Some very early pictures of the installation at Kingsfold on the Surrey – Sussex border
Foundation being dug for the 60′ aerial mast at Kingsfold.
The work carries on
left to right – name? G4EFO G3SWC name? name?
another couple of shovels should do it !
thats enough for now, down to the pub for refreshment ?
so thats the mast at Kingsford – destroyed by the October 1987 hurricane !
GB3HO on RB14 and GB3WS R6 at Kingsfold.
In the early sixties we used Storno 662 series transceivers which worked very well. Note the big 24 volt power supplies, purchased from GWM radio in Worthing.
This shows the early 2 metre installation, and the start of the change from the air band notch filters to the sinclair hybrid ring – ( the silver one on the floor )
The original GB3HO repeater on RB14
A slightly re-arranged view of GB3WS and GB3HO
GB3WS repeater pre 2023 at Handcross railtrack site
Views of the old IC1510 and new ICF110 repeaters
The new unit has been modified to allow the use of our own external CAT controller. At present the repeater is adjusted to run 25 watts to the input of the duplexer.
The new Icom ICF 110 TX
The GB3WS Aerial System
The picture below (mouse over for different view) shows the tower which supports the WS antenna system. Our antenna is the one at the top of the mast to the left. It is a single folded dipole about 22 meters AGL. The aerial is fed by a 30 meter run of Andrews LDF-450 coaxial.
The antenna is spaced one quarter wavelength from the mast with an orientation of 270 degrees. The system is fed via a four cavity sinclair duplexer, at the ‘T’ piece of which is a ferrite circulator.
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 which allows the repeater to run single aerial working in order to achieve a reciprocal transmit and receive path.
Operational Parameters for GB3WS pre 2023
GB3WS is the two meter repeater that serves an area targeted at the northern part of West Sussex and the South-West parts of Surrey. Because of its geographical location it is very difficult to tailor the aerial pattern, and signals are received across a great deal of northern East Sussex as well as south London.
The repeater uses two ICOM IC F110 transceivers fed to a 50 watt PA. The PA is running at 25 watts. The repeater is fed via the duplexer to a single dipole antenna approximately 68′ above ground. The coaxial feed is Andrews LDF4-50.
Single antenna working is achieved by four Sinclair cavities and a phasing arrangement based on a hybrid ring but 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
The repeater logic is derived from a CAT300 DX series controller purchased at the Dayton Amateur rally U.S.A. from CAT Technology.
Repeater time out is set at three minutes ( Aug 07 ). Every 15 minutes the repeater will send a voice ID. On the hour it announces GB3WS and then the time. At 15 minutes past and 15 mins to it gives voice ID GB3WS. On the half hour the repeater gives a voice ID followed by the CTCSS sub tone frequency. Through audio is permitted and a user can continue to use the repeater during and I.D. period. If talk-through is in operation the voice ID is replaced at a convenient break by mcw ID, de GB3WS E. ( E being the 88.5hz sub tone.) The young lady that gives the occasional “good morning” or “good evening” announcement is a bonus, and I guess she sneaked in as an illegal immigrant. I’ve taken all the covers off the repeater, but alas, I am unable to find her anywhere.
By keying up and sending 555 in DTMF tones the repeater will reply with the time. If this system is abused it will be switched off.
Access to achieve talk-through requires a carrier plus an 88.5 hz sub audible tone. The repeater also transmits an 88.5hz tone.
The logic has many functions, some of which users will have heard demonstrated, but I have tried to keep the operation parameters very basic. The logic parameters are easily changeable via the software on the laptop computer and can be loaded onto the repeater in a couple of minutes.
GB3WS CAT 300DX Logic Controller
Complete Controller
Controller Board
CAT Repeater Interface Cable
This interface cable allows you to quickly connect your CAT (Computer Automation Technology) repeater controller to the Icom mobile radios.
Installation is as simple as plugging the lead marked “TX” to the transmit radio and the lead marked “RX” to the receive radio. Next, close jumper “F” on the TX main board and your done. The cable is supplied with 30″ leads.
This cable is now available with an optional link port “pigtail.” Connecting a link radio has never been easier!
This DB9M pigtail allows you to use an OPC-617 equipped radio as a link transceiver. Installation is as simple as the jumper “F” mod to the link radio and plugging the cables together.
If you are not using a third Icom radio as a link or are connecting to a second repeater you can always “roll your own” interconnect cable. The pinouts follow the standard Icom accessory port wiring with pins 3 (audio out), 4 (audio in), 5 (PTT), 6 (COS), and 9 (ground) being active.
OPC-617 compatible cable is available for for every CAT to Icom repeater cable (with link option) purchased.