SteveShannon

It’s not a digital radio.

I don’t think that it’s as simple as that. According to this document PVC is more polarizable in the presence of RF and has a higher dielectric constant than other plastics and composite materials, especially at higher frequencies. This document discusses the materials which are more suitable for use as radioed: https://www.curbellplastics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Plastics-for-High-Performance-Radomes-White-Paper.pdf

Here’s a quote from a post on RadioReference: I once did an experiment with a simple dipole on VHF. The dipole was made with #8 solid wire, and it's resonant frequency was measured. It was then encased in PVC and the resonant frequency was remeasured, and found to have moved over a MHz. That was at VHF. I expect the effect at 2.4 GHz would be worse. https://forums.radioreference.com/threads/protecting-yagi-with-pvc-or-other-material.298291/#:~:text=The issue is nopt necessarily,it'll work just fine.

No, I don’t think there’s any way to tell if you’re not reaching the repeater, but there are signs that you’re reaching it, such as an ID or even a response. But if you hear Morse code in response to saying “test,” I believe you’re hitting the repeater. Many repeaters are set to ID themselves using Morse code and if it has been a while since the repeater has been used it will immediately ID itself in response to receiving your transmission. Instead of saying “test”, give your call sign and ask for a radio check: “This is wxyz123. Can I get a radio check?” No, you don’t need to have the receive tone set. In fact if you’re in a low traffic area it’s probably best not to set it.

Exactly this^^^^

Sorry, I don’t have first hand knowledge, but here’s a post on radio reference where the settings are discussed as having problems: https://forums.radioreference.com/threads/xpr-8400-cwid-problem.382441/ @Radioguy7268 has experience with these settings. Maybe he’s around.

I would clean up the language. Anything more can still be done later if necessary.

Yeah, I hadn’t read that before I responded here. I still hope Keith sticks around.

The day is young.

The scrambling is extremely easy for anyone to unscramble. It’s just phase inversion. Many cheap handhelds have that. All you have to do is turn it on and play with the level. As far as the frequency hopping, it depends on how it’s synchronized, but the statement the nobody will be able to decipher you is certainly not true and it doesn’t take one of the alphabet agencies, just someone with deep enough pockets to buy an AR5RM.

You’re required to ID every 15 minutes when transmitting.

Ahh, I see. Here is where it blew up overnight. As someone whose wife is confined to a wheelchair I can absolutely understand why a person with a kid in a wheelchair would feel upset about a comment that uses a kid in a wheelchair as a simile for being helpless. Until a loved one has been in that situation you might not get it, but having a loved one disabled does make us more sensitive about things we might otherwise have understood differently. But I don’t think that Randy went to the extent of finding out that your child was in a wheelchair and deliberately chose that as a way to goad you personally. I think it was just one of those insensitive comments that people make. I understand Ken being upset about the language also. How about we all go wrap gifts or something and take a mental health break. The unfortunate thing is you are people who might actually like each other in different circumstances, but because you’re only seeing that one sharp edge that’s being presented that’s where your focus is.

You should be able to delete your repeaters if you’re getting rid of them, or at the very least mark them as closed or offline, whichever is correct. As far as your 869 posts, I don’t believe you can get rid of them, but I know at least two other former members left and had their accounts deleted, which changes the name on their posts to “Guest”. Still, wherever someone quoted their posts in the past remains with their old user name. It would be a huge mess to try to clean that up and honestly I hope your content remains. I learned from it. Only Rich can delete your account. @rdunajewski I would be sorry if you do leave. I don’t know what events caused you to feel this way, but stress is always higher this time of year and I understand how a person might need a break. I suggest mulling it over a few days. Take time for family and friends. I hope you have a nice holiday season no matter what.

I’m sorry if I said something that confused you. When you transmit on the right repeater channel, your radios should each be transmitting on 467.650 MHz and receiving on 462.650 MHz and it sounds like that’s exactly what they’re doing. But you aren’t receiving the repeater’s output signal. So, when you tune the receiver on B to 467.650 MHz you receive the signal directly from the other handheld, but you’re still not receiving the signal from the repeater. So what we have to figure out is why. Is the repeater not receiving your signal on 467.650, which can happen if you’re too far away or on the wrong frequency? Or is the repeater receiving your signal on 467.650 but choosing not to retransmit it, which can happen if you have the wrong CTCSS tone? But I’m slightly confused by the channel number. I think 462.650 MHz is channel 27 (aka 19R or 19RP) on the GMRS channels, not channel 26 unless you programmed it that way.

Merry Christmas! With the right adapter it could be even shorter