DV gateway up and running in Downham Market.
It's on 144.8625, callsign MB6WN (MB6WN^^C, MB6WN^^G) and the usual repeater -'ve shift switched in, with a 0.00MHz offset.
Coverage to the East is a bit limited due to local topography (the junction of the A1122/A134 at Stradsett is about the limit mobile) as I'm on the Western side of the hill at 41' ASL and the summit in Downham town centre is 127' ASL! What it's like further East with a decent base antenna, I don't know. It's only licensed for a 2w ERP.... something I didn't bother appealing, I was just grateful to get the NoV, given the situation that 2m is near saturation point. The gateway is running the "FreeStar*" suite of software, and can ircDDB call route as well as connect to D-PLUS & X-REF (although if the rumours are to be believed, the D-PLUS may not be happening for much longer), and it will pass standard GPS data to the network (no need for GPS-A mode). Coverage out to the West is as far as the edge of Wisbech, March & Chatteris, and the Hardwick roundabout to the North at Kings Lynn. No tests have been done to the South yet!
Also, in South Lincolnshire we have MB6SB based at Holbeach on 144.825 (same RPT settings as mine, ie MB6SB^^C etc) which covers from Wisbech to the South, to roughly Fosdyke (A17) to the North, and to the East as far as Hardwick roundabout at KL. The edge of Spalding appears to be the Western limit. It's running FreeStar* again, so has the same capabilities as mine.
There is also another one about to come online (application has gone off to OFCOM for issue).... MB6IBC, on 434.050 at Doddington in Cambridgeshire (Between March & Chatteris on the A141). Unfortunately being 70cm, it's attended operation only - we darent push our luck and apply for a 2m affair! It's hoped that it will pick up from the northern limit of GB7PI and cover the A141/A47 corridor from Chatteris to Wisbech where SB can be picked up, and from Chatteris to hopefully Ely on the A142 along the northern fringe of PI, and out to the North East to the villages around Upwell/Christchurch where my node can then be worked. Coverage to the East is a bit of an unknown at the moment, but we are hoping that the edge of Peterborough should be attainable from a decent base setup. Again, it's FreeStar* and all the usual features apply. Access is MB6IBC^B & MB6IBC^G
If we get any more springing up, I'll let you know!
Cheers,
James G0FHM
