The program at our first in-person DFMA meeting was a summary of the history of our repeaters. I presented this program as I was one of the charter members of DFMA. I mentioned that when I moved to Durham in 1970, there was a repeater on 146.34–146.94. It was owned and operated by Bill Sims, K4RUQ. The 146.34 receiver was at his house in Parkwood. He used a 440 MHz radio link to the 146.94 transmitter on TV Hill in north Durham. This “split-site” repeater did not require a duplexer — which was very expensive even in 1970. Bill used tube-type radios made by Motorola, General Electric, Dumont, and others. These were retired from commercial two-way radio service and were relatively cheap.
