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GB3EM - 2m repeater for East Midlands

GB3EM is a analog FM 2m repeater in the East Midlands, sited near Junction 1 of the A14 (on top of a large hill).

What is it?
GB3EM is a 2m repeater for the East Midlands, 145.7625, 77hz.

It will be commencing low power test mode operation on the weekend of the 3rd/4th November 2018. Initially it will be in low power mode so that any interference potential to any co-channel repeaters can be assessed and whilst the final installation is made ready.

We hope to get the final installation ready around mid-December. It has been decided to get it on air in low power mode as due to the high demand for this repeater then it will be on air ASAP for people to use and enjoy whilst the final installation is made ready.

The repeater is to be a simple analog FM unit (like this website) without Echolink, IRLP, digital or any other such bells and whistles. The "USP" of this repeater will be the coverage, which should by itself attract sufficient usage that these features would actually be a hinderance rather than a benefit.

The equipment for the initial phase will be a "standard" Tait TB7100. This is a temporary repeater simply to get the thing on air whilst the final equipment arrives. Some components for the final repeater (such as multipole crystal receive filters) are being custom made and will take a few weeks. These were not ordered until the frequency was finalised as they are specific to the frequency allocated.

Comments have been made regarding the coverage map at the top of this page. This is a simplified version of a coverage map produced by computer prediction software, combined with existing knowledge of how the site propagates taken from an automatic GPS drive testing exercise some time back. It is reduced down slightly from that shown on the ETCC website and represents a reasonable set of parameters for "average" mobile installations and "average" base station installations respectively.