The repeater had been off the air for a week or more prior to this trip
up. Ken, WA7PIX, Tim, KE7TAC, and Dale, K7FW made a run up to
investigate the problem. Sunday was cold and clear, good weather for
the trip. There was still a bit of hail on the ground in places left
from the stoms of the previous week. I also noticed a skim of ice on a
couple puddles. We were all relieved to see the repeater building and
all solar panels in good condition when we arrived.
Once in the building we found that the charge controller display was
blank rather than the expected display showing us the battery voltage.
Measuring the batteries we found 2 volts instead of 12.
Examining the insides of the charge controler revealed a blown 25 amp
fuse. We did not have the proper form of replacement (glass cartridge)
but did have a 25 amp cartridge fuse so put that in the circuit by
means of some small jumper cables. That got the repeater back on the
air.
Ken is holding the temporary cartridge fuse wired in by means of a small jumper and aligator clips.
