ASRM

I am total jelly looking at that gear! Nice!

Actually I am doing that, the "other" repeater is only on the travel tone if I am not mistaken, I have around 8-10 tones in, I also have the travel tone but on a separate channel within my other tones, since the Vertex is a 16 channel repeater I just programmed the same freq in each channel assignment, but created different tone banks. If the other repeater goes off line for an extended period I can then flip to say channel 3 and have the tone active. My next step is to look at MDC1200 as Zap had suggested, I somewhat like the idea in theory. I am going to add MDC1200 to all the units at the least for ID'ing them on the control radio, other users don't need to of course.

Thanks Pastor Gary, would anyone have a link to that article, I noticed they do a lot of PDF documents and my Google Fu is not strong it seems. I think I may have found it http://www.repeater-builder.com/antenna/pdf/wr9aea-antenna-n9sn-hr09-79.pdf

What is RBTIP? I would be interested in reading about that.

Not sure of your budget, but getting a repeater should be had for $500n or so, though I dropped $800, not including antenna, line and a way to mount it. I could PM you a contact I have. Not sure if myGMRS has that for guests, though now that you have a license you can get in on the regular site now. I was just ribbing you on spending money.

Zap You mentioned on another site the selectable PL, what exactly is that? And I do like my PM400's we have them in each of our cars and as a control radio in the house.

Congrats! Now spend some money and start enjoying GMRS

The repeater is a Vertex VXR7000, I had the shop go over it real hard and he was happy, desense was perfect in his eyes, I have a 30 foot mast mounted on the top of the porch, so an effective 40-42 feet, I have 40 feet of 1/2 inch heliax, using n-connectors on the antenna, a Comet CA-172EFC, that goes thru a lightning arrestor into n-connectors with a small 1 foot jumper to the repeater, the duplexer is mounted in the repeater, kicking about 35 watts out. The Comet is a 9dbi, which I am told is really just a 6 or 7 db gain antenna. As I said, the range is similar to what was predicted via the propagation app, my mobiles do well with an effective 15-20 miles, as expected deep cuts and valleys can be scratchy, portable is good in a car for about 5 to 7 miles, some spots can be almost 10-15, at my job, mobile is good, portables will break squelch but not the PL for the repeater (about 12 miles out). Just looking to squeeze all I can until I can get some better height with a 60 foot tower with a 10 foot mast or maybe 20, and possibly go for a DB408, the 420 is out of my price range, I would effectively be just at tree top at the base of the antenna, have a lot of pines around me being out in the country. http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu140/aussierescueil/Base%20antenna%202.jpg I should quantify that my repeater seems to get similar range to the other GMRS repeaters operating in my area. I am happy with the results of my little project, the system is my answer to SHTF prep communications, like tornados and extended power outages (zombies would be another matter We lost cell service in the Washington tornado for hours (need to read up on the solar post more) and couldn't reach family what so ever, towers were down, running out of power, etc. It was a very big eye opener.

Post Resurrection I have my repeater up and running, range is good at 40 feet, actually surprised. I have some areas that the portable or mobile will key the repeater but is scratchy or choppy (every other word or will break squelch but not the repeater), will a pre-amp in the receive side help the signal be more solid and clear, I figure that the signals in the noise will not be pulled out, but looking for a way to make the signals I can hear be more clear. I know I would need to replace the duplexer since I am using one of the "mobile type" duplexers, the $150-$300 kind. I also realize raising my height will help, goal is 60-70 feet, and upgrade the antenna from the Comet 172 (9dbi/6.5-7db) to a more commercial DB stacked dipole or a decent fiberglass at 7-9db. Thanks in advance. (If I should have started a separate thread I can remove and start a new one)

I guess that is a good thing.

Sadly all the channels are taken, the particular repeater I am talking about is probably the furthest away, it has no traffic on it, I would say my repeater is getting all the current activity, but yeah, I will avoid adding his tones in. The other repeater is about 20-25 miles away, doesn't cover the metro area like mine does or north and east and most of the west like mine either. I may just select a tone for travel as an alternate tomorrow when I visit the shop. My thought was to offer access for those in the area. What's odd is while there are repeaters on all the channels, they have no activity?

I am getting additional PL/DPL's programmed into my repeater, there is another one on my freq that is close enough that I can trip his repeater and travel tone. Is there an alternate that folks recommend? Thanks for any tips

Nice find!

You can select electronic or snailmail receipt of your license.

Ack, I feel I am being stalked Yes, I like to get around, I need to get back to the other for my dose of GD.

I would say the antenna and location are key, I had an old 25 watt Uniden repeater in the 80's, sat on the edge of a hill overlooking Peoria IL, on a 60 foot tower with 1/2 inch hardline and what made the system rock was the 12dbi/10db Sinclair omnipole. It's been years but I seem to remember that repeater where it covered was solid, but once out of range of what I would call fringe it was silent. I am currently in a excellent location, much higher elevation, still on the edge of the top of the valley overlooking Peoria (but 4-5 miles away), but only 40 foot up (budget) and though I have a Vertex VXR7000, I am only running the low cost duplexer (budget) but ran 1/2 hardline and bought a Comet CA-712EFC 9dbi/7db antenna (BUDGET) and would say if I replaced the antenna and rose just 20 feet I would probably be amazed. Any rich folks looking to adopt a nice guy?

Well I finally got the system up, now to test and see how well it works, quick test with our portables, with stubby antennas and in the car was about 3-4 miles out and fine. Now to install the mobiles and get some distance test and possibly get a local shop to test the line to be safe and sure. http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu140/aussierescueil/Base%20antenna%202.jpg

I am debating on ID'ing the repeater, I have a Vertex VXR7000, I would like it to ID every 15 minutes when in use under our PL but not for others using other PL's. I take it those settings will be dependent on the repeater and how the software works?

Thanks, that makes sense, I saw it the other day and was just being nosey I would gladly pay for membership though.

I noticed that some folks are Advanced Members and regular Members, what is the difference, is there a paid membership? If so I would gladly pay to help support the site.

Thank you, our mobiles are CDM1225's at 20 watts, nothing to say once I go this route I could program the mobile on a certain channel to be lower power when on the extender, I also thought of the HT antenna idea as well. Thank you as this helps guide me in the future of setting up a unit, the wife will probably thumb it down as she used to have to use rigs like this all the time as a cop, I guess after 25+ years you don't find the fun in it like a civvy

Thanks for the insight, my thought was possibly having the mobile antenna on the front fender, and using a small whip of something inside the car (well SUV) or maybe inverted under the car, like I was saying, if I could get good coverage 1/4 to 1/2 mile solid, as I wouldn't see myself or wife ever further then that unless we were hiking somewhere, that could present an issue, but then I would hope I have planned ahead and scoped like minded GMRS repeaters to use. Again excellent information as that was what I was after, pro's and con's though not sure if it was legally addressed. I would think a repeater is a repeater no matter the location? Noting in the rules state what is to be a repeater (or maybe it does now that I think this out).

While I am just getting back into GMRS, one idea I was toying around with was getting one of those Vertex mobile extenders and use the one of the GMRS interstitial frequencies as the extender frequencies (I wasn't aware these were for GMRS and could be at 5 watts) Considering it would all be under the same radio group class, no cross linking like I saw mentioned people doing with MURS or Interrent Business freq's would this be allowed? I like the idea that if we are in decent mobile coverage but spotty or inside a building, having a nice solid 1 mile radius, heck even just 1/4 to 1/2 mile solid would be ideal as a decent communication plan for HT use, seems you can snag the Vertex units for $50 to $100 on eBay. Thanks Dave ETA: grammar

I used this site, I made some adjustments based on a post here, it seems the settings make the propagation more conservative. http://lrcov.crc.ca/main/ I am still working on the antennas and hardline, meeting with a local 2 way shop before I order anything else online. It's been 2+ years in the making.

After almost 2 years of scheming, dreaming and false starts (getting a new job, getting married, new home) I finally talked the wife into getting us up and on the air (well as soon as the gear arrives, I spend the day getting the attenna's up. This will be for Woodford County IL, I coordinated with Gary in Pekin IL so we aren't interfering with other GMRS setups. I am sort of excited since last time I was doing GMRS was back in the 80's with a little UNiden 25 watt repeater, that sadly died along with a rather expensive 12 db Sinclair ant in a fire This setup will be using a Vertex VXR-7000 with a 9 db Comet antenna, I haven't the dough yet for a tower, so will be on a 20-30 foot mast attached to a dormer so I will be effectivly 40 foot above the ground though I am on one of the highest points in the county over looking the river valley into the metro area. I am expecting some decent HT coverage and rock solid mobile for 12 to 15 miles, the propogation map shows a lot further out, but not sure I trust it (I set it to the suggests I read here) http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5817/21810066995_e642d9f1b7_b.jpg I am hoping I can get by with just 1/2 hardline and someday get a tower so I can get 60-80 feet up. My radios will be Motorola's I was told the HT's are not Part 95 so I am sad to hear that (Astro Saber's) My mobiles and base unit (to access the outer repeaters) is CMD1225's I plan on getting a couple of those bubble pack Motorola's that have repeater capabilities to use around the property and figure they will cover around town, we are rural and our town is like a mile from the house and is just a stop light and a couple stores.