The Ridgeway Repeater Group (RRG) was formed on 29th April 1987 at an inaugural meeting at Oakfield School Swindon (now The University of Bath in Swindon). The committee consisted of members of two previous repeater groups which were The Vale of White Horse repeater group and The Thamesdown Repeater Group. These were based in Harwell and Swindon respectively. Many of the committee were already on both committees and it seemed sensible to amalgamate the groups.
GB3WH was relocated to a site Southeast of Swindon from its original site at Culham laboratories on 5th February 1981. The Vale of White Horse Repeater group had been forced to find an alternative site due to installations at the Harwell site including some high voltage power lines nearby. Most of the original repeater was “Home Built” including the receiver, transmitter, power supplies aerials and cavitiy filters.
Today the RRG uses modern commercial equipment but still uses the skills of Amateur Radio to encourage and promote the hobby where possible.
GB3TD was constructed by the Thamesdown RG and consisted of much modified Pye radios GB3US Mk1 logic, Admiralty type cavity filters and home built power supplies and aerials. The repeater was located on a Water Tower at Burderop Hospital site near Wroughton. The repeater was forced to close down in March 1992 after a period of 9 years on the air due to the site being sold by the Health Authority. Many sites were investigated until the present site on the Marlborough Downs was found. The repeater came on air from the new site south of Swindon in December 1993.
GB7NW is a packet AX25 repeater for north Wiltshire operated from a third site south of Swindon. Originally, a packet repeater GB3TA also operated from the Burderop Hospital site (see above). GB7NW was previously operated by G8HBE from his home in Chiseldon until a house move resulted in the group having to find an alternative site. The node provides good links to the Forest of Dean and Salisbury together with local end user links on VHF and UHF.