You just got your GMRS license, now you want your own repeater?

[SteveShannon]

4 hours ago, WRVZ612 said:

There is a 300 foot high hill in between us, so that is probably the biggest problem.

Unless you put the repeater someplace where that 300 foot hill doesn’t block your signals, it’s not going to help. You might have led with that information.

[KAF6045]

5 hours ago, WRVZ612 said:

Probably about 7 miles straight line. I already have a base antenna up. It's my 440 Ham antenna. He has a mag mount on a steel plate screwed to the window sill. There is a 300 foot high hill directly in between us. I just built a couple of j-pole antennas and matched them with a Nano VNA. I'm going to try one at his house up on a mast and see if that does the trick.

For direct house<>house, you might be better served using a pair of Yagi directional antennas (try them in both horizontal and vertical polarization -- one might refract over the hill better than the other).

[marcspaz]

 

Man, a 300 foot hill is pretty much going to be a no-go unless you put the repeater on the top of the hill.  Here is a visual of what a 328' of blocking terrain looks like.  I would not be very optimistic at this point.

 

[WRVZ612]

11 hours ago, Sshannon said:

Unless you put the repeater someplace where that 300 foot hill doesn’t block your signals, it’s not going to help. You might have led with that information.

Yeah, didn't think of that right off. After looking at the map for distance I noticed it. I will put up an external base antenna at his place and see what happens. The next step will be a couple of 50 watt radios, instead of KG-935 handhelds. (Guess I should've mentioned that too.) I'm so used to picking up my HH Ham radio and talking to Ham repeaters with a rubber duck on it. There are a ton of those repeaters around here. I guess I got spoiled.

[WRKC935]

Not sure how this has much to do with wanting to install a repeater.

Other than maybe buy the property at the top of the 300 foot hill and install a repater there so you can talk on both sides.

 

[BoxCar]

7 hours ago, WRVZ612 said:

Yeah, didn't think of that right off. After looking at the map for distance I noticed it. I will put up an external base antenna at his place and see what happens. The next step will be a couple of 50 watt radios, instead of KG-935 handhelds. (Guess I should've mentioned that too.) I'm so used to picking up my HH Ham radio and talking to Ham repeaters with a rubber duck on it. There are a ton of those repeaters around here. I guess I got spoiled.

Why not help your friend get his Tech license? Then you could use the existing repeaters to stay in touch.

[kmcdonaugh]

On 2/25/2023 at 3:50 PM, BoxCar said:

Why not help your friend get his Tech license? Then you could use the existing repeaters to stay in touch.

Not everybody wants to get an amateur license.

[WRVZ612]

On 2/25/2023 at 11:19 AM, WRKC935 said:

Not sure how this has much to do with wanting to install a repeater.

Other than maybe buy the property at the top of the 300 foot hill and install a repater there so you can talk on both sides.

 

Sounds like a good idea. I'll get right on it. Actually, I wish I knew someone who lived up there. There is a cul-de-sac right at the top. A simple antenna mounted to the peak of a house would do it up there. 

[WRQG450]

This is great information.

[BoxCar]

22 hours ago, WRVZ612 said:

Sounds like a good idea. I'll get right on it. Actually, I wish I knew someone who lived up there. There is a cul-de-sac right at the top. A simple antenna mounted to the peak of a house would do it up there. 

Maybe start knocking on doors and asking if you could rent their attic for an antenna location. Offer them say $5 per month for the space and a little electricity to power the connected antenna and radio.

[WRWH734]

GMRS is also for personal/ family use, which includes repeaters. No one is suggesting adding every portable, garage, experimental, etc repeater to any lists for any general use. Someday, because I'm a nice guy and stuff, I will probably have one that's listed and available for general use. Right now, it's just for family, and it works for me. 

I appreciate the folks that have nice repeaters setup and open to us all. That is clearly not what everyone wants to do with every repeater setup though, especially when they haven't had their licence for "4 days" lol. If I lived in the city, I wouldn't have rf space for my own repeater. Not everyone does live in a city though . And while years ago, I did some other radio stuff and kind of have a base of knowledge from that, I haven't had my license for a month yet... So don't be pissing on us "newbies" parades. Maybe be a good "Elmer" and help a brother out? (Sorry for the ham reference)

[quarterwave]

Good point. I put my first one on air in 1994, about a year after I got my license (if my brain serves me correct). That was before mygmrs.com, then your only resource was PRSG which was a dial up BBS. Heck, even most "Radio" people then weren't very aware of what GMRS was. 

From then until last Spring, my repeater (in it's 3rd iteration) was private. Used it on the farm a little, casually some, but it was private. In the beginning there weren't GMRS radios, if someone could figure out how to crystal, or program an early one for it, that was the only way to use it. I used DPL on mine, that in itself was a brick wall to most unless you had REAL, GOOD radios. I did. 

I opened my repeater to the public last Spring, 141.3Hz in and out, and since then, don't get much if any traffic. I don't personally use it with family or friends anymore, but I will mark on air sometimes while out and about in case anyone is out there. A couple of locals are using it a little, but that's about it. I'm to the point that I'd rather just sell it and let someone have their turn. I have worked in Telecom and Radio for over 30 years, I'm happy to help others, but I guess I don't feel it's of importance for ME to have my own repeater any more. There was a time when I was probably 1 of maybe 3 guys in my STATE to have one. None very close to me now, but lots more all over the State. Nice to see it grow. 

I'm a HAM, so I can talk to others in the hobby anytime I want.  

[quarterwave]

And my next thought, ha ha ha.... is...

Everyone wants a repeater until you have a REAL one for sale, and then no one wants to pay what it's worth! 

[VETCOMMS]

2 hours ago, quarterwave said:

And my next thought, ha ha ha.... is...

Everyone wants a repeater until you have a REAL one for sale, and then no one wants to pay what it's worth! 

And here I thought I'd get yours for $800.  Shucks, lol.

[marcspaz]

Some folks don't understand that there is a very good reason that an external power supply that is 20 years old cost $250... until they waste about $1,000 and a year of their life.  Same idea applies to repeaters. 

[quarterwave]

Actually WRTZ750, I was referring to where I had it for sale online elsewhere last year and the "I want a real repeater" buyers all thought that a repeater was a couple of cheap mobiles tied together. That works when you need it, but you can't get 100% commercial duty cycle out of a mobile. 

The one I have for sale originally sold for $10k without a duplexer. 

 

 

[WRYY718]

I would  think that its to soon.

   69, WRYY718.

 

[WRYY718]

IM trin to save up for  a base station

[GreggInFL]

Probably a stupid question from a noob but I'll try it anyway:  Any reason one could not set up a small repeater just big enough to reach the mega repeater down the street, i.e. the small TX = the mega RX?

TIA, and Happy New Year!

[SteveShannon]

10 minutes ago, GreggInFL said:

Probably a stupid question from a noob but I'll try it anyway:  Any reason one could not set up a small repeater just big enough to reach the mega repeater down the street, i.e. the small TX = the mega RX?

TIA, and Happy New Year!

Yes, one repeater transmitting to another repeater results in an infinite loop.  You transmit on Channel A to the small repeater.  The small repeater repeats your transmission on Channel B so it can be received by the big repeater.  The big repeater must transmit on Channel A or your small repeater would never receive it.  When the small repeater receives it on Channel A it repeats it on Channel B where it is received by the big repeater.  Infinite loop.

There are ways to link repeaters to accomplish what you suggest using network connections.

 

[GreggInFL]

Ah, that's right, the offsets are fixed in GMRS. Duh. If the small repeater's RX was something other than 462 it might work, but then it wouldn't be GMRS would it? 

I'm familiar with the network linking.

Thanks!

[WSAH452]

I have a question

Are these portable Riveris or midland repeater sets worth getting if I'm using it for family outings such as Camping ?

they cost less than $1000 and I've seen them come with an antenna and 50ft coaxial only thing I see missing is a tri-pod to mount the Antenna onto

[SteveShannon]

1 minute ago, WSAH452 said:

I have a question

Are these portable Riveris or midland repeater sets worth getting if I'm using it for family outings such as Camping ?

they cost less than $1000 and I've seen them come with an antenna and 50ft coaxial only thing I see missing is a tri-pod to mount the Antenna onto

I think that’s exactly what they’re targeted towards. 

[WSAH452]

1 minute ago, Sshannon said:

I think that’s exactly what they’re targeted towards. 

I'm New to all of this 
Me and a few Friends Go camping in and around the Tri-State and there are Repeaters in nearby towns But we get weak signals I figured if they made a portable How far of a range it would extend 

[WRUE951]

4 minutes ago, WSAH452 said:

I'm New to all of this 
Me and a few Friends Go camping in and around the Tri-State and there are Repeaters in nearby towns But we get weak signals I figured if they made a portable How far of a range it would extend 

A friend that I frequently camp with at Crowley Lake has the Retevis he sets up at campsite and it has no problem covering the whole lake and then some,(I would say 15-20 mile range)  I have a large Ammo can that i stuffed two KG1000s in, with a sheet metal separator between radios plugged into a homemade J-Pole attached to a Harbor Freight telescopic flag pole (25')  and I've reached 50+ miles many times.  I only used the KG's because i had them from an old Repeater set up, otherwise i would consider the Retevis for sure.