Repeaters On Mt. Mitchell (NC) To Be Removed.

"Even as I write this letter, ARES groups across North Carolina are gearing up for a state-wide emergency drill on June 23d-24th based on a notional major earthquake hitting western NC."

The best thing that those involved in this drill can do is to not use the repeater in question durning the drill to show what the loss of the repeater will be in any future emergency.
Terry

 

Franklin Graham

Please someone need s to get an appointment with Mr Graham soon.I think he will listen if we educate him. WV8BU=Fred

 

Franklin Graham

Please someone needs to get an appointment with Mr Graham soon.I think he will listen if we educate him. WV8BU=Fred

 

I guess this area of the site is moderated, or I am moderated at this section. I didn't see the thread get posted for a day or two. I see it made it, though, and now people are aware.

K2JB, Dean, is going to be the best person to direct questions to about this, IMO. The information that I posted is what I got straight from WA4BVW, Ken, the owner of the repeater, during the "Good Morning Net" on the Pisgah repeater last week. Ken said he didn't want to antagonize anyone over keeping the repeater up when asked about contacting the property owners.

It seems, though, that the repeater is bigger (more important) than just the owner and the owner of the property it is on. A lot of people are getting involved in this and that is a good thing. The business end of who owns the repeater is not my business, but I think that it should be given over to the WCARS club if WA4BVW has no interest in fighting to keep it.

When I first started listening to the repeater, I was amazed at the coverage. I didn't think that there was any way a VHF repeater could reach so far. There is little doubt that this repeater would be invaluable in an emergency situation. In fact, someone mentioned an upcoming earthquake drill and, for those that don't know, we do get earthquakes in western North Carolina. Not huge ones, but you never know what could happen one day. Blizzards are also not unheard of, not to mention the homeland security aspect.

I am going to send my email about this matter. I hope others will do the same. I hear a lot of people use this repeater. Locals, truckers passing through, the Sat. night net with check-ins from all over. I suspect that the machine would be sorely missed by many.

W8HDU:

There are 6M, 440 and 220 repeaters on Mt. Mitchell, in addition to the 2M machine. At the link below, you can see the list of repeaters on the mountain:
http://www.wcars.org/repeaters.html

 

Address Dr Graham

ki4sky
No one is as concerned as I am about the possibility of the removal of the repeaters from Mt Mitchell , but please ladies and gentlemen , let us not underestimate Dr Graham . We do not need to educate him , nor correct him , just politely and proffessionally make him aware of the fact of the action being taken against the Amatuer Radio Society . He is aware of our importance to the community in emergency situations and I am sure he will make the right decision if approached politely instead of like a mob .
Remember , we are amateur radio operators & grownups , so let us act so .
73's
ki4sky
James R Whitehouse

 

Well, no. We are amateur radio operators. There is a difference.

Joe

 

Agreed

I agree 100% with Terry. This will be a huge loss to the entire amateur radio community.

 

One email sent out stated WMIT was willing to let the repeaters remain if they paid $1000 per month per antenna. Even if it were just the 2m repeater involved, I doubt the plate would fill that fast!

 

If you're going to get a news reporter involved, find a person that comes off as an intelligent spokesman, not some goober hick. You want to put your best foot forward when you are making a public appeal. You certainly don't want to become a laughingstock.

Probably some concerted organized effort would be best, rather than everyone going off half cocked. You don't want some yahoo ruining the chance of keeping the stuff there, by something he says. Who knows what the reason for this change is? Does anyone know the story behind the event? Did a ham go in and shut off a TV transmitter to service his 2M machine? What is the straight dope?

Joe

 

Service to the people or profit.

If this is true, it seems hypocritical. The new message from WMIT should be changed to - "Money Talks, especially when it's non-taxable". What a shame, I hope it's just due to lack of knowledge of the importance that amateur radio can provide and not a greedy business opportunity.

73
Chuck

 

Mt Mitchell repeaters issue can be resolved.

Ken Wood, NN4KW, a McDowell Amateur Radio Assoc member and a part time volunteer at WMIT, was able to meet with Alice Knighten, WMIT General Manager, on June 15. Alice was willing to talk with Ken about the development of events surrounding the request for removal of amateur radio repeaters from Clingman's Peak.

The issue began when a repeater antenna was moved without approval.
The consequences of this change forced WMIT to change antennas to resolve interference issues.

The Forest Service owns the site. Amateur Radio repeaters operate at the pleasure of Blue Ridge Broadcasting, using power supplied by Blue Ridge Broadcasting. There have been no written agreements up to now about the operating agreements. There is a question of liability as the repeaters now operate.

According to Alice, the issue can be resolved. However her boss, Franklin Graham, is now involved due to the letter writing campaign by hams. She is waiting for direction from him. Unfortunately, Alice has received some unpleasant letters which don't advance resolution of this matter.

Resolution will involve defining written agreements, agreement to pay for electricity, and perhaps some apologies.

Ken Wood NN4KW and David Houser WA9OTP

 

You'll have to do what big Chief Sitting Bull did, send smoke signals !

G0GQK

 

Mt Mitchell

Tnx for address Dean, I sent Mr Winkler an email and I hope everyone else will.

73 de AI4DR
Duke Rumley

 

Good news, bad news. GREAT it can be resolved. BAD, the reason why they were told to leave. I sincerely hope the apologies will cool tempers.

Paying for electricity is IMO little enough.


Cortland
KA5S

 

Moving an antenna without permission, then to threaten with negative media publicity and a nasty letter writing campaign. THIS on something you neither own nor have any rights to, save for anothers generosity. Had someone moved an antenna on one of my towers without my permission, I would have been hard pressed to consider future negotiations of any kind.
The misplaced arrogance and false sense of entitlement of some hams is unfathomable.

I hope clearer heads prevail and you can work out something acceptable to both sides.