Kaikille radioharrastajille avoin foorumi

Hello fellow Radiohullut!

We have set up a PMR parrot in Finnish gulf, on Keri island. We hope to enhance radio connection over the Finnish Gulf between Estonia and Finland with that tiny piece of equipment.
From the island Tallinn is approx. 35km and Helsinki 45km. Visually it is possible to see Helsinki lights and higher buildings from the lighthouse where the repeater is located. The Antenna is approx 28 meters from sea level. Also Porkkala coast is visible from the island.

Please test it and let us know if parrot can be reached from Helsinki!

There is an extensive thread on estonian CB foorum about it:
http://foorum.cbradio.ee/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3321

To see more about Keri island visit www.keri.ee
There are 2 webcams and a weatherstation.

Thanks for information! My initial plan was visiting Helsinki last thursday but it was postponed. Hopefully someone has tested this papagoi. I have read a lot about this island of Keri from the Estonian forum an I think the QTH is excellent. According to my knowledge you are going to activate the island this Sunday. Regarding the papagoi, I think the unit is very handy for ferry passengers with walkie talkies while they can now communicate with stations along the coastline via this repeater.

Yes, we were on the island this sunday. we haven't done very extensive tests. This sunday we tested papagoi between Emäsalo and Keri - 70km. (Thanx to Toomass, who was there) but there was no contact unfortunately. Perhaps we need to redesign that papagoi with directed antennas toward Helsinki and Porvoo and with more TX power with separate tranveivers each direction. But this won't happen now before April I guess, unless it is possible to cross to island over the ice. Also all the additional equipment donated we must make work. A time consuming process.
Until that time, repeater will work as it is. Perhaps it is reachable with yagis from finnish side.

I have planned visiting Tallinn after the Sea Battle 2010 on the 7th of February 2010. I also hope some other Finnish Sea Battle contestants will join this "Reavalia trip" despite the next day is Monday. I am not sure which boat I shall be boarding to but I assume I can test the Keri repeater during the sail. Also, there is a possibility to test Keri during and immediately after the Sea Battle 2010. I shall test it from Helsinki area. However, Kulomäki in Hyvinkää would be excellent QTH but this time of year it is crowded by slalom skiiers, so not worth trying. I think that the Keri repeater QTH is ideal for Tallinn-Helsinki ferry passengers. Especially when the boat is stuckfor several hours in the middle of the Gulf of Finland during severe ice conditions. I am going to test the repeater from the Estonian coast too, if necessary. I think it should open from the tip of the Paljassaare poolsaar and/or from the Kopli laht.

I will report the results of this repeater testing here and in the Estonian forum too when I will get my lap top connected to some WiFi in some Tallinn hotel.

We are trying to make Keri island repeater more effective for use as a link between Finland and Estonia.
Currently repeater is inactive and dismounted. On Saturday we return the repeater to the island and instead of single omnidirectional antenna we are going to use two trancievers on single repeater. One 7 element yagi will be directed toward Helsinki and other antenna toward estonian coast. (either omnidirectional or 4 element yagi)
We hope to finish installation by 15:00. and then we would like to make some tests on Helsinki direction. Channel 6.

Here I would like to thank all people who have donated either equipment or their freewilling work!
OH2JIN
ES1ATE
ES2AST
ES2RDH
ES1MSD
ES2TL

List might be incomplete!

wbr.,
Peep Rada
ES2APR /ABC

This time we failed to get n the Island.

After several setbacks like braking the anchor while trying to break the ice and repairing it, we managed to get the boat into water. After we had spent 4 hours and advanced only 200 meters from harbour we met too thick ice which had arrived from north, that blocked access to free water. Then we decided to abandon that enterprise and we returned, which took another hour.
At the moment there is a faint hope to get to the island on Wednesday. We'll see. But after that boat is probably no option.

we are on the island right now, 7 element yagi is directed toward helsinki. at the moment channel 6, but we think to change channel to channel 4 on helsinki direction to avoid interference. On Tallinn side there is omnidirectional antenna on channel 6.
Please try channel 6 if that does not work, try channel 4.

wbr.,
3 guys from Keri island

ps. webcams are operational as well. you can see ice and our boat from camera nr. 2. www.keri.ee

We are back on mainland. We heard finnish language on repeater, but we were busy with testing. We left Finnish direction on ch4 with 7 element yagi. And Tallinn direction on ch6 with 4 element yagi.

NB! Keri repeater on Helsinki side works on ch. 4 !!!

Good job guys. Will test that every once in a while from here, 100km north from Helsinki!

It seems like our new parrot dies below -2C. Right now it is working again.
Hopefully I will have access to the island on thursday to make it more resistant to frost.

Keri Saar tested on the 19th of April. Both channels 4 and 6 loud and clear in Tallinn.