CTARC Ragchew - October '23

The October 2023 edition of Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre's monthly newsletter "Ragchew" is now published. Grateful thanks to our editor, Charl ZS1ZZ, for another fine edition.

Thank you to those numerous contributors in this edition!

You are also welcome to send Anne ham related things that you would like sent out to members, if appropriate, she will gladly do so for you.  To do so, please contact Anne at zs1ct@ctarc.org.za

Download the October 2023 Newsletter as a PDF file [here];

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page

CTARC Ragchew - September '23

The September 2023 edition of Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre's monthly newsletter "Ragchew" is now published. Grateful thanks to our editor, Charl ZS1ZZ, for another fine edition.

Thank you to those numerous contributors in this edition!

You are also welcome to send Anne ham related things that you would like sent out to members, if appropriate, she will gladly do so for you.  To do so, please contact Anne at zs1ct@ctarc.org.za

Download the September 2023 Newsletter as a PDF file [here];

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page

CTARC Monday evening net - 30 Aug '21

Radio hams monitoring the 145.750 MHz Repeater on Kanonkop will know of the weekly Monday evening CTARC Net held on that repeater at 20h00. 

Recently Mike ZS1FP (who used to run the net with Noel/ZS1FW/sk, as well as after Noel passed on)  announced that he's no longer available to do that. Thank you, Mike, for your service to the Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre.

Fortunately, Barry ZS1FJ has stepped in to continue to run the net, which is for all radio amateurs (not just CTARC members) who can reach that repeater to participate in! Thank you, Barry!

Remember, the net meets every Monday evening, starting at 20h00 local time, on the 145.750 MHz repeater (Duplex FM, input frequency 145.150 MHz, no CTCSS tones required).

The net covers a  wide range of topics that radio hams may discuss including (but not limited to) technical matters. Do join in! It's a great opportunity to chew the proverbial rag with fellow radio hams!

CTARC New Vice-Chairman - 18 Nov '19

With the sad loss of Noel ZS1FW who had held the post of CTARC Vice-Chairman until his passing on 29 October 2019, the position became available.

At the committee meeting of 18 November 2019, Paul Johnston ZS1S was unanimously elected to take up the position of CTARC Vice-Chairman for the period 2019 / 2020.

Paul is a very active member, both of our club and the CTARC committee. In addition to this new responsibility, he also manages the CTARC's weekly Bulletins and Repeater matters.

Report-back on Repeater Work Party of 21 Mar '19

On the public holiday of  Thursday 21 March 2019 several CTARC members gathered at the club’s repeater site to form a work party to repair the UHF repeater and mount the UHF antenna onto I.R. Pope’s new tower. The UHF antenna has been mounted on the wall of the repeater building below roof level since the previous tower had blown down in the major storm of June 2016.

The back-up batteries were cleaned and a spare cable was identified and readied to be installed up the tower leg to mount the UHF antenna underneath our existing VHF antenna. Upon inspection, Paul ZS1S discovered that the cable connecting our VHF antenna to its antenna had never been waterproofed! Paul checked the connection and installed the waterproofing. Unfortunately, before he could install the UHF antenna, the wind picked up making further tower work unsafe and he had to come down.

While we were there we also checked the SWR on the VHF antenna and found it to be extremely high. Using his antenna analyser, Peter ZS1PGC discovered there was a very bad connection within the repeater building. Upon inspection we found a badly corroded connection and repaired it. The SWR was now excellent and the repeater works much better than before.

I would like to thank Lem ZS1LEM, Paul ZS1S, Dave ZS1SG, Peter ZS1PGC and Keverne ZS1ABU for coming up the hill and assisting that day. We still need to get our UHF antenna up on the tower and planning is in progress for that.

Addendum:

Following on from this work party, this yesterday Mike ZS1TAF, Peter ZS1PGC and Paul ZS1F put our UHF antenna back on the repeater tower and it is now working fantastically. Now that our Force 12 beam, the new rotatable 40-metre dipole and the tower at the club have all be repaired, all of our equipment is back in perfect working order. What a relief! No more freak June storms please...

Rob ZS1SA



 

 

CTARC ZS1CT Bulletin for 13 Aug '17

Please note that from Sunday 13 August 2017 onwards (for the time being), the SARL HQ and CTARC Bulletins will be transmitted on the 145.600 MHz repeater on Hanskop near Sir Lowry's Pass, at 08h30 local time.

There is a link to the 145.750 MHz repeater (albeit with reduced audio levels and signal strength) as well.

The bulletin will also be relayed (relay stations permitting) on 3700 kHz / 80m and 7086 kHz / 40m, both Lower Sideband (LSB).

We also hope to have an Echolink relay as well.

Thank you (in advance) to the relay stations!

CTARC ZS1CT Bulletin for 30 July '17

Please note that the SARL HQ and CTARC Bulletins will be transmitted at 08h30 B: on the 145.650 MHz on Sunday morning of 30 July 2017.

CTARC Bulletins Frequency Change - 23 July '17

Owing to the temporarily limited local coverage of the Tygerberg Repeater antenna on 145.750 MHz, the CTARC Sunday morning bulletins (the ZS6SRL SARL HQ Bulletin and the ZS1CT Club Bulletin) that start at 08h30 S.A.S.T. will transmit instead via the 145.600 MHz repeater on Hanskop at Sir Lowry's Pass. This frequency change is effective from Sunday 23 July 2017.

That repeater may well be linked to other Cape Peninsula-area repeaters if possible.

The bulletin will also be transmitted via Echolink and, if relay stations are available, on 7086 kHz and 3700 kHz, both Lower Sideband.

CTARC Repeater Mast Damage - 8 June '17

The massive storm on Wednesday 7 June 2017 didn't just destroy the CTARC's main beam antenna, it also blew over the radio mast on the Kanonkop high site as well, putting the 145.750 MHz and the 434.625 MHz repeaters out of action.

However, thanks to a heroic effort by Dave / ZS1SG, a temporary mast has been installed at that site and the 145.750 MHz repeater is back on air, although with slightly diminished performance, which is understandable considering the circumstances. The 434.625 MHz (70 cm) repeater remains out of action at present.

Therefore the Sunday morning bulletin WILL be transmitted on the 145.750 MHz repeater as per normal.

CTARC Report-Back on Meeting of 25 Feb '17

On Saturday 25 Feb 2017, Jan / ZS1VDV gave the club a most interesting talk and Powerpoint presentation on the Western Cape Repeater Working Group's activities.

Using the Hawequa Repeater as an example, Jan took us through the environmental issues that affect the repeaters proper operation. Sited as they are on exposed positions high up on mountain tops, the actual buildings require periodic maintenance, in addition to the maintenance of electronics inside. Wind load on exposed antennas - sometimes as high as six tons! - takes its toll on even sturdy steel structures over time.

Jan also showed us the insides of the repeater buildings and the actual repeaters themselves, which also require maintenance, repair and (eventually) replacement. He brought along an example of a repeater unit for us to see, too.

He also gave some insights into the future plans of the WCRWG, which include implementation of new technologies in the digital domain.

In essence, Jan provided us with a clear understanding of just why there is a constant request for funds by  the WCRWG - regular custodianship of equipment by this dedicated group of individuals (who often give freely of their personal time to keep the system afloat) does come at a cost. Furthermore, in April  the repeater licenses are due and the 5-year option (cheaper in the long run) is a significant sum.

After Jan had finished his talk, Klaus / ZS1QO briefly presented some of the latest Yaesu mobile rigs which he is taking orders for.

That was another great CTARC monthly meeting. The next meeting is the mega-fleamarket outside the club house on Saturday 4 March 2017. See you there!

Jan / ZS1VDV introduces himself

Cable ducts outside the repeater building

Jan shows the repeaters in situ

Our chairman, Rob / ZS1SA, thanks Jan for his presentation

Klaus / ZS1QO presents s latest line of Yaesu rigs

Jan brought an opened repeater for all to see the components thereof

Various questions were asked and answered after the talk

The usual post-meeting rag-chew and eyeball QSOs.
Left to right: Hans / ZS1HA, Noel / ZS1FW, Skippy,
Danny / ZS1BL and Barry / ZS1FJ

CTARC Forthcoming Meeting - 25 Feb '17

Jan / ZS1VDV

The February meeting of the Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre will take place (as per usual) on the fourth Saturday of the month, which will be 14h00 on Saturday 25 February 2017.

The venue will be the CTARC Clubhouse. Details of how to get there are [here].

At this meeting, Jan / ZS1VDV (a most active member of the WCRWG) will give a talk and Powerpoint slide show on the topic of  "The Western Cape Repeater Network" - it's workings, maintenance and general info. This promises to be a most interesting event.

Further details will be published in Ragchew, on this blog and on the Sunday Morning CTARC Bulletins on the 146.750 Mhz repeater at 08h30.

CTARC - Support the 145.750 MHz Repeater - 23 Jul '16

If you use the Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre's 2m repeater on 145.750 MHz, please consider helping to support this popular repeater.

Your money donations can be paid to the CTARC Repeater Fund, and not just the Western Cape Repeater Working Group (WCRWG). These funds help pay for repeater maintenance and for acquisition and installation of new equipment.

Our latest issue is the antenna on the 145.750 repeater at Kanonkop. The old antenna has been up on the tower for years and needs replacement, not just maintenance.
Please send your donations directly to our club account with the reference: "CTARC Repeater Fund" to the following bank account:
Account Name – Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre
Bank – Standard Bank
Branch – CLAREMONT
Type of account: Current Account
Branch Code – 025 109
Account Number – 072 561 580

CTARC The Narrow- vs Wideband FM Debate Continues - Jun '15

The following article, which was published as the leader article in the latest edition of Ragchew (June 2015) has received a number of comments, so it is reproduced here:

Chairman’s Chat - June 2015

Wideband, Narrowband, what is this all about and what does it mean to us? Why are the committees of both CTARC and Oakdale opposed to a move to FM narrowband deviation at this time?

Firstly, a bit of background: There are 8 possible frequencies for 2 metre FM repeaters on our current wideband scheme; 145.600, 145.625, 145.650, 145.675, 145.700, 145.725, 145.750 and 145.775 MHz. If you listen around on 2 metres you will note that most of the time all of the local repeaters sit silent or perhaps one is in use. During rush hour sometimes you may find 2 or 3 repeaters being used, but not often.

Right away you can see that we are very fortunate to have so many possible repeater channels to use and we hardly make use of most of them. Some of our repeaters go for several days without any usage.

Now, what is the purpose of the narrowband concept?  There are several technical reasons not to go to narrowband, including the reduction in range in weak signal conditions. The only technical reason to move to narrowband is so that you can fit twice as many repeater channels into the existing space. Instead of 8 possible repeaters you could have 16 repeaters.

Some European and a very few American cities with large and active ham populations have moved to narrowband to gain the extra channels and, for them, the move to narrowband is both necessary and sensible.

In this area you hear every week, the Western Cape Repeater Working Group (WCRWG) who maintain our repeaters are continually looking for funds to maintain our existing repeaters. Neither CTARC or Oakdale clubs can see a purpose in installing another 8 repeaters, even if we had the funds to purchase, license and maintain them.

Proponents of the move to narrowband point to the fact that turning down the deviation level on older equipment (the type most of us still use) will make it compatible with narrowband. This does make the transmitter compatible but not the receiver which will now pick up the new repeaters installed on either side of the channel you are using. And if they are not going to be installing repeaters on either side of the existing ones, then why are we moving to narrowband in the first place?

The Oakdale and CTARC Committees believe there is more to this unnecessary move to narrowband than meets the eye. Time will tell.

Additional confusion also exists around ICASA rulings. ICASA has decreed that VHF stations move to narrowband as there are more Commercial stations than there are frequencies available. This ruling makes sense for Commercial repeaters which are what the ruling was aimed at. I wish we still had our old type of radio inspectors who understood the difference between Amateur and Commercial operations and regulated them accordingly.

ICASA does not allocate what modes and channels we are to use on our 2 metre band. In fact if you check in the regulations, Annexure I which details the Amateur frequencies you will see that the law simply states that we can operate from 144 to 146 MHz all modes except Pulse or Fast Scan Television. That’s all the law says. The old Radio Inspectors knew that Amateurs were a self-regulating group that could sort themselves out as we have historically done.

The only repeater in our area that is still on wideband and therefore usable with all past and current production equipment is our 145.750 repeater. This is ably maintained by our Dave Perry ZS1SG. If you have older equipment that does not switch the transmitter and receiver between wide and narrow you will appreciate the insistence that ourselves and Oakdale have taken to keep 145.750 on wideband until there is a valid reason to need to change it to narrowband.

73

Rob / ZS1SA
CTARC Chairman

Update:

A debate on QRZ.com about Narrow-vs-Wideband FM [here].

A survey by one of the US ARES groups about Narrow-vs-Wideband FM [here],
and another [here].

A technical article about Narrow-vs-Wideband FM [here].

A Frequently Asked Questions page [here].

CTARC Bullying of the Major Cape Town Radio Clubs by the SARL - 21 Jan '14

Extracted here below is an open letter to the South African Amateur Radio Community from the Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre and the Oakdale Klub (Amateur Radio):

Recently the Western Cape Repeater Working Group (WCRWG), the group that is supposed to serve the Cape Town radio clubs by installing and maintaining the repeater system in the Western Cape decided that they wanted to convert the existing wide-band (25 kHz FM deviation) repeaters to narrow-band (12.5 kHz FM deviation). There appears to also be some local Hamnet support for this.

The two largest clubs in Cape Town, the Cape Town ARC and the Oakdale ARC lodged a complaint with the WCRWG, for the following reasons:

1. The repeaters in the Cape Town area are becoming less used than they previously were as our Amateur population in the area gradually ages and diminishes. Some repeaters go more than a day without any use. Therefore there is no reason to convert the existing repeaters to narrow band, which will only be necessary if we are going to add more repeaters.
   
2. The WCRWG is continually seeking donations in order to maintain our existing repeaters. In fact, reports over the past few years have indicated that the WCRWG is operating almost hand to mouth and does not even have funds to properly repair a repeater building that is leaking rain into the building, let alone install (and maintain) additional repeaters.
   
3. With the aging Amateur population in the area, mostly using reliable but older VHF equipment, having to convert their equipment to narrow-band is beyond the financial and technical abilities of many. Narrow-banding most of these older receivers is unfeasible. A substantial number of Radio Amateurs will then be off the air.
   
4. The conversion to narrow-band will result in less available Radio Amateurs being able to assist in the event of a disaster, not more.
   
5. There is no justifiable reason to convert the area’s repeaters to narrow band at this time.

Special General Meeting with SARL President

A special general meeting of the major clubs, WCRWG and the SARL president took place on 23 November 2013 to discuss the narrow-banding issue. It was noted that the SARL held the licences of the WC repeaters, although they had been financed by the clubs and individuals in the WC.

The SARL President stated that the conversion to narrow-banding the Western Cape repeaters would take place even though it was pointed out that this conversion was NOT a requirement of ICASA.
It was stated from the floor that this forced conversion would cause a loss of membership in SARL. The SARL president’s response was “They always say that”. Is that not shocking arrogance from our SARL President?

The SARL president also informed us that ICASA will not issue repeater licences to clubs or individuals that the SARL has not approved and the SARL will no longer approve of wide-band repeaters. It came out later in the meeting that these changes would be concluded by 2017, only three years away.

The Cape Town ARC and the Oakdale ARC have opposed the move to narrow-band at this time.

Regardless of the five very valid reasons set out above, the SARL intends on forcing us to convert. We believe there could be a hidden agenda behind these discriminating actions. We find their condescending behavior towards our members regrettable.

Signed,

Noel / ZS1FW, Chairman Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre
Dirk / ZS1VDB, Chairman Oakdale Amateur Radio Club

21 January, 2014