[FSG-public] Happenings

[Bryan Fields]

Wanted to get out an update on what we've got in the works and encourage feedback.

Ryan and I discussed the formal workings of FSG getting HamWAN and other
repeaters up in St Pete over the weekend.  I think this will be a great
win-win for everyone and amateur radio in the Tampa Bay area.   We'll do a
Memorandum of Understanding to protect our equipment and they will have the
option to terminate it with notice.  There's a bit more to it than that, but I
don't want to say much until it's approved.

This give us about 380' of height in downtown St Pete.  We're a bit
constrained for space here, and we may only be able to get one rack.  Our
concern is a standard rack cabinet may not be able to make it up there.  A
rack we assemble on site would be the option.  We're both in agreement that a
1/2 rack will fill up to fast, and it's much harder to add a full rack after
the initial install.

The space lacks AC, and we cannot use a window unit like we have in Tampa.  We
may have some options with a unit which can exhaust into a duct, or a
mini-split.  Each would be more expensive than the install at Tampa.

For equipment the plan is a 3.4 GHz backhaul to Tampa and 3 sector deployment
of HamWAN.  There are some plans for UHF repeaters, 220 receive link, and a
900 repeater.  We're open to ideas, but this should give much more coverage
into south Pinellas County for HT users.

The other topic of conversation was how to get the word out about what we're
doing with digital radio in Tampa Bay, aka HamWAN.  I'd like to get a banner
or vertical banner made up we can take around to the various hamfests and
events.  Ryan normally attends quite a few events here and we've also been
invited with a free table to hamfest in November in Hillsborough county.

I've looked online and vistaprint has these for 50-100 dollars depending on
the size.  Is anyone good with artwork and design that could help on this?

BTW if anyone is on the 900 system it's linked into a hub and there is quite a
number of linked 900 MHz repeaters out in San Francisco at 8000' up.  I've
been using it on an HT from inside the car!  Shame we don't have 8000'
mountains in Florida :)

73's
-- 
Bryan Fields, W9CR
Florida Simulcast Group, Inc.