The 145.5375 MHz repeater at “Oujda”

[Picture by Omar Sakhi, https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/jbel-foughal-1532m-88397381]

A 2-metre-band repeater that gives a lot of joy to the people of the western Mediterranean (Valencian Country, Murcia, Andalusia, Sardinia, Balearic Islands) when there is tropospheric propagation is in Morocco. It is an R5A, 145.7375 MHz, with a 77 Hz tone. It is clearly distinguished by a long tail, two seconds or more, and sometimes you can hear it getting stuck (feedback, due to some problem with the cavities). But where is it really? They usually say it's in Oujda. The Royal Association of Radio Amateurs of Morocco places it in the city. Repeaterbook says this location is approximate, and indeed Oujda is in a fairly flat area. The same website of the Moroccan Association says it is in IM75UB. But Oujda is in IM94. A few months ago, Angel, EB7BFP told me that the repeater was on a very high mountain, 2,400 m. And that it was near Taforalt (=Tafoughalt?). It is a mountain area, but Tafoughalt is in IM84. Another day, Mustafa, CN8GC, with a walkie in Saidia explained to me that the repeater is actually on a mountain. He emailed me with the name and location: Aïn Almou, ~1400m asl, about 25 km NW of Oujda (also IM84). I think Aïn Almou is a tourist place. It is near a higher peak called Jbel Foughal [OpenStreetMap and GaiaGPS of the area where there is also a summit called Foughal]. This Wikiloc route to Jbel Foughal shows a picture some antennas at the secondary summit. Many local names are Amazigh. Amazigh has a characteristic circumfix that adds a t- to the beginning and the end of the word (I think it's for the feminine). There are names like that throughout the Maghreb (Taourirt, Takoumit, Talsint, Tounfit) and even in the Canary Islands (Tacoront(e), Teguest(e)), etc. Well, if we take "foughal" from Jbel Foughal and the circumfix ... ix "t(a)foughalt". Interesting! Possible confusion? In the absence of more information, it remains unclear to me where this fantastic repeater is. If anyone knows anything else, it would be greatly appreciated. In the meantime, we'll enjoy it.