Regulations have slowed us down but WARG remain hopefull
that a couple of new project will see the light of day.

The 29 MHz Gateway

This project has been largly finished for several years
but problems with the licensing have delayed it being on air.
For a brief time the Gateway was on air, linked to VK6RLM,
but it had to be switched off while the licence situation was sorted out.
This appears to have been done, some 3 years later!

When finally operational the 29 MHz Gateway will provide 2 metre operators
with access to a single FM frequency on or about 29.120 MHz.
Whatever you say on 6750 repeater will also re-transmitted on 29.120 MHz FM.
Stations hearing your transmission on 6750 or 29.120 MHz
can reply on either normal 6750 or on 29.120 MHz.

There are CTCSS requirements to operate the 29.120 MHz transmitter from 6750 by you the user.
This is to prevent licence grades who are not licenced to operate on 29.120 MHz FM
from being re-transmitted from 6750 to 29 MHz.
The CTCSS tone required for 2 metre operation to 29 MHz is 88.5 Hz TX.

It is also thought that CTCSS operation will be required to access the 29 MHz Gateway.
Although an annoyance, as this tone will have to be installed into 29 MHz transceivers,
there appears little option. 29 MHz is a noisy band and all sorts of carriers
will trigger the 29 MHz FM receiver, and as a result trigger up the 6750 repeater.

The licence for the 29 MHz Gateway is close
and perhaps this year 1997 will see the Gateway in operation.
 

7 MHz Gateway

What if the Gateway idea was extended to another band, say 7MHz ? How about this as an idea ?

Install a new voice repeater on 2 metres or 70 CM that is dedicated to the 7 MHz Gateway.
This repeater's transmitter is on continuous transmit.
A 7 MHz SSB receiver has its audio connected to the continuous transmission from the repeater.
What you hear on the repeater's output is 7 MHz SSB noise,
just as if you had a 7 MHz receiver in front of you listening on a particular frequency.
Any amateur transmitting on that 7 MHz SSB frequency would now be heard on the repeater.
To reply you transmit on the repeater's normal input frequency, your signal
is now transmitted out on the repeater as normal, but it is also transmitted on 7 MHz SSB. You can have a
QSO via your 2 metre or 70 CM FM rig with an amateur on a given frequency on 7 MHz SSB.

This repeater system is dedicated to this type of operation.
There is no signal level detection of activity on 7 MHz to turn on the repeater's transmitter,
it is on continuous transmit, re-transmitting a single SSB frequency on 7 MHz
This overcomes the problem of trying to detect when a SSB signal is there.
You hear it all, even when there is no activity, just 7 MHz noise.
Communication through this type of repeater 2 metre to 2 metre, for example, is
possible and intended, but in between overs, 7 MHz activity would be heard.
7 Mhz noise would be inhibited when an input signal on the 2 metre / 70 CM is being transmitted.
A contact between two amateurs using the repeater on 2 metres / 70 CM would appear normal.
In short several amateurs could be on the repeater along with one or more amateurs on 7 MHz.
All sorts of combinations would be possible, with all being able to hear all.

Monitoring this type of Gateway repeater would become tedious,
because when there is no activity you hear 7 Mhz noise.
But it is a dedicated system designed to do just that.
If you want to call CQ on 7 MHz just dial up the 7 Mhz Gateway repeater system and away you go.

Now for the hard part...To get it licensed....Perhaps next century...!
 

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