Newbie Repeater Tone Confusion

[WRPT260]

As a new GMRS licensee, I'm starting to program some repeaters in my Wouxun KG-935G using the Wouxun software.   When setting up repeater channels, most repeaters listed on myGMRS list tones as input/ output tones.    In my Wouxun software it lists TX (transmit) and RX (receive) tone settings.    I'm trying to wrap my head around this and by doing so I think I'm confusing myself more.

Rx tone= repeater output tone
Tx tone= repeater input tone
 
Is that right?  Or is it the opposite?

[SteveShannon]

3 minutes ago, WRPT260 said:

As a new GMRS licensee, I'm starting to program some repeaters in my Wouxun KG-935G using the Wouxun software.   When setting up repeater channels, most repeaters listed on myGMRS list tones as input/ output tones.    In my Wouxun software it lists TX (transmit) and RX (receive) tone settings.    I'm trying to wrap my head around this and by doing so I think I'm confusing myself more.

Rx tone= repeater output tone
Tx tone= repeater input tone
 
Is that right?  Or is it the opposite?

Correct, your transmit (Tx) tone is the input tone to the repeater.

The repeater then transmits using its output tone, which you receive (Rx), so its your receive tone.

I recommend leaving your radio’s receive tone unset until you’re sure your transmit tone is working and the repeater is hearing your transmissions. You’ll hear everything on that frequency that way.  Then, once you know you’ve got the transmit tone right you can always set your Rx tone.

[WRPT260]

Thank you, you bring up an interesting point.   How do I know if I'm "in range" of the repeaters I program?   I'm I just listening to see if I hear any conversations?    I have tried to transmit a "radio check" using my call sign, but I have yet to receive a response.

[wrci350]

4 hours ago, WRPT260 said:

Thank you, you bring up an interesting point.   How do I know if I'm "in range" of the repeaters I program?   I'm I just listening to see if I hear any conversations?    I have tried to transmit a "radio check" using my call sign, but I have yet to receive a response.

If you are transmitting something like, "<mycallsign> testing" and you don't get any response, there are several possibiilities:

- You cannot hit the repeater due to distance or terrain

- The repeater is not actually on the air.

- The tone(s) in your radio don't match what's actually needed to use that repeater.

-  There is no one listening, or anyone who is listening isn't interested in responding.

As was stated above, you are better of not setting the receive tone, at least initially.

Many repeaters have a courtesy tone or a squelch tail that you can hear after opening up the repeater.  Some will also send their ID information if they haven't transmitted in a while.  If you hear any of those then you are hitting the repeater; if you don't, see above.

[SteveShannon]

Not everyone responds to a “call sign testing” message.  We don’t know what they’re testing. I’m more likely to respond to a “call sign listening” message because I know they are waiting for a response.  

[WRPD494]

In my area,  a "<call> testing" doesn't get much response, but if they say "<call> radio check, or how am I doing, am I making the repeater" - that almost always gets a response and usually a decent signal report.   That goes for GMRS and the Ham repeater.   Just a friendly bunch here in "The South".     

[WRPT260]

7 hours ago, wrci350 said:

If you are transmitting something like, "<mycallsign> testing" and you don't get any response, there are several possibiilities:

- You cannot hit the repeater due to distance or terrain

- The repeater is not actually on the air.

- The tone(s) in your radio don't match what's actually needed to use that repeater.

-  There is no one listening, or anyone who is listening isn't interested in responding.

As was stated above, you are better of not setting the receive tone, at least initially.

Many repeaters have a courtesy tone or a squelch tail that you can hear after opening up the repeater.  Some will also send their ID information if they haven't transmitted in a while.  If you hear any of those then you are hitting the repeater; if you don't, see above.

So when I transmit to the repeater, I do get a series of beeps back.    Does that sound like I'm successfully making it to the repeater?

I also don't quite understand the advantage of setting up the receive tone initially.   What advantage does that provide?

[wayoverthere]

18 minutes ago, WRPT260 said:

So when I transmit to the repeater, I do get a series of beeps back.    Does that sound like I'm successfully making it to the repeater?

I also don't quite understand the advantage of setting up the receive tone initially.   What advantage does that provide?

Think of tones as a filter. The repeater is filtering for signals with a given tone to activate it. Likewise, a recieve tone is a filter on what you hear. This is useful if there's more than one repeater on the same frequency, or if there happens to be simplex users on the same frequency as the repeater's output....you can filter out the unwanted signals to some extent, though they may still interfere somewhat.

[wrci350]

26 minutes ago, WRPT260 said:

So when I transmit to the repeater, I do get a series of beeps back.    Does that sound like I'm successfully making it to the repeater?

I would say "yes".  If what you hear back is morse code then that is the repeater identifying itself.  If it's just a "bee-boop" then that's the courtesy tone.