Update:  Testing concluded around 3:45 PM and the repeaters are back to normal operation.  Expect moderate to heavy traffic on these repeaters Saturday, November 11.  If you are available to volunteer at this event contact Jim Rubin W4PKR.

The communications team for the upcoming Richmond Marathon (November 11) will be testing their access to the RATS 146.88 and 442.55 MHz repeaters, the DMRVA Richmond Metro talkgroup, and the KG4MRA 145.43 MHz repeater along the event route on Sunday, October 29 beginning at 12:00 noon.  The WIRES-X system on the 442.55 repeater will be disabled during this time.  All repeater users are asked to keep transmissions short, leave extended pauses between transmissions to allow event traffic to pass quickly, and consider the use of an alternate repeater.

The KA4CBB 147.36 repeater in Chesterfield, the W4TTL 146.715 repeater in Walkerton, and the WA4FC 147.39 (PL 74.4) repeater in Petersburg are good alternatives for longer QSOs while this testing is taking place.