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C.A.R.L.A. May/June 2009 wrap up
Last updated on July 4, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
There is a lot that was accomplished in May & June of 2009 for C.A.R.L.A. Here is a wrap up of what happened in brief:
CARLA 3, Pt. Arena:
We replaced CARLA 3 with a permanent system and linked it in to the rest of the network. It now has a dual PL scheme, battery back up, new controller, better RX & TX gain and so on. One issue we have experienced is the fading link path at times. It may be just fine when using it or it may fade into the noise usually with hot temperatures. We are constantly listening to the path and will make some changes this year to try and improve it. For now, please be patient with it and say hello to the newly connected users in the Pt. Arena, Manchester and surrounding coastal towns. This was the last CARLA system to be linked in to the network.
CARLA 5, Oakland:
The new CARLA 5 system has been on the air for a few weeks now but has been experiencing some technical issues with the controller. It is the same model as the one at CARLA 13`s site and we do have a way to remotely reset this one as well. It seems this controller has been acting up multiple times a day and then maybe not again for a few days or a week. There is no pattern that we can pin it down to but the manufacturer is aware of issues with them and we have been patiently awaiting a fix.
CARLA 13, Shasta Lake:
We installed the new IP controller and RF link to the Oregon Connection, new antennas and did a lot of work getting everything working properly. Then the controller decided to lock up and we made another trip to install a remotely controlled power management black box to reset the controller when it goes wiggy.
CARLA 18, Topaz Lake, NV:
We replaced the RF hub that links in all of the Nevada sites and replaced a pre-amp that was damaged. This should help with audio and link path gains.
CARLA 20, Burney:
We found the reason for the repeater being off link. The link antenna was sheared off most likely due to a chunk of ice falling from the tower. Since this was an `extra` field trip, we did not have a spare Yagi to replace it with. In a pinch, we used a rubber duck antenna from the service monitor and it is still full quieting back to CARLA 13. When we go up to replace out the entire system we will bring a new Yagi antenna as well. This is the last of the machines that still has a single PL and temporary repeater.
CARLA 22, Hawthorne NV:
The system on Corey Peak has been replaced with a permanent system. It now has a dual PL scheme, battery back up, better RX & TX gain, new antennas, RF links, new controller and so on. To date this is our highest site at 10,300 feet and covers a wide area of Western-Central Nevada and Eastern California. Anyone travelling South on 395 towards Bishop and beyond is encouraged to check in and give us some feedback on drive tests. This site will require another trip to tie up loose ends that we ran out of time to finish.
CARLA 23, Reno/Lake Tahoe NV:
We tied up several loose ends on this system and moved the primary antenna a little higher along with a new coax run. We still need to make another trip to finish a few things as it turned out to be a Noon to Midnight day partly due to having to hike the last 500 feet to the site carrying all kinds of equipment and test gear and making several trips doing it. There was a deep snow drift that kept us from traversing the road and made for a real fun filled, oxygen depleting couple of hours hiking at nearly 10,000 feet.
Stay tuned for more to come.