GB3WS

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

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 produces a notch of around 55dB at the unwanted frequency, with an insertion loss at the wanted frequency of about 0.5dB.

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