{"id":485,"date":"2016-06-19T21:54:55","date_gmt":"2016-06-20T03:54:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rmrl.org\/rl\/?p=485"},"modified":"2017-01-03T11:34:41","modified_gmt":"2017-01-03T18:34:41","slug":"devils-head-repeater-449-125-mhz-removed-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rmrl.org\/rl\/2016\/06\/19\/devils-head-repeater-449-125-mhz-removed-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Devil’s Head Repeater (449.125 MHz) Removed from Service"},"content":{"rendered":"

On June 11, 2016 a group of RMRL volunteers removed our 449.125 MHz repeater from its location at the Devil’s Head fire lookout in Douglas County. It was a coda to the 16-year operation of the \u201csite west of Sedalia\u201d for the RMRL club.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
<\/p>\n

The installation team at the bottom of the steps up to the tower.<\/p>\n

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Former RMRL member Warren, N0FVG<\/span> approached the Forest Service in 1999 with a proposal to place a club repeater at Devils Head. Warren and Joe, WT0C<\/span> worked with Forest Service personnel and secured a permit in August 2000. A team of RMRL volunteers installed the repeater in September 2000. The equipment was carried 1.4 miles up the trail and the last 143 steps to the tower on a gurney. Ed, KA0ZAS<\/span> was in charge of the repeater installation.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The devil is in the details: 143 steep stairs tops the easy hike up the mountain. Total round-trip is 2.8 miles; bottom to top is a 940 ft. rise in elevation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In its early years, the 449.125 MHz repeater was used by the Front Range Electronic Direction Finders (FREDF) group for training and coordinating aircraft ELT signal searches. Perhaps the repeater\u2019s finest hours came in 2002 when it was utilized extensively for health and welfare traffic during the Hayman forest fire. The repeater\u2019s excellent coverage of the fire area to the west and the populated Front Range to the east made it ideal for this purpose. More recently the repeater has supported general club communications.<\/p>\n

\"Amazing
The view from the top of Devil’s Head is stunning. A view of the tower from the north after the repeater was installed. The repeater\u2019s antenna is at the far right. Devil\u2019s Head Lookout is the last of the seven original Front Range Lookout towers still in continuous use.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On June 11, 2016 the repeater was removed. This was done because the U. S. Forest Service declined to renew the club\u2019s permit. Brian Banks, District Ranger of the South Platte Ranger District, indicated amateur radio is not consistent with the fire lookout’s use and detracts from the public’s enjoyment. He also expressed concern about interference. Mr. Banks denied our permit renewal application despite the fact there have been no aesthetic or interference complaints involving our repeater in the almost 16 years it was at Devils Head.<\/p>\n

<\/a>
The removal team from left to right: Graham (K1DUN<\/span>\u2019s son); Dunnigan, K1DUN<\/span>; Ed, N0MHU<\/span> and daughter Beth; Glenn, WN0EHE<\/span>; Skyler, KD0WHB<\/span>; Anna, W0ANT<\/span>; Joe, WT0C<\/span>; Mike, KI0GO<\/span>. Not pictured: Mimi, N0KRB<\/span> who took the photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As of this writing, the RMRL is looking for a new home for the 449.125 repeater site. If you know of a location that may be suitable, please inform any of the officers.<\/p>\n

Many thanks to the volunteers who disassembled the repeater and antenna and transported them down. A shout-out also to the Columbine LDS church youth group who gave us much-needed assistance in carrying out that heavy cabinet!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On June 11, 2016 a group of RMRL volunteers removed our 449.125 MHz repeater from its location at the Devil’s Head fire lookout in Douglas County. It was a coda to the 16-year operation of the \u201csite west of Sedalia\u201d for the RMRL club. Former RMRL member Warren, N0FVG approached the Forest Service in 1999 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[17,16],"class_list":["post-485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-repeaters","tag-repeaters","tag-rmrl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmrl.org\/rl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmrl.org\/rl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmrl.org\/rl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmrl.org\/rl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmrl.org\/rl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=485"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/rmrl.org\/rl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/485\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":492,"href":"https:\/\/rmrl.org\/rl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/485\/revisions\/492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmrl.org\/rl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmrl.org\/rl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmrl.org\/rl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}