The Schenectady Amateur Radio Association operates the K2AE 2 meter and 70 centimeter repeaters located at the top of Crawford Hill in Schenectady County near NY State Thruway exit 26. The 2 meter repeater has been in continuous operation since 1962. The 70 centimeter repeater was returned to operation in August 2022.
SARA’s 6 meter and 1.25 meter repeaters are no longer in operation.
Repeater trustee George, W2SFD, has asked that the following guidelines be followed:
K2AE Repeaters Guidelines – rev 3
| Band | Receive Frequency | Transmit Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 2 meters | 147.060 MHz | 147.660 MHz |
| 70 centimeters | 444.200 MHz | 449.200 MHz |
Site Characteristics and Features
Height of ground above average sea level: 1320 feet
Height above average terrain: approximate 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 tie point; 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 Preamplifier: ARR GasFet
Repeater controller: Model 7K
Remote control link: landline and UHF radio
Duplexer: 6-cavity Decibel Products plus one cavity each (band pass) on transmitter and receiver
Transmission line: 180 feet of 7/8 ” hard line
Antenna: 6 dBd broadband, fixed 4-folded dipole array by Sinclair Labs
Height on tower: approximately 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.
Receiver sensitivity: 0.18 uV for 12 dB SINAD
Duplexer isolation between receiver and transmitter: better than 120 dB
Duplexer/filter loss: approximagely 1.8 dB
Carrier operated relay: N CTCSS used
Coverage: East to about milepost 10 on Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90);West to about Canojoharie, and Fort Plain to Mohawk; North to about Ft. Ann and Whitehall; to Warrensburg on Northway (I-87) to Speculator north on Route 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 made from more formal measurements.
70 CENTIMETER REPEATER
Receive frequency: 449.200 MHz
Equipment:
Transmitter/Receiver: GE MSTR-II
Rx Preamplifier: ?
Remote control link: ?
Duplexer: 4-cavity
Feed line: ?
Antenna: 10 dBd Sinclair 8-element
Height on tower: 200 fet
Performance:
Transmitter Power Output: about 75 watts (52 watts out of duplexer)
ERP: Approximately 300 watts
Receiver sensitivity: 0.35 uV @ 12 dB SINAD
Radiation Pattern: ?
Duplexer isolation between receiver and transmitter: ? dB
Coverage (partially checked): Good communication at Burlington, VT line, poor downtown. Good at Whitehall, Glens Falls, Cobleskill; fair to Worcester down I-88. Covers Capital District except notch in line through Crossgates Mall. Poor at Exit 23 on Thruway. Good in Johnstown, Amsterdam, Gloversville. The notch is due to tower shadow with antenna side-mounted, close to the tower.