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Wyre Forest Repeater Group Latest News September 2010 Wyre Forest Repeater Group DStar Reflector
36 now online. Reflector 36 came online
during the early hours of Monday morning
13th September 2010. Midstar UK are using module A, the
Wales & West Country Groups are using Module B and Module C will be used
for Dongle to Dongle & DVAP to DVAP users who wish to have prolonged
QSO’s away from the repeaters. Module C will also be used for Raynet events
in and across the two regions. Many thanks go to Phil
G4SPZ who has arranged use of the
required High Speed Internet connection with his employer, Brian G8VPR, Don
M0FHM and Mike G1ZRN who have donated the required equipment. Also thanks to
the rest of the Wyre Forest Repeater Group for their continued support to
WFRG’s DStar projects. A big Thank You to Robin
AA4RC whose continued support and development of DStar related products have
ensured the future of the new & exciting Digital Amateur Radio Mode. August 2010 Wyre Forest Repeater
Group DStar Reflector For some time now, the Wyre Forest
Repeater Group have been trying to find a suitable location with a high speed
internet connection so that we can install and run our own DStar Reflector
for the Midstar network. We have been looking to set-up our own
DStar Reflector after our initial home on 13B was switched off without
warning during 2009. Then we found a temporary home on Reflector 20 and not
long afterwards we thought we had found a permanent home for MIDSTAR (UK)
when 21 came along. Well, a year later we suddenly found
ourselves yet again in the wilderness after 21 suddenly disappeared during
June 2010. It was recorded as a hardware failure and it was reported that it
would be returning to service but no further information has been available
as to when, or if, it will return to service so we were yet again without a
permanent home for the MIDSTAR (UK) Network. We are very grateful to the W8SHI Shiawassee County DStar Repeater Group who have come to our aid and offered
us a home for MIDSTAR (UK) but we have will still decided to continue the
installation of our own Reflector. We are now pleased to report
that we have the facility to host a DStar Reflector. Many thanks
go to Phil G4SPZ who has arranged with his employer for us to install on
their premises' a server that will have a 100Mb Internet connection. Brian
G8VPR (keeper GB7ZI) has donated a server form which components were used to
complete a more powerful server that Mike G1ZRN donated, Don M0FHM
(keeper GB7SY) has also donated additional components for the server. The
server will be installed during August 2010. When reflector 21 was set-up by an
associate of the admin team at GB7CD, they kindly offered us a home for
MIDSTAR (UK) on Module B. So in return, as they also lost their home on 21,
we have offered the groups that make up the Wales & West Country Network,
including GB7CD, GB7WB GB3WE the use of Module B. So the allocations of the Modules will
be, MIDSTAR (UK) on A, Wales & West Country on B and C will be reserved
for future MIDSTAR (UK) & Midland Raynet event & exercise nets. The Reflector number has
yet still to be determined, whether we carry on with 21 or are assigned
another number will be confirmed at the time of installation. Please visit our web
site for updates. July 2010 We now have a temporary home for MIDSTAR UK on Reflector
24 B http://ref024.dstargateway.org/ The reflector is owned and maintained by the W8SHI Shiawassee
County D-Star Repeater Group located in Owosso, Michigan USA. So a big thanks to the team there for letting us use
module B until we can find a secure permanent home for MIDSTAR UK. Please update your radio link setting from Reflector 21B
to Reflector 24B. GB7WF is now automatically linking to 24B and GB7BM,
GB7GL & GB7ZI are also now on but GB7SY is currently suffering computer
problems and will join the network shortly. GB7WF has moved to a new site as the property it was
originally located at has now been sold. We have been searching for a
suitable site since last December and a number of possible sites were sought,
with one site offering exceptional coverage potential, but the fine print
could not be agreed upon and in fact most of the possible new locations
offered to us were made by parties that were not really serious. As time was
running out we started to accept the possibly of losing WF or face hosting it
at one of the group members properties which would keep it on air but with
dramatically reduced coverage. June 2010 MIDSTAR Reflector 21. January 2010 Uninterruptible powers supplies
have now been installed on GB3KR & GB7WF. The decision to purchase a UPS
for each Repeater was made to protect the equipment from short and sudden
power failures which could result in damage to equipment, and to provide
power back up during short power outages. GB3KR should run for approximately
20 minutes after mains power failure before closing down. GB7WF will have a
shorter duration as the UPS also supplies power to the Gateway Computer. If you would like to
contribute to cover the cost of the UPS’s then please return to the Home page
and click on the donate
button or alternatively send a cheque made payable to the Wyre Forest Repeater Group and send to Nigel G8OXG,
details on QRZ.com. |