Initial coverage reports

Good coverage!

Just to confirm that GB7DX can be worked from Hastings town centre (mobile) and from Ashford town.

There is good coverage in between, especially North of Wittersham, but signals do not reach Lydd on the Romney Marsh.

Please send reports to: g0gcq@arrl.net

Many thanks!

Best 73 de John

Certainly worth the wait ........ GB7DX is on the air!!

GB7DX went live at 17:00Hrs Tuesday 9th December!

I am delighted to confirm that GB7DX was switched back on, at its new location in Wittersham, Kent, yesterday evening.

Initial reports sound very positive, and appears to show that the repeater is covering several parts of Hastings Town and Ashford ~ as well as surrounding areas in East Sussex and Kent. Great!

Any reports can be sent to:  g0gcq@arrl.net  

Best 73 de John

A Quick Update

In case you think I've disappeared ....... 

Hi Folks :-)

The situation remains the same at the moment ~ the repeater is ready to roll, at just the flick of the switch, but only when the Notice of Variation (NoV) is sent to me.

I know several of you are keen to hear it on the air, especially with the extra commands (such as DTMF), but we'll all have to remain patient for a few more days (hopefully).

According to the ETCC site, at the time of writing, there are 40 requests awaiting Ofcom approval ~ but 21 NoVs were issued last week alone, so I am hoping that GB7DX will be somewhere amongst next week's batches (keeping everything crossed).

There has been a lot of new interest, and rigs purchased, in the Hastings & Eastbourne areas. I also know of others in the Weald of Kent area that are either very interested in, or have bought, rigs very recently. So there is certainly a lot of anticipation ~ which cannot be bad :-)

Obviously, the ETCC / RSGB have been very supportive ~ it's just that Ofcom have been very busy of late ~ so it is one of those things! Still, the repeater will be all the sweeter once it is up & running :-)

Rest assured, I will certainly blog once it is up & running!! :-)

Until then ......... Happy Christmas!

Best 73 de John

Latest Update ~ almost there!

Hi Folks

Just an update as to where we are with the repeater at this moment in time:

1. Repeater & server now in place at this location (see 'Change of Location' NoV application link at bottom of blog)
2. Server up and running & registered with ircDDB
3. External access, through BT HomeHub 4, all sorted & working fine ~ important for 'Backroom' Team 
4. All ready to 'flick the switch' once the NoV has arrived

Meanwhile, something for you to think about if you currently use GB7FK B or if you intend to use GB7DX B when it is working:

Have you switched on your ircDDB visibility?

Please click on this link for further info    http://ircddb.net/live-vis.html 

This gives the ircDDB team permission to allow your call sign to appear on the Live 'Heard List'. Otherwise your call sign is shown by a series of asterisks ~ which is not helpful to you.

To look at a live representation of those stations using the ircDDB network, please go here: http://ircddb.net/live.htm 

As soon as I have more info to pass on I will let you know!

Best 73 de John

GB7DX B Keeper

Link: https://www.google.com/maps/embed?origin=mfe&pb=!1m13!1m8!1m3!1d2509.985844323759!2d0.703672!3d51.016409!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!2m1!1s51.016409,0.703672!5e1!6i17!3m1!1sen

Heliax to the rescue!

I would like to sincerely thank Tony (G6EXU) for his kind support ~ by donating Heliax & 2 Andrews N-Plugs to GB7DX :-)

Thanks to his support, I have great news about the efficiency of the aerial at my QTH ~ which will be used by GB7DX once I have the NoV.

I was using my IC7100 as the test transceiver this afternoon:

• Testing on Simplex ~ point to point (not mobile or handheld) ~ 1/2 a Watt reaches Ashford and Greatstone from my location. Both G0PHO & G0IMD reported me at around S0 with full uninterrupted audio. Running the same power as DX will be running, the reports go up to around S4. My audio is still received 100%.

• Testing on simplex, to Richard's (G0IMD) handheld in his front bedroom, using the same power as DX will be running, my audio was received at S0 but 100% copy. Richard to me, using the handheld, was S1.5 and full audio.

• Testing the GB7DX aerial by accessing GB7FK B during the afternoon net, running 1/2 a Watt gave me access to the Folkestone repeater with no audio problems! Of course, FK B has a high grade antenna system with Heliax ~ which helps :-) Running the same power as DX will be using obviously proved no problem to me using the GB7FK B repeater :-)

What does this mean? Well, I believe that GB7DX will fill-in the gap currently experienced in DStar coverage for this area, including part of the Romney Marsh that was not covered by GB7DX when it was situated in Ashford. Of course, time will tell :-)

Exciting times :-)

Now all we have to do is wait patiently for the NoV.

73 de John G0GCQ

GB7DX Keeper

The first of many exciting new things!

GB7DX has been tested on the bench and given a good bill of health, thanks to Don G4TKR.

Today's net was the first to be on both GB7IC B (Herne Bay) & GB7FK B (Folkestone) at the same time ~ which was hugely successful and drew a good number stations on the air!

This is a sign of things to come ~ with GB7DX B (Wittersham) joining the net when the NoV is authorised by Ofcom ~ and then GB7EB B (Eastbourne) being added when they able to be QRV.

It is planned for the repeaters to be automatically linked from 16:30 Hrs (Local) each day.

Hope to hear many Kent & East Sussex operators on :-)

More information to follow later.

73 de John G0GCQ
Repeater Keeper

GB7DX Off-Air Prior To Move

Just to inform all users that GB7DX went Off-Air today at 11:00 Hrs.

The repeater is being checked over prior to the forthcoming move to Wittersham.

Further updates to follow.

73 de John
GB7DX Repeater Keeper

Awaiting the NOV from Ofcom

Awaiting the NOV from Ofcom

Everything is ready in the shack for the GB7DX move to my QTH: power, ethernet cable & aerial connection.

I am expecting the coverage to be very good. Here is the plot I worked out:

[If you look closely at the address bar, you can see the website I used for generating this plot]

I'll await the official plot from the ETCC in due course, but I think it gives a good guide as to the coverage once it gets to my location.

Currently, the repeater is sited in Ashford & will be going off-air within a few days for a software upgrade and a check-over ~ ready to be transported to this location in due course.

With Paul [M0LRE] having put an application in for a DStar repeater in Eastbourne, we should eventually have very good coverage along the Sussex & Kent Coastline. With our plans for linking up GB7IC / GB7FK & GB7DX between 16:30 > 18:00 Local Time, and disconnecting the link from the 1C reflector during that period, we are hoping for a much wider 'natter' net each day. This will help, at the same time, to encourage greater use of the DStar system.

There are plenty more discussions going on at the moment, regarding other features we hope to utilise across IC / FK / DX, but more about them nearer the time.

I am certainly looking forward to an exciting DStar future in our part of the world :-)