BART - Border Area Repeater Team

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Echolink: 1125 & 22474 IRLP: 3892 & 3033 WIRES: 1128 & 1381

LATEST NEWS: Thursday, 18 May 2013
The crew got together and completed the 2nd stage of the tower project and for the most part finished the job. The 220 antenna was moved to the top as opposed to being located at the same level as the 900 anetnna. The top guys were moved down, the semi rigid heliax was insatalled and the 900 machine was turned on and is operational. W1KSZ - Richard was the first contact followed by KD7UIZ - Don, seems to work OK. Next will be to interface the machine to the BART. Afterwards, K7IOU provided hamburgers. KB1EDU - Chad took off before the burgers. You missed it, Chad! I think Fred ate yours.

LATEST NEWS:

Thursday, 16 May 2013

So the other day, Dave - K7IOU says "What is that boatanchor stuff doing on the BART page" So, I thought about it awhile and decided to create an AM page. Announcements for hamfests and other related items will still be posted as required. Ok, Dave?

LATEST NEWS: Sunday, 12 May 2013
Since we're going to have an addition to the BART repeater system, a 900 MHz machine, Dave thought it best to install a beefier tower to hold the additional monster 900 antenna, so we had a tower party yesterday. You can see it in what looks like a junk pile. It's at least 12' long. Why so big when a quarter wavelength is about 3 inches? Dave and I dropped the old tower the other day and he had already made a new mounting plate, part of it compliments of KE5SQC - Randy, and had two sections of the Rhon 25 standing already. It was a bit warm, but a steady breeze kept things fairly cool and at least the tower is up, guyed and the 220 antenna is on. School is still out as to whether it will be moved to the top of the tower or not. N1DHS - Gary and WA0RTO - Fred did the climbing duty and it went pretty well with no incidents, if you get my meaning. KW7RS - Rolly, KB1EDU - Chad and WA1BZQ - Bruce helped too. More to come!

LATEST NEWS: 5 January 2013
Our man K7IOU - Dave decided to present a BART participation award to our Arkansas Echolinker KE5SQC - Randy . Of course, you all know that Randy lives in Fishook, Arkansas, Population 2. So, here is the award:

The picture doesn't do it justice because it's really a LARGE "fishook". Here's a picture of Randy and Mom holding the award to give a better perspective. <Click Pictures to Enlarge>
When Dave asked Randy about Fishook, here's what he said:
Well there David, thats a very interesting question you have asked. Let me see if I can answer as best as I am able.... In the form as a Proper Noun, it would be spelled as I have in the past. As a place I live at the present moment in time and space on the Planet Earth in the Milkey Way Solar System South of the line just East of Sole Creek, Missouri and West of Rockee Pointe, Alabama it would be spelled as I do. Although you are compelled to think that you know I understand what you are asking, I'm not sure that you understand what I'm answering is not exactly what you most likely want to hear! Therefore it is most likely a diferentiation between what you see and what I spell may just make it more likely misunderstandable.The proper spelling for a Fish Hook is as spelled, Fish Hook. Now, if you were to take a trip, say to that place, just East of Sole Creek, Missouri and West of Rockee Point, Alabama, you would find yourself in Fishook, Arkansas. I hope this helps you to understand that I know what you have asked and hope that what I have answered, is, the proper answer in as far as I understand what you have asked. Although there are other answers to your very interesting question, I am sure, this only represents one of many other ways there may be to answer. Therefore I assume you understand that this answer will, most likely, only propagate other thoughts on how to answer your question. Randy, Fishook, Arkansas
One of our newest Jerry Bob's Breakfast attendees AE7YQ - Bill gave me a motherboard so I can build a spare computer for the IRLP/ECHOLINK/WIRES system. Recently, KB1EDU - Chad donated a computer to the cause. He had one that'd been rolling around in the back of his pickup truck for a while and he mentioned that he was gonna' take it to the desert and use it for target practice. I talked him into giving it to me and I managed to coax it back to life. So now, the computers on the BART will probably last a long time now that there are spares.

LATEST NEWS:

6 August 2012

So the door bell rings and it's the mail lady and she's got a small box. Turns out it's from Fishook, Arkansas. "What the heck is this?" I'm wondering. I opened it and in there was a thank you card from "The guys in the morning", KE5SQC - Randy, K7GEL - Ken, N3RO - Rick, AB7IC - Tom and VK3JRE - Rex. It said, "Thanks for all your work and expense. A gift to show our appreciation for all you have done." I can only assume it's for the "BART". Well, it's my pleasure. Only thing is, where am I gonna' find a belly big enough for this belt buckle? What a deal! Look at that case that Randy probably sewed himself! The thing is 4.5 X 6. I guess I'll mount it on a plaque.

20 April 2012
I guess it's been a whil since I posted anything here. Our buddy Randy - KE5SQC up in Fishhook, Arkansas sent some picture of his place to Ken - K7GEL. Here they are.



13 March 2011 Christine no longer has Computers Etc., however, she still has the Christine and Bob Show on Saturday's at 11:00 AM on KVOI. ... FLASH: The Christine and Bob Show is no more!
1 December 2009 The Southern Arizona DX Association has a new website at http://www.sadxa.org Stop by and take a look when you get a chance and if you are interested in DX, attend a meeting and see what they're all about.
29 October 2009 I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted any news. Anyway, here's some good news. Christine and Bob (N7ZQK) are starting their weekly computer talk radio program on KVOI The Voice of Tucson (1030) beginning on 14 November from 11:00 AM until 12:00. Christine is a big supporter of the B.A.R.T and has contributed several times when we've been in need for old computers. So, please listen in and support Christine and Bob. Here's the link: <CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE ADVERTISEMENT>
14 September 2008 K7IOU had a malfunction in his 224.74 machine and spent some time troubleshooting it and finally discovered the problem with a squelch gate card. He felt so good about it that he decided to tempt fate and do a "re-organize" on the repeater, link radios and VoIP system computers. It looks so neat that a gremlin might come in and try to do something . We'll see !

<Click Picture to Enlarge>
5 June 2008 Dave - K7IOU has made a few changes to his system including the Echolink connect prefix and disconnect. The connect prefix is * (star) and the disconnect is now # (pound). An IRLP node has been added to his system. The node number is 3033 and requires a "B" prefix in order to differentiate from the 3892 node. The disconnect is B73. And to top it all off, Dave has a WIRES-II node #1381. So, the BART has two of everything. If you hear anyone connecting, please give them a call. As you might already know, the N7JND simplex node is connected to the BART 24/7. Lee, WB9TPD has re-established his Echolink Conference server. To connect to Lee's server, just DTMF 111 and you'll be there. Enjoy !
5 March 2008 We regret to announce the passing of Hobart (Bart) Paine, who passed at the age of 84. Bart - K7CC was the original owner and licensee of the 146.34/94 repeater which is part of the B.A.R.T. system. Bart originated the B.A.R.T. many years ago and allowed it it to be revived by the users of the system. May he rest in peace.
6 August 2007 Dave - K7IOU has added an Echolink node to the BART system. The node number is 22474 (not coincidental) and the access code to connect is: C and the disconnect is ##. What that means is you have to DTMF a C followed by the node number you want to connect to. Dave has some shortcuts installed and probably will share them with you. Have fun !!
12 March 2007 Well, it finally happened !! The Kenwood repeater is now installed, replacing the old G.E. that has provided service for many years. I have been thinking about it for quite a few months now and, personally, I'm glad it's over. Below are a couple of pictures of the event, and click <here> to read the synopsis of the whole thing as it unfolded since Gary turned over the Kenwood TS-820 Repeater over to the BART. I didn't tell it all because I wouldn't have anything to talk about at the breakfast meetings. Gary - N1DHS, Dave - K7IOU, myself - WD7F and Fred - WA0RTO made the trip to the Lemmon and installed the repeater in the same location as the old G.E. Fred is a U.S. Forestry Service communications guru and without his help it would not have been possible. Thanks, Fred ! It seems to be working pretty good, but that illusive crack- ling is still there when the input signal is a little weak. The new Motorola GM-300 link that we installed Saturday seems to be keeping the AGC wrapped tight enough that the crackling is less when the input to the repeater is via the 94 or the 74 machines. There was only one snag. When the pictures of the event are posted, you can see that there was enough ICE on the dirt road up to the Lemmon site that Gary's pretty Toyota Tundra (no 4-wheel drive) couldn't make it. So, we unloaded the stuff into Fred's company truck and we made it the rest of the way up the trail to the site. <Click Pictures to Enlarge>
Installed - Front View	Rear View in the Rack Mount Tray

14 January 2007 A project is underway to replace the 448.350 repeater on Mt. Lemon with another more modern repeater, specifically a Kenwood TKR-820 that Gary (N1DHS) has had in service as 449.800 for several years. Gary re-programmed the repeater, and and it is in the possession of KD7TXO and WD7F for further tweaking. The repeater has been modified to allow operation on 12 VDC as well as 115 VAC and prevent the repeater ID and announcements to be linked to the 224.74 and 146.94 systems. It is operational on 448.350 at KD7TXO's QTH and has been encorporated into the BART system. As soon as weather and schedule allows, the repeater will be moved to Mt. Lemon. <Click Pictures to Enlarge>
The N1DHS Kenwood TKR-820	Repeater & Controller at KD7TXO's QTH
Mod to Signaling Unit to control DPL during Repeater ID & Announcements	Bridge Rectifier, Power Receptacle & Wiring to allow DC operation

28 August 2006 We have a user group established on the Yahoo. If you'd like to keep up with BART activities and discussion click below. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bart_users/ 16 March 2006 The 146.94 (110.9) and 224.74 (136.5) repeaters are linked to the 448.350 (107.2) Mt. Lemon repeater. N1DHS, Gary, has allowed us to complete the link. Thanks to WE7H, we have an operational link radio, an ICOM-2720H, which Ed donated to the cause. There are many minor things to be ironed out, such as squelch tails and audio levels, but it seems to be working pretty good just out of the box. This link will expand our coverage greatly over a large portion of Arizona. Thanks again, Gary Matthews - N1DHS, for the use of your machine. The MSR-2000 146.94 repeater is now linked to the recently completed & converted Micor 224.74 machine. Every effort is being made to insure that audio quality is maintained and it will not be apparent which repeater is the source. DTMF access to the Voice over Internet (IRLP/ECHOLINK/WIRES) modes is the same as the 146.94 machine. 17 September 2005 BART JOINS BART has joined the Amateur Radio Council of Arizona. Dave, K7IOU will be serving as the initial President of BART. The rules of BART will be the same: Dues: None Requirements: None Fund Source: Donations only You are invited to attend our informal BART Meeting: 8:00 AM, Saturday, Jerry Bobs, 5028 E. Broadway, Tucson More to follow. de 16 May 2005 Down Comes W0LTL's Tower ! 24 August 2004 Would you believe that an "Up Front" article complete with a picture was published in the Sept 04 issue of QST. Dave, K7IOU, submitted the article, however, QST saw fit to reduce the size and heavily edit it. The article was published in its entirety in the November 2004 issue of World Radio. Sorry that all the contributors weren't at the party so they could be in the picture. Some live just a little far away to have been at the party. Click the article to see an enlarged picture and the calls of those on the certificate plus the World Radio article complete. 10 January 2004 In January 2004, Twenty members of the revised BART group purchased a Motorola MSR-2000 repeater, CAT 250 controller, RLS-1000 switch along with other items and presented to me to replace the tired old machine in use at the time. We're talking major SURPRISE here! I consider the repeater to belong to all. Click HERE to read all about the MSR-2000 conversion! Click HERE to read about the 220 Micor Repeater conversion!
HISTORY: BART was originally organized by Hobart Paine, K7CC. The original group consisted of over 150 members. Bart, K7CC, remains as well as Don Brumbaugh, N7AEU. I will attempt to locate a roster of the BART group and post it and I'll see if I can find more members around.

BORDER
AMATEUR
RADIO
TEAM

.

.

CONTRIBUTORS

TOWER CASE:
Jim Grange, US Customs Ret.

MOTHER BOARD &
HARD DRIVE:
Dr. Frank Tinker

CD ROM, MONITOR:
KX7E - Ron

SOUNDCARD:
N7SEP - Barry

FLOPPY DRIVE,
NETWORK CARD,
IRLP INTERFACE
WD7F - John

GRAPHICS CARD:
CEI

CONTRIBUTORS

COMPUTER:
CEI

CD ROM,
NETWORK CARD,
PWR SUPPLY:
K7IOU - DAVE

COMPUTER(S) CONTRIBUTED
BY:
COMPUTERS ETC., INC.

Be sure to listen to Christine and Bob on her talk radio program on
Saturdays at
11:00 AM until 12:00
on the

starting on 14 Nov 2009!

MANY THANKS
to the owner:

<click on pic>

CHRISTINE

&
oh yeah,
Bob ;-)

<Click On Picture>

BART2.jpg (8690 bytes)
Who the heck is BART?

BART is a group of Tucson Amateurs who operate and
control the 146.34/.94 VHF Repeater current located in N.E.
Tucson near the crossing of Harrison Road and Snyder Road.
To be more exact:   N 32.17.39 W 110.47.28
                              Grid Square: DM42oh
                              Power at XMtr: 90 watts
                              Antenna: Ringo Ranger ~50'

BART, and the repeater as well, was rejuvenated to include
some new users of the .94 machine. Bart Paine, K7CC,
started BART many years ago, and he is the last of the
ORIGINAL members. You can be a member too. Just
use the .94 repeater. No dues, no fees to pay. If you're
so inclined, send me a photo and I'll post on on the
Rogues Gallery!

The repeater is currently connected to WIRES (Wide
coverage Internet Enhancement System) as Node# 1128.

It is connected to the IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project)
system, Node# 3892. Enjoy!

The repeater is now connected to EchoLink Node# 1125.
Wow! We're gonna have traffic!

Here are some pictures of the new repeater
and IRLP, ECHOLINK & WIRES boxes.
They might not represent be the latest configuration.
Things change you know.
Click on the small pictures to see the big ones!

MSR-2000
ON K7IOU BENCH

REPEATER CONTROL
CHASSIS WITH
SQUELCH GATE MOD

SQUELCH GATE CARD
WITH MOD

FIRST DAY ON-LINE
A HAPPY CAMPER,

WIRES, IRLP &
ECHOLINK BOXES
IN ORDER

RATS NEST

CONTROLLER & 3 PORT
SWITCH OUT OF
THEIR CAGE

COMPUTERS &
SHARED MONITOR

DUPLEXERS WITH
NEW COAX
AND CONNECTORS

CONTROLLER, SWITCH
IN THEIR RACK

DTMF CUT-OFF
TO PREVENT INTERNET
CONTROL FROM WIRES

FUTURE HOME OF
THE SYSTEM
NO! IT'S NOT AN
OUTHOUSE!

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This page is continuously under construction. Check out the Rogues Gallery photos of some of the BART users. We have some real "handsome" Dudes!! Maybe a Dudette or two! Over 200 pictures posted !