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Delaware County ARES-RACES Repeaters Delaware County ARES-RACES operates ten repeaters dedicated to emergency communications from five sites within the county. The repeaters include four types of systems including FM voice, digital voice, digital data and packet. Three FM voice repeaters provide service on the 144 Mhz, 220 Mhz and 440 Mhz bands. Two 440 Mhz D-Star repeaters provide simultaneous digital voice and lo-speed data transmission with speeds up to 4.8 kbps. Two 1.2G D-Star repeaters provide simultaneous digital voice and lo-speed data to 4.8 kbps. Two 1.2G D-Star repeaters provide hi-speed data service up to 128 kbps. An RMS packet server provides radio email service via the Winlink 2000 system. The locations of the repeater systems offer large radio frequency footprints providing excellent coverage for portable, mobile and fixed radio communication throughout Delaware County and adjacent areas. Interoperability with Adjacent County EOCs The D-Star repeaters can be connected via the internet to ARES-RACES units in adjacent counties, providing an extended viable emergency communications link to Emergency Operations Centers in the five county Philadelphia metropolitan area including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties. Additionally, the D-Star repeater systems in each of the five counties extend coverage to mobile and field units operating within their access areas.
ARES-RACES Repeaters Serving Delaware County
* KA3TWG Repeaters are owned and operated by Penn-Del Amateur Radio Club
DELSTAR EAST Digital Repeater System - N3AEC Delaware County ARES-RACES' first D-STAR repeater system is located at Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania on the county's eastern border with the city of Philadelphia. The repeater system was funded by DCMH and is the first Amateur Radio repeater in Delaware County dedicated to emergency communication. The repeater system began operation on March 25, 2010 and also has the distinction of being the first D-STAR repeater in Delaware County. The repeater system uses call sign N3AEC. The repeater system, designated DELSTAR EAST, consists of an Icom ID-RP4000V 70cm digital voice (DV) repeater on 440.04375 Mhz, an Icom ID-RP2V 23cm digital voice (DV) repeater on 1255.5250 Mhz and an Icom ID-RP2D 23cm digital data (DD) repeater on 1299.7 Mhz. An ID-RP2C controller interconnects the repeaters and will soon be linked to the internet as a gateway station. Antennas for the system include a Celwave omni with 10.1 dB gain on 440 and a Comet omni with 14 dB gain on 1.2G. The repeater site is 185 feet AMSL (Above Mean Sea Level) with antenna center of radiation located 151 feet HAAT (Height Above Average Terrain). Power output on 440 is 25 Watts with an ERP of 203 Watts. On 1.2G, power output is 10 Watts with an ERP of 166 Watts.
DELSTAR EAST REPEATER SYSTEM Call sign: N3AEC Location: Delaware County Memorial Hospital Municipality: Upper Darby, Pennsylvania (Drexel Hill) Coordinates: N 39 57'16", W 75 17'0" Ground Elevation: 185 feet AMSL Center of Radiation: 305 feet AMSL, 151 feet HAAT Antenna Pattern: Omnidirectional Antenna Gain (23cm): 14.00 dBi Antenna Gain (70cm): 10.10 dBi Transmitter Power (23cm): 10 Watts TPO / 166 Watts EIRP Transmitter Power (70m): 25 Watts TPO / 203 Watts EIRP
PORT A Frequency: 1255.5250 Mhz (+ 12 Mhz) DV and data @ 4.8kbps PORT B Frequency: 440.04375 Mhz (+ 5 Mhz) DV and data @ 4.8kbps DD Frequency: 1299.7 Mhz data @ 128kbps Gateway Status: N/A (planned for Summer 2010)
Equipment: Icom ID-RP2V 23cm DV Repeater (PORT A) Icom ID-RP4000V 70cm DV Repeater (PORT B) Icom ID-RP2D 23cm DD Repeater Icom ID-RP2C Controller TX-RX Systems 1.2G triplexer TX-RX Systems UHF duplexer TX-RX Systems UHF dual bandpass filter Broadcast Sciences UHF isolater / preamplifier Astron rack-mounted DC power supply Powersonic 12V 100 AH AGM battery West Mountain PG40S DC charger and power distribution panel Polyphaser PLDO-120US 15A surge arrestor Antennas: 23cm: NGC / Comet GP-21 Omni (14 dBi gain) 70cm: RFS Celwave PD-1151 Omni (10.1 dBi gain)
DELSTAR WEST Digital Repeater System - W3AEC Delaware County ARES-RACES' second D-STAR repeater system became operational May 14, 2010 from high atop the Fair Acres Building in Lima. The repeater system was furnished by the Pennsylvania Southeastern Counter-terrorism Task Force and is designed to cover the western part of Delaware County and adjacent areas. Initial testing reveals a very large RF footprint that will make the repeater system a significant asset for emergency communications via Amateur Radio. Designated DELSTAR WEST, the repeater system uses the call sign W3AEC. The D-STAR repeater system consists of an Icom ID-RP4000V 70cm digital voice (DV) repeater on 440.05625 Mhz, an Icom ID-RP2V 23cm digital voice (DV) repeater on 1255.5500 Mhz and an Icom ID-RP2D 23cm digital data (DD) repeater on 1299.9 Mhz. An ID-RP2C controller interconnects the repeaters and will soon be linked to the internet as a gateway station. Antennas for the system include a Celwave omni with 10.1 dB gain on 440 and a Comet omni with 14 dB gain on 1.2G. The repeater site is 336 feet AMSL (Above Mean Sea Level) with antenna center of radiation located 282 feet HAAT (Height Above Average Terrain). Power output on 440 is 25 Watts with an ERP of 203 Watts. On 1.2G, power output is 10 Watts with an ERP of 166 Watts.
Located atop the 14-story Fair Acres Building in Lima, W3AEC occupies a commanding position in Delaware County. The equipment cabinet houses the three repeater modules, controller, duplexers, triplexers, preamplifier, band-pass filters, power supply and backup battery system. Antennas include a Celwave PD-1151 on 70cm (shown on left in photo) and a Comet GP-21 on 23cm.
DELSTAR WEST REPEATER SYSTEM Call sign: W3AEC Location: Fair
Acres Building Municipality: Middletown Township, Pennsylvania (Lima) Coordinates: N 39 55'70", W 75 26'32" Ground Elevation: 336 feet AMSL Center of Radiation: 532 feet AMSL, 282 feet HAAT Antenna Pattern: Omnidirectional Antenna Gain (23cm): 14.00 dBi Antenna Gain (70cm): 10.10 dBi Transmitter Power (23cm): 10 Watts TPO / 166 Watts EIRP Transmitter Power (70m): 25 Watts TPO / 203 Watts EIRP
PORT A Frequency: 1255.5500 Mhz (+ 12 Mhz) DV and data @ 4.8kbps PORT B Frequency: 440.05625 Mhz (+ 5 Mhz) DV and data @ 4.8kbps DD Frequency: 1299.9 Mhz data @ 128kbps Gateway Status: N/A (planned for Summer 2010) Bob Famiglio, K3RF, inspects installation of W3AEC D-Star Repeater
Equipment:
Icom ID-RP2V 23cm DV Repeater (PORT A)
Icom ID-RP4000V 70cm DV Repeater (PORT B) Icom ID-RP2D 23cm DD Repeater Icom ID-RP2C Controller TX-RX Systems 1.2G triplexer TX-RX Systems UHF duplexer TX-RX Systems UHF dual bandpass filter Broadcast Sciences UHF isolater / preamplifier Astron rack-mounted DC power supply Powersonic 12V 100 AH AGM battery West Mountain PG40S DC charger and power distribution panel Polyphaser PLDO-120US 15A surge arrestor Antennas: 23cm: NGC / Comet GP-21 Omni (14 dBi gain) 440 Mhz Band-pass Filters 70cm: RFS Celwave PD-1151 Omni (10.1 dBi gain)
KA3TWG Repeater - 446.925 (-) pl 173.8 / 224.220 (-) pl 88.5 - Bethel Township, Pennsylvania The KA3TWG repeater system, located in Bethel Township in Delaware County, is the home repeater of Delaware County ARES-RACES. The repeater is operated by the Penn-Del Amateur Radio Club and has outputs on 446.925 (-) with a pl of 173.8 hz and on 224.220 (-) with a pl of 91.5 hz. The repeater is located on one of the highest sites in Delaware County at over 400 feet AMSL. The tower is 350 feet high. The KA3TWG repeater hosts the Delaware County ARES-RACES net held each Wednesday at 1930 hours and is the SKYWARN repeater for Delaware County. The repeater system has an extremely large RF footprint and serves all of Delaware County and much of the Delaware Valley. It is one of the premier Amateur Radio assets in southeastern Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Listening to ARES-RACES Nets on your Scanner If you have a VHF / UHF scanner, typically used to monitor police and fire calls, you may also use it to listen to weekly ARES-RACES nets in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Amateur Radio Emergency Service nets are held each week by county units that use the nets to test emergency communication systems and to disseminate important operational information to radio volunteers. Use the table below to determine which net you wish to monitor and program your scanner with the receive frequency listed in the fourth column. Times listed are local in the 24-hour format. If you have a general coverage shortwave receiver you can listen to the Eastern Pennsylvania RACES Net on 3.9875 Mhz (lower sideband) on Sunday mornings at 0900.
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