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KA9LCF > NEWS 28.09.12 19:04l 53 Lines 2046 Bytes #999 (0) @ ALLIN
BID : 1713_KA9LCF
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Subj: ARN: Radio Crime
Path: IZ3LSV<IK6IHL<IK6ZDE<VE3UIL<J39BS<9Y4PJ<N9LYA<AA9MM<KF9NU<KA9LCF
Sent: 120924/1523Z 1713@KA9LCF.#NEIN.IN.USA.NOAM BPQ1.4.49
RADIO CRIME: HAM RADIO EMCOMM REPEATER VANDALIZED
Steven Tidwell, KF5NDG, reports to Amateur Radio Newsline on
a recent case where a repeater used for Skywarn and other
ham radio emergency communications was criminally damaged.
The only good news us that it appears the perpetrators have
been caught. Amateur Radio Newsline's Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK
has the details:
--
It all happened a few weeks ago at about 4:15 a.m. local
time on August 20th. That's when the 147.12 MHz hub of the
W5RHS linked repeater system in Benton, Arkansas, was taken
off the air by an act of vandalism.
The repeater site is located on a water tower that sits
behind a fence and locked gate. The suspects managed to
break in to the site, and cut the hard-line going to the
repeater and the link antennas. They also cut the coax
going to the Water Association radio system. The latter is
the commercial radio system communicates between the plant
and the water tower.
According to KF5NDG the system owner is Kelly Hesters, whose
call is W5RHS. He reportedly noticed that his repeater was
off the air when he was leaving work about 7 AM. He made a
stop at the repeater site and noticed a Toyota pickup truck
outside the gate. He then went inside he found the damage.
The next day when he went back to see what parts and
supplies he needed to get the repeater back on the air he
found a key that the suspects dropped on the ground. He
contacted the Saline County Sheriffs office which determined
that the key belonged to the vehicle. As a result of some
detective work by the local authorities the suspects in the
break-in have been arrested.
Meantime W5RHS is waiting on the delivery of some new hard-
line to get the repeater back on the air.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in
Zion, Illinois.
--
By way of reference, the W5RHS repeater is the main hub for
a multi-linked repeater system in Arkansas. This repeater
system is also very involved in Skywarn operations as well
as carrying NOAA weather radio alerts. (KF5NDG)
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