quarterwave

True, but I have heard hams use the term for the voice repeater, because is used digital recording. No big deal....just sharing.

I built a high powered one years ago to do some range testing. They can get a bit annoying to use for regular communication. Mine was PC based, I built the interface to a Motorola Raduis 40 watt mobile, and used Echo Station for the operations. You could trigger recorded messages with it, it would ID for you...etc. Good for testing range. I have heard them used for tactical type setups, usually with a PL on the input and none on the output. So you can use the simplex without PL at all if you want to go around the recording. These are also sometimes called "digi-peaters".

There are commercial industrial operations in that area, like power companies, contractors that move around and don't use repeaters. They use low band for longer range simplex. There is at least one itinerant in there...it may be 33.04, but need to look it up. Low band radios fall in 3 bands, 29-36, 36-42, and 42-50. Back when I worked in radio professionally, we have business customers and public safety/services in all 3 bands. Upside - long range...especially to a base. Downside - radios draw more power, larger antenna on vehicle, and harder to match the antenna given mounting choices on newer vehicles and their materials.

Probably has it hooked to Skype or one of the PTT apps...to make his "nationwide network". Sounds like a mess to me.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/295-repeater-linking-discussion/

Lots of posts, I would search the Tech Forum and check them out. And welcome, please sign up as a member.

It's intermod.

I guess to each his own, as long as one is responsible and knows they cannot transmit without a license (unless it is a dire emergency where life is in danger) I'd say it's not a big deal. I have had HAM in my radio in the past, but I always had them set for RX only. Now on the other hand....shame shame shame on the (presumed) Hams around Cinncinati Ohio last weekend that were on a repeater using 4 letter call signs (WQWY, W5JZ) and Ham lingo. If they have a GMRS license, that's fine, but they should NOT be using their HAM calls on a GMRS freq....regardless. If I went on their HAM repeater and used my GMRS Call sign...they would send out a lynch mob and call their senator crying about their rights!

They use a somewhat legitimate concern to hide the fact they just want to "hide" all traffic. Most sensible agencies use a secondary talkgroup, which can be encrypted when needed. Where I am, there is a large P25 Digital system, works great, and not that much is encrypted...and if they need to sometimes, that's fine. However, what cracks me up is that the State Police, Local agencies that are on it, and other much more secure-oriented agencies don't use encryption much at all....but the State Forestry Division does - full time! That is stupid...are they trying to protect the identities of innocent trees and animals? Give me a break.

I saw alot of these stations back in the early 90's...I'm vearing off topic here.... The sheriff's department where I live had a Motorola Micor station that was their 39.58 receiver (and backup TX), but it was dual receive for 39.78 (and back up 39.72 TX), which was their 1/2 duplex car tx frequency, and then they had a MASTR II station which was the 39.72 TX to the cars, and 39.58 tx too. Reason - full duplex on the car to base / base to car..they could hear one car while talking to another (on separate stations), redundant 39.58 (statewide in those days), and mostly because the Motorola received better, and the GE had better TX audio. I think the Moto was 100 watts and the GE was 250 running about 175. They were on the same building, both on DB201 antennae and at different heights and sides of a water tower. The cars had Micor mobiles and could TX on 39.78 to talk to the base, 39.58, and 39.72...because they also scanned 39.78, along with 39.58, and 39,72 (priority). Interesting setup. Oddest station I ever saw was a UHF MSF that was a T4 4R configuration, and was a 12 watt station. It was used for a control base, 4 different repeaters, could TX to them one at a time, but hear all 4 anytime. It had preselectors, and a duplexor like a repeater. The rx audio from the repeater you were txing to was simply muted at the console, and the position you were using, to prevent feedback. It was for a fire dispatch. And lastly i knew of a VHF IMTS that ran 330 watts, had a receive antenna at 180 feet on a 1800ft hill, and the tx was at 100 feet on that tower....that thing would talk. Once it was down to about 80 watts and no one noticed, but at that point only 1 Moto service guy in our shop still had a mobile and the company it belonged to had 5 or 6 and didnt use it much.

These were nice stations, base or repeater. In their day had better audio than Motorola. The trick will be getting the amplifier down to 50 watts and stable. Sometimes the high power amps have trouble running at 50% or less rated power.

Sounds like someone is repeating a Public Safety paging channel onto GMRS.....big NO NO.

I would say it possible that legal or not someone has put up a MURS simplex repeater (simplexor / digipeater)....I'm sure it's not the first or last.

Yes, simple and effective. I used it with a cable from my receiver to the audio in on the PC. Great recording.

Yes, use TSQL for TX and RX tone. I agree, use another channel, if one is available with no current use. I used to setup a receiver and a tape recorded for a week at time years ago to find conditions on certain channels that coordinators would send back as possible good ones for public safety and business. Not that any of them should have been used and undocumented, but just to check for skip, etc. I have done same on GMRS with a program called ScanRec for windows...which is essentially a Vox audio recorder. Find the cleanest one you can, and even if you don't use your repeater much, at least get on and do a radio test and ID a couple times a week, so if anyone else is doing what you are, they at least have a shot a knowing you exist. About all you can do with a self coordinated service.

This is from a legal newsletter: Enforcement Bureau’s WirelessTop-10 Violations ListAt this month’s Land Mobile Communications Committee(LMCC) annual meeting, the deputy chief of the FCCEnforcment Bureau presented his “Top-10 List” for wirelessviolations. Interestingly enough, there was a commontheme with most of the violation types that the EnforcementBureau discussed – namely, interference.Absent from the list however were antenna tower violationswhich we know remain an important compliance forthe FCC nonetheless. 10. Non-compliance with the narrowbandingmandate. Enforcement stated that this is moreprevalent with older systems that have not beenreplaced or upgraded.9. Poor Engineering. Engineering which causesinterference to co-channel stations, or interferenceresulting from spurious emissions and harmonics.8. Licenses held by corporations that have beensold, suspended or are otherwise out of business.This makes it difficult for the FCC to resolve interferenceissues that could normally be handled bya simple phone call.7. Unlicensed operation. This problem is on therise due to the purchase of radio equipment fromretail outlets, without attention to the need forFCC licensing. Offending users are most prevalentin the retail, hospitality and auto industries.6. Itinerant or special event interference. Interferencebetween special event radio operations underspecial temporary authority (STA) (e.g., carraces, rock concerts, etc.) and incumbent licensedoperations. Caused by frequency congestionwhich makes interference free operation underSTA more difficult. Special event operations mustbe careful to coordinate with incumbents to avoidinterference.5. Failure to properly monitor shared channels beforetransmitting (for Part 90 and other sharedspectrum operations)4. Failure to properly identify your station call sign:Enforcement is going to crack down on this becauseit frustrates efforts to identify the source ofinterfering signals.3. Frequency Warehousing. Created by a failureto construct or by permanent discontinuance ofoperation without returning spectrum to FCC.2. Control Channel Trunking on Conventional UseChannelsAnd the number one wireless enforcement issue . . . .1. Monopolizing shared channels. Shared channelsmust be shared, and licensees that broadcastsignal continuously or fail to monitor beforesending signals can be fined.

I'm known for keeping things simple, and you guys seem to have some nice tools and put alot of thought and calculation into this. However, I will suggest 2 things from experience. 1. A crappy duplexer (even if new) will mess with you all day, but look ok on instruments sometimes. (I have seen a tech put a new, expensive one even, back in the box and return it for something else after spending 8 hours jacking with it, more than once.) It happens. 2. I had a Ringo Ranger antenna once that was perfect in every way testing...but would not TX/RX at the same time correctly when on the repeater. And, poor receive was the issue. May be nothing to do with your issues, but basically ,you can't rule anything out.

If the repeater is wide band, you will want to work it with wideband, likewise you will get the best performance from your radios in wideband. GMRS is not required to use narrow, and range is diminished with it as well.

That's a nice little deal...I was surprised to see it still there this morning.

They are good radios, I still have a 4 channel new in the box, and a 20 channel I use some. M34 is 25 watts, M44 is 40. They have a hi/lo power option button, and you can select which they start up in. I used to have my mobile start up as 5 watts and then i could switch it to 40 if need be. I have not used any in a repeater config, but I assume they work as good as anything else. You can get a very simple plug and play controller from MRE1032 on Ebay. They have a decent heat sink, you could attach a fan if you want. As a repeater TX you could turn it down a bit, but remember you will lose some in the duplexer so it's a trade off.

It doesn't take much for one of those duplexers to be off and cost you your power out or rx in. I have a celwave and it needs retuned once a year, the antenna and line are fine, it just take a minor tweaking and she comes back. They are touchy in my experience. I "backwoods" tune my stuff since I don't own a service monitor. Usually close enough for me. I found a quarter turn on one of the cans equaled half my power once.

Can't beat that MTR for solid performance, I run one with a Zetron and a ASP fiberglass antenna (800 model I think) 22 feet long on my 50 foot tower, which is on a hill 150 feet above average terrain. It has always provided good range. Before the MTR, I had 2 mobiles running, it was good, the MTR is the real deal though. For duplexing I run 2 receive cans, and one transmit can, stuff salvaged out of an old Motorola community repeater. Works great.

Yes, there is a kit. I have one... with a Zetron so I can remotely make PL/DPL changes, etc, awesome repeater, set it and forget it.

Yes, yes they will.

I took down my second repeater that this weather control base was hitting. I want to put it back up in a new location, maybe this Spring. In the mean time, I programmed another M120 and took it to the site and swapped it in, so it's a 40 watt base station now, used for WX alerts only. Just heard the test go out at just after 11 as I was sitting at work in my office. The repeater was only running about 15 watts, so this should fill in coverage better. I will say, the setup has been reliable.