| ARES - Linn County, Iowa |
The following is a list of various ways Amateur Radio has contributed to local government and other public service organizations. This list may include activities organized by ARES, CVARC, or any other Amateur Radio organization that let's us know how they are contributing. THANKS TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS!
The new antenna is installed on top of Mercy Medical Center and all of the cabling has been installed and tested. This system is now operational. This afternoon, John LeClaire (KC0WQD), Phil (K0PAS), Tom (KD0HF), Brett (KC0VJI) and myself completed the installation. John and his crew had previously routed the cable down the access shaft from the Utility Room to the 1st floor and over to the ceiling where the radio is to be located. The antenna was installed on the tower and connectors put on the four ends of the LMR-400 cable.
The cable from the antenna is broken in the Utility Room by a polyphaser lightening arrestor. Using a 3 watt Handi Talkie on this cable, we were able to bring up the Waterloo Repeatr (146.94). On low power (.5 wattt), we could bring up the Independence, Manchester, Benton County, Iowa County, Jones County, and of course Cedar Rapids area repeaters on 2 meters. We were able to successfully access the 450 MHz repeaters in the CR area as well. The connectors were installed on the long cable run and power levels tested between the radio room on the first floor and the polyphaser in the Utility Room. I don't have the exact power figures but they were very close to the values specified on the cable comparison chart A information package on this station will be created and made available for those members who might be deployed to this hospital.
Thanks to John, Phil, Tom, and Brett for helping to get this project completed so quickly.
Steve, WA6GFD
The new
antenna is installed and in place. We checked the Iowa City repeater and
are good into it as well as the Independence repeater.
144 37 5 8.69db loss
440 22 .5 16.43db loss
WA6GFD and
KD0HF moved the CAP dipole at EMA last on 17 July. Moved it East about 50 feet
so now it is above the East part of the building which is all classrooms and not
above the EOC room and wiring closet. We tested the PA system after the move
and were unable to hear any noise in the PA system. Tried the amateur HF radio
also and found no noise from it either, even though we did not make any changes
to the amateur dipole.
Not sure if we had the PA system set up
correctly with everything turned on, but will try it again at the EMA meeting
tomorrow night.
Maybe the amateur signal was coupling to the
CAP antenna and then into the PA system. At this point, the interference seems
to be greatly improved.
I
installed the Kenwood radio in the EMA command vehicle. The radio is in the
cabinet where the old radio was located. I installed a Power-Pole connector on
the radio and installed a Power-Pole connector on the banana plugs on the dash
where the radio will plug in. I thought about banana plugs on the radio but that
would provide no polarity protection for the radio. The Power-Pole connector
looks like a good alternative.
I have some labels that I want to put on the radio with your name and mine and
"Amateur radio W0GQ" and a label for the antenna connector on the dash "Amateur
radio dual band antenna"
I also have 2 pair of cheap headphones to put in the cabinet with the radio just
so that there are some headphones available.
The instruction book is with the radio along with a printout of the programmed
frequencies and frequency name.
I didn't actually try the radio in the van, so that should be checked out
sometime. Might also be good to create another coax cable for the radio - UHF to
BNC. The one that is there is too long and too old. I will work on making one
after I get back from vacation - will return on Jan 12, 2006.
I have the Yeasu dual band radio at my house.
Tom, KD0HF