Retevis RT97 droping off.

[wqtm209]

Using a Retevis RT97 (GMRS model) repeater and have a question about programing radios to work with the repeater. Should radios be programed using TONE or TONE SQUELCH? The problem I am having is, I can activate the repeater but it drops off after just a few words. So I think I am use the correct ctcss tone but may not be using the correct tone type. The repeater shows the ctcss/dcs to be 136.5 for both Dec and Enc, 136.5 would be a ctcss code. Having the same problem with different model radios. seeking help, thanks.

 

[tweiss3]

3 hours ago, kb2ztx said:

how do you know you are dropping ? Are you trying to listen to a radio with another radio or someone in another area. You could be causing decense if your trying with 2 radios in the same vehicle or room. If your in a fringe area this will happen more than if your on top of the repeater.

 

I'll put my money on local desense from being in the same room/proximity.

[wqtm209]

Thanks WRFP399 your location is great,  oldteck I am also still testing. The RT97 is a up grade from a Argent, a new battery is 55AH and new solar panel is 100 watts.  The photo is the original station, will update soon.  As I am in the desert of West Texas just outside the Big Bend National Park Sunshine is always in abundance for 10 to 12 hours. Elevation is 3650 ft. top of GRAY HILL, not the highest location around but as I need to use a power-chair I needed a location I could get too. Our club 2 meter repeater is on Christmas MT. at 5800 ft. it covers most of the National and State Park and is connected to 6 other club repeaters covering a very large area. At 9Am each morning I use GMRS to check on 12 neighbors most live alone and off-grid with no cell service. The repeater location is next to HWY 118 the main road to the parks so we often have contact with out of town people going to the park, who are not used to being without cell coverage.

[mbrun]

Typically a repeater will ignore signals that do not contain the code (a.k.a. Tone) it requires for activation. If you are on the fringe of the repeaters pickup range it is possible that you may open it briefly but your signal is not strong or consistent enough to hold the repeater’s attention. You can verify that by getting close to the repeater to confirm if operation improves.

I am not familiar with the RT97 menus so I cannot tell you what they are called on your model, but what you are looking for is the option to set the Tx code on your radio to match what the repeater requires, and the Rx code on your radio to the code that the repeater sends out.

If you radio has two menus, one referred to as Tone and the other as Tone Squelch, my first guess would be that ‘Tone’ refers to what your radio sends out (the Tx code), and ‘Tone Squelch’ would refer to what code your radio must receive to open its squelch (Rx code).

BTW, make sure you have permission from the repeater owner to use their equipment. Repeaters are private property.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[WRFP399]

Here is a screen shot of the software for the RT97.  It sounds like you have it all correct. 

 

[mbrun]

In your case the ‘Enc’ should be your Tx code and ‘Dec’ should be your Rx code.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[gortex2]

how do you know you are dropping ? Are you trying to listen to a radio with another radio or someone in another area. You could be causing decense if your trying with 2 radios in the same vehicle or room. If your in a fringe area this will happen more than if your on top of the repeater.

 

[JLeikhim]

There was a report of someone having desense between two cheap Chinese radios over a mile from each other line of sight.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

[wqtm209]

Thanks for all the help, I will check that PL code is set to TONE, and try using some distance from the repeater.  Will come back with results. Will try that in the morning it is our 4th day at over 105-114 degrees hard to get anything done.

[wqtm209]

Thanks for all the help the problem is resolved, decense was part of it, some radios were programed with Tone Sq instead of Tone, also found a Anderson power pole issue where the connector pin was not pushed in far enough to slide over the hook inside the plastic connector.

[WRFP399]

Man, I wish I could get away with such a small panel....up here I had a 28 watt panel on mine but during the winter it was unable to keep up. I just added a 50 watt panel in parallel and tripled the battery size.  Here is a photo in it's "beta 2.0" phase. The 50 watt panel faces due south, the 28 watt panel faces SW to catch the setting sun, which often drops below the cloud cover. The RT 97 is strapped the back of the panel via some alum angle.

[oldtech]

15 hours ago, wqtm209 said:

Thanks for all the help the problem is resolved, decense was part of it, some radios were programed with Tone Sq instead of Tone, also found a Anderson power pole issue where the connector pin was not pushed in far enough to slide over the hook inside the plastic connector.

Man I love the site! What kind of range do you get?