444.775

444.775 Repeater - Bendavis, MO

****** SMLRS Link System Repeater ******

On-Air Date:                     June 2, 2020

Repeater Transmit:         444.775

Repeater Receive:           449.775               (+5.0 MHz)

Modes:                               Analog

PL Tone:                             110.9 Hz

PL Direction:                      Encode & Decode

Bandwidth:                        Wideband – 25 kHz

Transmit Power:               100-Watts

Antenna System:              Commscope DB420 - 290' AGL

Link antennas:                   N/A

Coax Cable:                        Commscope AVA5-50 7/8" Heliax

Controller:                         SCOM 7330

Repeater                            Motorola Quantar

Duplexer:                            Sinclair Q3220E-3

Link Radios:                       Motorola CDM-1250 403-470 MHz

Backup power:                  Site Generator & Site UPS

Router:                               N/A

Internet:                             No

Nets:                                   Fridays @ 7:30 p.m. - Region D ARES VHF Net

The 444.775 repeater came online June 2, 2020.  In May 2019, the Missouri Hospital Association purchased the antennas for this repeater along with the 146.985 and 146.820 repeaters on a grant requested by Bill Brashears, N0WCB (formerly KD0STZ).  Getting the antennas donated was a huge hurdle to overcome.  Coax cable for all repeaters had already been donated by Commscope so the only remaining hurdle was paying for the installation of the antennas and coax - $1,725.00 for the Bendavis site alone!  Using funds made from the NARCfest hamfest, excess heliax cable sale, a Yaesu FT-450 raffle, and a $3,000 donation from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, secured by Larry Grinstead, WA0JZK, the funds for the Eastern Expansion labor could move forward.

The MSF-5000 repeater was donated to the club by Ernie Miller, WA0HBX, of Midwest Mobile.  We still needed a duplexer and Cecil Higgins, AC0HA, came through and donated the Sinclair duplexer for the project.

In early 2021, as part of a club initiative, Todd Christell, AD0RR, replaced all the electrolytic capacitors in this MSF-5000 repeater as well as all others owned by the club. 

In March 2026, the MSF-5000 repeater was replaced when it failed by a Motorola Quantar repeater.

Bendavis acts as the "East hub" for the SMLRS and links the Rolla, Willow Springs and Taum Sauk repeaters into the SMLRS via a direct RF connection to the Crane 442.150 hub repeater.

This site is unique in that it has a direct connection to the MoSwin (Missouri Statewide Interoperable Network) which allows licensed amateur operators at Troop G Headquarters in Willow Springs to directly monitor and talk on the SMLRS during a disaster or drill from their dispatch console