| GB3WS – RV60 |
|---|
| TX 145.750 MHz |
| RX 145.150 MHz |
| CTCSS 88.5 Hz (FM/C4FM) |
Map showing GB3WS coverage
GB3WS (and GB3HO) has now been operational from its new location in Itchingfield, just south west of Horsham since April 8th 2023.
Sadly the repeater keeper, Mick Senior G4EFO became SK in late December that year. It was always Mick’s intention that the Horsham Amateur Radio Club (HARC) should take over the management and operation of GB3WS, GB3HO and GB7WS. Accordingly, the HARC Chairman, Adrian (G4LRP), now holds the official Notice of Variation for each repeater from Ofcom.
Having made numerous visits to the GB3WS and GB3HO repeater site at Itchingfield, it became abundantly clear that the hardware for both repeaters had become “old and tired”, needing more and more ongoing support to keep them operational. It was decided to replace both GB3WS and GB3HO previously ICOM based repeaters with Yaesu System Fusion DR-2XE (FM/C4FM) dual mode repeater units. Both GB3WS and GB3HO became operational on the 11th May 2024 with new Yaesu DR-2XE units running 20 watts
As of 18th March 2025 GB3WS was moved from the eastern side of the barn to its new location on the north western corner of the barn and co-located with GB3HO. Both repeaters have now been installed into a half size equipment cabinet and with a UPS backup and now share the Diamond X-200 dual band co-linear on top of the mast which is now at approximately 45ft AGL and now share the Diamond X-200 dual band co-linear on top of the mast which is now at approximately 45ft AGL. Both repeaters are showing much improved performance in Horsham and the surrounding area and have been reduced in power to 20 watts Effective Radiated Power (ERP).
Both repeaters are set to standalone dual mode (FM/C4FM) but are not yet networked.
Single antenna duplexer working for GB3WS is achieved by four Sinclair cavities and a phasing arrangement based on a hybrid ring modified by G4EFO. Each cavity has an insertion loss of about 0.5dB at the wanted frequency and a reject notch in excess of 55dB at the unwanted frequency. There are two cavities in the transmit leg and two in the receive path followed by a ferrite circulator, which allows the repeater to run single aerial working in order to achieve a reciprocal transmit and receive path.
After each repeater duplexer/cavity filter system, both repeaters are combined into a Diamond X-200 dual band co=linear aerial on top of a 10m ex- military mast and fed with new LDF450 feeder. Separate folded dipole control aerials for each repeater are also mounted on the mast
