SARA Repeater Information
The new Trustee AK2E has asked the follwing guidlines be adheared to.
K2AE Repeaters Guidelines rev3
Band | User Transmit Frquency | User Receive Frequency |
6-Meters | 52.570 MHz | 53.570 MHz |
2-Meters | 147.660 MHz | 147.060 MHz |
1.25-Meters | 222.460 MHz | 224.060 MHz |
70-Centimeters | 449.200 MHz | 444.200 MHz |
Thanks to Howard Lester, W2ODC, for the following information:
Site Characteristics and Features
HAAT: approx 800 feet; but is about 1300 feet to the North and East
Lightning Protection: full Polyphaser protection ensemble; rigs on wooden platform; heavy ground plate with common tiepoint; all per Polyphaser design engineering specifications
Emergency Power: Two automatic engine-generators, one of which kicks in on drop in line voltage, and stays on for about 15 minutes after power is restored. If one generator doesn’t start immediately, the second engine-generator is started. About 15 seconds start time is allowed before the generator is switched in to pick up the load. About one-two weeks of propane fuel is in an outdoor tank.
2-METER REPEATER
Output frequency: 147.060 MHz
Equipment:
Transmitter/Receiver: GE MSTR-II; all solid state
Rx Preamp: ARR GasFet
Repeater Controller: Model 7K
Remote control link: landline and UHF radio
Duplexer: 6-cavity Decibel Products plus one cavity each (bandpass) on transmitter and receiver
Transmission Line: 180 feet of 7/8 ” hardline
Antenna: 6 dBd broadband, fixed 4-folded dipole array by Sinclair Labs
Height on tower: approx 160 feet
Performance:
Transmitter Power Output: set down to 75 watts
ERP: 200 watts
Radiation Pattern: Flattened elliptical with major axis northeast-southwest; about one dB down North-South.
Rcvr sensitivity: 0.18 uV for 12 dB SINAD
Duplexer isolation between rcvr and xmtr: better than 120 dB
Duplexer/filter loss: approx 1.8 dB
Carrier operated Relay: NO CTCSS USED.
Coverage: East to about milepost 10 on Mass Pike (I-90);West to about Canojoharie, and Ft. Plain to Mohawk; North to about Ft. Ann and Whitehall; to Warrensburg on Northway (I-87) to Speculator north on Rte #30. South to about Claverack on the East side of the Hudson River; to New Baltimore on the West side of the Hudson River.
NOTE: This has been observed from “signals of opportunity” with the new antenna and location on the tower; new coverage maps have not been taken from more formal measurements.
1.25-METER REPEATER
Output frequency: 224.060 MHz
Equipment:
Transmitter: Yaesu 220 Mobile with KLM amplifier with added fans
Receiver: GE Progress Line converted to 220 MHz by WA2GBO
Rx Preamp: ARR GasFet
Audio and control interference: Custom designed and built by WA2AAU
Duplexer: 4-cavity; made from Air Force surplus cavities Isolation between rcvr and xmtr about 75 dB
Feedline: 7/8″ hardline, approximately 190 feet long
Antenna: Celwave Station Master, 6 dB gain.
Height on tower: about 175 feet up on the same tower as 2-m rptr.
Performance:
Transmitter Power Output: about 60 watts
ERP: Approx 200 watts
Rcvr sensitivity: effective sensitivity approx 0.35 microvolts for 12 dB SINAD.
Radiation Pattern: omnidirectional; 5.8 dBd gain
Duplexer isolation between rcvr and xmtr: about 75dB
Coverage: Approximately that of the 2-meter repeater; some places better, some worse. Fill-in around the Canajoharie area is better for the higher frequency 220 MHz repeater than the 2-meter repeater. The increased height of about 20 feet for the 220 MHz repeater on same tower is felt to be inconsequential.
70 – CENTIMETER REPEATER
Receive frequency: 449.200 MHz
Equipment:
Transmitter/Receiver: GE MSTR-II
Rx Preamp: ??
Remote control link: ??
Duplexer: 4-cavity
Feedline: ??
Antenna: 10 dBd Sinclair, 8-el
Height on tower: 200 ft
Performance:
Transmitter Power Output: about 75 watts (52 watts out of duplexer)
ERP: Approx 300 watts
Rcvr sensitivity: 0.35 uV @ 12 dB SINAD
Radiation Pattern: ??
Duplexer isolation between rcvr and xmtr: ?? dB
Coverage (partially checked): Good communication at Burlington line, poor downtown. Good at Whitehall, Glens Falls, Cobleskill; fair to Worcester down I-88. Covers Capital District except notch in line through Crossgates. Poor at Exit 23 on Thruway. Good Johnstown, Amsterdam, Gloversville. The notch is due to tower shadow with antenna side-mounted, close to tower.