Pictured above is the original repeater designed in 1989 by Art Rideout, WA6IPD. Inside the cabinet the receiver was an old Kenwood TR-2500 handheld and the transmitter was a KDK FM-2015R . All other controls including a telephone autopatch was designed and built by WA6IPD. At one point the repeater could be fed into a Swan-350 transceiver and 4-element beam on 20 meters, so besides two meters local amateurs could access the HF band from hand held transceivers. The repeater antenna was located in WA6IPD’s back yard on top of a 60-foot tower and had an effective radiated power of 5 watts. The coverage was excellent even amateurs off the coast fishing would use the autopatch to call home.
All costs were borne by WA6IPD, everything was free to all amateurs. However this generosity nearly lead to the death of WA6IPD. One evening shortly after midnight a local amateur, under the influence, dialed 911 and said, “I’ve been stabbed”. The sheriffs department immediately responded led by sergeant Frank Adams, KK6EX. Frank was unaware that the call was originating from the autopatch. He and his fellow officers smashed two doors and broke glass before at last arousing the partially deaf WA6IPD. It was quickly determined that the bogus call was coming from the autopatch and who it was making that call. Later the sheriff said they were much relieved that Art did not show up at the door armed because things would have been tragic.
Because of severe hearing loss, WA6IPD transferred ownership of the WA6IPD repeater to the Fallbrook Amateur Radio Club on February 9, 1998. The new repeater call was N6FQ.