Irish Simplexer

[EI3GYB]

Hello all,
the Irish simplexer in the north of County Cork is back on air after a long absence.
I can receive it at various times on 70.350 MHz and I already had some contacts via this unique repeater.
At the moment it is best received here after nightfall and is sometimes 59++ all night long in East Mayo.
I hope that these conditions last even when the high pressure is gone. Only time will tell...
Thank you very much to the operator/s for keeping the simplexer alive.
73 de Michael/ei3gyb

[EI7IS]

Hi Michael -

Thanks for the QSO via the Simplexer earlier this week. I'm pleased to hear it on the air, I'm fairly new to 4m and have only used it locally up to now (there's a few people active locally here in Waterford on 4m FM). I can't hear the simplexer tonight though, not sure if it's off-air or conditions.

Shortly after I worked you on Tuesday night, I worked OZ8ZS on it but we could hear each others original 'input' signal fairly strong. That was my first outside EI on 4 and was well pleased - so I'm paying a bit more attention to 70MHz since (hoping to catch another opening).

I'm using a re-programmed ex-PMR 25 Watts (FM channellised) and sloping wire dipole.

Hope to catch you on the air soon.

[EI3GYB]

Hi Mark and all,
I worked OZ8ZS as well that day via simplexer and direct. It was very funny to hear him twice- first direct and then the repetition via the simplexer. I worked him half an hour later on 70450 MHz-uuupps...out of band for EI....sorry.
Somebody should work on that and get the Irish 4 metre allocation increased to same size as the UK allocation.
The simplexer was not audible here in the last few days. I test for it several times per day and I have a FM1000 PMR from Philips scanning all the FM frequencies for any activity. Antenna is a SLIM JIM about 8 metres above ground. A second transceiver monitors 70200 MHz in SSB.The antenna is a 2 element horizontal Moxon rectangle beaming towards south east- but can be rotated into different directions when required
I found out that we need a bit of a lift here in Mayo to get the simplexer in Mayo with a resonable quality. There must be a large area of voilet coulour on the Irish map on the Hepburn tropo index page to get reasonable results. If there is no colour on that map- there is no contact with the simplexer.
Watch the VHF bands in the coming days- there is a large yellow-green area coming our way for Wednesday and Thursday. Fingers crossed that it materialises. It will be some fun then. May be even in simplex without the simplexer.
CU on the band!
73 de Michael/ei3gyb

[EI2GLB]

Hi Michael

We are lucky to have what we have on the 4m band, I cant see comreg giving us any more.



Have a listen for the output of EI2LLX repeater around 70.2875?? it is on 145.7875 but If you go in on 2m you come out on 2 and 4 you can go in on 4 also but only out on 2m not sure of the input on 4m its 12.5 either side of 70.2875
It based in Co Cavan

Trevor
EI2GLB

[GM4FVM]

I have spent a fair bit of time in Mayo recently (staying in Balla, Foxford, Kiltimagh and Claremorris) and I have never heard anything with just a handie to recieve. My Southern base has been in Templemore and I suppose I would hear the simplexer around there if I take my gear.

I have to confess that the application form for a 4 metre permit (on another thread on this site) is a bit of a put off - it is hard to explain what you intend to do with a Wouxon hand held, and very hard to describe the coax. I have a 4m txcvr in the car, but of course that is not on ... I had a visitors experimenters licence years ago and I managed to convince them then, but it seems especially hard with 4 metre handheld to come up with the arguments.

Do they intend to keep asking for a separate 4 metre permit, as explained elsewhere on this site? Have other vistors managed to get a 4m permit?

I will be in South Wexford later this month (probably).

Jim
P.S. Never even knew about LLX.

[EI3GYB]

Hello again,
I am a bit north of Ballyhaunis, Jim.
There is nearly no activity at all on 4 metres here in Mayo. Regular stations are EI7FAB John from Castlebar and EI9JS Dominic from the Ballaghaderreen area. Call frequency in Mayo is 70.262.5 MHz- but you can call for days without getting an answer.
The IRTS news is read every Sunday at 2000 local time on 70.375 MHz from stations in Westport, Claremorris or Castlebar. There is a call-in at the end of the news- but usually that is finished after three minutes. Silence for the rest of the week.
I have a rig monitoring the FM channels 24 hours a day and after two years of continous monitoring I have to say that- sadly- the band is dead here in the west and not used at all.
No wonder that you did not hear anything, Jim.
You do not need a special permit in Ireland for 70 MHz anymore, Jim. It was released to general use two years ago. So just fire ahead when you are here.
I do copy EI2LLX on 2 metres in lift conditions. At peaks 52 here- but most of the time 31. It has an automatic voice identification. Never heard the repeater on 4 metres.
Some time ago ComReg was asked about an extension of the 4 metre band to the spectrum currently used in the UK. In principle ComReg would have nothing against that. But at the moment these frequencies are used by other services. They would look at the situation again in the future. That was about three years ago. May be it is time to ask them again what the story is now...
CU !
Michael

[GM4FVM]

Michael

Thanks. The info on this site about applying for a 4m permit must be out of date ...

I get the impression from listening on 2m in the West is that there are not many people around. Here in the Scottish Borders we have similar problems, but a sudden pile of ex-PMR rigs at low prices has changed things on 4. The point is that if there is no activity then you never know if there is a lift on. The simplexer sounds ideal as a pointer and it seems that folks then work the stations direct. Good idea.

OK, next time I am in the West I will press the PTT. Is mobile on 4 now possible? I call on 70.2625 from here if conditions are good so you never know.

One time I was in Ballyhaunis I had a meal in a Chinese restaurant which was I think in an old Cinema. Not sure if it is still there as that was about three years ago. Also there is a petrol station on the Castlerea road that offered a carry-out breakfast that had two pork chops, two fried eggs and chips in it. I also stayed in Charlestown once (not so good), and next time found it so hard to get somewhere I ended up in Boyle and having to travel every day. Not much on the radio there either.

Thanks for the info!

Please keep listening. I will keep an ear out for the news when I am next over.

Jim

[EI7IS]

Good info on this thread! Now I know where to monitor. I hope that opening hits us on Wednesday or Thursday. I'll listen out for EI2LLX also, I may hear it if there's an opening. Going forward, I'm also going to listen out for the news from Mayo and if I hear it I'll certainally try add my name to the callers in list. Hopefully the simplexer comes back on air soon too.

73s everyone and hope to work you on air!

[EI3GYB]

Back again,
Mobile is possible as well. Power limit is 25 watts.
The cinema in Ballyhaunis is gone. They knocked it down two years ago towards the end of the building boom. Nothing left of it...after over 50 years of cinema in town we just have a heap of rubble.
The Chinese restaurant is up the road now. And the service from the petrol station might be gone as well the way things are going here.
Two metres is quite active here via the Mayo repeater on 145.600 MHz. There is a lot of traffic on it in the mornings between 0800 and 0900 when people go to work. Most of the OMs are mobile. Same in the evenings between 1730 and 1900. There might be some chat later between 2030 and 2230- depends on WX and time of the year. More chat in winter than in summer. All other times the repeater is dead- you can call for hours and no reply. I frequently meet tourists on the repeater telling me about their frustration with the absence of any HAM traffic. This concerns not only the Mayo repeater, but also the other repeaters in my range- Sligo,Galway, Limerick and Ridge of Capard. Foreigners from DL, PA,ON,G or the US are frequently calling and tell me all about the weeks of calling without any reply. I spoke to a lot of them over the years- usually on one of their last days in the country...
Simplex call frequency for Mayo is 145.350 MHz in FM. Some people monitor 144.300 MHz in SSB. You might be lucky in the evenings.
Some people also monitor 70.200 MHz in SSB for any sporadic E/tropo conditions. If you call there in FM someone might come back to you and tell you to QSY. One way of making contacts with people- tease them a bit and they will be looking for you-hi.
Propagation is up at the moment and I get the simplexer with 52 now (0025 local time). According to the Hepburn Tropo Index Page it will be very good until the late afternoon. Then it goes down again and will be just enough to make some contacts. The big yellow green area is not hitting us. The page looked promising earlier on- but is updated all the time . But who knows- the trend might be reversed again and very good conditions will come our way again for some country wide traffic.
Good luck to everybody !
73 de Michael

[GD1MIP]

Does anyone know who the keeper of this unit is? I have a low (EO) band repeater I would love to find a use for and I would be interested in how the unit works.

GD land is pretty central in the British Isles so it may have a use.


Andy

[EI3GYB]

Contact is given as EI7GL somewhere on this page

Michael

[VA3QF]

Please forgive my ignorance, but what is a "Simplexer"? Is it a repeater that records and then reradiates the message on the same frequency? Is it the same concept that is also referred to as a "Parrot"?

I have not heard of either term being used in North America although there are systems called "Simplex Repeaters" that use the audio store-and-forward concept on a single frequency.

[EI3GYB]

100% correct, Keith.

73 de Michael

[EI2GLB]

just wondering has anyone heard the simplexer lately,

I have a Ascom and a dipole up on the tower but cant seem to hear it.

Trevor
EI2GLB

[EI7GMB]

Hi Trevor.

I just set up antenna at my new QTH with a lot better take off than before, but there is nothing heard on 70.350. Same when mobile at pretty well elevated point from where I did manage a few QSO through it before but also no good.