GB3DY & GB3EE QRT for 14 days.

[m0lsx]

The RSGB have been made aware that due to continuing and sustained repeater abuse, GB3DY at Wirksworth and GB3EE at Chesterfield have been required by Ofcom to close down for 14 days.

The RSGB would emphasise that if a repeater is suffering abuse it is essential that users do no react or attempt to communicate with the abusers as doing so inevitably makes the situation worse.

Good news it looks like Ofcom are starting to do something about the IQ zero's who are attracted to repeaters.

[G4RMT]

Probably going digital with managed access would work for these nasty areas. The days of jamming a repeater with a few quid should be over now. After all, somebody pays for repeaters, and they also get the blame for abuse - so go digital and limit access.

[m0lsx]

The other option is simply switch some off & educate people that simplex exists. It might even re-energise VHF & UHF with more people once more operating SSB mobile.
We have way more repeaters than we need & many never get used regularly. Others have little groups who simply sit on them for hours at a time, talking for the sake of talking.

[Alfie]

Bad idea and cost saving move by ofcom imho as a little google search shows the abuse on these repeaters especially GB3DY has been going on for many years so closing it for two weeks would not help as the idiot or idiots will be back. what they should do is proper investigations and use df and agents using ham callsigns to find them. if it was a business or gov frequencies they prob would do

[G4RMT]

GB3YL is off the air for maintenance reasons and has been for a while now - the only downside for the few folk who use it seems to be they can't test their radios by bringing it up! Simplex activity between the very same users has continued from what I hear.

[m0lsx]

GB3YL is off the air for maintenance reasons and has been for a while now - the only downside for the few folk who use it seems to be they can't test their radios by bringing it up! Simplex activity between the very same users has continued from what I hear.

Repeaters are like Easy Start. Some become addicted & can't work without them.

Bad idea and cost saving move by ofcom imho

The psychology is good. These are called cooling off periods & it gives both sides a chance to have a break & often it does work. Also the licences are issued under various conditions & sadly what happens on repeaters is the owners problem. So if they cannot sort out the problem, OFCOM sometimes starts with a cooling off period as a shot across the bows & progresses from there.
Also if the repeater abuse is regular & long term what happens to the reasonable users wanting to use it? Most stop, so unless something is done, is there any point is allowing the repeater to continue?

[bigpimp347]

GB3DY was switched off along with GB3EE while the ex Zycomm employee G1SLE (repeater keeper for EE and RB) was on holiday,
after two weeks on his return EE returned, DY was off as mr Sneap (Owner and keeper) was also on holiday,
this stayed off while 'Ofcom' were monitoring the abuse and tried to isolate it all on one repeater GB3EE,
DY stayed off air although rumours were it may return as a digital repeater it hasn't.
GB3EE was switched off Christmas eve (merry christmas)
neither are likely to return although still both licenced
the pirates and idiots are now on GB3CF as per normal.

Ofcom have got two monitoring stations deployed and have since end of november, one is sited next door to Zycomm office in Ripley the other is at the East Midland Airport on the north side infield.

not sure why they continue to have them deployed as the large majority of the idiots are now gone due to DY and EE being removed off air.

just to keep you all up to date .

the story issued by the RSGB was actually false, although people are still believing it.