Repeater output on 467.550 MHz repeater input channel (maritime users)

[intermod]

While scanning the GMRS input frequencies last week I  found a strong repeater output operating on 467.550 MHz using a 118.8 Hz output code.  It was heavily-accented maritime traffic.  We found their input on 457.550 MHz (10.0 MHz lower).  I presume they were using 118.8 in as well.  There were there for 48 hours before departing out the Golden Gate into the Pacific.

 

The choice of 118.8 is interesting as we get lots of spurious signals on that code (almost 2X 60 Hz??) most everywhere in the bay region - so most repeater owners have disabled that code.  So this helps them hide.  Yea, a conspiracy theory...  

 

Both the 467.55 and 467.575 have been taken over by maritime traffic here in the San Francisco area for many years (and sometimes includes 467.600, .625, .650 and .675), but it has always been direct mode/simplex. 

 

This is a disturbing development...

 

I am bringing these incidents up because if we lose control of our repeater input channels, high-level (and some low-level) repeaters will become impractical.

 

Greg

KAF1291

 

        

[Logan5]

Yes we had this happen here in South FL on our freq. 600, I recorded the comm's and managed to get the name and e-mail of a local coordinate. I e-mailed him a copy of the FCC charter and notified him of the fines and penalties for such illegal operation. He stopped communicating with the party immediately, and the rest stopped within a few hours. I agree this needs more attention, having a high power output on our input is catastrophic to even basic comm's.   

[intermod]

I would imagine Fort Lauderdale gets slammed with the same stuff we get here.

 

The problem here was affecting another person's repeater - we are not on .550.  But they were completely unaware of it.  With internet access at the site its relatively easy to monitor out input. 

 

Greg   

[WRHV328]

This same issue has been going on in LA area in the DILA repeater located on Mt. Wilson.  for the last two months we been having the same heavily accented maritime traffic on 467.550 tone 103.5, but been here for too long, hopefully they leave soon as they are very loud in the repeater.