Repeater coverage

[WSIM522]

Being new to GMRS, I am constantly finding myself confused. This time I think something is wrong, but I have no clue what it is. I have the Wouxun KG100G radio base with a Comet antenna thirty two feet into the air.  In my vehicle, I am temporarily using the five watt Wouxun KG935G hooked to a ghost antenna on the roof. Both radios are correctly set with the repeater tones.  Both of the radios will connect with the repeater mentioned above, and on each radio I can talk to others via the repeater. However, the mobile and the base radio will not talk to each other, even though both radios hit the repeater. As a side note, Three days ago I was in the mobile directly dead center of the repeater coverage area, I could hear the repeater and others talking, but I could not communicate with the base radio. 

The exact same scenario, only using a repeater that doesn't come closer in range to the base than twenty miles, I can switch both the base and the mobile to this repeater, and they will talk to each other. Since the first scenario has a repeater that ranges closer to the base, I feel that the closer repeaters abilities should allow both the base and mobile to talk to each other.  I am absolutely certain that the repeater tones are set correctly. I can talk to others over both radios via the repeater, just not mobile to base in the first scenario.   Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated. 

[UncleYoda]

You said the repeater "comes within just five miles of my house".  The repeater would have to reach your house to talk to/from the base unit.

[WRUU653]

Sounds like a line of sight issue. You can’t rely on the map for accurate coverage. Here’s a tool to check out your situation. SCADACore 

[WSIM522]

On 9/13/2025 at 10:56 AM, UncleYoda said:

You said the repeater "comes within just five miles of my house".  The repeater would have to reach your house to talk to/from the base unit.

The map showing the coverage area for the repeater shows the coverage area within five miles of my base radio. The base radio coverage extends way beyond the outer limits of the repeater, and does communicate with the repeater, which allows me to communicate with others over fifty miles away. Inside the repeater coverage area my mobile will connect to the repeater, and I can talk to others, just not back to the base unit via the repeater

 

[WRUU653]

1 hour ago, WSIM522 said:

The map showing the coverage area for the repeater shows the coverage area within five miles of my base radio. The base radio coverage extends way beyond the outer limits of the repeater, and does communicate with the repeater, which allows me to communicate with others over fifty miles away. Inside the repeater coverage area my mobile will connect to the repeater, and I can talk to others, just not back to the base unit. 

Are you trying to talk to the base via the repeater or simplex? If it’s simplex you probably don’t have line of sight to it. The repeater is most likely going to be in a higher position and more power so where your radios can both reach the repeater they may not reach each other.  If you are testing with the two radios side by side than you may have what is called desensing where the signal from one cancels the other. Try moving them fifty feet apart. Again don’t believe everything the map says as far as range goes. It doesn’t account for elevation and obstacles. Line of sight, height is might. I hope this helps.