- Welcome & Introductions: Chris VE3NRT
- Adoption of minutes from 2017/12/05. Postponed until February 2018.
- Repeater Committee: Steve VE3UT
- The voice IDs on the repeaters are now muted when the repeater is in use. VE3YRK-V is still off the air due to a 4:1 SWR.
- Winter field day will be on January 27 and 28, and we will be at Al's Tack Shop on Vandorf Rd. A show of hands indicated approximately 10 people plan to attend. The cost of fuel and snacks will be covered by the club. Peter VE3PBT will prepare a light meal for those wishing to stay for supper at a cost of $3 per person.
- The voice IDs on the repeaters are now muted when the repeater is in use. VE3YRK-V is still off the air due to a 4:1 SWR.
- Don VE3IXJ noted that VE3BAL is now on a new frequency.
Break: 19:50
Guest Speaker: Don VE3IXJ
Topic: The Power of the HT Repeater.
Don demonstrated a simplex repeater, Surecom SR-112, costing approximately $80 Cdn bought on eBay from China. It attaches to the mic/speaker of the HT radio. On receive it records the audio, then re-transmits the recorded audio. It is a very simple solution for use in a local environment. Then Don demonstrated a crossband repeater, Surecom SR-628, costing approximately $90Cdn. The lightweight and inexpensive repeater could be set up easily and quickly in a typical emergency where simplex operation might be ineffective.
The crossband repeater was connected to an inexpensive Chinese radio capable of crossband. Anything received on VHF was retransmitted on UHF, and anything received on UHF was retransmitted on VHF. To extend the range, Don added a second crossband repeater/radio combination and then a third repeater/radio combination. From end to end a typical path would be VHF Freq#1 – repeater – UHF Freq#2 – repeater – VHF Freq#3 – repeater – UHF Freq#4.
A conversation could be heard on any frequency along the path. A radio in the middle could transmit on UHF Freq#2 or VHF Freq#3 and be heard at both ends of the path on VHF Freq#1 and UHF Freq#4.
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