M6FGP / 2E0SWI

The Remote Base Station project was to improve communications coverage for both the Boat Sets and Handportables that are used for rescue work, the operational area has many creeks and inlets, which traditionally have present communications problems, coupled with the Antenna Height Restrictions at the operational HQ.

The Service were fortunate to have shared a police radio site for a number of years, and with the advent of Airwave the police vacated the site, the site owners allowed us to retain the site, with this came the opportunity to improve our communications coverage.

Working with Ofcom I was able to secure two VHF Marine Channels, exclusive to the rescue service, along with an exclusive UHF Channel, and permission for a crossband repeater.

The concept was to have a UHF Base at the operational HQ, with the repeater at the remote site (Which is 54m asl), Initial predicition plots indicated the even our traditional "dead areas" would be covered, an initial setup of an ICOM Cross band system was used and proved the system worked as we expected, this has now been changed to a Motorola Unit that was donated by the Ambulance service on thier change over to Airwave, this unit was built primarily for vehicles, but with a low use cycle and slight reduction of power levels it works as sucessful crossband base.

The using a radio prediction program we were able to confirm that the area we needed to improve on and also through various location tests, the project was finalised last year and has improved the operational communications for the service.

The Primary coverage was for the eastern solent and portsmouth harbour which we have achieved and occasionally when the rescue resources get called to incidents further away, we are able to remain in contact without the need to deploy a land based unit to relay messages.