444.400 +5 MHz 118.8 Hz
145.310 -600 kHz 118.8 Hz
The VHF station is made from repaired "junk" equipment. The GE MASTR-II continuous duty repeater was salvaged when the Pacific County ARC replaced their Ilwaco repeater with a Motorola unit. The power amplifier and controller have been replaced.
The four-section hybrid ring VHF duplexer was picked up from the Astoria SEARC group after mice had eaten the harness.
The UHF station is a duplex-conversion GE MASTR-II mobile running about 40 watts into a Motorola bandpass duplexer.
The two repeaters are independent, with separate links and controllers. They share a single antenna through a diplexer, a Hustler G6-270 dual-band vertical mounted off the side of the tower at the 130-foot level, and fed through 150-feet of Times LMR-600 cable.
Although the site is not particularly high, with a ground elevation of about 400 feet, the over-water paths provide good coverage over a large area. The community of Bay Center, the northern portion of the Peninsula (particularly Surfside and Leadbetter Point) and most of Highway 101 south from Bay Center to Naselle are well served by the North Cove station. Westport and Grayland, also have access to the BeachNet system through the North Cove "port".
Curiously, the Tokeland area, immediately below the site, does not work it well. Users here are best advised to use the South Bend or Naselle repeaters.
One tip for those who want the best possible coverage along Highway 101 from Bay Center, south to Johnson's Landing (the Hwy 101/SR4 junction near Naselle) requires switching the PL (CTCSS) tone from the usual 118.8 Hz to 114.8 Hz instead. This allows the user to listen to the North Cove transmitter (across the Bay), and talk through the Naselle remote receiver (at 2000 feet elevation). It works quite well.
