WB4GBI/R 927.725 is on the air!
On Tuesday evening, after an “unplanned” trip to the WIVK transmitter, I took the new WB4GBI/R 900 MHz repeater to the mountain. Since there was already an antenna waiting there (abandoned by a paging company when they changed sites) I was able to hook the repeater to this existing antenna without having to wait for the tower crew, which is scheduled to come to the site and change the .94 antenna. So, it’s on the air! And much to my surprise, there were SEVERAL users already on the repeater when I returned from the SEC basketball tournament in
The 900 MHz amateur radio band is unique in that there are NO amateur manufacturers that make equipment for this band. All of the equipment, including the repeater itself, is commercially made equipment by Motorola and Kenwood. And further, not all of the 900 MHz commercial equipment out there will adapt itself to Amateur Radio use. If this band interests you, please consult with someone who has experience with the specific types of transceivers to use and which to avoid. Otherwise, you could waste your money on a very nice doorstop.
I will write more about 900 MHz and my experiences in a later blog. If you have any questions in the meantime, please email me. An email link is on the website. Have a great weekend!
73 de Tim WB4GBI
