147.180 Repeater Status

As some people may have noticed, the WD4DES 147.180 repeater has been having issues over the past few months. Repairs are continuing, and we hope to have this critical site back at full operating capability soon. The transmit exciter is running barefoot at 13 watts with separate receive and transmit antennas at the moment.

At this point, the main antenna has been replaced, duplexers have been fully tested and realigned. The PA deck is still undergoing repairs and there is currently no ETA on when it will be back in service.

Steve and Steuart have narrowed down the high SWR issue that damaged the PA deck to either a faulty hardline terminator or a bad jumper cable, and will continue testing during the next few weeks. Any tower climbers who are willing to donate their time should contact Steve for scheduling.