action to prevent unsuitable content being transmitted. It is recognised that Keepers cannot do this continuously or to be in a position to take direct action against the offenders.
They are however in control of their own repeaters and in cases of persistent abuse should be prepared to switch it off for cooling off periods and to document and if possible record the offences taking place.
Contact should be made with your local ETCC Committee Member to discuss the actions available to you and to decide when further action by the authorities is appropriate. Members can advise on the methods that have been used successfully in other areas and on the keeping of suitable logs that will be of use in the future.
A list of ETCC Members is available here.
To assist us in dealing speedily with these issues we would ask all Repeater Keepers to make contact with their local manager so that lines of communication are established and we know who to talk to when problems arise.
We would also draw your attention to the Ofcom website where the following pages will be found helpful click here
The most relevant section from this document is reproduced below:

What should you do when you encounter abuse?

• Do not respond to it. Experience suggests that abusers want an audience, so ignore them. Remember that you may be breaking your own licence conditions if you correspond with someone who is breaking the terms of their licence or who does not have a licence or if you try to deny them access by keying your microphone.
• Do not approach or confront them.
• If abuse occurs frequently, make a note of it. Write down essential details such as the date, time, frequency, location, mobile or fixed, what form the abuse took and any other factors that you think might be useful.
• Maintain this log in order to build up a pattern of the abuser's operations.
• Make sure the information you collect is precise and accurate.

Ofcom resources are directed primarily at Safety of Life services and as such it is incumbent on the Amateur community to do as much initial ‘detective work‘ as possible before escalation to Ofcom is considered.
The ETCC will work with you to address abuse issues but you must help yourself first by taking the action as outlined above.

MB7UB Back working

Had some spare time today as I had a 'split' duty so made a site visit. Turned out to be a cable fault, which is a little strange as the TNC and radio sit on a shelf. Anyway I did not have the tools to remake the connector but have left it working OK. I plan to make another cable for a TNC 220 I have acquired. Anyway it is all back working.

No Site Visit

Had planned a site visit after work today but a sickness bug put pay to that. I hope to make a visit in the next few days so sorry for the break in service.

Site Visit

Made a visit to site today and there was no noise. Checked the input arund the site and no data carrier noted. However, what I did notice was that a TV/FM aerial along with what looks like an amplifier has been installed VERY close to the lower dipole of GB3UB. This could be the cause of the problem which I would assume that given the proximity of the amplifier to UB would also mean interference to anything connected to it. I also tidied up MB7UB and adjusted the volume and squelch control. However, that now seems to have stopped repeating anything so I will have to go back and have a look in the next few days.
For those of you about in the Midsomer Norton area we will be running GB1WFD from Sommervale School tomorrow from 1500- 1830 with set up around 1300.

GB3UB Noise uodate

Well the noise is back on UB. It must be a very weak carrier some where on the site as I can still access the box from the depths of Midsomer Norton. I am making a site visit tomorrow lunchtime (Saturday) in an attempt to DF it.

Interference on GB3UB

Couple of weeks ago noticed that the squelch on the repeater was being held open by a data carrier. I assumed at the time it was a car lock. However, the same thing happened today, Saturday again. After talking to another user I was told the same thing had happened during the week. Anyway as of this afternoon the interference had gone. I will have a listen next weekend and if the same thing is happening will make a site visit for a bit of 'dfing'. In the mean time if you hear the interference could you email the times and dates so we can build up a picture of it. Apart from that the repeater continues to operate as it should.

Bath & District Amateur Radio Club

Well the meeting went well and we now have a club.  It will take time to get things going but we now have a firm meeting date and somewhere to meet. Thanks to Rob M0TFO we have a web site, twitter and facebook pages.
For more information on the club have a look at,

http://badarc.webs.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/BathDistrict-ARC/279764008825633

https://twitter.com/BADARC_

MB7UB

Seems the digipeater MB7UB has gone off. I assume it the power problem and the laptop has not come back on. If the fairies do not make a visit I will try and make a visit.

Bath Club

There used to be an Amateur Radio Club in Bath but as with many things it disappeared. However, there is a virtual group on yahoo and for some time there has been talk about finding a place to meet. This is always a problem but thanks to a friend and an chat one day it seems the Bath club may start up again. The plan is to have an informal meeting to see what interest there is and then with a view to having the next meeting as the official founding meeting.
The meeting is open to anyone interested in Amateur radio and will be held on -

25th April 2013 at 1930

at

The Masonic Hall,
Redfield Road
Midsomer Norton

http://goo.gl/maps/XmRTx

All Legal

Just to inform you both GB3UB and MB7UB have had their NOV's confirmed till March 2014.

MB7UB Off Air

MB7UB the Bath APRS DigiPeat is currently off air. It appears to have gone off around 1700 yesterday. Unless my helpful fairies make a visit I will try and visit the site before work tomorrow. GB3UB is currently working with no problems.