I’m a tinkerer. I have a curse that had always kept me digging deeper once an interest infected me. I was like this with PCs, then Linux, solar, now radios. I love to conceptualize and figure out how to get the most performance out of bare necessities. I’m new to GMRS, thanks to the many entertaining videos posted by Notarubicon (Props dude, I’m a huge fan).
So on with the concept. In the event of SHTF or total disbandment of a certain three letter government agency, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to reach out farther over the air using a relatively high powered repeater that you didn’t have to sink $1000 into? The technology is readily available.
I’m referring to HT’s with cross band repeater capabilities. These little gems are awesome with features that will align them with some mobile rigs. The Leixen UV-25D is fine example of such an HT. It will cross band from UHF to VHF, VHF to UHF, or both ways. The flexibility here is unbelievable, and radios such as these or the TYT UV-8000 series of radios being the foundation of such a repeater would bring features to a repeater that simply don’t exist in even high end setups.
I intend on outlining how this setup would work, be implemented, go over the strengths and weakness I think such a system may have, and touch on added features that would come from such a setup in posts to follow. I welcome any feedback, positive or negative along the way. Ideas are strongly encouraged as this is how we all learn.