The repeater VA6CTV in Calgary has had an upgrade done today and it is running on an upgraded set of hardware. The controller is also new, and to make this apparent, the go-ahead tone, previously a ‘boop’ has been changed to a happier melody.
The frequency remains unchanged, as well as the coverage area around Calgary.
This repeater is one of the last VHF repeaters in our fleet that did not use CTCSS and PL tones. At the present time, it is still using carrier squelch. With this upgrade, we will now be adding tones on both transmit and receive in a short while.
So be aware, tones are coming. Beginning February 2 2025, a PL tone of 110.9Hz will be required to activate the repeater. And to prevent other signals entering your receiver, the repeater will transmit the same tone frequency, so you can add CTCSS to your receiver settings.
This is just an advance notice. Watch for posts on FARS.ca announcing this, as well as emails and voice announcements on the linked repeaters when the change takes place.
Modern radios support CTCSS and PL tones, sometimes called tone squelch (TSQ), so crack open your manual and add tones to your radio.
There is no harm is doing this before the repeater requires it, and you won’t even notice when the change takes effect.