Watt's New - Past Articles
The Watt's New articles serve to keep you abreast of what has been going on around the C.A.R.L.A. Network. Feel free to browse our archive of past Watt's New articles as well.
On this page:
CARLA 10 OOS
Last updated on May 30, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
Looks like CARLA 10 is off the air. Once someone is able to access the site and make repeairs we'll get an update.
CARLA 20 back on-line
Last updated on May 24, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
CARLA 20 is back-online after severe winter storms took out the main antenna and link antenna. Repairs have been made and everything is now operational.
CARLA 15 Back on line
Last updated on May 22, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
CARLA 15 (Coalinga) ahd the link radio replaced plus a controller firmware update and is back on line to the rest of the network.
CARLA 12 OOS
Last updated on May 15, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
CARLA 12 OOS due to transmitter issue
CARLA 26 integrated into the network
Last updated on May 14, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
We are pleased to announce that CARLA 26 (Geyserville) has been integrated into the network of repeaters. This system is located above the Alexander Valley overlooking the 101 corridor from Cloverdale south towards Petaluma. This includes Geyserville, Healdsburg, Windsor, Santa Rosa, Cotati & Rohnert Park. This adds much needed coverage to the North Bay area. There is some coverage in other areas to the North & East as well.
This site is also the new link hop for CARLA 3 and is much more reliable and easier to access in the winter.
The frequency & PL's are exactly the same as CARLA 18;
CARLA 26 K6LNK, Geyerville
443.475+
Local PL: 110.9
Link PL: 167.9
CARLA 20 OOS
Last updated on May 11, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
CARLA 20 (Burney) is Out Of Service with no local or link service. An advance team is planning to go to the site to make a preliminary assesment this week. Depending on the outcome, we may be sending up techs to deal with the problem.
CARLA 3 back on link
Last updated on May 11, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
CARLA 3's link into the rest of the network has been restablished through a new min-hub located near Geyserville. This new path should be much more reliable than the previous one and not only has battery back-up power but generator back-up as well. Welcome back to the North Central Coast users.
CARLA 19 Link is OOS
Last updated on April 26, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
The link to/from CARLA 19 (Hayward) is currently down. We suspect an issue with the link radio itself, as the main repeater and also the link from 19 to CARLA 4 is operational. We will assess the situation and conduct repairs as soon as an onsite visit can be scheduled.
CARLA 15 Link is OOS
Last updated on April 20, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
The link to/from CARLA 15 (Coalinga) is Out Of Service. It is unclear what the problem is but it affects both tx & rx on the link. The primary repeater is operational. It has been put on the list of things to repair.
CARLA 25 scheduled power outage
Last updated on April 14, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
CARLA 25 is scheduled to be off the air this Friday the 16th of April for PG&E pole replacement.
The estimated time frame is from 8am to 4pm. The site does not currently have battery back-up so the repeater will be off the air.
2009 in review...what's new for 2010
Last updated on March 11, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
2009 In review:
Sit back
Echo-IRLP node OOS.
Last updated on March 11, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
The CARLA Echo-IRLP node has been temporarily taken off line so we can re-purpose that port on the controller for testing of the 900Mhz repeater. We hope to have it re-integrated within a few days.
Link to OC is OOS
Last updated on February 3, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
The link to the OC (Oregon Connection) is currently OOS due to a link radio failure at their Mt. Bradley site which is the connection point for both networks.
We can connect to that site but not go any further north. They can connect to their next site north of that but not further south.
We'll pass on any updates as we become aware of them.
No ETR as of yet.
CARLA 3 LINK OOS
Last updated on February 3, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
Although the equipment at CARLA 3's site is working fine, the hub transmitter at CARLA 6's site is OOS rendering the path to/from CARLA 3 Out of Service. This also affects the back-up link to CARLA 13 if the primary link to 13 from the network were to fail.
A trip was made to the site recently by a radio tech and amateur to do a preliminary assesment for us. There is several feet of snow and a snow cat is required to gain access. We'll need to wait for an another opportunity to go up.
C.A.R.L.A. 3/6/10 Restored to Service
Last updated on January 16, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
C.A.R.L.A. 3, 6, and 10 were restored to full service on Saturday, Jan 16th, thanks to the hard work of two separate field teams.
The faulty main link radio at C.A.R.L.A. 6 was replaced and other equipment repaired, and some programming tweaks were implemented. This has restored a more robust path to and from C.A.R.L.A. 3, which should mean much clearer audio between it and the rest of the network.
It was determined (as we expected) that the main cabinet fuse at C.A.R.L.A. 10 had blown. The fuse was replaced, and an impulse dampening device was installed, which hopefully will keep this from happening again in the future. Also, due to further PAVE PAWS issues, transmit power for the system was reduced further.
We would like to thank all our users again for bearing with us while we worked to solve these problems.
CARLA 9 off line
Last updated on January 12, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
CARLA 9, Modesto will be off line for several weeks while we re-locate and re-build the system to our latest specs. The new location will be very similar. We may change the pattern a bit to reduce coverage towards BAFB & the Bay Area.
Echolink changes
Last updated on January 12, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
The primary Echolink node into the CARLA network had its callsign
changed to K6LNK/R.
The node number is still the same which is: 360571.
This change may cause some individual echolink connections to show
unavailable until the callsign is updated on those node clients.
Nevada hub on back-up link to network
Last updated on January 12, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
The circuit connecting the Nevada hub to the rest of the network is experiencing some problems. This has caused the network to repeatedly key up with no audio.
We have bypassed that link and enabled the back-up RF link which uses CARLA 8 as an intermediate hop point.
We'll advise when things have normalized but it should be a seamless transition for the most part.
C.A.R.L.A. 3 back on the network
Last updated on January 9, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
C.A.R.L.A. 3's link to the rest of the network was restored this afternoon. Shortly, in fact, before the offshore quake near Eureka.
In any event, it is using the backup link at System 6's site to connect to the network via System 13 (System 6 itself is still down). This path has a tendency to be noisy, especially during the evening, night, and early morning. This link path also entails slightly more latency than the main RF link, so as always we ask our users to make sure that when they key up, they wait a second or two before speaking.
At this point, we don't anticipate a need for C.A.R.L.A. to be used to pass critical life & safety info in and out of the affected region, but since System 3 is a communications resource in the area, we ask that for the next couple of days our users be especially mindful of monitoring the system before transmitting, to avoid interrupting conversations, and to leave pauses so that priority or emergency traffic can be passed if necessary.
Issues with CARLA 3, 6 & 9
Last updated on January 8, 2010 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
The following systems have operational issues:
CARLA 3, Pt. Arena; Link to/from the network is down until we come up with a work around. The problem is actually at CARLA 6.
CARLA 6, Willows; The main RX is not passing audio out the repeater and the main network link RX is not working. This also affects the link into/out of CARLA 3. We are still trying to assess the full extent of the problem.
CARLA 9, Modesto; The system has been on battery power for several days now and we have taken it off line in order to keep enough power reserves until we are able to assess the full extent of the loss of commercial power.
CARLA 5 Work/Testing 11/21
Last updated on November 21, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
We'll be doing some work on the controller at CARLA 5 today. Thus, variously the system itself, or the link to Vaca or the link north may be down for brief periods. We will try and have as little downtime as possible, and thank you for your understanding.
----
Update: The controller was upgraded sucessfully (knocks on wood) and everything is back up and running normally.
CARLA 22 Link restored
Last updated on November 11, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
After a 22 hour day, 13 of which included driving ~700 miles and making 3 pots of coffee on site, CARLA 22 is linked once again into the rest of the network.
Welcome back to our Hawthorne & Mammoth delegates.
Apparently, the site was also on battery power for several days during the last week while the link was down.
The main link antenna shooting to/from CARLA 18's site was bent down several degrees and either had an open or short internally. This was a very stout Telewave model but most likely suffered a heavy chunk of ice smacking it from above.
There were also firmware upgrades made to the controller (which went well) and subsequent re-programming (which didn't go so well) and suffice it to say, had a 'few snags'.
CARLA 22 link OOS.
Last updated on November 3, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
The main link at CARLA 22 into and out of the network is out of service at the moment. We will try and attempt a repair before the snows make it impossible to access via 4WD.
Link to Oregon back up
Last updated on October 26, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
The link between C.A.R.L.A. and the Oregon Connection has been re-established. We had controller issues on our end and the OC had site issues on their end but both sides have worked diligently to get our respective ends back up to par in time for winter. The link is not connected full time so if you want have it connected feel free to see if there is a control op available to turn it on. REMEMBER after keying up to leave an extra second or more before talking (in addition to what you already should be using on the C.A.R.L.A. network) so you won't get cut off due to the multiple links and sites involved to make it from one end to the other. Currently there is an automatic time out timer that will disconnect the link after ~45-60 minutes.
CARLA 5 off network this Sunday (10-25-09)
Last updated on October 23, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
CARLA 5 will be in LOCAL mode only this coming Sunday October 25th to provide communications for an event in Lafayette. It should be isolated for most of the morning and returned to normal use sometime in the early afternoon. Please give priority to traffic for the event until it's finished. Thank you.
Systems being affected this coming weekend
Last updated on October 14, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
This is a heads up to let everyone know that several systems will be affected this weekend by upgrades and changes.
CARLA 6, 13 & 20 will be worked on during this Saturday & Sunday October 17&18.
The systems may be OOS (Out of Service) for relatively short periods of time as we make changes and upgrades primarily to the links and battery back-up system(s). This is part of an effort to finish high priority projects before the snows hit and also maintain a high reliability of service during the winter months.
Thanks.
Current storm conditions; Tuesday 10-13-09
Last updated on October 14, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
UPDATE; 10-14-09:
Commercial power has been restored to CARLA 13 & 11.
IP link from CARLA 13 has been re-established.
Back-up links and battery power systems worked as designed.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Due to severe storm conditions affecting the CARLA coverage areas, the following sites are affected:
CARLA 13- On Battery power and back-up RF link into the network (primary IP link is down).
CARLA 11- On Battery power
Recent changes, upgrades and network status
Last updated on October 2, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
The website has undergone some improvements lately. Some changes are noticeable and some are for administrative use behind the scenes. Some noteworthy enhancements include:
-Updated the "At a glance" status section on the home page that shows the system(s) status but now also shows the hub & link status. This way you can see if there is a problem with the system or just the link and/or the hub that it is fed from.
-There are new colored "LED's" that show the additional states.
-On the interactive map there are new colors representing different types of link & back-up link paths plus their status.
-The printable pdf fold out version of the CARLA systems & PL list have been updated. It is designed to be laminated and used in a mobile and portable settings for quick reference. You can dowload it via the system page, or by clicking here (opens in a new window).
We are also developing a new real time status for the IRLP node that will reside on the website for quick status updates like the systems.
We would like to thank Peter, KG6SLY for all his hard work, time and dedication on developing new databases, functionality and enhancements to the CARLA website.
--
We're testing a new Link PL courtesy tone on a few systems including CARLA 5 & 13. This is in an attempt to make it easier for people to identify and differentiate between the Local & Link tones while not making it too annoying or overbearing. It sounds like two quick DTMF type tones. The Local PL and inbound link courtesy tones will remain the same. We'll see if more people are able to pay attention to the tones and get on the "same page" with each other. Let us know what you think. As we replace repeater controllers in the network we will have more flexibility with what we can do with them.
--
We also replaced the new IP capable repeater controllers at CARLA 5 and 13's site. The connection between the two sites has been re-established and we are testing them with the new firmware and memory repairs. This has been a very long, up hill and painful ordeal dealing with all the problems these units had. We are hopeful that we'll see better performance from these as time passes.
--
We have been working on a new back-up RF link for connecting the systems on the Shasta hub and the Oregon Connection in case we lose our dedicated wireline link to them. We have another trip to make to CARLA 6 as well as CARLA 13 & 20 to make the final changes before the snows hit. All three of these sites required major changes to make all this happen. We recently made similar updates and changes to CARLA 8 & 18 to do the same for the Nevada hub.
Stay tuned for more
CARLA 6 LINK PL Change
Last updated on September 20, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
Recently we have been hearing some noise originating from CARLA 6 over the link with the 179.9 PL. Since we were there this weekend completing other projects we decided to change the LINK PL instead of risking problems during the winter months when the site becomes buried in snow or spending numerous hours/trips going to and from the site trying to DF the noise.
The new LINK PL is 167.9Hz. The LOCAL remains 114.8Hz.
We tried to time this just after KF6YXQ re-programmed his radio(s) from CARLA 8's recent PL changes. Actually, this was not anticipated but he doesn't need to know that...
CARLA 3 Link changes
Last updated on September 20, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
After completing all the work at CARLA 6 we were able to visit CARLA 3's site (Pt. Arena) and make the appropriate changes there to swing the link over to a new path & frequency.
Preliminary tests were very promising and the link path sounded much better.
Two things to keep in mind:
-The link path now consists of an extra hop via CARLA 6 so a little additional time is required to allow for the extra link equipment to come up to speed when first keying up.
-Since we are routing through CARLA 6's site, which is 100% solar powered, it is imperative that you keep this in mind while talking in the evening hours or when there is little sun from thick clouds, storms, etc... We did make several changes at 6's site to adjust for this including 2 more batteries, lower powered link radios and additional solar panels but long, extended conversations to/from CARLA 3 via the link is not encouraged in non-sunny hours. Normal/average traffic is fine as well as LOCAL use on CARLA 3 since it is on commercial & battery back-up power.
Once the programming info for the new controller is compiled we will re-implement the battery conservation mode to both CARLA 6 & 3 links.
CARLA 6 Upgrades completed
Last updated on September 20, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
This weekend we made the upgrades and changes to CARLA 6. It took about 10 hours on site with 4 people to complete most of the work. We had to deal with a broken PV panel most likely due to falling ice from the tower which slowed progress.
CARLA 3 is also connected via the new link and is sounding much better so far. See a specific post regarding this.
We had to change the Link PL on 6 to 167.9 Hz. Also see an additional post regarding this change.
On to the next project(s)
CARLA 6 & 3 upgrades
Last updated on September 16, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
We have plans to upgrade CARLA 6 (Stonyford) this weekend which includes re-racking the equipment, installing a new controller and link radio, adding an additional link system for CARLA 3 (Pt. Arena) to improve the path from CARLA 3 into the rest of the network, adding another PV panel for the solar power system as well as other upgrades & improvements.
The work is planned for this Saturday. If all goes well and we have enough time (and energy) Sunday, we will try to make a trip to CARLA 3 to re-aim the link antenna and re-program the link radio. However, that will not be determined until Sunday morning.
Stay tuned.
Upgrades to CARLA 8 are completed
Last updated on September 14, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
The upgrades to CARLA 8 (Echo Summit) have been finished and are in effect.
This includes a new controller, link radio, back-up/alternate path link to/from the Nevada Ring and of course the anticipated (dreaded) LINK PL Change to 151.4Hz (from 179.9).
Remember that the LOCAL PL is still 127.3 Hz and the repeater always encodes 127.3 Hz.
CARLA 8
442.075+
127.3 LOCAL PL
151.4 LINK PL
Go program those radios and tell a friend who might need to know.
Thanks.
CARLA 8 Link PL changes to 151.4 Hz
Last updated on September 10, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
It has been a while since we had to change a PL and we know that a few of you need some more aggravation so we decided it was time once again to pull out the programming cables, laptops, manuals and patience and change one PL for CARLA 8.
The existing link PL is 179.9 Hz and the new link PL will most likely be 151.4 Hz barring any unforseen issues.
The reason for the change is that 179.9 is a third harmonic of 60 Hz and there is a lot of electrical noie at the site from a utility pole that not only causes issues to weak signals but falses the PL decoder for the link as well.
This can cause falsing under certain situations so since we need to go back up to tie up some loose ends, we will also make this change.
Thanks.
CARLA 8 upgrades
Last updated on September 3, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
The CARLA 8 system (442.075+, Lake Tahoe) will be off the air for upgrades this Saturday, September 5th.
We will be re-racking and upgrading the system with a new controller, new batteries, and a back-up RF link to CARLA 18 in case we lose connectivity to the Nevada hub. Expect the system to be down for most of the morning and day while we perform the work.
Other systems in the region (21,23,18) will still be up and operational with CARLA 23 being the only other system to cover the Tahoe basin.
Thanks for your patience during this upgrade.
Echo-IRLP Node down
Last updated on September 2, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
We are taking down the Echo-IRLP Node for troubleshooting and repairs. The inbound audio is distorted and hard to understand. We will send an announcement when it is back up and operational. It may be a little while however whike we juggle it with all the other projects.
Thanks.
2 new systems for beta testing
Last updated on September 1, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
Recently we added two new systems for beta testing on the network.
The first is located in the Carson City area at 7,440 foot elevation (CARLA 24, 443.325+, 127.3 PL). It is currently in stand alone mode and not linked into the network. It covers the Carson Valley very well, most parts of Reno and East into Fallon and other areas. It can also be worked in some areas of the Lake Tahoe Basin.
The second system is located west of Redding at 6,200 foot elevation (CARLA 25, 444.325+, 100.0 PL). It is currently linked in full time to the network and was actually the southern most repeater of the Oregon Connection system. Since its original link was diverted to tie in the OC to CARLA, it has been isolated for several months. Since it is surrounded by other CARLA machines in the area (13, 20, 6) it made sense to integrate into our network and make more efficient use of it. We are considering upgrading it to a dual PL system with battery back-up and also use it as the back-up RF link site instead of CARLA 20\'s site. It covers the northern part of the valley very well around Redding, Anderson, Red Bluff, Corning, etc
Network status
Last updated on July 25, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
Over the last week or so the new controller at CARLA 5 Oakland/East Bay Hills (Link Comm DSP-404) has gotten progressively worse. We were attending to it daily, sometimes for hours at a time trying to revive it until it finally gave up and died a couple of days ago. It was headed for the cliff but we restrained ourselves especially for what they cost.
Saturday we replaced it with a new S-Com 7330 which we are slowly integrating into all of the network replacing the aging but reliable S-Com 7K controllers.
This is a temporary solution until we get a replacement DSP-404. They acknowledge the problems and have supposedly been working on fixes but certainly not fast enough for our requirements.
Subsequently, this has cut off the Shasta Ring from the rest of the network meaning CARLA 13 & 20 are stand-alone and talking only to each other for now and our link to the Oregon Connection is disabled and only available through IRLP until the controller is replaced.
On another note, we have re-enabled the IRLP & EchoLink node for the time being as we have another controller to allow us enough ports to run everything.
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.
Oregon Connection testing completed
Last updated on May 8, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
As some of you know we've been conducting some preliminary tests linking with the Oregon Connection via IRLP for the last couple of months. We recently completed our tests and have returned our respective networks to their normal status.
We are still moving forward with an integrated linking solution via RF between the two systems. We expect that will take place in roughly a month or so.
We realize that keeping both systems tied together on a full time basis doubles the traffic that either group is used to and limits the availability to use each respective network separately.
Once that link is in place we will conduct some more testing to see what the normal connection mode will be. More than likely it will be activated by command with an automatic disconnect based on activity timers.
Thank you for you patience during this trial test period. We'll keep everyone updated as more information becomes available.
Update on PAVE PAWS for April, 2009
Last updated on April 25, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
It was purportedly about a year ago (April 2008) that the USAF performed another round of testing at Beale AFB. The results from those tests didn't come to the attention of most of the affected repeater owners/trustees until sometime in the 4th quarter of 2009. It was done by a phone call from a person in the FCC that was dealing with this issue since Riley Hollingsworth had retired. When you do the math that's 5-6 months later. As you can see the sense of urgency is just not there which tells us that we really aren't causing a serious or 'service affecting' problem to their radar system. It's thought by some that they are simply scraping the bottom of the barrel as it may be to find anything and everything they can pick up whether it's really causing them an issue or not and targeting those repeaters. The FCC is not giving official orders but rather informal phone calls or e-mails. None the less we have tried to cooperate and reduce power levels towards BAFB as requested but feedback from our efforts is never immediate or forthcoming.
When we received the results from their testing in April of 2008 it was apparent that there were still problems and inconsistencies with their data. We sent a letter to the ARRL to ask why we were getting different and inconsistent data from them. The answer(s) were numerous and basically said it is what it is and challenging it was not going to be a worthwhile effort unless it was just completely out of the realm of possibility.
Sometime in early April of 2009 the ARRL apparently gave NARCC the information needed to run the Longley-Rice propagation tests that they had been running in their lab based on information they perceived to be tolerable levels received at the radar site from repeaters in the region. The DoD and USAF will not make that information known to us even though you could figure it out with all the information found on-line and from their reduction requirements of individual systems. Regardless, we will work with NARCC to see if our systems will likely fall within the estimated tolerances to the radar system as each repeater comes up re-coordination. All that will do is give NARCC information to begin coordinating repeaters again with the knowledge that the DoD/USAF could come back with a different answer at any point.
As of the writing of this update the following C.A.R.L.A. systems have been targeted and their power and/or antenna (coverage) patterns have been modified either moderately or drastically.
- System 5
- System 6
- System 9
- System 11
- System 16
Essentially, coverage in and around the Northern & Central Sacramento Valley has been significantly reduced from all of these repeaters.
Spring 2009 Roundup
Last updated on April 17, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
Plenty going on at C.A.R.L.A. as we thaw out from our winter slumber and begin ramping up for our spring/summer projects. We've recently added a Interactive Coverage Map of the C.A.R.L.A. system, updated the Support page with new information, an online form to allow users to sign up and more easily contribute donations, added a new photo gallery plus a completely revamped website.
We've also enterd into a linking agreement with the Oregon Connection to expand coverage into the State of Oregon http://www.oregonconnection.org/ and we are working on several system upgrade projects for this year.
As always, stay tuned!
C.A.R.L.A. links with the Oregon Connection
Last updated on March 12, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
Posted to the C.A.R.L.A. Yahoo Group on 3/12/2009:
We are pleased to announce that C.A.R.L.A. is in preliminary testing stages for a reciprocal linking project between our network and the Oregon Connection system based in the state of Oregon.
We are currently performing some trial runs via IRLP to "test the waters" and make sure the two systems are compatible with each other and see how the two work together.
Based on that, we will be working towards a more permanent RF link solution between C.A.R.L.A. & the Oregon Connection that can be brought on or off line by command.
They also have a reciprocal link agreement with the Evergreen Intertie system in the state of Washington which is also commanded on line when needed.
The IRLP connection is only a temporary solution until the RF paths are established.
We are bringing two completely different yet very complementary systems together so things may sound a little different at first and there may be un-familiar call signs but we think the two will dovetail very well once any bugs are worked out. The Oregon Connection is very similar to how C.A.R.L.A. operates and they have a great bunch of people involved with their system. We are very excited to see all the possibilities and opportunities this venture can bring to both of our systems and our users.
Now more than ever, there is a need to be conscientious of leaving pauses after first keying up before speaking and gaps between courtesy tones so every word gets through and everyone gets a chance to talk. Occasionally, during conversations try and let everything drop for a bit in order to allow any timers to reset.
If there are any problems or questions, a control operator from one system or the other will be glad to help out or answer questions.
Please be sure to give our neighbors from the north a warm welcome if you hear them on the air.
About the Oregon Connection:
The Oregon Connection consists of 47 linked repeaters in the UHF (440Mhz) and VHF (144Mhz) bands. The system started in Medford, Oregon in 1999 as the Rogue Valley Linking Association working together with the Oregon Repeater Linking Group in the Northern portion of the state. In 2006, they joined forces dissolving the two separate group names and formed the "Oregon Connection". Their system is made up of 12 owners. Most are silent partners or branch off to cover a specific area off of the main North/South links that run along the Interstate-5 Freeway. Some of their coverage extends into the northern part of California and picks up coverage where we leave off.
They have always been an OPEN system available for any licensed user. They work with the American Red Cross Disaster Communications & Oregon Emergency Management. You can learn more about their system at: www.oregonconnection.org
PAVE PAWS and its effect on the C.A.R.L.A. Network
Last updated on February 27, 2009 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
Some of you may already know what PAVE PAWS is and some may not. It is not a new running shoe or tracks left by a bear in the woods. Basically, it is a radar system that utilizes around 1,700, 325W transmitters and antennas in a phased array with spread spectrum technology and is used in the 420-450 UHF band by the USAF/Department of Defense. They use it to track incoming water based ICBM's and also track the space shuttle amongst other things. There are a couple of them working in the U.S. and one is at Beale AFB near Marysville, CA which is North of Sacramento and the other in the Cape Cod area in Massachusetts.
You might say to yourself, "Hey that's in the Amateur Radio band" and you would be correct. However, contrary to popular belief, we are NOT the primary user in that band but rather secondary to the military. That means we must not cause interference to them and can be ordered off the band by the FCC if they insist. Most people don't realize this and it hasn't been too much of an issue until recently. We do experience interference from their system generally in the form of random "popcorn" popping sound under someone's signal with mobiles that are less than fully saturating the repeater's receiver and various link paths. This is prevalent on certain repeaters that are in closer proximity to the source like C.A.R.L.A. 6 & 16 and lots of others in the greater Sacramento Valley area and beyond.
The DoD recently approached the FCC and ARRL regarding increasing interference to their receivers on the system and have targeted over 100 repeaters in the greater Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley & Bay Area as "allegedly" being a potential source of interference. A person in the ARRL has been made the point person for us and the ARRL has been the single source for the DoD to work with in relations with the Amateur Radio community and interfacing with the FCC.
The ARRL has come up with an interim plan for ALL targeted repeaters to turn their power down to 5W. The max limit has always supposed to have been 50W within a 150 mile radius of certain included military bases like Beale AFB and is what C.A.R.L.A. repeaters have always abided by. There are other steps that the ARRL will do to try and test repeater signal strengths, coverage patterns, etc., and make further recommendations in conjunction with the DoD/USAF. Some systems may have to change antenna patterns, heights, power output, location or just simply cease operations permanently.
In certain circles there has been quite a bit of chatter going back and forth regarding the situation and especially, but not limited to:
- Why all of a sudden is there an issue after ~30 years of peaceful coexistence?
- Where did they get their source of information on repeaters as it seems to be way out of date?
- How have they determined which repeaters do make the list and which ones don't?
- What is their criteria for "interference" and what levels would be acceptable to them?
- What does the changing of their PAVE PAWS system contractor have to do with all this?
- Did they make changes to their system that would affect the alleged problems and how many millions were spent?
- Are there other sources of interference out there besides what they allege is coming from Amateurs?
- This problem has been going on for a few years so why are they doing something about it now?
- If the Amateurs could potentially cause them interference, what could a determined adversary do to them?
- 5W transmitter output does not create a level playing field for everyone when considering varying system gains & losses.
- Why haven't they targeted anything in the 420/430 sub bands?
- If it really and truly has been disruptive then why didn't they do something more severe, long ago?
The irony is that the repeaters they are messing with are the ones that would help in the aftermath of a real attack.
There are a whole lot more discussion topics and revealing insight to the issue that would at the very least open one's eyes just a bit more.
When asked questions to clarify certain things their answer has been that its "classified" When you look at some of the information they gathered (call sign, location and frequency) it doesn't all make sense and is full of holes. But again, "its classified".
The first deadline was June 15th 2007, for turning down the power. The DoD wants all interference to be gone by August 1. Will this happen? Who knows, especially when they won't be as forthcoming with information as we need them to be. It may not solve their problem and they may look deeper into the Amateur band or other sources for the "real" reason(s).
C.A.R.L.A. has complied with the requests from the ARRL that were sent via certified letter recently. This means that C.A.R.L.A. 6 & 9 have been lowered in power to 5W. For C.A.R.L.A. 9, it is a bigger drop in power than C.A.R.L.A. 6 which is already turned down well below 50W due to co-channel neighbors. What this means to the user is that the footprint will obviously not be as great and things will sound noisier than normal especially in marginal areas and non line of site situations. The repeater should still hear as well as it did (maybe better) and the transmitters should run cooler but it will certainly reduce the effective range of the systems. For those that are close to the repeaters you may not notice a thing except, perhaps its not full scale on the S-meter. By reducing the power from 50W to 5W it will effect about a 10db reduction in power which could equate to 1-2 s-units on a radio depending on various circumstances and relative signal strength, etc.
As things significantly change and affect C.A.R.L.A. we will try to update this page. We truly hope that these changes will show them that the Amateur Radio community is not the sole or primary cause for their problems but we're also not so naive as to think they'll be satisfied with these changes alone. All we can do is to wait and see what else happens and hope for the best.
Below are some links that we gathered from other sources and files that may be of further interest in explaining the PAVE-PAWS system, the intentions of the DoD/ARRL/FCC, and other related issues.
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/04/17/100/?nc=1
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/06/11/100/?nc=1
http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/track/pavepaws.htm
http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/program/eisnmddraft/uewr.pdf
http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/1847/1/1/
http://www.fcc.gov/oet/info/maps/us7/
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2006/05/bae-gets-51m-to-maintain-bmews-pave-paws/index.php
http://www.aiaa.org/aerospace/images/articleimages/pdf/AA_Nov06_EOE.pdf
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Raytheon_Helps_Ballistic_Missile_Intercept_In_Space_999.html
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=742575&TICK=RTNB&STORY=/www/story/03-21-2006/0004324260&EDATE=Mar+21,+2006
http://www.prnewstoday.com/release.htm?cat=aerospace-defense&dat=20060901&rl=NEF01101092006-1
http://www.pcb007.com/anm/templates/article.aspx?articleid=13628&zoneid=68&v
Letter from the ARRL
Christmas 2008 Roundup
Last updated on December 15, 2008 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
CARLA 23: The Carla 23 repeater came on the air in mid-August and is located at Slide Mt, Nevada. It is currently using the dual PL scheme with a link PL of 156.7 and a local PL of 127.3. Originally, it came up on the air on 443.325Mhz but the noise floor on that repeater pair at that location was unbearable and made the receiver nearly deaf. It was then moved to a repeater pair of 441.550Mhz TX/446.550Mhz RX and it hears much better now.
CARLA 21: The Carla 21 repeater came on the air at the end of July and is located near Reno, Nevada. It is currently using the dual PL scheme with a link PL of 156.7 and a local PL of 127.3. There was initially some problems with the link path back into the rest of the system but that has been cleaned up and reports are that its working great!
CARLA 13: For several months the Carla 13 repeater near Lake Shasta has had a link path to the system that was at best marginal and at worst non-existent. In July, this repeater was fully integrated into the network with a permanent repeater, new controller, dual PL scheme, battery back up and a new permanent link into the rest of the network that is both solid and reliable. The local PL is 114.8 and the link PL is 167.9.
CARLA 20: The Carla 20 repeater was replaced with a different beta test repeater in July to get it back on the air. It is now linked full time into the network via Carla 13's facilities. The full time link PL is 123.0 and there is currently no local-only PL.
CARLA 22: The Carla 22 repeater came on the air at the end of June and is located near Hawthorne, Nevada. It is currently using a PL of 127.3 and is linked full time into the rest of the system. There is no local PL at this time.
CARLA 18: The Carla 18 repeater has been fully integrated into the network with a permanent repeater, new controller, dual PL scheme, RX pre-amp, battery back up and a new permanent link into the rest of the network. The local PL is 110.9 and the link PL is 167.9.
CARLA 17: The Carla 17 repeater at Cedar Ridge has recently been upgraded to a full "CARLA Spec" system utilizing an SCom controller. Its now on-air with local and link PLs. The local PL is 103.5 and you might want to note that the link PL is 151.4 so as not to interfere with the Cisco Butte system's 156.7 link PL.
CARLA 19: The Carla 19 repeater in Hayward has recently been upgraded to a full "CARLA Spec" system utilizing an SCom controller. Its now on-air with local and link PLs. The local PL is 114.8 and the link PL is 173.8.
CARLA 15: The Carla 15 repeater has been fully integrated into the network with a permanent repeater, new controller, dual PL scheme, RX pre-amp, battery back up and a new permanent link into the rest of the network. The local PL is 114.8 and the link PL is 162.2.After the installation, we noticed falsing on the local PL which would take out any link audio making it impossible to hold a QSO through the system. We believe that tightening the notch on the rx pass cavity and possibly decreasing the rx sensitivity slightly will help. We have disabled the local PL until we can get back to the site to diagnose and fix the problem. So use the link PL on this repeater for now.
CARLA 16: We regret to announce we were required to make substantial changes in the power output & radiation pattern from the CARLA 16 (440.750/WA6BTH) repeater in Vacaville in mid February. Currently we have some corner reflectors pointing roughly South East and South West and have turned down the power even more to try and reduce the signal going towards Beale AFB and the PAVE-PAWS system as requested by the DoD.
CARLA 2: The Carla 2 repeater in San Francisco came to the end of an era on Oct 8, 2008 at the benefit of newer technology. This system has been on the air since the mid to late 70's with very little change from its original equipment. Until recently, it was an RC-85 controller running a Spectrum Communications repeater and an Icom-900 Remote Base. In October of 2008, the original radio equipment and controller were removed and replaced with a new Motorola Repeater (XPR-8300) and link radios and a new Scom 7330 controller. A new dual PL scheme has now been integrated to match other repeaters in the network. The new PL's are 100.0 Hz Local & 162.2 Link. Please note that RF Power is being kept lower than when it was originally installed years ago to reduce any issues to Beale AFB and co-channel system 12 in the Pleasanton/Dublin area. The last and final phase of the overhaul process will involve replacing the antennas, masts and mounting hardware.
CARLA 4: The Carla 4 repeater has been fully integrated into the network with a permanent repeater, new controller, dual PL scheme, RX pre-amp, battery back up and a new permanent link into the rest of the network. The local PL is 114.8 and the link PL is 167.9
How I Spent My Memorial Day Weekend - 2008
Last updated on June 1, 2007 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
or
A Day in the Life of the C.A.R.L.A. Road Crew
"I now have first hand knowledge of how to build an igloo." - N6QOP
Well...It wasn't really that bad. But it wasn't that good. The day started out nice enough. We had breakfast at the Tahoe House Cafe and with coffee cups in hand we headed up the hill to repair the repeater. Now I should mention here that its about a 30 minute drive up the hill from the highway. But not today. Less than five minutes up the hill we came across the first of several patches of snow blocking the road. We tried driving the Tahoe across it but quickly dug a rut with two of the tires. Shovels out, we made pretty quick work of removing enough snow from around the tires to proceed on up the road.
A bit farther up the road we came upon the second mound of snow blocking our way. We worked on this one for about two and a half hours before finally taking a break for some (well deserved) lunch. We managed to regroup and blasted through the rest of this mound in thirty minutes.
We traveled quite a ways up the road before coming upon a third mound of snow. But as we started to dig, we noticed something different about this mound. It was semi-solid. Not solid enough to try driving over but solid enough to resist digging with shovels. So we got the ol' Binford 5000 chainsaw out and cut it into blocks.
We ended up with enough blocks of ice to make a small igloo... We managed to cut a path along one side big enough for the truck to pass in about forty five minutes.
Further on up the road, we ran into yet another patch of snow blocking our way. This time though, there was enough room to one side for us to drive around. Or so we thought. But the dirt was soft and the truck slid sideways just a little bit. Just enough to trap a fallen tree trunk between the tire and the exhaust pipe of the truck.
Moving the truck would have sheered the exhaust pipe clean off! SO... we got the chainsaw out once again, this time to cut some of the log out of the way. That did the trick. We were on our way once again.
With this last patch of snow behind us, we were now able to drive quite a distance towards the site. Eventually, as we had figured, we reached the snow line near the top and had to hike the last mile of road on foot. This would have been a nice afternoon hike...except for the mosquitos!! Swarms of mosquitos followed us every step of the way. And the person voted most likely to catch "west nile"... our very own N6- "Shorts" -MVT.
After several hours we finally arrived at the site. It took all of an hour to replace a bad PA on the main radio and C.A.R.L.A. 8 was back in business.The trip back down to civilization went pretty uneventful, except for one snow mound which needed about 5 minutes of shoveling to make it safe to pass. We made it back to the highway just as it got dark. All-in-all, it was a full days workout for the C.A.R.L.A. road crew.
"Snow - Nature's little Joke." - N6QOP
CARLA Comes Full Circle in 2006
Last updated on September 3, 2006 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
C.A.R.L.A. has come full circle. If you read the first paragraph on the "About C.A.R.L.A." page, you'll see the following:
"C.A.R.L.A. ...was being developed in the early 80's and was revived due to the Coalinga earthquake that shook the area on May 2, 1983. Skip Hamer, N6IRF, and another Ham, Jack Ebury, W6IYY were engaged in conversation with each other about plans for C.A.R.L.A. via telephone between the S.F. Bay Area and Coalinga just before the earthquake struck."
On Labor Day of 2006, C.A.R.L.A. came full circle with the addition of the C.A.R.L.A. 15 system on Joaquin Ridge near the town of Coalinga. This system extends C.A.R.L.A.'s South coverage well past the Fresno area and into the Bakersfield area of central California.
And thats not all the news...
During the Labor Day weekend, 2 more repeaters came on the air in the C.A.R.L.A. network. C.A.R.L.A. 13 is located just north of Lake Shasta with great coverage of the lake and surrounding areas. Lastly, C.A.R.L.A. 14 is on the air just West of Truckee with coverage on the I-80 corridor from Truckee to almost Auburn.
The C.A.R.L.A. 13 and C.A.R.L.A. 15 repeaters are currently basic temporary repeaters with Link PL only. No local PL available yet. We are building up the complete permanent repeaters to full C.A.R.L.A. spec (full controllers, Link/Local PL, battery backup, etc.) to replace them as time permits.
And there's more...
In mid-November, 2 more repeaters came on the air in the C.A.R.L.A. network. C.A.R.L.A. 3, which has been looking for a home, is now on the air near Point Arena just West of Ukiah. Its currently standalone but we hope to link it in to the system eventually. And C.A.R.L.A. 7, which has been down for a short while, is now back on the air in the South Bay. And its now linked to the rest of the system!
And...
C.A.R.L.A. is now connected to the GRS Mt. Vaca Repeater on 440.750+ with a local PL of 100.0Hz and a link PL of 173.8Hz. If you're in the greater Sacramento Valley area, try C.A.R.L.A. 16 on Mt. Vaca.
Wait! There's more...
In mid-March, C.A.R.L.A. 17 was brought up on the air in the Sonora area. Its currently standalone but we expect to link it in to the system eventually. It provides good coverage in the hills around Sonora as well as great coverage from Sacramento to Merced in the valley. Shortly after that installation, C.A.R.L.A. 4 was moved from Fremont Peak to Greenfield. Its main coverage area is now the 101 corridor between Monterey and King City with additional coverage in the surronding areas. This system is currently standalone also but it will be linked into the system eventually as well.
And even more...
During the Memorial Day weekend, C.A.R.L.A. 18 came up on the air. This repeater is located near Topaz Lake in Nevada and covers Antelope Valley, Minden, Gardenerville, and can be heard in Reno. Its currently standalone but we expect to link it in to the system eventually.
CARLA meets Mrs. Doubtfire
Last updated on September 9, 2001 by The C.A.R.L.A. Team | This article is Archived | Permalink
 | While George Hincapie raced towards a first place finish at the 2001 San Francisco Grand Prix bicycle race last week, an alert ABC reporter covering the race spotted a local Marin County native who frequents bike racing events - Robin Williams. After interviewing Robin for several minutes live at the main grandstand, someone in the vicinity invited him to pick up a nearby mic and say hello to the checkpoint communications group for the race. A moment later, a voice was heard on the C.A.R.L.A. 2 repeater:
"Hello? Hello? Robin Williams here. Anybody got a 10-100 location out there?? I *really* gotta go now! Keep up the good work! This is Robin "Racer" Williams, over and out!" |  |