One of the most frequent questions we are asked is why aren't there more 2 meter repeaters in the NI4CE system?   The simple answer is that available frequency pairs, coordinated by the Florida Repeater Council on a first come - first served basis, are not available in the NI4CE Service Area.  The West Central Florida Group, Inc. operates three 2 meter repeaters, the original Big Stick repeater on 145.43 MHz at the Verna site in Central Manatee County, 145.29 MHz at High Point in central Pinellas County, and 146.76 MHz at Port Richey in West Pasco County.

The lack of available two meter frequency pairs has shifted our focus to the development of 70 centimeter UHF repeaters.  The NI4CE system currently operates five 70 centimeter UHF repeaters:

• 442.95 MHz co-located with 145.43 in Verna (Central Manatee County)

• 443.45 MHz co-located with 145.29 in High Point (Central Pinellas County)

• 442.65 MHz co-located with 146.76 in Port Richey (West Pasco County)

• 442.825 MHz at Pebbledale in Western Polk County

• 442.550 MHz at Riverview in Hillsborough County

Our development of these communications resources now provides the nearly ten thousand licensed Amateur Radio operators in our area with a seamless, linked communications system that blankets Florida's West Coast from Hernando County to Lee County and extends inland as far East as Orlando.  The NI4CE system provides excellent mobile coverage along the I-75 corridor from Brooksville South through Charlotte County and along the I-4 corridor from Tampa to Orlando.

The NI4CE's use of 70 centimeter UHF repeaters provides area Hams with several unique communications opportunities.  The shorter wavelength of the 70 centimeter UHF band allows more fluent access from inside steel and concrete structures, including office buildings, warehouses and houses.  This shorter wavelength allows users to achieve higher gain with shorter antennas.  This better enables the use of handheld, portable transceivers when weather conditions make the use of external antennas dangerous.

Hams living in highly Deed Restricted communities will also find it easier to operate on NI4CE 70 centimeter repeaters, enabling them to remain active in the Amateur Radio Service.  70 centimeter antennas can be easily mistaken for over-the-air television antennas.  70 centimeter antennas can also more easily be located in attics, if external mounting is not an option.

All NI4CE repeaters, both VHF and UHF, utilize a CTCSS tone of 100 MHz.  Our use of CTCSS (both transmit and receive) enables operators to configure their transceivers to eliminate squelch crashes and errant intermod signals that are prevalent in high RF locales.

The NI4CE system is on the air for all licensed Radio Amateurs to use.  We hope you will plug it into your VHF/UHF transceiver(s) and use it often.  We also encourage you to participate in the many informational and emergency Nets conducted on the NI4CE system.