GB3heLL – Repeater Wars

A perusal of the North Wales Amateur Radio Society web pages reveals the sorry tale of the Llandudno 70cm repeater GB3LL or maybe as it should be called GB3heLL. The latest news of what has happened with the repeater is entitled the “Not so exciting News Re GB3LL 70cm Repeater !!! and has all the potential of turning into all out war between seriously pissed local radio amateurs and the RSGB President Dave Wilson, who just happens to be the Chairman of UKFM Repeater Group Western as well.

Apparently a personal promise to relinquish the license to NWRS if the repeater was not back on the air by last weekend was made in front of a large group on NWRS members at the Blackpool radio rally. El Presidente has since sent an email denying he said any such thing and that of UKFM Repeater Group Western have no intention of allowing the Welsh group to run their own repeater. Those at that meeting are incensed at what they consider an out and out lie.

Without taking sides, it was never going to be that simple to transfer the NoV (notice of variation) to NWRS, although this sort of thing has been done regularly in the past particularly when UKFMRGW was empire building. It also goes without saying that making promises like this without consulting the repeater group’s committee was always going to be somewhat rash.

My opinions on the RSGB, UKFMRGW and Dave Wilson are well known to those that know me but the NWRS’s members are pulling no punches and what they are saying in public I would not even say in private. This I think is some indication of just how angry the NWRS and other local radio amateurs are over this whole fiasco.

I hope this whole issue can be resolved soon but the damage is done and there will be no peace until the Welsh are running their own repeater. Maybe someone should warn the President that this is the stomping ground of the Son’s of Glendower and if he ever comes to Llandudno he should avoid going near bookshops or grassy knolls.

North Wales Radio Society meets every Thursday, 7:00pm to 9:30pm, Tan Y Lan community center, Tan Y Lan Road, LL29 9BB.