25 July 2010

The Google data set file for southern California six meter repeaters has been updated and is available here.

I am attempting to get some additional information from the trustee of the CERT system up north, such that I can update the page for that system with current information. When that information is in hand I plan to upgrade the CERT page with additional info.

Not much newsworthy to report, except that I was mildly surprised to clearly hear the 52.880 MHz WA6VPL repeater on Sudden Peak from my site in Yorba Linda. I'm guessing some work was done, or maybe conditions were "just right," I don't know, but it had been a while since I had last heard that repeater.

Scheduling for the continuation of work on the 52.800 MHz N6FFI repeater is troublesome, but additional work is planned and will hopefully be done in August sometime.

Stay tuned ...

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16 June 2010

Work is ongoing on the 52.800 MHz N6FFI repeater. Right now power output is down and the hang time is very short. Gone are the multiple IDs on every "wake up". Look for further system improvements over the summer as more hardware upgrades are implemented and more controller programming is effected. Stay tuned ...

Other than that, nothing new or unusual going on in six meters FM in soCal at the moment, at least not that I've been told about.

73 for now ...

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19 May 2010

Things are happening in six meters in soCal again:

Another new repeater has joined the ranks. The N6LIZ repeater in Oak Glen is operational on 53.560 MHz (-500 kHz offset, CTCSS 107.2 Hz for access). It is linked to the N6LXX system, and Chris would appreciate signal reports to the south and east, especially along I-10 towards Palm Springs. I hear it S3 - S4 in Buena Park, and full quieting at the repeater site in Yorba Linda.

Also, there is a new remote base in Nipton (35-28-1.04N, 115-16-21.75W, look for it!), tied to the N6BKL repeater on 52.560 MHz on Frazier Mountain. This remote is on 53.900 MHz and uses CTCSS 82.5 Hz encode and decode. According to the trustee this remote should serve portions of I-15 and I-40 east of Barstow. Dan would appreciate signal reports from users on either highway. Remember that this is a remote base, so you won't hear any telemetry or carrier when you unkey. Call on channel and listen for a reply, like you would on ... well, simplex.

Per a conversation I had with the trustee a couple of days ago, the KC6FLG six meter repeater on 53.540 MHz is no longer in service and is unlikely to return. That's what Kevin says this week. We'll see what the real story is after the Low Squatch gang gets together and puts the screws to him.

Look for some activity on the SARS system, especially regards the 52.800 MHz N6FFI repeater on Sierra Peak. Some system upgrades will be implemented before the next update, and we'll be looking for signal reports.

The Google waypoint file already is getting out of date. I'll try and update that when time is available to do so.

73 for now ...

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21 April 2010

Well, the former WR6VHF Santa Ynez CERT repeater has resurrected as the K6TZ repeater on La Vigia Hill in Santa Barbara. If that call sounds familiar, it should, it's the club call for SBARC, the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club. I used this repeater a couple of weeks ago while heading up and down the coast on US-101, and was able to hear it from Gaviota south past Ventura. Look for it on 51.820 MHz with a CTCSS tone of 131.8, encode and decode. If you can raise Andy W6AMS on the repeater I'm sure he'd appreciate a signal report.

On this same trip I looked for and found the WA6VPL Sudden Peak repeater on 52.880 MHz near Lompoc, but was unable to raise anyone on it. As it was mid-morning on a weekday that didn't surprise me too much. I was surprised to find that the K6FCF Tranquillon repeater on 52.940 MHz is still off the air. I wonder if it will ever return. I will contact the trustee and see if I can help out in any way.

There are still some repeaters MIA in soCal since the big storms. Of the four "regulars" I mentioned as missing in my post of December '09, only one (Cuyamaca) has returned to service. Palos Verdes, Heaps Peak, and Loma Ridge are still off the air, apparently.

Other than that, we seem to be springing into 2010 with the usual complement of six meter systems in soCal. Get out there and use them!

Who are you rooting for in the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

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20 March 2010

Not much new and different going on in six meter FM in soCal this month. A lot of the repeaters that "disappeared" during the big storms that started last December still appear to be off the air.

I'm still hearing rumors about the Santa Ynez repeater. Nothing worth getting excited about yet, but they are persistent ...

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18 February 2010

Rumor management: For any of you that have been saddened by the demise of the Santa Ynez Peak repeater on 51.820 MHz up Santa Barbara way, take heart. That's all I'm sayin ...

For those of you that found the Google Earth downloadable information useful, or at least interesting, try the file for the southwest six meter locator. I make no claims for it's accuracy. Much of the information is based on information provided by coordinators for the respective regions, but some coordinators do not publish a list of coordinated repeaters on line. The balance of the information is taken from what I hope are reputable sources. Sites with specific known locations are shown with the "pushpin" marker, sites with uncertain locations are shown with the "balloon" marker.
Arizona (red) [ARCC] with a tip of the hat to Gary WK7B
Colorado (white)
Nevada (yellow) [CARCON]
New Mexico (dark blue) [NMFCC]
Northern California (light blue) [NARCC]
Oregon (violet) [ORRC]
Utah (green) [UVHFS] another tip of the hat to Glen WA7X
Western Washington (pink)
I will not be regularly maintaining / updating this file, but if you have any comments or suggestions for it I will make an effort to include them: please drop me a line. I created this primarily for the use of the roving hams I know (hey, I'm one of 'em ...), guys who will put a six meter rig in the truck or the RV and head out on the trail. Jerry, are you listening?

Some of the "regulars" around soCal are still MIA. More rain is in the forecast, which means that more snow may be in the offing at the mountain tops. I'll keep looking for them. Stay tuned ...

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20 January 2010

Happy New Year, everyone!

We have a couple of new things to talk about:

First is the new six meter repeater right here in southern California, up in the Santa Clarita area. Look for the N6LIZ repeater on 53.640 MHz (standard -500kHz offset) with a CTCSS tone of 107.2 Hz. I have used this repeater as far north as Vista Del Lago Road on I-5 while mobile, and can work it from my repeater site on the ridge above Yorba Linda here in Orange County as well as from my base station in Buena Park. Check it out. Signal reports greatly appreciated.

Second, the KA6NLS repeater has undergone a major overhaul in Kingman, Arizona. It is back on the air on 51.940 MHz (standard -500kHz offset) with a CTCSS tone of 100.0 Hz. Coverage should be from Kingman proper on the west to US-93 on the east, at least. Give Keith a call on the air as you motor through on Interstate 40.

The weather locally seems to be impacting some of the soCal repeaters. Some of the "regulars" have been missing the last two or three weeks. If you download the directory and look at the "Last Heard" information you'll see the ones I'm referring to. Hopefully, when the weather moderates and crews return power to sites, these machines will return to the air.

Finally, I need to wipe some egg off my face. Last month I was waving the flag here about the Mount Disappointment six meter repeater being back on the air. Someone who knows more about what he's talking about than I apparently do was kind enough to inform me that I was ... well, wrong. And I figured out how I managed to make the mistake ...

That day in December I had been returning to the OC with my folks, in their Jeep. Their Jeep is equipped with a Kenwood commercial system similar to what I had in my Suburban at one time, a TK-630 low band radio and a TK-730 high band radio tied to a common control head. This system can only work one band at a time, and if you're not paying attention it can be difficult to tell which band it's on when it stops on an active channel while scanning (which is what I was doing with it while escorting my folks). The 630 is obviously tuned for six meters, the 730 for two meters. Each band has a "Mount Disappointment" channel in it, for the LACoDCS used to operate a six meter repeater as well as their popular two meter repeater from that location.

Well, long story short, I heard the two meter repeater identify itself and got all excited thinking I had heard the six meter repeater. My benefactor, someone who knows what he's talking about, informed me that the six meter that LACoDCS used to operate is not on the air, and there are no plans to return a six meter repeater to the air.

So yeah ... my bad.

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12 December 2009

Wow ... it's been a while since I last updated the list. Sorry about that!

Last Monday, 7 December, just as the current series of rain showers was arriving in soCal (Storm Watch 2009! the media screams, but they're showers), I copied the K6CPT Mount Disappointment six meter repeater on 51.980 MHz. It clearly identified itself in voice, not once but several times over the course of the hour or so I was listening as I headed into Orange County. I have not been able to bring the repeater up, but I know what I heard. Perhaps LADCS was testing it in preparation for something that has yet to come to pass.

Meanwhile, the N6ME repeater on 51.740 MHz in Fullerton appears to be completely off line again. I've been in touch with the technical contact for this system and there are plans to resurrect it after the first of the year. I may be lending a hand in that process.

Yesterday, as the rain continued to fall up at the Yorba Linda site, I had an opportunity to do something I hadn't done for a couple of months: do my checks of what's operating in the soCal six meter community. There was a significant change in my job responsibilities in early October that destabilized my schedule considerably, but I am finally recovering from that and will hopefully be getting back to my monthly schedule after the first of the year. Yesterday afternoon was a first step towards that, and I found that some things had changed in the period of my inattentiveness.

I noted the following repeaters not on the air, and that surprised me as they are what I consider to be the "regulars," those that I found consistently month after month:

K6LRB	51.700 MHz	Palos Verdes
W6AJP	51.780 MHz	Heaps Peak
K6JCC	52.600 MHz	Cuyamaca Peak
W6KRW	52.620 MHz	Loma Ridge

I will be doing another check this coming week, and will hopefully be continuing monthly thereafter.

Finally, I have added a little link to this page that downloads a file for Google Earth that will show you the approximate locations of most of the repeaters on this list. The locations are based mostly on geographic coordinate information provided by various sources, but in some cases are based on personal knowledge. This information is not meant to show which building a repeater might be in, merely the location of the site itself.

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16 August 2009

Yesterday I overheard the N6ME Fullerton six meter repeater on 51.740 MHz repeating inputs from it's two-meter counterpart on 145.400 MHz. This is the first time I've heard this repeater transmitting in almost exactly three years. I could not bring up the six meter transmitter with any CTCSS on it's own receiver input, but it readily repeats two meter traffic. Per their web page (I updated the link for that in the directory) their 220 MHz repeater is also down, I have yet to confirm that (my only 220 MHz radio is in the communications center in Yorba Linda). They say they are looking for a six meter receiver, perhaps I'll see if they want one I have.

Earlier this month I managed to catch the Palmdale repeater from Johnstone Peak, which surprised me only because of the bulk of the San Gabriel Mountains between us. But WB6TTS is definitely alive and well on 52.660 MHz. I also caught the usual suspects from the Santa Ana and San Gabriel Mountains.

This coming week I'll be on peaks farther west, and will be looking for some of the repeaters in Santa Barbara County again.

73 for now ...

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22 July 2009

I was up in the central coast area around Santa Maria last weekend, and was able to hear for myself the 52.920 MHz K6BVA Santa Barbara repeater, the 52.880 MHz WA6VPL Sudden Peak (Vandenburg) repeater, and the 51.900 MHz W6KGB repeater in Oxnard. I could not find the 52.940 MHz K6FCF repeater on Tranquillon, even though I was staying in Lompoc and running up and down the local highways between there and Buellton and Santa Barbara.

Neither was I able to work any CERT repeaters from the Lompoc - Buellton - Los Alamos area. Looking for them reminded me that it's way past time for me to contact the trustee and get a status update on that system, when I hear back from him I will update that list as well.

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29 May 2009

The K6ARN repeater is back on the air at Santiago Peak on 52.700, and sounding good just about everywhere in the LA basin and Inland Empire area. My friend Larry KF6QFZ and I have been using it as we move around the greater LA basin, and the audio is clean and the signal strong just about everywhere we go west of Banning Pass. The trustee is again requesting signal reports from users, look for Duane WB9RER on the repeater.

Latest update is following some checks I made following my last trip into the Santa Ana mountains. I was pleasantly surprised to hear, very weakly, the N6CRF repeater on 52.820 MHz. I haven't heard from Ken Cox in at least fifteen years, I'd guess, and haven't heard from our mutual friend Wes Bartz N6DSF, whom I worked with on the Santa Fe back in the day. Ken and Wes used to be heard often on the N6CRF repeater when it was at Johnstone years ago. I'll have to try and get in touch with Wes and see if he knows what's up with Ken and his repeater.

I looked for the Santa Barbara repeater that Steve WD6CGF told me about from up in the Santa Anas, but couldn't find it. Maybe a trip up the coast is in order ...

There is apparently a new repeater under construction in the San Luis Obispo area. (I know, kind of out of SCRRBA jurisdiction, but it's not that far away ...) Look for WB6FMC on 51.800 MHz, CTCSS 127.3 Hz. Updated information may (or may not) be available at the Bakersfield Amateur Radio Association's web site.

Finally, some not-so-new data. The KA6NLS repeater in Kingman, Arizona on 52.900 MHz is down. The information I'm getting is that it may be moving to a frequency in the 51 MHz sub-band. I will try and keep up with this situation as it develops and keep users here in soCal informed.

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11 May 2009

A check from Johnstone Peak today, finding the usual suspects.

It has been over a year since I last heard the WA6BFH repeater on 51.760 MHz, even from Box Springs.

My roving sleuth Steve WD6CGF informs me that the Santa Barbara repeater (52.920 MHz, K6BVA) is heard with a much stronger signal in far western Los Angeles County than it used to be, perhaps indicating that something is going on there. We will stay tuned for more information. Also a rumor of another six meter repeater going up in the San Luis Obispo area, but that's all I've heard so far: rumors. When I get real data I'll update you.

Not much else going on in six FM around here right now, but we're hoping for good news out of the Santa Ana Mountains soon ...

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29 March 2009

Dan N6BKL has requested that I add a column to the directory showing CTCSS tones encoded in a repeaters transmitted signal. I think it's a good idea. Some repeaters don't do this, some encode the same tone that they decode, and others encode a different tone than they decode. As noise seems to continually increase in the six meter FM sub-band, in spite of the disappearance of legacy analog television transmissions, CTCSS becomes more and more desirable as a way of masking unwanted noise in our receivers.

In line with that same thinking, the simplex operators in Arizona are promoting the idea of using 100.0 Hz CTCSS on 52.525 MHz as well. Again, I think this is a good idea. I will be adding the encoded tone to the 52.525 MHz channel in my radios.

If you are the trustee of a six meter repeater in southern California or Arizona, please drop me a line and let me know what, if any, tone your repeater is encoding in its transmitted signal. I will add that information to the directory.

The downloadable directory has also been updated with this additional information.

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10 March 2009

Apologies for the long time span between updates. I've been busy with this upgrade project I've been tasked with, amongst other things.

Not that anything new or exciting is happening in six FM in southern California. My spy Steve (WD6CGF) pointed out that the K6SMR Red Mountain (Ventura) repeater on 52.980 MHz is no longer encoding 82.5 Hz CTCSS, which I confirmed again today. No new systems to report, nor any unusual situations to comment on, other than one of my own devising.

One of my projects on the job was to deploy a new company low band repeater on Los Pinetos back in mid-January. Los Pinetos is not far from Contractor's Point, above Sylmar. This repeater is in the 49 MHz band, and is part of our emergency response system. As such it is used infrequently save for monthly roll call tests.

As it happens, Dan N6BKL happened to be monitoring the six meter FM sub-band one morning last month while this monthly test was being conducted, and clearly heard our roll call on 51.940 MHz, the output frequency of the WB6RHQ Buzzard's Roost repeater. Which happens to be, arguably, the most-used six meter repeater in southern California. Yay me.

Long story short, the power amplifier in my company repeater was failing and throwing spurs every two and a half megahertz above and below our fundamental operating frequency. As there is a lot of CHP equipment in the vault our stuff is in, I figured this was a "get it fixed now" issue, and reacted accordingly. I replaced the amplifier, and things settled down.

Just today I installed a brand new inter-modulation suppression panel on this system, so we are now a friendly RF neighbor. Turns out our low band transmitter (we have UHF stuff on the site as well) was the only analog transmitter in the vault that didn't have an IM panel on it. Kind made me feel ... I don't know ... amateur.

Anyway, the update is posted. I will be working east later in the month to destinations like Box Springs and Santiago Peak, so maybe I can check on systems in the IE for a change and post another update fairly soon.

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29 December 2008

I visited Saddle Peak and Los Pinetos today, and had an opportunity to hunt around the six meter band in the western Los Angeles County area. I found the usual suspects. The downloadable six meter directory has been updated, the only change here at the web page was to note that it's been over a year since I've heard from or of the WD6APP repeater on 52.800 MHz in San Diego. I used to be able to hear it from Yorba Linda on occasion, now I can't catch it from Santiago Peak.

Tomorrow I'll be installing equipment at Los Pinetos. If I have time I'll snoop around for stuff in the east from Yorba Linda, otherwise it'll have to wait until I get back to Pleasant Peak after the first of the year.

Which reminds me ... Happy New Year, everybody!

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27 December 2008

I received an e-mail from the six meter frequency coordinator in Arizona today, and have amended the list posted on the 22nd to reflect his information. I have the complete Arizona list available in spreadsheet format, if anyone is interested in seeing the complete list. The list below is only those repeaters I was actually able to work.

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22 December 2008

Merry Christmas everyone!

Sorry for the delay in updates. I've been quite busy trying to keep our upgrade project going at work, and it's been impacting my ability to hunt for six meter repeaters. However last week I was on the road in Arizona for a week, and was able to look for all known repeaters in that state. Here's what I found:

Location	Call	Output	Input	Tone
White Tanks (Phoenix)	N6IME	51.860 MHz	51.360 MHz	100.0 Hz
Mount Union	N7NGM	52.560 MHz	52.060 MHz	100.0 Hz
Hualapai Interchange (east of Kingman)	KA6NLS	52.900 MHz	52.400 MHz	100.0 Hz
Prescott (airport)	WB7QGJ	53.040 MHz	52.040 MHz	100.0 Hz
Pinal Mountain	WK7B	53.140 MHz	52.140 MHz	100.0 Hz

I will try to do one more update for the southern California area repeaters before the end of the year. 73 for now, and Happy Holidays!

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28 September 2008

Got some good hunting in while I was taking a little break with my wife in the central coast area. I confirmed that the Sudden Peak repeater (52.880 MHz WA6VPL) is alive and well, as is Tranquillon (52.940 MHz K6FCF). I also confirmed that the Santa Barbara repeater (52.920 MHz K6BVA) is likewise alive and well, and I also heard the W6KGB repeater on 51.900 MHz in Oxnard. All this information is recorded in the latest downloadable.

My trip to the desert was unproductive, I never had the opportunity to go hunting because I was too busy with company systems to play ham radio. I'm supposed to go out to the desert again next week, maybe I'll have more time to look for distant six meter systems then.

No word on the status of the N6CRF repeater.

I keep hearing Kevin KC6FLG's repeater on 53.540 MHz on Mount Wilson, but I can't seem to get into it very often. I'll have to call him one day and find out what's up with it.

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3 September 2008

I've been in the mountains the past couple of days. Tuesday I was on Johnstone Peak in the San Gabriels, and today I was at Santiago Peak in the Santa Anas. I managed to do some hunting from both places, the results are in the downloadable. Nothing new to speak of, but a couple of observations.

The N6CRF repeater on 52.820 MHz, located on Santiago, appears to be operational but minus an amplifier. I can hear it when I'm on Santiago, but nowhere else, and supposedly it is on Santiago. I heard it again today while I was there. I haven't spoken to Ken in years, not since both our repeaters were tossed out of the vault at Johnstone back in the early '90s. I don't have any information about how to get in touch with him other than what any of us can find at QRZ.com. I also haven't stayed in touch with his friend Wes N6DSF since I left the employ of the Santa Fe, and don't really have any idea how to get in touch with him either, save the USPO. If one of you has an e-mail address for him, maybe you could drop him a line and find out what the deal with his repeater is?

Meanwhile I received an e-mail from the trustee of the WA6VPL 52.880 MHz repeater on Sudden Peak (Vandenberg AFB property). It is indeed on the air, with a directional antenna oriented northeast for improved coverage into Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo. The techs are still tweaking with things, and IRLP is anticipated. A link to a UHF repeater exists, but I'm unclear whether this is an open UHF repeater, so will not publish info for that until I find out. Give Jim a call if you're in the area. I'm sure he'd like some coverage reports.

If there are any six meter repeaters in the eastern Mojave I may find them next week, provided they aren't "hiding" behind some obscure CTCSS tone. I'll be out along I-10 between Banning Pass and the Colorado River on company business, but hope to make some time to explore. If you're aware of something I ought to look for, pass it along!

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23 August 2008

I received an e-mail from Duane WB9RER this evening, announcing the return to air of the K6ARN repeater on Santiago Peak on 52.700 MHz. Sure enough, this repeater smokes my Yaesu FT-847 receiver here in Buena Park, my LCD receive power meter lights all segments right now when that transmitter comes up, and that's at least 60dB over S9. The repeater hears me noisily with 5 watts into a Comet tri-bander (G-15?) on my garage roof, and at 15 watts I'm full quieting.

Duane would appreciate any signal reports or conversations in the next few days as they try to "dial in" everything, so if you can get in touch with him or one of his crew with a location and some information about how you hear the repeater and what power you are running, they would gladly converse with you for a bit. The system already employs a bandpass / bandreject duplexer with a preamp inboard of the duplexer, as well as a ten pole DCI filter, but is still experiencing some minor noise problems. Knowing Santiago as I do, this isn't surprising, and it didn't surprise Duane either, so he and his crew are looking into the possibility of an intermodulation panel for the system, if one can be found.

The directory has not been updated to reflect this current data, as I maintain a one year "window" for just these types of protracted "maintenance events." {smiles} Welcome back, guys!

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18 August 2008

I was working on Pleasant Peak in the Santa Ana Mountains today, and before heading for home I tuned around the band to see if any new or misplaced six meter repeaters could be found. Nothing astounding to report for the update. I guess I was too far east or too close to the site to hear Santa Barbara or Vandenburg or Tranquillon, but I did hear Palomar, which I found surprising.

I will be on Oat Mountain again before too much time goes by, and perhaps Saddle Peak as well. I will make checks from both of those locations in the hopes that I can hear some of the central coast repeaters and confirm their operability. Some time next month I will be out in the desert for a bit, I'll hunt around out there as well to see if I can find anything interesting.

If any of you learn more about the new Santa Barbara repeater, please let me know.

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2 August 2008

No update to the directory, but I made an observation a couple of days ago that might interest some of you. It seems the Santa Barbara repeater (52.920 MHz, CTCSS 82.5 Hz) may be back on the air. I heard it a few times while scanning at the Yorba Linda site the other day. Unfortunately I was working, and didn't have the time to get on the air and call to see who might tell me about it, and all I heard was key-ups, no ID. I was able to access it from Yorba Linda, and did hear a courtesy beep in reply. If any of you have any information about this repeater, please drop me a line.

Steve, are you listening? <smiles>

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24 July 2008

I'm a little behind this month, but not much. Just a few days.

It's been quiet across the southland, at least in terms of new and different things happening in six FM. There is no word from K6RIX about the 51.740 MHz N6ME system, and I still can't find it when I look for it. Likewise I haven't heard much about the KPARN repeater on 52.700 MHz. I'm assuming that they are waiting for parts to be supplied for the final installation, as I likewise cannot find it either.

I wish Cliff or someone would drop me a line about the Westchester repeater on 51.880 MHz. It's been a year since I last heard this system. I wonder what happened to it?

I haven't been to Saddle Peak lately, the last place I was able to hear the W6KGB repeater on 51.900 MHz about a year ago. I've hunted for it a couple times recently from Oat Mountain, but didn't catch it. I'll have to drop an e-mail the trustee's way to see what's up.

I have been chatting with John K6XI down San Diego way. His remote on 52.525 MHz is operational but still needs some tweaking to be performing to his satisfaction. I hear he has another radio in his possession now, perhaps to be used in a similar manner in a more northerly location. Stay tuned, as I find out more about this I'll be passing the word.

I'm involved in the design and construction of a new trunked UHF system for my employer, and have also been spending a lot of time on site working with their low band dispatch system. I'm on the road a lot, which offers me more opportunity to hunt for the elusive repeaters farther away from my OC home, and also affords me more time to be monitoring the six meter FM band as I motor along. Perhaps I will have occasion to meet some of you on the air.

73 for now!

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9 June 2008

Wow. Sorry I haven't posted an update for a while. I've been busy on the mountain tops. But no excuses here, lets get to what's happening on six FM in soCal.

My sleuth Steve WD6CGF reported in mid-May that the CARS Lompoc repeater (otherwise known as the "Tranquillon" repeater, K6FCF on 52.940 MHz) was still operational. I haven't been able to find it for quite some time now, and Steve did say that the transmitter signal strength was down compared to what he remembered while motoring in the central coast. I sent the trustee an e-mail offering help, but heard nothing back. Of course, I was changing servers at that time, so maybe his reply got lost in the cutover.

The boys at KPARN are having trouble with their 52.700 MHz repeater on Santiago Peak. E-mail from the tech tells me that they are trying to resolve a problem with the final amplifier loading into their antenna system following a system overhaul. I will keep everyone posted as they work through the problem and get the K6ARN repeater back on the air.

Meanwhile Dino K6RIX checked in with me last week to update me on the N6ME repeater on 51.740 MHz in Fullerton. The six meter receiver has been off line, but he tells me the transmitter has been fully operational. They are working on the receiver now, and hope to have it interfaced to the controller within thirty days. Other upgrades will be made across the system (N6ME also has repeaters on 145.400 MHz and 224.180 MHz), and that all repeaters will eventually be linked together.

And for you simplex FM fans there is a new remote on 52.525 MHz down on Otay Mesa belonging to John K6XI. It is connected to a UHF repeater on 446.720 MHz, but I'm not sure whether this is an open repeater or not, so check with John on 52.525 for system status. He tells me that he has plans for another remote on 525 in a more northerly location. Stay tuned for more info about that.

That's it for now. Thank you very much to the trustees and users that are helping me keep this list updated. I sincerely appreciate your help. 73 for now!

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29 April 2008

A new six meter repeater is on the air here in soCal. Complimenting his repeater at the top of the band on 53.760 MHz, K6LRB has a new machine somewhere on the Palos Verdes peninsula on 51.700 MHz. This repeater is split site and encodes and encodes CTCSS 82.5 Hz. It favors the north and west at the expense of the south and east. I am told that the repeater will eventually relocate to a higher site at some time in the future. The trustee would like signal reports from any user of this open system. I hear this system noisily from my home in Buena Park in Orange County, but could not hear it from Oat Mountain today.

I continue to hear that the 52.940 MHz K6FCF repeater on Tranquillon Peak near Lompoc is back on the air, but I can't find it. I was up on Oat Mountain yesterday and today, and could not hear it from there. I hear there are on-going issues with antenna systems at hand, and that coverage is not what it used to be.

I also hear that the old 52.820 MHz repeater up near Fresno may be back on the air, and I'm trying to get more information. When I know more, you'll see it here.

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15 March 2008

Update! Steve and I were partially correct about the 52.780 W6LIE repeater. It is indeed back on the air, but has been relocated to Grapevine Peak, which overlooks I-5 between Lebec and Grapevine. For more information about this repeater, and the Kern County - Central Valley Amateur Radio Club (KCCVARC) which supports it, see the KVCCARC web site. Thanks to Dan N6BKL for pointing this out to me!

Meanwhile I was on Johnstone Peak last Thursday, working on a company low-band repeater up there. Imagine my surprise when it turned out that not one but both of the new antennas we had on the tower were defective! We were able to cobb together something to get the system operational in a limited capacity, but will need at least one more visit with replacement antennas before we are done.

While I was there I hunted for some elusive repeaters, and found the KA6GBJ repeater on 51.840 MHz in Pinyon Pines. I hadn't heard this since I was last on Detention Peak near Banning Pass, so I was glad to find it was still on the air.

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10 March 2008

Back in January I received an e-mail from the trustee of the CERT repeater (51.820 MHz, WR6VHF) that used to be on Santa Ynez Peak in the central coast country. It has been removed from service, the reason given was "very little activity." I was saddened. Although I only spoke to one or two hams on that repeater, I called into it often as that part of the central coast is a favorite hangout of mine.

The W6LIE repeater on McKittrick Peak is back! 52.780 MHz went operational 8 March while my "roving sleuth" Steve WD6CGF happened to be in the San Joaquin. Apparently he was one of the first hams to use it. Thanks for the tip, Steve!

Also some rumor flying about the future of the K6FCF repeater on Tranquilloin Peak. Nothing is certain, so I won't propagate anything, but we'll be watching to see what develops.

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20 February 2008

Not much to report in terms of new systems or major changes to existing systems since last month. I've been continuing my e-mail conversation with the K6ARN technical representative about their plans. That will be a system to watch!

I have ongoing projects at various sites around southern California that will keep me busy as we move through spring into summer. As I visit these sites I will keep hunting for more distant repeaters. Also my roving sleuth Steve, WD6CGF, will be on the road up in the northern part of the state doing the same thing, so my northern California list may get some badly needed updates as well.

I hope you all find the changes to the format of this page useful. Please share your thoughts and comments with me. Thanks, and 73 de MIP.

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20 January 2008

I've traded some e-mails with the trustee of the W6KGB repeater in the Oxnard area. This repeater, on 51.900 MHz, is at low level while some system repairs and upgrades are being made, and will eventually deploy to a better site. While it is affiliated with the GRONK Radio Network, the trustee assures me that the six meter repeater will be an open system.

More distressing news about the CERT system. It seems that the Santa Ynez outlet (51.820 MHz, CTCSS 127.3 Hz) is down. I have e-mailed the trustee offering my assistance, but received no reply. The Arvin and Fresno CERT repeaters are down as well, and have been for some time.

Meanwhile I heard from a repeater I haven't heard from in ages, the WA6BFH repeater on 51.760 MHz. I'm not sure where this is located. It's supposed to be in Sky Forest, but I would be able to hear it from the repeater site in Yorba Linda if that were the case. (I can hear Strawberry Peak, Mount R, Crestline, and Keller Peak from Yorba Linda.) Yet the other day while I was out at the Box Springs repeater site I heard WA6BFH/R clearly identify itself in voice in response to my call. So it's back on the list as a known working system, at least for now.

I also managed to hear the Pinyon Pines repeater on 51.840 MHz from Johnstone Peak recently. Nobody answered my call, but I caught the system ID in CW.

Finally, I traded an e-mail with the technical contact for the K6ARN repeater on 52.700 MHz recently. He informed me that their system is temporarily off line pending what sounds like a complete system rebuild including a "new repeater, amplifier, antenna, [and] controller." From his descriptions it's going to be quite the "Sherwin Williams" system. (covering the world... the paint manufacturer's old byline. Get it?) I'll be keeping in touch with them to keep up to date on what's happening and will post updates as I get them.

Meanwhile, the month's observations have been incorporated into the list here.

73,

MIP

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27 December 2007

Apologies for the long delay in updates. It's been quite busy the past three months. I've been on a few mountain tops in the interim, and managed to come by some interesting information about a few repeaters along the way.

Last month I traded e-mails with the trustee of the WA6VPL repeater on 52.880 MHz up near Lompoc. Jim has had some access problems with his new site, and has also had other issues keeping him away from working with the system as much as he'd like to. But he assures us that "We're down, but not out!  I'm sure we'll be back on Sudden [Peak] someday soon and working better than before." I will of course monitor this situation for changes and update the list as soon as they happen.

I've also heard about the Tranquillon repeater on 52.940 MHz in the same general area of soCal. It seems that Eric WB6FLY has had some troubles with the controller for his repeater. The latest information I had, also about a month old, was that the repeater was still off the air. I wasn't able to raise it from Santiago Peak last week.

While at Santiago Peak I did reacquaint myself with a couple of systems which I hadn't myself heard in a while. One was W6NWG repeater on 52.680 MHz on Palomar Mountain. Another was the 51.840 MHz KA6GBJ Pinyon Pines repeater. I am normally not able to access these repeaters from Yorba Linda or metro Orange County.

Another catch, more elusive, was the N6CRF repeater on 52.820 MHz. As this repeater is located at Santiago Peak, I should be able to hear it everywhere, but I hadn't heard from this repeater in many months. I suspect there may be a transmitter issue at work, as very soon after leaving Santiago Peak I was no longer able to hear the repeater signal. I will attempt to get in touch with the trustee to see what's up.

Finally, I traded e-mails with the trustee of the 52.580 MHz repeater, which used to be up on Silver Peak east of Bishop. W6IY tells me that the repeater was removed a while back due to insurmountable noise issues at the site, and is stored fully serviceable in his garage. He is mildly entertaining the idea of redeploying the repeater at another site, but has made no decisions. I know that Silver Peak is not in the SCRRBA coordination area, but even so W6IY/R was a system I used with regularity as I am a repeating visitor to that area on a regular basis. So expect me to publish information about it here, even though it doesn't appear in the list. More info as news comes to me.

I hope 2008 is for each of you everything you hope and dream it can be. Happy New Year!