Recent NI4CE Repeater System News, Events and Information Riverview 442.55 Repeater Limited Access Due to a technical problem, the NI4CE 442.55 repeater at Riverview has temporary range. If you can hear the 442,55 repeater but cannot transmit into it, please use one of the other NI4CE repeaters to participate in our Nets or make a call: NORTH 443.450 EAST 442.825 WEST 145.290 SOUTH 145.430 or 442.950 We will correct the problem just as soon as possible. FCC Seeks Comment On Amateur Radio's Role In Emergency Communications The Federal Communications Commission has issued a Public Notice seeking comment on Amateur Radio's role in Emergency Communications. The NI4CE Amateur Repeater Network operates as a regional communications resource to facilitate Amateur Radio communicators providing assistance to public and private disaster mitigation and relief organizations. The West Central Florida Group, Inc. would like to encourage ALL Amateur Radio operators to submit their comments to the FCC at the earliest opportunity. Click HERE to download a copy of the FCC's Notice on this matter. NI4CE Digital Repeater now in service A new, fulltime NXDN Repeater went into service on Sunday, March 11, 2012 on 444.425 MHz (RAN=1). This new NI4CE Digital Repeater replaces the NI4CE D-Star repeater which had operated from the Riverview site for several years. At the same time, the NI4CE 442.550 MHz repeater at Riverview becomes a fulltime analog-only voice repeater. The new 444.425 repeater provides fulltime NXDN digital voice and text service to operators in Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk Counties. Additionally, on-demand NXDN digital voice and text service is available via the 442.950 Verna repeater and 443.450 Holiday repeater. NI4CE Supports SKYWARN The NI4CE Repeater Network continues to support the National Weather Service SKYWARN severe weather spotter program. Join the weekly SKYWARN Information Net each Tuesday evening at 9:00 PM EDT. SKYWARN Severe Weather Nets will be conducted on the system whenever severe weather threatens the NWS-Ruskin Operational Area. These Nets enable the timely issuance of severe weather warnings and the delivery of spotter information directly to WX4TOR at the National Weather Service. Under Construction Work on the new 443.450 MHz Holiday Repeater continues. The repeater is operating at reduced power awaiting delivery of a new RF Amplifier and Pre-Amp. We hope to have these components in place and on the air by Mid-February. At the same time, our technical crew will be installing new Repeater Linking equipment during the next few weeks. This will include a new linking radio for the NI4CE IRLP/Echolink node, which is currently offline. We appreciate your patience as this work is proceeding.   NI4CE-NXDN-Users Group Get your questions answered about the NI4CE System’;s new digital mode, NXDN, by signing up for the NICE-NXDN-Users Group forum on Google Group. It’s Fun! It’s Informational! And it’s FREE! To find out more about NXDN digital Talk, Text and Track, join now. Send an email to subscribe-ni4ce-nxdn-users@googlegroups.com and get answers to your NXDN questions on the ARRL West Central Florida Section Tech Net, every Thursday evening at 9:00 PM ET on the NI4CE Amateur Repeater Network. NI4CE D-Star Announcement For several months, the West Central Florida Group, Inc. has been looking to reestablish the NI4CE D-Star Repeater at a new, more environmentally-friendly site. Its previous home on the 805' platform at Riverview did not provide suitable operating conditions for this technology. As a result of these conditions the D-Star system had exhibited very unreliable performance. After months of unsuccessfully searching for another suitable location, the WCFG Board of Directors unanimously decided at its January 15th meeting to cease D-Star operations and to liquidate the D-Star repeater and controller. The proceeds from this sale will be used to improve the existing NI4CE system's linking infrastructure and to continue exploring the newer NXDN digital technology. The Board fully realizes that this decision will be met with some resistance by the former users of the D-Star repeater. But in the best interest of the overall wide-area repeater system, this step was considered to be the most prudent course of action. Any West Central Florida operator who would like to obtain the NI4CE D-Star Repeater and Controller will be given preferential consideration. We thank those operators who used the NI4CE D-Star Repeater. A list of other area D-Star Repeaters can be found on the Florida Repeater Council website.   PayPal Account reopened!  You can either use this link or the link from the contribute funds link above. APRSfl Callsign Lookup QRZ Callsign Lookup findU Callsign Lookup

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