SteveShannon

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Did you look on the repeater page?

KMZ files can be directly read by Google Maps.

Garmin Rino.

Instead, I suggest that you get the factory made cable with the N connectors and use the adapter on the radio end. Electrically it’s the same but having a factory N connector on the cable where it connects to the antenna will be more weatherproof.

It is feasible. The feature is called lockout. Unfortunately no retail GMRS radios that I know of have it, but scanners and some commercial radios have it.

It’s impossible to reliably say. They might go from one block to another or they could go miles between upper floors of two different buildings.

And for the record, you should never have to worry about being a bother when you’re asking questions.

Here’s a better description:

Each DMR repeater is a kind of a gateway into a network of DMR talkgroups. So a repeater connected to the Brandmeister network can be used to connect to almost every talkgroup on the Brandmeister network. So, my local DMR repeater has the Montana Chat talkgroup as its default talkgroup. But I have a bunch of channels configured that allow me to simply change channels and key up (as long as nobody is talking on the repeater at the time) and the repeater will be connected dynamically to that new talkgroup and not to its default talkgroup. Usually a repeater will eventually times out and return to the default talkgroup. I keep busy channel lockout turned on on my DMR radio so I don’t interrupt others.

If you get on the right talkgroup it can be busy all the time. TG 91 is worldwide English speaking and has conversations full time. But keep in mind that when you get on a DMR repeater and change talkgroups, everyone else listening to the repeater is taken to the same talkgroup. If you want to hear lots of activity and not just use the repeater locally, a hotspot is really the way to go.

He hasn’t been here since 2019.

RT System software can automatically populate repeaters in your radio’s memory based on location (zip code plus radius is just one way). Chirp has similar features. Use the memory banks or zones of many radios to create zones that reflect different locations along your journey and then just switch from bank to bank (or zone to zone) as you travel. Alinco’s DMR radio even has “roaming zones” and a built in GPS.

Here’s what their website says: WHAT IF I JUST USE AND DON’T JOIN THE SYSTEM? We won’t kick you off the System. However, we will notice if you’re on a lot and haven’t joined. You’ll probably get an email or phone call to encourage you to become a member. The PAPA System is member-supported and we depend on membership to support repeater maintenance and site rental.

Paid repeater? All ham radio clubs encourage membership and gleefully accept donations. We might have a difficult time paying for all that goes into the expenses associated with repeaters otherwise. Im not a Papa member and I certainly can’t speak for them but I suspect that if you donate what you can they’ll not mind you using the repeaters.

They’re selling new for $249-$269, unless you buy from Amazon. A friend just bought one from HRO after borrowing mine to see if it would work for him.

One is the loneliest number.

This!!! It makes no sense to add UHF transmitters just because they don’t have UHF transmitters.

If you look at the Brandmeister dashboard you can see if your signal is being received and what strength. Once you know, then you can configure a channel to the Parrot talkgroup and you’ll be able to hear what you sound like.

In my case Norton (not Windows) didn’t complain about the executable having a virus; it identified the website as a known problem site, which might be more related to information about users being discovered in phishing attacks.

Anywhere there’s a DMR repeater, you should be able to save a channel to join talk groups in that network such as TG 93, USA-Wide on the Brandmeister network. You take everybody on the repeater with you though.

I am impressed! You’ve certainly gotten the most out of that combination and in a heavily wooded, high humidity area with an antenna lower than the canopy. The use of the amplifier is something I haven’t seen others do; good job! The 200 mile range mentioned by wrxp381 is highly unusual except between high elevations and across deserts, which bear no resemblance to your swamp at sea level. As long as you’re epoxying the radome, you might consider drilling and epoxying (or screwing) in some pins to prevent the halves from separating. I would not worry about tuning that antenna. You’ll truly never notice the difference between a VSWR of 1.5:1 and 1.3:1. As you know, your feedline is attenuating quite a bit of signal though and in both directions. That’s your most easily identifiable avenue to getting more power, but it could also be expensive. Again, I’m impressed!

Here’s one of the best explanations of the requirements of the NEC and antenna grounding: https://reeve.com/Documents/Articles Papers/Reeve_AntennaSystemGroundingRequirements.pdf

Except for the term “sad ham.”

I bet the utility company loves having that tower and antenna that close to their transmission line!