BAARC Repeaters

Constructed in August, 2004. The output frequency of the repeater is 53.110 MHz. The repeater listens on 52.110 MHz and requires a 123.0 Hz tone. Vertical Polarization, non-directional, about 120 feet above average terrain. Antenna installation story. Repeater installation story.

This 2-Meter repeater transmits on 145.130 MHz and receives on 144.530 MHz. It is an open repeater and no sub audible tones are required. Any licensed ham, in the area, is allowed to use it. There is no auto patch, but a courtesy beep follows each transmission. The repeater was first turned on February 17, 1999. It is now linked to the BAARC Echo Link node. The Node number is 233515.

This repeater is southeast of Brainerd and has about 175 feet of antenna height. It reaches north to Walker, east to Aitkin, south to Rice, and west to Wadena.

Our newest 2-Meter repeater. It went on the air on May 3, 2005, and was upgraded in February 2006. This one transmits on 147.030 MHz and receives on 147.630 MHz in the Crosslake, MN, area. The antenna is 160 feet above the ground giving it 40 to 50 miles of range. Old-timers will remember that this is a frequency used for one of the Brainerd repeaters until August 2002.

Our long established 2-Meter repeater was changed from 147.030 to 147.225 MHz on August 19, 2002. It transmits on 147.225 MHz and receives on 147.825 MHz. This is an open repeater. No sub audible tones are required. Any licensed ham, in the area, is allowed to use it. Autopatch is available to BAARC club members.

No long distance calls can be made unless you use your long distance calling card. Local calling from the Brainerd exchange and its connecting prefixes are still free. YOU MUST STILL IDENTIFY WHENEVER YOU USE THE PATCH. Any abuse will not be tolerated. WØKO, the trustee, asks all members who hear someone accessing the patch without first identifying to punch in the code to disconnect them. Everyone’s cooperation is needed

The repeater is located just north of Brainerd. It is workable as far east as Aitkin, west to Wadena, south to Rice and north to Hackensack. The repeater has about 100 watts of effective radiated power from an antenna at about 225 feet above the ground. This is the one used for the 8 PM Sunday Night Net.

The Gull Lake repeater was turned on March 2, 2004. It can be heard on 443.925+. You can transmit to it on 448.925 MHz. Use a 110.9 Hz tone. The tone is needed to prevent unwanted interference. The antenna is about 500 feet above average terrain. Antenna, transmission line, tower, and building space are being provided courtesy of WJJY Radio at 106.7 MHz in Brainerd. The repeater transmits with 100 watts output.

Because the new repeater is linked to repeaters in northern Minnesota, across Wisconsin and into Michigan, we need to pay more attention when using it. The repeater system is a chain of repeaters. Each one takes time to switch its transmitter on. From one end of the repeater chain to the other, it takes several seconds. It is good operating practice to key your microphone, count to three in your mind, and then start talking. Those communicating locally through the Brainerd repeater would not need to do this, but it is best to do because of those listening along and especially at the end of the repeater chain.

E-mail from 3/3/04: It is working great as we expected. I was able to "work" Al Doree WØRC until I was about 5 miles South of Long Prairie on hwy 71 late yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. I did stop south of Randall and switch the roof mounted 1/4 wave 440 antenna with the 5db gain 440 antenna. It helped cure the choppy flutters, as expected. That is also the antenna I was using when I finally could not raise the repeater south of Long Prairie. Pretty darn good considering between Brainerd and Long Prairie is very hilly country. Thought you'd be curious to know. Thanks for your help yesterday. Roger Williams WØWUG

E-mail from 3/5/04: The new 443 repeater worked to about Rice, MN, while I was on a road trip to St. Cloud. That is 50 miles away. Mark WØMH

WØUJ-5 144.390 MHz Brainerd APRS Node

Club BBS 145.67 MHz Packet Node

The Brainerd Area Amateur Radio Club 145.67 MHz BBS-Node. The antenna is located at about 120’ above ground near the center of Brainerd. The BBS service call sign is WØUJ.

MNBRD packet node upgraded. The MNBRD (WØUJ) packet node on the Brainerd HRA high rise is now a full service BBS. On June 29, 2005, Jerry, NØMR and I (Al, WØRC) upgraded the 145.67 MHz packet node from a simple connect node to a full service BBS, much like the old BBS’s of the old packet days. This node is running JNOS software which is much better than the old programs that used to be on the BBS’s. It still functions as a connect node as it did in the past but has many more capabilities. This was done to provide a local node for hospitals & public health departments as well as other hams in the area to become familiar with the packet digital mode of communications.

You will notice some things different when you log in. You will be greeted with the following banner: WELCOME TO THE TCPIP AX25 SYSTEM WØUJ.

You have (x) messages. AREA: (Your Call). Current msg# Ø.

? A,B,C,D,E,F,H,HI,IP,J.K,L,M,N,NR,O,P,PI,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,

The string of letters are the letters representing the commands the system will respond to such as:

C = connect, S = send, B = bye or disconnect. If you type the (?), the system will give a short meaning of each command. The only other thing different when connecting to another node is you have to also put in the port number as the following example: c 1 mnisle, or c 1 mnlf2. c 1 mnisle will connect you to the new Isle, MN node and c 1 mnlf2 will connect you to the Little Falls node.

When you log in, you can use either MNBRD or WØUJ, you will establish an AREA with your call sign so that if someone wants to send you packet mail, it will go into your mail box, or if you want to send someone a packet message, it will go in their mail box. When the system sends out a beacon, it will list the call signs of people that have new mail in their mail box. Please give it a try and let me know if you have any problems or questions. We can help you get up to speed using packet again. Good Luck, 73 de Al WØRC

For more information on the Minnesota Packet communications system, See http://home.att.net/~mn67pkt

The club has a Motorola Radius 100, UHF repeater that is used for public service and other community events where a mobile relay station is needed for coverage in a smaller geographic area than the wide-area VHF repeater stations provide from fixed locations. This equipment is small, including the duplexing filters, and can be easily transported to an event site and set-up either as a part of the club's emergency communications trailer or by itself using a portable antenna. No sub-auditable tones are needed for encoding into the machine or decoding from it, although that capability is available should it be needed. The transmitter power output is nominal at 35-watts on the antenna side of the filters and range is dependent upon antenna height and terrain where it is used. Typically operating from one of the trailer-mounted dual-band antennas and around our Crow Wing, southern Cass County areas, up to 15-miles can be expected to/from mobiles and 5-miles from 5 watt portables.