M1ABD still working!

M1ABD is still on the map and working away. This is the first time for many years that it has stayed on through a severe storm. Changing the electricity supply seems to have worked (touch wood).

M1ABD power supply changed

Alan, M3GNY, and I braved the elements and fought our way to the top of Bullbarrow Hill this afternoon and changed over the power source for M1ABD. It now running on the Essential supply rather than the Non-essential supply.
Time will tell if it makes things better or not.
No problems with installing some cabling and a new socket, although we did manage to set the alarm off at one point!!

G0ROZ-3 Fixed again

G0ROZ-3 vanished from the map again in the early hours of Friday morning. I made a visit to site this morning and found that the computer had locked up again. The only way to re-start it was by turning the power off at the wall socket and turning it back on again.
This has happened before and I believe it is caused by the unreliable electricity supplied at the site. It seems to get worse in the winter when there is more bad weather around to disrupt the supply.
I have put Surge & Spike protector sockets in line to see if this will help.
I also replaced the faulty keyboard.
Perhaps tapping into the essential supply line in the cabin will help out with the power problem. I hope to go to Bullbarrow Hill tomorrow to carry out some works to use the essential power there. If that solves the problems there, then I will do the same at Eggardon Hill.

M1ABD off air again.

I woke up this morning to an almost empty APRS map. It was not as empty as last time as G0ROZ-3 was Digipeating stations.
A check with www.aprs.fi showed that the last beacon from M1ABD was at 0250 Hours.
So another trip up the hill was called for. At least it was a nice day with plenty of sunshine and no frost on the road.
The computer running M1ABD was locked up again. The only way I could get it to re-boot was by turning it off at the wall socket and then back on again.
I am at a loss to say why this is happening, although the problems did start after the UPS packed up.
I have fed everything through the UPS and spike eliminator that is still there.
I think that I will have to start using the electricity that comes from the main supply and is run by the generator when there is a power outage. I remember that that power supply had a large number of batteries to keep it going until it is switched over to the generator.
As the essential supply is not being used in our part of the site, it will not cause any problems. It will mean hard-wiring a new cable into the supply, but it will be quite easy to do.
I will need to visit the local DIY emporium to get the necessary kit before I do it.

If you want to make a comment

I see that only members of the Blog are allowed to comment on a post. I cannot find a setting that would allow comments. I am not to sure that allowing unrestricted comments by anybody and everybody would be a good idea either.
So, if you would like to make a comment about a post, send an email to 2e1ejc@dpars.net with the subject "Comment for the DPARS APRS Blog".
If the comment does not upset the many rules we have to abide by, I will then post the comment on the Blog.

Here is a map, taken from www.aprs.fi, showing my travels today.
It seems I travelled a few miles, but I did stop for a Macdonalds (other fast food chains are available) on the way. It was worth it just to get back a map full of stations!

G0ROZ-3 Sorted

After sorting out M1ABD I took a drive up to Eggardon Hill. I picked up the keys, but when I got up to site I found I had the wrong keys! On the way back down to Dorchester, Bob (G6DZM) called me up on the radio and I had to admit my mistake! It is my age you know!!
When I finally got into site, I found the computer was completely locked up. I had to switch the power off before it would re-boot. Once it re-booted itself there was no sign of a fault and G0ROZ-3 was back on air.
I did notice that the keyboard was not working (The only thing I do not carry a spare of!) but whether that was the cause of the problem or not I could not tell.
Hopefully it will keep running until I can get a new keyboard up there.

M1ABD-3 appeared back on the map again. It looks like I cannot see it from home unless it digi's through M1ABD or G0ROZ-3 first.
I used to be able to see it direct, so I will have to go and check out the system very shortly to see if there is a fault.