hahndav

IMO, do not let the radio snobs discourage you. As a long time Ham, from a family of Hams, the hobby is about learning and having fun. You can setup a simple repeater on your kitchen table with parts you probably already have, or easily and cheaply acquired from ebay. Go for it, just be considerate and don't cross over established repeaters. Some people way overvalue their role in the hobby. They even have a pre-made HT to HT relay box just plug and play for like $15. Sure it is not even close to a commercial repeater, but fun to experiment with, and if in a prime location it might get you to a location you could not reach before. If the FCC does not have a problem with it than neither should the rest of us. The antenna saying is a bit dated, get a VNA and tune the fudge out of a reasonably priced antenna. Again IMO. 73s have fun out there.