200801 GPB Web.html

	Georgia Public Broadcasting John Davis, WB4QDX - DEC Robin Cutshaw, AA4RC - Assistant DEC

In October 2005, Georgia ARES® and OHS/GEMA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote close cooperation between the State of Georgia and the Georgia Section of ARES®. Georgia Public Broadcasting is supporting the MOU and ARES® by providing Amateur Radio access to all nine GPB television towers to construct a statewide Emergency Communications network. Beginning in late 2007 and completing in mid-2008, “pooled” antennas at each GPB site are becoming available for shared Amateur Radio and National Weather Service use. In addition, indoor equipment space, power and Internet access has been made available. Georgia ARES® unveiled a plan at the January, 2008 Section ARES Meeting to develop a state-of-the-art digital voice and data network with statewide coverage. Download the presentation here.

News From the GPB Sites February 11, 2008 – WX4GPB, the D-Star digital repeaters are on the air at the WGTV tower on Stone Mountain east of downtown Atlanta. The repeaters, sponsored by the Atlanta Radio Club and donated by Ham Radio Outlet, are the first digital repeaters installed on the GPB network of tall towers. The repeaters operate on 144.96 +2.5 MHz offset, 440.700 +5 MHz offset and 1282.700 – 12 MHz offset on digital voice (DV) and 1251.500 MHz for high speed digital data (DD). The repeaters will be linked to the D-Star network statewide and worldwide with the installation of the Gateway connection to the Internet. December, 2007 - The Atlanta Radio Club will sponsor and operate the first D-Star repeaters in the Statewide Digital Network on the WGTV tower on Stone Mountain in Atlanta. The D-Star equipment was generously donated by Ham Radio Outlet. The repeater is scheduled to go in service in early February.

The Georgia Statewide Digital Network will be comprised of two major components. To support existing digital data technologies, Telpac nodes will be installed at some sites to support Packet data and Winlink applications to unserved areas of the state. To expand the current voice and data capabilities and develop a platform for the future, a D-Star network of linked digital voice and data repeaters will be constructed at each of the GPB sites. The D-Star Repeater Network Consists of 2m, 70cm and 23cm repeater modules at each site Gateways allow full networking to link coverage across state, to neighboring D-Star systems in Alabama and Florida and around the world Provides simultaneous voice and data on all bands High speed 128 kb data on 23 cm Simultaneous GPS position reporting with voice		Georgia Statewide Digital Network shown with 50 mile radius coverage