Chuck Adams, N5UN

Here are descriptions and pictures from the famous (or infamous) Texoma link. Most of the people involved are now Armadillo members. The link was installed before there was a formal Armadillo group as we currently think of it. The link was really a precursor to putting forth the serious effort required to connect Cedar Hill to Austin via Moody a few years later in 1984. These were the really fun times!

This picture shows Mike Simpson’s, W5SUF, truck (note the WR5ARL license plates – the former 147.015/147.615 Arlington repeater call sign) parked in the Texas Women’s University (Denton, Texas) 30-story dormitory parking lot just before all the gear was unloaded. Image taken October, 1980.

Mike Simpson, W5SUF, standing at the doorway to the elevator room on the roof of the TWU dormitory, holding the 220 MHz beam antenna just prior to installation. Randy Zoch, WB5PBZ, is looking out from the elevator room. Image taken October, 1980.

This is the 224.02 WB5SUF repeater antennas after mounting. It is pointed north toward Texoma (Oklahoma). Image taken October, 1980.

In the middle of this picture, attached to the TV mast on the right side, is the 440 MHz remote base antenna for the WB5SUF repeater. It is pointed south toward DFW, and specifically to the N5FL 444.6 MHz repeater located in Bedford. Image taken October, 1980.

Ken Noblitt, N5UA, standing in front of an 11-element 2-meter beam just barely visible above his head. This was the 2-meter remote base antenna for the WB5SUF repeater. It is pointed south toward DFW. Image taken October, 1980.

A view of the back side of the 24.02 MHz WB5SUF repeater rack. There was no easy way to bring coax out of the elevator room, so a decision was made at the last second to locate the package outside on the roof under the stairs leading to the elevator room. The rack contains the 220 repeater, power supply, 2 meter, and 440 MHz remote base radios (both were fixed-frequency crystal controlled radios) and the repeater controller. The 440 MHz remote base was set to the N5FL 444.6 MHz repeater in Bedford and the 2-meter remote base was set to 147.015/147.615 WB5SUF repeater in Arlington. Image taken October, 1980.

A view of the front side of the 224.02 MHz WB5SUF repeater. Note the “high water” modifications – the rack is sitting on a wooden sppol and the 220 duplexer is sitting on a 5-gallon bucket. Image taken October, 1980.

A great picture! A view of the front side of the 224.02 MHz WB5SUF repeater with weatherproof modifications and high water protection option. Trash bags and duct tape were scrounged at the last minute to waterproof the equipment. It rained several times while the equipment was a on the roof with no water damage. Image taken October, 1980.

Texoma Link article from Texas 220

The 3 attached JPEGs are scanned directly from “Texas 220”, Volume 1, Number 1, December 1980. Pages 5 (partial), 6, and 7. I felt a direct scan rather than retyping the article would be more interesting, and also the block diagram of the links is easier to scan.

The authors of the newsletter are Chuck Adams, N5UN (ex-WB5WRR) and Randy Zoch, WB5PSZ.