What is it and why have you done it?
GB3DE is an amateur radio repeater operating FM in the 70cm band
There are many aspects to amateur radio, ranging from sending morse code to the other side of the world using a piece of wet string as an aerial, through to sending live TV quality video, some aspects bounce signals off the moon, or use satellites to relay signals.
Different people enjoy different aspects, and there is certainly an aspect for most people, but as with everything in life there are always trade offs.
In this case, higher quality audio (broadly) means shorter range, however there are technical measures to counter this limitation!
There are many stations all over the world called 'repeaters', which are generally located on high ground or on the top of tall buildings.
These locations are chosen because they have good coverage over a (relatively) large area.
They work by receiving a signal and simultaneously retransmitting it on another frequency, such that the signal goes further, meaning you can converse with other stations further away.
As a general rule, these repeaters can double the range of a mobile (i.e. car based) station, and extend handheld coverage by up to ten times!
A notable exception to this rule is when the repeater is located on a satellite, whereby a station that normally has a range of about 30 miles can work stations thousands of miles away, by virtue of the fact that the satellite is so high!
A more recent extension has been to connect repeaters using the internet, meaning that as long as you can get into your local 'node', you can talk to other stations all over the world. This is considered cheating by many amateurs, but it is a very effective method of keeping in touch when abroad.
GB3DE covers most of the eastern half of Suffolk, depending on equipment used.
For those stations in Suffolk unable to access GB3DE, or who choose to use an alternative, there are several others, including another repeater in Mendlesham, two on top of the maternity block at Ipswich hospital, and a new one at Wickhambrook, covering the west of Suffolk, and well into Cambridgeshire
Of course, there are repeaters in other counties; you can find a complete list on the repeater management committee website