Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The Tower Is Up!

Drummond Island is now one step closer to better communication, the tower is up!


On August 19th 2011, the tower was raised into position by crew of volunteers (Kelly Excavating & Redi-Mix, David Wright, and Dan Smith)

The tower is approximately 75 feet to the top of the antenna mast. An additional 20 feet can be added as additional sections of Rohn 25G are acquired. (If you have access to to any, please let us know.)




Right now we are waiting for the tuning elements for the radios, duplexers to be tuned, installation of a grounding system, and a repeater controller. 

Items needed: #6 Grounding wire (we are going to need a bunch), Full size enclosed 4 post rack to mount equipment in. Please contact us if you have something to donate!

Also on Friday, Great Lakes Four Wheel Drive Association made a monetary donation that should get us close to completion, Thank you GLFWDA!

Other donors that are making this project possible:
Kelly Excavating and Redi-Mix, EARS (Emmet Amteur Radio Society), Mud Sweat & Gears 4x4 Club, What Lies Beyond Jeep Club, and the many individuals who have made personal donations...   THANK YOU!








Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Drummond Island 2m Repeater Project

This is the official...
       Drummond Island 2 Meter Repeater Project Update Page

Project Background:
   This project started simply as a conversation among friends while visiting and 4 wheeling on Drummond Island, in August of 2010.  While out in the trails using 2 meter ham radios, we discovered that while we could talk amongst ourselves in Simplex mode (Mobile Radio to Mobile Radio), we just simply could not reach out any farther than 10 to 12 miles depending on terrain, foliage etc. Normally given this scenario we would tune our radios to a repeater that would be able to reach out farther. We would key up the repeater, it would then (you guessed it!) repeat the broadcast from a top a tower allowing greater distances to be achieved.  While this may seem like no big deal to some, mobile phone coverage is very limited on the island, and in many cases non-existent. This poses potential emergency communication issues. This is something that effects all user groups not just the 4wd community. 
   That started a dialog about getting a 2 meter repeater on the island.  Over the last year or so there has been a lot of research into what towers are already on the island and if they would be a viable option for locating a repeater. While there are a couple of towers on the island, they both present monumental hurdles to clear to get a private amateur radio repeater installed. In one case the tower is owned by the government, and you can probably guess how easy it would be to get permission to use that!
A few of us got together and decided to pursue placing a 2m repeater on private property there-by eliminating years of red tape and hassle, only to be at the mercy of the tower owner to house and grant access for servicing and maintaining equipment. Here we are now...


Current Status of Project:
  • We have acquired the frequency from the powers that be. (147.96 MHz  was issued on Sat, May 7 and we have 180 days to have it operational)
  • We have obtained permission and a commitment from a local land owner on the island to provide assistance and material (concrete) to install the tower (which has also been donated), and to provide power for the equipment. (THIS IS HUGE!)
  • We have a system design and parts list needed to complete repeater and bring it online.
  • We have talked to the locals on the island who are in agreement that this would be a great thing for the island and the safety of individuals out on the trails or in the woods that otherwise would have no means of communication.
What is needed:
  • DONATIONS!!!!  (We need to raise the needed funds to purchase the equipment) 
  • Donations in the form of financial assistance or if there are parts that you or your club may be willing to donate. (please contact us for an up to date list of what is needed)
  • Help getting the word out to the many bulletin boards and other user groups that can benifit from having a 2m repeater on Drummond Island. 
Who is involved in this project:

Members of Mud, Sweat, and Gears 4x4 Club (www.msg4x4club.com), GLFWDA  (www.glfwda.org), and many other individuals whom I have not yet asked permission to publish names. We would like to formally invite clubs and interested parties to join us in this effort.

Great Lakes Four Wheel Drive Association (www.glfwda.org) has agreed to receive the donated funds on behalf of this project. Please indicate to PayPal that this is a "gift" this will eliminate the fee that PayPal would normally charge. Also, be sure to type the word "HAM" in the comments of the PayPal form, this will ensure the the funds will be earmark specifically for the Repeater Project.

Please donate to the cause,

Thank You!