Thanks for your response. I'm using the side transmission button on my mic handheld. Please see my response to Boxcar on coax type. I'm pretty close to the repeater, but we are nestled in the Wilderness part of Fawn Lake. Pretty sure we have line-of-sight...relatively flat here, just lots of trees. Haven't tried simplex yet, but I will shortly. I will also be trying to talk to local radio soon as well. Hopefully after getting this stuff correct, I will make contact with the repeater. Best, Steve