Imminent shutdown of seven repeaters South Yorkshire Repeater Group (SYRG) have taken the unprecedented decision to close down our whole repeater network. Due to a number of factors, we cannot continue to provide the service we have for a number of years. This move has not been taken lightly and appreciate this loss will impact on a lot of amateurs. It could be that other individuals or groups, may be able to offer the financing and time required, to run one or all of these repeaters. GB3HF – 50MHz – ANALOGUE VOICE repeater GB3NA – 2M – Multi-mode DIGITAL VOICE repeater – Fusion GB3SY – 70CM – ANALOGUE VOICE repeater GB7YD-A – 23CM – DIGITAL DATA Repeater – D-Star GB7YD-A – 23CM – DIGITAL VOICE repeater – D-Star GB7YD-B – 70CM – DIGITAL VOICE Repeater – D-Star GB7YD-C – 2M – DIGITAL VOICE Repeater – D-Star If you have even a slight interest in being responsible for any or all of these repeaters, please get in touch with us: comms@southyorkshirerepeatergroup.co.uk South Yorkshire Repeater Group Committee http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2017/october/imminent-shutdown-important-information.htm
This is sad to hear. What are the multiple factors for the closure? Besides the likely financial aspect, is there a lack of available talent, time and interest? Are there likely parallels in the States? Are there lessons to be learned?
I can't speak for how many shut down, but I can reach 100 repeaters from here, and 90 of them have less than an hour activity per day. People just don't chat over-the-air as much as once was. Time to pick a new hobby. This one is slowly dying off.
We will wait and get the answers if they are offered but it could be a combination of all of the "factors" you outlined
No it's not. It was a great hobby 80 years ago with 25k licensed hams. If we return to that level it will still be a great hobby. Go dump your sour milk elsewhere!
The lesson may be that nothing lasts forever. I remember a trip to Mt Washington in which we saw the Old Man of the Mountain on the way up, and it was just a pile of rocks by the time we got home.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1436269433268753/permalink/2060748257487531/ I found this on the 'Unofficial RSGB' FB page, it may shed a little more light on the matter!
It's just about impossible to find anyone with the skills necessary to maintain the things. Here in Interior Alaska, all our repeater gurus are dead or have one foot and an arm in the grave. Very very few hams realize what a HUGE commitment of time and energy it is to put a repeater on the air, and maintain it. We're gradually moving to simplex here....and believe it or not, it's very effective. 6 meters FM is coming alive, and it has just about as good coverage as 2 meters ever had. So, this could be a good thing in the long run.
Much the same has happened here in country regional Australia. In my country area, the Central West of N.S.W there would be three repeaters which have disappeared over the years. Site access issues, lack of personel to maintain the repeater, running costs and so on. Even the very few scattered repeaters which are still operating go for days on end without one single contact being made so guess the day will come when they go off air as well. From what I can see of many ops in country areas is activity on the H.F bands either DX chasing or chatter type nets on 80 or 40M. CW, SSB or digital modes predominate. At least in my local area there is little or no VHF/UHF activity and the local hams I know do not even have a working radio for VHF/UHF.
Hams will move to the most used repeaters when activity is low. When activity on VHF/UHF is dropping, many of the little used machines will go away, if there is a group needed to support them. If it's in someone's back yard, and there are no ongoing expenses, it may continue for a longer time. Linked repeaters (internet or RF) are more attractive to people, as there is usually someone around to talk to. It isn't like the old days when all of the repeaters were crowded and you could scare someone up at about any time of the day.
