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REPEATER HISTORY The 147.285 MHz repeater was first put on the air in August 1983. It was a joint effort of WB8IUH (Don, later WE8R, now W8DPK) and N8CWU (Larry). Since Larry had the shorter callsign, it was decided to use Larry's callsign on the repeater. Because of the band plan at the time, the output frequency was 147.885 MHz. This frequency was chosen because there were no other repeaters in Ohio on that frequency. The receiver was a Kenwood TR-7400A (a 2m mobile rig) located at Don's QTH (near West Jefferson). The transmitter was an Icom IC-22S (a 2m mobile rig) located at Larry's QTH about 1/4 mile away. The two sites were linked on 449.700 MHz using boards from a pair of Motorola HT-200 handhelds. The controller was a Commodore VIC-20 computer running a BASIC program for simple control of basic repeater functions. No autopatch was available. Later in 1983, the Icom became the receiver and the Kenwood the transmitter for increased performance. The Icom IC-22S worked so well that it remained the 2m receiver until 1994. Split sites were used because a duplexer was not available and the cost was prohibitive. In 1984, the software was updated to the RC-4 Repeater Control Software for the VIC-20. This software, written by W8DPK-Don, was later sold as a commercially available product. An autopatch was added, sharing Don's home phone line. Later that year, the band plan changed and the frequency pair was inverted and changed to the current 147.285 MHz. By 1985, the repeater system was informally associated with Madison Amateur Radio Club (MARC). The repeater users and contributors were all MARC members. Thanks to the efforts of Bob Kirby (KA8GTJ, later N8IDJ, SK) and Orville "Doc" Russell (KA8KHS, later N8IBS, SK) and possibly others, a site was secured at the Madison County Hospital in London, and the transmitter site was moved from Larry's QTH to the hospital. A new transmitter was installed, a GE Royal Exec mobile rig, modified to use a 440 MHz link receiver and a 147 MHz transmitter running about 15 watts. A dedicated phone line was installed at the control site (Don's QTH) for full time autopatch operation. In 1986, the link frequency was changed to 444.725 MHz to avoid interference with systems in Dayton and Mansfield. The link transmitter was changed to a GE “PR” handheld transmitter strip and a Motorola Micor™ amplifier running about 50 watts. This also doubled as the UHF output transmitter. The orphaned UHF link receiver at Larry's QTH was re-crystaled to 449.725 MHz for use as the UHF input frequency, and the N8CWU Repeater was now a dual band repeater on both 2 meters and 440 MHz. Users with dual-band rigs could take advantage of the full duplex autopatch. In 1988, N8IJV (Terry Neville, SK) donated a Motorola Micor™ base station for use as the main transmitter in London. Don added the UHF link receiver and modified it for use as a repeater. It was installed on February 29, 1988. The transmitter is rated for 110 watts but is set at about 75 watts for repeater duty. This was the VHF transmitter until it was replaced in 2000 with the current Hamtronics (now defunct) equipment. In 1990, the link transmitter was changed to a GE Master II mobile transmitter strip running about 15 watts. This is our current link transmitter at the Mt. Sterling receive site. In August 1992, a major lightning strike severely damaged or destroyed most of the equipment at Don's control site. The system was down for one week while the equipment was repaired. This was the first time since 1983 that the repeater was off the air for more than a few days. In September 1994, another lightning strike blasted the Icom IC-22S receiver beyond repair. The repeater was down for nearly three weeks while a new Motorola Micor™ VHF receiver was adapted for amateur band use. This is our current receiver at the Mt. Sterling receive site. In November 1994, all of the power supplies for the radios and computer equipment were modified for 12 volt operation, and a 30AH battery and charger were installed. In February 2000, the repeater call sign was changed to KE8RV in memory of Wanda Cutlip, SK. Wanda was the Club "voice" for many years. She was always around when anyone accessed the repeater. She made everyone using the repeater feel welcome. Wanda was a part of the Club's core and could be found at any Club event. People could always depend on Wanda for taking an active part in the Club's success. Ernie Young (WB8WHQ, SK) was another welcoming “voice” on the repeater. Wanda and Ernie would QSO for hours, and others would often join in. Many new upgrades occurred in 2005 regarding the KE8RV repeater system. Under the guidance of Repeater Trustee, Don Kovalchik-W8DPK, the repeater system took a leap into the future. All three remote receive sites are now sporting a new micrprocessor-based controller that is optimized for a multi-receiver voted repeater system. The firmware, written by W8DPK, features several CTCSS and carrier access modes, multiple timers, and very sensitive DSP CTCSS and DTMF decoders. A single 2.5" x 3.5" PC board replaces the three much larger boards that were previously used. Technical repeater information including schematics, photos, circuit descriptions and coverage maps can be found here. |
