SW VA STARS Sporatic Comm Issues & Analog Renewals
Hey guys,
I've updated the
STARS Map that I created a few years back. I added the Dumfries and Waverly sites, along with some freqency updates for various sites.
Could y'all do me a favor and check my work? I know that sometimes a fresh set of eyes can spot errors better that someone who's been staring at it for hours.
Also, does anybody know if there is a site near Smith Mountain Lake? From my computer screen, that area looks like a potential coverage issue. The nearest tower is about thirty miles away.
-Matt
Smith Mtn. Lake is a classic example of occasional comm issues experienced by some STARS users (i.e.,typically DGIF, DOF and VSP) in SW VA due mostly to mountainous terrains. Occasionally when using a HT in this type of environment because of the distance involved from the vehicle and physical attenuation of the signal by folage, etc., comms to/from the vehicle's mobile repeater may be sporatic. As a "gap filler" solution at Smith Mtn. Lake the VSP is licensed (WQOG388) for a non-STARS analog and/or P25 repeater operation on 853.4750 mhz. Its' most likely users are VSP, DGIF and DOF.
Adversely impacting the sporatic SW VA mountainous terrain STARS comm issues is any mobile radio typically operating in county areas bordering the KY and WVA state lines are limited to 50 watts. This FCC restriction is to minimize possible RF interference to prior land mobile licensees of STARS licensees.
Any ham operating mobile on 2 meters knows very well the dynamics of repeater operation and the impacts mountainous terrains have on comms. One minute reception is excellent and the next you are talking to yourself or if lucky hit another "hot" spot to continue the contact.
For all of this year to the present and continuing both DGIF and DOF have been either /renewing their old analog vhf simplex/repeater site licenses or applying for new ones. Perhaps it is being done to provide a backup system to STARS or as "gap fillers" comms in areas where STARS comms are sporatic.
The VSP STARS radio templates for zones 15 & 16 support all division comms using their previous site's analog conventional simplex/repeater's frequencies/CTCSS. DOF radio templates user selection of either zones 7 or 8 support statewide conventional analog site simplex/repeater's frequencies comms.
In the future I would expect to hear some DGIF and DOF analog comms on their old pre-STARS analog frequencies. VSP has been using analog comms in Division 3 to overcome some STARS comm issues.
Possibly in the future one or more low powered "gap filler" type STARS repeaters might be installed in selected SW VA mountainous locations such as the higher power Elkins Branch site to provide more dependable STARS comms.
John
W4UVV
