Amateur radio operators typically communicate with others in their local area using the 2 metre band (144 to 146MHz) – either from a home shack, a mobile, or a handheld. If you’re able to access a local repeater, you could be able to get your signal out to a wider area. Repeaters are typically sited at high points to allow signals to be retransmitted over a wider distance.
The primary amateur radio repeater for Essex is based at Danbury, near Chelmsford, with the callsign of GB3DA
About GB3DA
The Danbury 2 metre repeater started operations in 1980, and is sited at the Danbury Church Green transmitter site. The site is also home to local commercial radio station Radio Essex.
Licensed amateur radio operators are permitted to use the GB3DA voice repeater to talk to other amateurs. The repeater offers great coverage over a sizable part of Essex and the surrounding area.
GB3DA Repeater Settings
The settings needed to access this repeater, are as follows:
- Output Frequency: 145.725MHz
- Input Frequency: 145.125MHz
- CTCSS Tone: 110.9Hz
- Transmitter Power: 25W erp
- Narrow Band / 12.5kHz
Note that GB3DA has a timeout of approx 2 minutes.
Supporting GB3DA
The GB3DA repeater is available to all licensed amateur radio operators, and is operated by the Essex Repeater Group.
The Essex Repeater Group relies on donations and membership subscriptions. If you use GB3DA, please show your support and contribute to ERG. To keep the repeater running, we’d ask that you consider becoming a member of ERG, or make a donation. Support the Essex Repeater Group.
The owner of this site is proud to be a member of the Essex Repeater Group.
Where is GB3DA?
The GB3DA repeater is in Danbury, Essex at the Church Road site. Grid Reference is TL779050. The following map shows the position of GB3DA and its sister repeater GB3ER:
View Larger Map
The Tower
GB3DA operates from the Danbury Church Green transmitter site, which is a broadcast transmitter site operated by Arqiva, the company that owns and operates TV and radio transmitters across the UK. The transmitter site is currently the transmitter site for the radio station Radio Essex (formerly known as Chelmsford Radio) on 107.7MHz and is also used for mobile phones.
- National Grid Reference: TL779050
- Site height: 107 metres above sea level
- Tower height: 26 metres
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The Essex Repeater Group featured in TX Factor Episode 9 |
Repeater Setup help
- Setting up the Baofeng UV-3R Handheld for GB3DA
- Setting up the Yaesu FT-60 for GB3DA
- Setting up the Moonraker HT-90E for GB3DA
- Setting up the Quansheng TG-UV2 for GB3DA
Related Links
- Using a repeater – Our guide on getting started with repeaters
- Essex Repeater Group
- Essex Ham’s Monday Night Net
- Amateur Radio Nets in Essex
The repeater is jamming scanner feeds, like radioreference & tuneiin radio, plus others, Over run on xmit plus noise,
This has been on too long now, Mend it or turn it off.
Hello,
My name is Gerard and I am living in the Netherlands. I have a short question. Is it possible to make a connection with the GB3DA repeater via echolink.
73
Gerard
PD0GMU JO22oc
Hi Gerard – Sorry but the GB3DA repeater does not have an Echolink connection. The MB7IDA gateway is based in the same area though if you want to try that.
Hi Pete,
Thanks for the info , but the MB7IBA repeater is not accessible via Echolink. I have got my HAM license a month ago and I am doing some practice on 2 mtr and 70 cm. I want to make my compliments of the ESSEX HAM site. It is very useful for novice and advanced HAM’s . My aim was to make a connection via one of your local repeaters to join the conversations made between HAMs to learn from you.
As I understand it is not possible to connect to one of the repeater
At home I am using HamSphere to practice. HamSphere is an virtual radio and made by Kelly Lindman and emulate part of the HF bands.
(www.hamsphere.net)
Thanks and 73
Gerard
PD0GMU
Zeist
The Netherlands
Hi Gerard – It’s MB7IDA – Node 265297. I am monitoring this at the moment if you want to try
Got you! And nice to work you. Looks like we had a quick net tonight, with my good friend 2E0RMI
Hi I am new to ham I can here you 145. 725 on a baofeng uv-5r but I call you on but no one can hear me ok thank you
Can you tell me if your repeater is causing my car remote not to work. This seems to be a Land Rover issue as both mine and my colleagues remote locking doesn’t work in Danbury but work perfectly away from the area. We park in the sports pavilion car park opposite the co-op stores and have been having issues everyday for the last 6-8 months
My next route will be to report this to ofcom for investigation
This repeater is some distance away from my home QTH and I’m amazed that I can access it from where I am. I must have a good transmission line of sight towards its direction.
Sent a cheque and stamp addressed envelope in May this year but still no membership. Also sent letter to subscription manager, still no reply.
Wondering if ill ever become a member or subscribe to the ERG.
Needs looking into …..Warren G4HZI
GB3DA heard on two different occasions at the beginning of May 2022 at grid reference 51°25’17.5″N 0°36’12.0″W (Ordnance Survey SU 97210 70093) at 65 metres A.S.L. using an Icom IC-E91 handheld transceiver, but not surprisingly I couldn’t raise it using just the five watts. Still, it must be around 80 kms which seems a good reach to me because I can’t raise (or even hear) GB3BN at Bracknell a few kms away from that location despite the elevation.
There is an Arqiva site near me. I was wondering if they would consider allowing a repeater to be put on their mast there. Do you think you could provide a contact? It would be a repeater for a youth organisation who have their own repeater network for teaching radio communications.