While doing site checks I discovered that both antennas on the Ellsworth repeater and Link have problems.
A system sweep of the top-mounted repeater antenna reveals that there is a problem with the antenna harness causing a significant amount of loss. This sweep from 400 to 500 MHz should show a clearly defined bandpass region from around 445 to 475 MHz. (See example below.) This antenna looks more like a dummy load than an actual antenna.This is what the above sweep should look like on a good antenna and feedline. A system sweep of the Yagi antenna used on the link to Minneapolis reveals unacceptably high SWR across the entire sweep.
These issues will likely not be repaired anytime soon. This repeater is located on a commercial tower. A certified and insured crew will have to perform any tower work being done.
The repeater will remain on-air and is available for use with a reduced coverage area. The link to Minneapolis is still functional despite having high SWR.
