VE3KSR 146.97/37  PL 131.8hz
Baden Ontario 1535' ASL

Effective January 3rd, 2002 VE3KSR Now Requires a CTCSS Tone or PL of 131.8 hz in order to be used.

VE3KSR went on the air July 1 1969 from the Baden Hill, 5 miles West of Kitchener. This hill was left behind by the glaciers as they receded following the ice age leaving a nice mound of glacial sand 1,535 feet ASL.

The first repeater was built from modules of surplus General Electric Progress Line radios with the antenna being a commercial 6db collinear modified to 2 metres using rings of Aluminium foil. This photo shows Ron Schindler VE3DXI installing the original antenna on a cross arm used at that time by the local cable TV company. The repeater was located in a surplus steel shack that was in need of substantial repairs.

In the early 70's the cable company proceeded to demolish the tin shack and remove the tower structure. KSR then proceeded to build it's own concrete block building and relocated it's antenna to the top of a 200 foot commercial tower on the site.

Originally founded as The Kitchener-Stratford Repeater Association, the KSR repeater was funded by the resale of donated commercial FM rigs from CKCO as and donations from the founding charter members.

Under the leadership of John Riddell VE3AMZ, VE3KSR was the first repeater in Canada to use touchtone signalling for it's command and control. At the time, the most popular repeater frequency was 146.94/34. Most rigs of the era where at most two channel crystal control and most were single.

This KSR Touchtone command logic allowed the repeater to be switched between 37/97 and 34/94. As well the repeater could be commanded OFF and when it was timed out, commanded back ON.

For more information email info@kwarc.org

Go back to the home page KW Amateur Radio Club Inc.